Dear Readers,
Years ago, we decided that we would sponsor a child in need, make and keep our commitment to her, and not allow it to become one of those generous impulses that happen, but fade over time. What bothered us the most was that the monthly boost we could give to help one child was about what we spent in a month on quality dog food. Although the kids were young, they too agreed to 'give up' something in order to help keep our monthly pledge.
Our little girl's name is Milka, and she was just 3 years old when we signed on. She is almost 10 and we have had the treasure of sharing letters with her, and watching her grow up in Kenya. Kenya is about as far from Maine as my imagination can soar, so I can only guess what Milka thinks about the pictures we send of the snow men we make, or the ice skating, or other wintry activities. She, of course, tells us about her life, and it has been wonderful to see her letters go from crayon pictures to her own writing to her own words. Milka is prayed for nightly, and even after all these years, her letters are still met with excited shrieks from the kids. "Milka's letter came today? Great!!"
At the dinner table, we often talk about what it would be like to be hungry. When my parents were children, they waited upon soup lines in Brooklyn, sometimes for hours. We've never known hunger like that, thankfully but the stories my folks shared with me remain to this day a deep reminder of how wonderful life is for us, and how blessed we are with such abundance.
The agency allows us to send a bit more at Christmas time. Their rule is fine with us, too: the gift is spread about the whole family (Milka's got a lot of siblings), so the kids always ask to go without, so they can make something special for Milka and her family. Years ago, someone even said to the kids, "oh, you'll end up forgetting about her and stop sending money..." scolding me for getting the kids "worked up" over some "cause" we'll never stick to.
I love a good challenge.
With almost 7 years behind them, both Sean and Christina continue to do little things to help meet the monthly pledge, including firewood stacking and other odd jobs. Each Thanksgiving they begin to talk about making sure extra is saved for Milka's family.
It helps.
Today, the agency sent us a letter that I now share with you. At a time where we are digesting the bitter taste of injustice, the timing may just help a bit. It is in stark contrast to what mercenaries are doing to compete for blood lust money.
thanks for listening,
Peter
Dear Friends,
Because you are a sponsor of a child in Kenya, I wanted to make you aware of a very serious drought that is currently affecting nearly 12 million people living in the north-eastern part of Africa.
This drought is being reported as the worst in 60 years, affecting up to 40 percent of children under the age of 5.
Because of this drought, crops have failed and food prices have skyrocketed — leaving millions of people at risk.
Compassion has nearly 1150 child development centers throughout this eastern part of Africa. We are monitoring the situation closely and will provide you with an update as more information becomes available.
At this time, we just wanted to share with you the information we’ve received from our field offices and also provide you with an opportunity to send a gift of any amount to help meet these incredible needs. As you can imagine, this has created an extraordinary demand for food, water, and other basic necessities. Please click on the link if you would like to make a donation. http://www.compassion.com/africa-drought.htm?referer=120998&utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SP_CDSP_EST_DROUGHT_CRISIS%20(1)&utm_content=
Thank you so much for your time. And please remember to pray for the children and families who are being directly impacted by this situation.
Sincerely in Him,
Wess Stafford
President and CEO
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