It's Monday!!

And with Monday, comes this weeks addition of Mail Call Monday.

I received my mail later in the week, on Friday and Saturday. Only two letters from my Compassion International kiddos this week, but one of my letters was from Ethiopia!!! And those letters are few and far between. So it's always excitement to open a letter and see the ET on the coding. My other letter was from the Philippines and those are always great letters!!

So when I first opened the Ethiopia letter I was thinking it was from Shoa, with everything going on with her lately, my mind got all excited and jumped straight to her, but it wasn't from Shoa to my surprise! It was actually from my second to youngest, Tekalign!

He's six years old, and I really haven't been corresponding with this little guy for long. I did get an intro letter from him, but like I said before, Ethiopia letters for me, so to be few and far between. But I was stoked when I say the headline said 'My Family' and it was a template letter, which means his project is on track for switching over to the new correspondence guidelines of writing more frequently, along with using more redesigned templates so I can get a better look into his life! Plus, I had a report card attached!!!! I have only received a report card one other time, and it was from Shoa in Ethiopia.

As happy as I was to receive this letter, I was completely saddened by the last section. The back let room for four smaller sections Prayer Requests, Thank the sponsor for a received gift, answers to sponsors questions and lastly Anything special you want to share. After reading on the front the names of siblings, and that he spends most of his time with his Mother (I did think this odd as I didn't remember him living in a single parent household), that his family's faith background is protestant and that his favorite thing to do with his family is 'Obey' my heart dropped when I read the last line on the back "My father dead. Our family's number is six. Bye" meaning now with his siblings and single mother, there are only 6 and not 7 people in the family. I couldn't believe it, my heart broke at that moment. This is the second letter I've receieved with information on the death of a father from Ethiopia. And the third child of mine to loose a parent while with me. I can't even begin to imagine what this little boy is going through.

front of the new template

On a lighter note, on Saturday I heard from my 18 year old in the Philippines, Sheena.

She is quite the letter writer and while last week it was a scheduled letter, this week was a reply letter, and filled with lots of good information! She tells me she is so impressed in my letter (not sure what impressed her). She says she agrees that computer programing can be fun, but sometimes it was hard for her, because she has to identify parts. And she also agreed it's a big work field. She switched majors to computer programing and I was telling her about how useful I'm sure her degree with be when she is finished. She also tells me "I'm not hopefuless because God is always there for me." I think it was in reference to her classes sometimes being hard. She told me that her home is far from school. And that her school is in the city. I know from google maps that there is a college very near to her project, but I don't believe it to be the same college. She shared the name of her church is Faith Bible Baptist Church and that she loves her church because they help her grow spiritually.

She again tells me this letter "I wish we can see each other . I thank God in a our communication through writing letters."  I would like to mention to her to pray and ask God for us to meet. Because recently I learned of our church doing missions work in the Philippines and was invited to join the team maybe next year or the year after. And it really looks like this may be a possibility, but I fear saying too much that might insinuate anything if God doesn't work out the details for me to go. I know she would be heart broken, and that meeting me is a deep desire of hers, and she mentions it almost every letter. So I guess I wait until I know if it's God will, and later on ask for her prayers.

I had some great letters this week, did you get any mail?! I'd love for you to share!