What a difference 2 years makes.

Letter & updated photo from Efrata!!

On the left Efrata was waiting for a sponsor in a new Compassion project. On the right is our 2 year update! I LOVE THIS GIRL! She has my heart and I hope that I'll be able to visit her someday! If only Ethiopia was just a little bit closer!


9/1/11
Dan & Julie
How are you doing my beloved sponsor? I and my mother are fin. Thank you for supporting me and for writing to me. God bless you. I attend school and Sunday school. Merry Christmas and happy new year. I wish you peace, joy, and love. I am eagerly waiting for Ethiopian New Year celebration.

Please pray for understanding from God.

Bye!

(Her letters are written with her, by staff. They are always very similar. I hope to see one written by her someday. Maybe they will be more personal.)

Letter Day- Efrata and Nanese

I'm so far behind on this blog! I recieved 2 letters this week. Here's one from Efrata. By the way, I still haven't figured out the correct spelling for her name. It was again spelled Efrata, rather than Ephrata, by the translator.

(letter as translated)
Dan & Julie,

How are you doing? Efrata says I and my mother are fine. School fees, "teff" (crop,) oil, school uniform, cloth, shoes, socks, underwear, pencil, exercise book, pen, eraser, sharpener, bag, and medical services are given to me. With your christmas gift of 239.25 birr and birthday gift and my parents gift bedsheet, bed, cloth, water container, grains, and clothes were bought. Also for my birthday celebration.

I am happy for your letter. The school is one hour from my residence. (I asked how far she had to travel to go to school. I assume she walks.) I like to draw drawings. I attend grade 4.

I learnt from the Bible about Adam, Eve, Abel, Cain, and obedience.

What do you know about Ethiopia? What about weather in your area?

Please pray for my education to be a smart student and to be God's child.

Bye!

Efrata

------------------------------------

I was surprised to get a letter from Nanese because she aged out of the program back in September. The letter appears to have the date of 14/10/10 (10/14/10). This date makes works in regards to her leaving the program but I don't know why it took 9 months to make it to my mailbox.

Dear Dan & Julie

I am glad to write this letter but sad to tell you that I must leave the program as I reach the top age that the program required. How are you and your family? Here I am going well thanks to God. We will not be able to write letters anymore. Thank you for your help and support to me and my family that made me progress in different things. I learnt to love God and keep a better relationship with others. I learnt macrame, so now I can make belt, sandals. I thank you for being so patient with me. Please pray for me and my school that God be our protection. I will be praying for you and your family. I love you!

Nanese

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.

I love quotes.

I have a thing for quotes. I love uplifting, happy, and motivating quotes. I love when you read one and it just sticks to you and doesn't let go.

"The miracle we hope for is not always the miracle we receive."

That quote brought me back to the adoption we were talking about. Maybe that's not a 'miracle' in itself (well maybe it is?) but I prayed long and hard for something that I didn't get. I did however get to sponsor a beautiful little girl a few years older than the 'little girl' I was hoping to adopt. I begin a life changing sponsorship instead. This little girl will be able to live at home with her biological mom. Her mom won't have to worry if she has been fed that day because her sponsorship will take care of that for her and I think that in itself is HUGE! And I get to start what I hope is a life long friendship with someone who lives in Ethiopia. Win Win! :)

In fact, now I have 2 friends in Ethiopia now & 1 in Haiti. I didn't select these other two. Compassion selected them for me. Do you remember why we wanted to adopt from Ethiopia? Because we were to young to adopt from Haiti. With all the other countries Compassion works with, they just happened to select them from Haiti & Ethiopia. God knows what he's doing! He knows where my heart is and is making it very clear that this is what he wants me to do.

"The BEST and most BEAUTIFUL things in the WORLD cannot be SEEN or even TOUCHED. They must be FELT with the HEART." Helen Keller

There WAS a little girl in Ethiopia waiting for me. Just not the way I had hoped. I PLAN to visit her someday. I hope I have a lot of children in Ethiopia to visit some day. Until then I will just shower them all with love, letters, and gifts! I will do my best to bring HOPE and love into their lives.

Good looking bunch huh?

I put this photo at the bottom of my blog but I had to show it off. I'm thinking I'm missing some kids. Boy this sponsorship thing is addictive!



I still don't have my next letter from Nanese. I know it's on the way too! That just makes it harder to wait! Post office faster please! But I said PLEASE!!!

Art for Nanese

Since I have 2 photos of Nanese, I decided to add both photos to this project. She will get a larger art project because we will only have the pleasure of sponsoring her for 2 additional months. (Depressing! I LOVE her letters!)

Nanese will receive two very nicely drawn pictures of bikes. She expressed that she likes to bike and we are a biking family. I hope she enjoys her "art" package from the boys.

 

By the way. I couldn't resist asking Compassion if we had any letters in process. We do! Another letter from Nanese! I was disapointed to learn I still don't have any idea how Efrata spent her birthday money (although I for whatever reason will bet you she bought either a goat or food.) I sent the money in April. I had high hopes that we would have something coming by now but I understand that she lives in a completely different world than we do and things just don't happen at the snap of a finger. I'll try to have patience. As if I can do anything else about it.. I guess my only other option would be to buy a very expensive plane ticket and go to Ethiopia to find out myself. Hmmm..... Tempting.

Art for Ashenafi & Efrata

I cut this paper down the middle to seperate it and add it to the artwork made by the boys. These are photos of the kids working on their drawings and holding them up for the camera.

Ashenafi will receive pictures of soccer balls & ping pong, two things his packet says he enjoys. (We have not received a letter from him as it's only been a few weeks.) Efrata is going to get a picture of a flower & an airplane.

Hunter (my youngest) included a very sweet note on the back of both of these pictures.

