First Letter from Yojana

I love finding those wonderful CI envelopes in my mailbox! Today's contained Yojana's CW letter, written in Spanish:

Estimada Ms. Dillon,

Querida madrina Ms. Dillon, espero que este muy bien de salud a lado de su familia. Le cuento que estoy my feliz a lado de toda mi familia. Estoy muy felliz por ser mi madrina y audarme. Hace unas semana que paso la feria y estubo muy divertido. Tambien estoy muy feliz porque estudio y que en algunos dias estare de vacaciones. Le cuento que el deporte que mas me gusta practicar con mis companeros es el basquetbol. Me divierto mucho practicando. Tambien ayudo a mis padres en los oficinas de mi casa. Le cuento que ya hace algunos dias que paso el 15 de septiembre y estubo muy divertido porque hacieran algunas actividades y el festival de bandas y estoy feliz porque estue tocando una pandereta. Ese dia estubo muy alegre. Me despido de usted con besos y abrazos.

Yojana Aracely

And in English (my own translation from the Spanish, not CI's):

Dear Ms. Dillon,

Dear Sponsor Ms. Dillon, I hope that you are in good health along with your family. I tell you that I am very happy along with all of my family. I am very happy that you are my Sponsor and you help me. A few weeks ago the fair happened and it was very fun. I am also very happy because I study and that in some days I will be on vacation. I tell you that the sport that I most like to practice with my friends is basketball. I have a lot of fun practicing. Also I help my parents with the chores of my house. I tell you that a few days ago happened the 15th of September and it was a lot of fun because there were some activities and the festival of bands and I am happy because I was playing a a tambourine. That day was very happy. I say goodbye to you with kisses and hugs.

Yojana Aracely

The back of the letter was a multiple-choice questionnaire to share a little about her life. She indicated:

I describe myself as: very kind, shy and serious.
My favorite sport is: basketball.
In the future, I would like: to be someone important.
The most beautiful thing in my neighborhood is: the landscape.

It's interesting that she describes herself as serious--when I was putting together her DP for Christmas, I kept thinking that she would appreciate more practical items, as she seemed like a very serious girl. Of course, I only had her photo from which to derive that conclusion, but I just had a feeling. =)

I had to do a little research about September 15th -- it was the day in 1821 when Guatemala declared independence from Spain. I'm glad she got to participate in the day's festivities--it sounds like she really had a good time playing that tambourine!

I've already written and sent my introduction letter, so I think I'll soon have a CP in my mailbox too. But of course I won't wait for that to arrive before replying to this letter! =)

NaNoWriMo

My NaNoWriMo Novel's Cover

Today, I won.  For those of you who aren't familiar with NaNoWriMo (that's National Novel Writing Month), it's a personal challenge that thousands of people take on all around the world through the month of November. The goal is to write 50,000 words in thirty days. It may not sound like a lot, but it really is a labor of love. It takes time and commitment and an incredible amount of support and understanding from friends. You wind up lost in your plot. You develop a relationship with your characters. Sometimes, your novel feels like the real world, and your life feels like fiction. It's a very intense, emotional experience.

What does any of this have to do with Sponsorship, you may ask? Well, as I was driving home from my last 2012 Write-In this afternoon, I thought about the lessons I've learned over the past twenty-six days, and I realized that these insights are something my girls could benefit from. So I've decided that my December letters to each of them will be about the journey I have undergone, the perseverance it took to accomplish the goal, and how good it felt when that word count ticked above 50,000 this afternoon. I can tell them how my friend Mary coaxed me along and encouraged me, and how we celebrated together when the goal was achieved.

I took screen shots of my statistics page so I can print it and include it to show them how I worked a little bit each day towards achieving my goal. I can send them a copy of the novel's cover, too--I think it will be especially neat for Anna Marie, Joyce and Jie, who each received a pair of the best friend necklaces as part of their Christmas DPs this year.

The Chinese characters mean "friendship", "love" and "eternity"--the two main characters are based on me and my best friend, and their friendship blossoms in language school where they are both studying Chinese. Telling my girls about the plot will then also open the door for me to tell them a bit about my younger days!

