A great mail day!

As of this past January I hadn't heard what Efrata had purchased with her family gift (sent 6 months + prior.) I called Compassion concerned that I hadn't heard anything yet and I wanted to be sure that she did in fact get that money. Compassion notified the country office and this is the reply I recieved today.

First there is a photo from Efrata's birthday gift. I did receive a note from her about what she recieved but I did not get a picture. With her birthday money she bought a new sweater, shoes, and a party.

She is wearing the bookmark I made her around her neck. I guess next time I should make a necklace. The tree on the left is filled with stickers that I have sent her.

She looks so happy!

This is a photo of the items Efrata bought with her "family gift" money.

Translated letter I recieved with both photo's (some is a bit confusing.)

Dear Dan & Julie,

How are you? She is very fine except for longing for you. She is learning in the Sunday School in good way. She is now in grade four. She has recieved your letter and gifts. She has recieved your family gift and says sorry for says that nothing is done for her with your support in her previous letter. With her family gift money she bought food, bedsheets, mattress cover, a quilt cover, a small water tanker, teff (a local crop), a traditional stove. She wants God to bless you abundantly for your gift.

On the letter written in her native language there is a line in English. It appears to be written by Efrata.

It says:

I lovu SmaH Tnk Uo ?

Under this is the Ethiopian version and with a little searching I'm convinced it says "I love you so much. Thank you."

Lastly the translator spelled her name Ephrata rather than Efrata. I think the 'ph' might actually be the correct translation. Interesting.

Thought Provoking

In case you were getting to comfortable

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2010/08/just-in-case-you-were-getting-too.html

Read this blog.

New Sponsorship

Tamasmen-love lives in Haiti with her stepfather. She's Seven & reportedly in a US equivalent of 3rd grade(?). I'm curious to start getting letters from her as her information is quite confusing. It says she has a mother & a father in one place and then says she has no mother in another place.

What do you think? Cutie patootie isn't she? :)

Letter Day! From Tadesse

Tadesse is only 4 years old so I didn't expect much of a letter from him, but I'm happy to get a tiny glimpse inside his life regardless!

Date: 11/29/2010 (They actually used our calendar. Usually I see letters dated in the Ethiopian calendar. On our calendar November 29, 2010 was 3/20/2003 Ethiopia. If I save these letters for a long time, as I plan to, this will get confusing trying to remember which dates are which.

On to his letter (written by a translator or church member):

Dear Dan & Julie
How do you do? He and his family are fine.
Parents names: Chalitu B & Gezahegn T
Sibling: Tigist
Best friends: Barla?wgn, Binyam, Dawit

My favorite things:
Game: Soccer
Food: egg
School subject: English
Pets: Hen
Color: White
Song: God is love
Holiday: Christmas

I live in a town.

I want to be a doctor.

(His fingerprint.)

He is thankful and happy for your willingness to be his sponsor. He is ICGI student. (What's a ICGI student?)
What is school around you? He likes learning.

Pray for his school, him to be a smart student.

Compassion International: Wolisso Kale Heywet Church (Ethiopia)

I found a blog today about my compassion child, Tadesse's church.

http://markgumm.wordpress.com/2009/03/14/exciting-things-in-ethiopia/

Our Ethiopia team spent the last 2 days visiting Woliso Kale Heywet Church. The church of 1500, located 2 hours outside the capitol of Addis, is doing amazing things in their community to care for the physical and spiritual needs of the people surrounding them. In addition to their span of church ministries, including sending and supporting 8 missionaries and 5 church plants, they also sponsor 18 children through Compassion Intl, and another 29 children/families in their community that are either double orphans, or have parents terminally ill with HIV/AIDS, in order to delay the onset of orphaning these children so they can spend as much time as possible with their parents before they pass away.



We had a wonderful time on Friday playing with the kids through our sports outreach program, and spent time with the pastors and leaders of the church today, hearing their vision and speaking about the future partnership with World Orphans. We are excited to pray and think about what God will do in the future, not only in the lives of the people at Woliso church and their community, but also the impact they will have on short term missions teams that may have a chance to serve alongside them in the future.

The miracle of adoption