Dear Ashenafi,
I like Soccer too. I drew something for you. I wish I could help your country. From Hunter.
(He really wanted me to add, we will send you money to help. Even though we WILL be sending him money, I decided against putting that in a letter.)

Dear Efrata,
I drew a plane for you. I wore a costume once. I looked like a pilot. My grandma has been in a plane. (So has his mom & dad!) Have you been in a plane? I haven't. From Hunter.

 

Mid June Sponsorship letters

Here is our goodies ready to go out with tomorrows mail.

Top left is for Efrata. Includes a letter from me and a really fun sticker scene. The stickers are removable & she can place them all around the "castle" background.

Bottom left is for Nanese. Includes a small gift ($), a letter from me, something written by the boys, and stickers.

Bottom right is for Ashenafi. His includes a letter from me, lots of photos as this is our first mailing for him, stickers (yes, I know he's too old!) and a funny card with laughing zebra's on the front.

Why do I post these? It helps me keep track of what I send the kid every month! Otherwise I'm looking through my stickers, cards, postcards, and photo's trying to remember who got what already. :)
I'd like to connect with another Compassion sponsor/blogger as well. It would be a great help to see what we are sending our kids!

My poor attempt at making paper dolls...

...but I think Efrata will enjoy this anyway. :)

May Package ready to go to our girls

Efrata's goodies on the left & Nanese's on the right.


I'm having a hard time NOT sending things more than once a month! Once monthly was my goal.. I should probably take on another child.. maybe that would slow me down. :)
This mailing contains a card, more stickers, photo's, and a world map. The map has both Michigan & their countries marked off. I am going to make a guess that Efrata doesn't know much about the World in general. I'm not sure about Nanese.

I would like to send paper dolls to Efrata. Does anyone know of a good place to buy them? Or a good place to print them??
BTW- I know I sent the same family photo to Efrata last time but this time I wrote about it on the back. The first photo was laminated.. this one is just printed on card stock paper.

I need suggestions for Nanese. She's much older & may not appreciate the little things that Efrata likes. It needs to be flat and no thicker than 1/4 inch... I need ideas!

"Compassion Mail"

Usually you don't have to wait so long for this to come.. but there apparently was a "glitch" and our packet took longer that normal.

This is what our official sponsorship packet looks like. It Came 3 and 1/2 weeks after we sponsored Efrata... a very long 3 and 1/2 weeks!
(I'm sure the wait until we get her first letter will feel like an eternity if I though this was bad!)

1st Package on the way to Ethiopia!

Here is her first package! It includes a 3-D card for her birthday, a cheesy handmade bookmark with her photo, a family photo (taken last fall), a photo of the kids, photo's of HER, and lots of stickers. I hope it gets to her in time.

It may seem strange that I'm sending her a photo of herself, but she may not have a photo of herself. Photos aren't common in 3rd world countries and this may be something that she doesn't have, or doesn't have many of.

Efrata (our sponsored child)

I have some updated information on Efrata!

I am allowed to send Efrata $25 for her birthday which is on May 21st (she will be 8.) I submitted that today because I'm aware that it takes a lot of time to get that processed. ($25 can buy a goat!) The children usually buy necessities with thier gift money. (Many people get a photo of what the child bought with thier birthday money, I hope I do!)

Efrata's paperwork says that lives with her mom because her dad passed away. She appears to be an only child. She is in 3rd grade and has "average" school work. Her mother's job is listed as a "house maid." (Does this mean unemployeed? I assume it does as most people are unemployeed.)

The typical home in Holeta, Ethiopia has a floor made of dirt, walls made of mud, earth, or clay, and a tin roof. A typical family income is $18 a month. I am not sure what language she speaks but the typical language of this area is both Oromigna and Guragigna. The project that she is in just started in December 2009.

Delivery of mail to & from her project can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months... (still waiting!)

...off to write her an email!

BTW- here's a blog on the 2009 Ethiopia tour. (I would love to do this someday!!) click here!

Dreams

Had a dream today that Dan was back in the "Adoption Boat." Yes, he 'fell out.' To be honest, we had only.. maybe a couple people give us rosey pictures of their transition period. Almost everyone told us that it was excruciatingly hard, often for many months on end, or even a year. The children in Africa are suffering. *To be fair.. we have our hands full with Hunter a lot of the time and he's not good with change. This is a concern!* They come home with severe food issues and traumatic backgrounds a lot of the time. We want to do something for them, and I will continue to pray for them and look for a way to do just that. Until then we pray and learn about the country, the children, and organizations there that are helping. I found a great organization looking for volunteers but you have to commit to a 3 week stay. I can't do that right now with my kids and I can't bring my kids with me due to the lack of adequate health care. (Caleb is an asthmatic.)

We still have yet to recieve our initial sponsorship package on Efrata. I hope we recieve it soon as her birthday is coming up in less than 2 months. I would like to be able to help her pay for something special to celebrate. (I hear that many children buy a sheep or a goat with thier birthday money. What a different world it is over there. It's all about survival.)

Efrata (our sponsored child) lives in Holeta

** Double click on the video to bring up the you-tube full screen video.

A small step-

Dan and I are sponsoring Efrata Paulos Damtew. She is 7 years old and will turn 8 on May 21st. She lives in Ethiopia just west of Addis and is in the Holeta Berhane Wengel Child Development Project.

“Efrata makes her home with her mother. Cleaning is her household duty. Her mother is sometimes employed.

For fun, Efrata enjoys playing group games. She attends church activities regularly and is in primary school where her performance is average.”

Disclaimer: I have NO idea if I'm allowed to post her photo, but I saw other people post their sponsored child's photo. I may have to remove the photo and other identifying information. Until then, Enjoy! Isn't she precious???