Spotlight Child of the Week, 11/24/2012

Meet seven-year-old Lilian Roxana! She lives with her parents and seven siblings in Guatemala. Lilian is Mayan, and according to her profile she only speaks Cakchiquel, though I would imagine she is learning Spanish in school, which she does attend. Lilian enjoys playing soccer, as well as playing with toys and, specifically, toy cars (how cute! I loved playing with toy cars when I was young). Her home is concrete with a corrugated metal roof. The family of ten struggles to survive on only $182 per month.






Unsure about Sponsorship? Take a test-ride by teaming up with an experienced Sponsor--me! I would be happy to co-Sponsor with you ... and if you decided after all that Sponsorship just isn't for you, you can rest assured in the knowledge that I will maintain the Sponsorship myself rather than let our angel fall back into the waiting pool. If, on the other hand, you decide you love Sponsoring SO much that you'd like to continue solo, I will be content to step aside and allow you to build that one-to-one relationship!

Christmas Shopping

I had a rare day off from work today, and so I took the opportunity to finish up my shopping for my Christmas DPs for my girls (I know, I'm running late! They'll be in the mail tomorrow! lol). As I got into my truck and turned the key, the song "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid came blaring out of my speakers. It inspired me to think all the way to the store about how my Christmas and my children's Christmasses will differ, and it made me feel good inside to know that I was going to be able to help ten families have a warmer, brighter holiday.

One of the things I had to pick up were the envelopes in which I'll be mailing the DPs. As I was checking out with the envelopes and the assorted goodies I had picked up, the woman at the register commented on the number of packages I'd be mailing. "Yeah," I replied with a smile. "They're going all the way to the Philippines."

"Do you sponsor a family there?" she asked me immediately, which caught me completely off guard--usually people assume I have family there or something. So I told her all about my girls and Children International, and she asked a lot of questions about how sponsorship works. She asked for the website, and as she handed me my receipt, she said  that she's going to start off with "only" one child!

Now I'm back home, getting ready to pack up the envelopes and send them on their way ... and I'm thankful to have had such a touching, meaningful start to my holiday season.

Edited to add:

It's 4AM, and the packing is complete! Boy, I feel bad for the Post Office clerk who has to deal with me and my nine giant, stuffed envelopes this morning! =)


Before ... and After!

Spotlight Child of the Week, 11/16/2012

Woo! I'm a bit behind this week, having been out of town for training in Dallas.

This week's Spotlight Child grabbed my attention right away!

Jay-An has been waiting for a Sponsor for over three years! Her family of six struggles to survive on only $98 per month. They have no electricity in their plywood-and-concrete home, and no running water either. I think what most captivates me about her, though, is the expression on her shirt: "Dream Today, Soar Tomorrow." That's the sort of hope and promise Sponsorship can bring to her life!





Unsure about Sponsorship? Take a test-ride by teaming up with an experienced Sponsor--me! I would be happy to co-Sponsor with you ... and if you decided after all that Sponsorship just isn't for you, you can rest assured in the knowledge that I will maintain the Sponsorship myself rather than let our angel fall back into the waiting pool. If, on the other hand, you decide you love Sponsoring SO much that you'd like to continue solo, I will be content to step aside and allow you to build that one-to-one relationship!

Planning a Visit: Foiling the Criminals' Plans

I'm not an experienced world traveler. In fact, my international expeditions thus far in life have all taken place in Canada (which, honestly, is no different than being in the USA). I've heard stories from friends and loved ones about their travel experiences, though, and there is no shortage of anecdotes online. These, of course, are sprinkled with a healthy dose of horror stories--being mugged, being kidnapped, losing your passport and not being able to return home. All of this has made me very wary over the years of branching out in my destinations of choice.

Now, however, I find myself faced with the prospect of visiting not only one, but TWO very different countries: Guatemala next spring, and the Philippines in a year and a half.

What I'm most worried about is having my money, credit card and passport stolen. I'm inordinately afraid of pickpockets even here in the US (at Universal Studios, for example, I walk with my hands in my pockets so that I can be physically touching my money), and I've heard how much worse it is overseas. The easiest and most appealing solution that has been offered to me thus far is to carry everything in one of those under-your-shirt money belts. I've heard, though, that they can be quite bulky and uncomfortable, so I was curious which brand was the most preferred and what other options I might have. Tonight, I sat down to research my options in that regard.

The first thing I came across was actually an actual belt ... at least, at first glance. This has a hidden zippered compartment inside for storing money, a driver's license, a credit card, and even a single key. This option appeals to me, because I would wear a belt anyway--no added, uncomfortable bulk under my clothes required. Plus, it's just fun! I'd feel like James Bond--just a little bit!--with my Top Secret Compartment Belt. The downside is that it's obviously not big enough to carry my passport or boarding pass. In the US, I would just leave these things in my hotel room. Overseas ... not so much.

So I searched on, and found a wallet that's large enough to hold my passport, ticket, credit cards, money, and a partridge in a pear tree. As a bonus, it also blocks RFID,  thereby preventing technologically-savvy criminals from obtaining your electronically-stored information. It folds in half and hangs from a lanyard, which allows you to wear it around your neck and tuck it inside your shirt. While it's certainly safe from being pick-pocketed there, it's not in any way secret--people are gonna see it, and unscrupulous fellows will know that it holds your treasured goodies. This, experienced travelers warn, makes you a more tempting target for muggers. Ack!

Not satisfied with that option, I continued to search and came across the Hidden Pocket by Eagle Creek. Large enough for money, credit cards and passport, it hooks to your belt and then tucks inside your pants! That made me think it would be uncomfortable, but the reviews on Amazon.com almost unanimously agree that it's soft, light, and you hardly realize you're wearing it. And as long as your pants aren't super skin-tight, no one else can tell you're wearing it, either. Sounds like a winner to me!

So, after carefully considering the various options, I think I will probably go with both the belt and the hidden pocket. That way I can split my money and cards up, so even if one of my anti-pick-pocket devices fails, I only lose half of my stuff.

This research has also taught me some valuable lessons that I'd not have realized otherwise. The first is that things like the Hidden Pocket and the James Bond Belt aren't intended to be used as wallets--if people see you take them out and/or take money out of them, it sorta defeats the purpose and makes you a target for mugging. The experienced travelers advise to carry money for the day's activities in your pockets like normal, and use the hidden compartments for the rest of your money and things that you need to keep secure by keeping on your person because the housekeeping staff at the hotel can't be trusted.

Some also suggest carrying a decoy wallet--something to appease an attacker and buy you time to get away before they decide to search you more thoroughly.  They say, if you get held up, to THROW the decoy wallet as far as you can and then RUN in the opposite direction. While the robber is busy absconding with your decoy (which they purportedly won't open until they have left the scene of the crime), you escape to safety. Assuming, of course, that you don't get shot for irritating the bad guy when you throw it.

Who would've thought this would all be so complicated?!

It's been an interesting week or two in my Sponsorship life, and I feel all topsy-turvy ... but in a good way! I started Sponsoring Yojana in Guatemala, which I've already shared. I received her welcome kit in the mail a few days ago ... except not! Inside was information on a three-year-old girl in Honduras, causing me a brief moment of panic until I logged into my account to make sure Yojana was still listed there (she is!).  So that was just a paper mix-up, fixable with a simple email to Children International, and I'm looking forward to receiving Yojana's actual information soon!

Then I wrote my weekly Spotlight Child of the Week blog entry about Anna Marie. Right after I posted it, I decided I just had to Sponsor her myself! So I went back to her profile and clicked ... and alas, it told me someone had just Sponsored her. Happy for her, sad for me!

A few days later, I clicked on the link for her profile again. To my surprise, it still came up (on the old site, once a child was sponsored you couldn't even see their photo and basic info anymore). So out of curiosity I clicked on the, "Need to sleep on it? Request more info" link, and it let me put in my info! So I thought, "Okay ... when I receive her info, I'll make the decision once and for all."

Today, I was looking at my account to answer the discussion thread about water sources, and I had another mini heart attack--Anna Marie is listed on my account! And darn, but her name sure looks right listed there along side my other girls. So I don't have to wait to receive her info in the mail to decide ... she is my tenth Sponsored child!

Without further ado, I introduce you to sixteen-year-old Anna Marie from Manila!

Anna has a younger sister and two younger brothers.They live in Manila with their parents on a monthly income of only $93 (earned by her father, who is a driver. Her mother is unemployed). Her favorite subjects in school are Math, Science, and Home Economics! They cook on a coal stove and get their water from a neighbor's faucet. They cannot afford electricity, though it is available in their community.

I can't wait to receive her first letter and start getting to know her! We'll only have a short two years and two months together before she'll turn nineteen and graduate from the program. We'll have to make the most of every moment! Luckily, my planned trip to the Philippines will happen before she graduates.