Thursday, January 30, 2014

Busy, busy!

It's been terribly busy at our house since my hubby broke his ankle.  Letters have been coming in from my WV kids, but sadly, I haven't received much from my Compassion kids.

Here is a breakdown of kids by organization, country, date of sponsorship (can't really fault Yeferson for not writing yet since I just started sponsoring him a month ago!), and how many letters I've received to date from each of them.


  • Nayan, Compassion East India, sponsored since 8/7/13.  2 letters received
  • Archita, Compassion East India, sponsored 8/7/13.  1 letter received
  • Sabnam, Compassion East India, sponsored 8/11/13.  1 letter received
  • Jorge, Compassion Ecuador, correspondence sponsored 9/13/13. 1 letter received
  • Kamakshi, Compassion India, correspondence sponsored 9/16/13.  0 letters received
  • Vincent, Compassion Togo, sponsored 9/27/13.  1 letter received
  • Yeferson, Compassion Guatemala, sponsored 12/25/13.  0 letters received
I didn't include the 3 correspondence kids I received in January, because they are so new.

Now, for my 3 World Vision kids.
  • Alphonsine, World Vision  Rwanda, sponsored since 8/22/13.  3 letters received, plus a Christmas card
  • Willy, World Vision Rwanda, sponsored since 8/23/13.  5 letters received, plus a Christmas card
  • Marine, World Vision DR Congo, sponsored since 11/7/13.  2 letters received, plus a Christmas card

And, lastly, my child from Plant-a-book.
  • Elizabeth, Plant-a-book Kenya, sponsored since 11/29/13.  1 letter received

So,unless letters arrive in mid-February, I will be putting in an inquiry on 2 of my Compassion kids who I haven't received letters from since the end of August (and those were the pre-written letters written before the child even had a sponsor).  Hopefully, letters will arrive before then.  For Archita, my little one from East India through Compassion, her letter was written when she was 4 years old, and she will be 6 years old in 2 months.  
The lack of correspondence from Compassion is disheartening.  They are a great organization, and have many good points, but I find their correspondence lacking.  A great way to lose enthusiastic sponsors is to have them sponsor a child and only get 2 letters in a year.  Quite honestly, if Compassion did not have those fabulous group sponsor tours, I don't know that I would sponsor anymore children through them.  If World vision started offering sponsor tours to American sponsors, I don't know that I'd sponsor anymore through Compassion.  It's sad, because I really and truly trust Compassion as an organization, and I think they do fantastic work.  But I am a sponsor who needs letters.  I don't think that 6 letters/year is too much to ask of project where children are sponsored.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Letter confusion

Earlier this week, I received what looked like TWO letters from Alphonsine, my sponsored child in Rwanda.  She is sponsored through World Vision, and they are great with the correspondence, so I figured the letters got batched.
But I opened them, and while the same child number was on each letter, the last name was different on one of the letters.  AND, the stickers on the letter from my Alphonsine were stickers I'd never sent her.  To make matters more confusing, stickers that I had sent my Alphonsine were decorating the letter from the other Alphonsine, with the different last name (and different circumstances--the other Alphonsine lives with both parents and attends primary school.  My Alphonsine does not attend primary school yet and lives with her Grandmother).
I sent an email off to World Vision, and there are apparently two girls named Alphonsine in the Maraba community, and both last names start with N.  They are unsure if my letters/gifts have been going to my Alphonsine or the other Alphonsine.
I am extremely frustrated.  I am thinking of poor Alphonsine, possibly getting next to NO mail from her sponsor, when I've been sending mailings more than once a month!
I am most worried about the financial gift I sent to my Alphonsine in early November.  I sincerely hope that if the gift went to the wrong Alphonsine that World Vision would make sure Alphonsine and her Grandmother get a gift, since it was WV's fault.  I have to be patient and wait 2-3 months to hear back from the staff in Rwanda about the 2 Alphonsine mix ups.  Hopefully, this can get straightened out very soon.
From now on, I will be putting Alphonsine's last name on all correspondence and packages.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Another correspondent!

Meet Juan, from Colombia, who is my newest correspondent!  Juan is 11 years old, and is above average in school!  He lives with his father and sister, and his mother is in prison.  I've already sent Juan's first letter off!  I can't wait to start encouraging him!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Welcome Ari to my correspondence family!

Her photo isn't showing up big enough for me to do a screen shot yet off of Compassion's website, but I officially have a new correspondence child!
Widia Ariyanti (Ari) is from Indonesia-- my first child from Indonesia!
She is 12 years old, and lives with her mother.  Ari's father is deceased.  Ari's mother suffers from health problems, and is unemployed.  The average income in Ari's community is $15/month.
I sent Ari's first letter off today, and I can't wait to get to know her!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

First Gift Thank you!


Today, I received my first thank you note with picture for any of the gifts I've sent so far to all of my sponsored children!  Ironically, it was one of the most recent gifts I've sent.  In the beginning of December, I sent a $100 special gift to Marina in the DR Congo, and I received her thank you today!
With that money, Marina purchased a new outfit, which I assume she is wearing, a doll, a mattress (she was just sleeping on a mat before), a 15 kg bag of rice, and a sack of fufie (not sure what that is).  
I haven't heard anything from the 2 birthday money gifts I sent through Compassion in August, nothing for the one I sent in September, and nothing about the 2 special gifts I sent to my Rwandan World Vision kids in the beginning of November.
I probably shouldn't be surprised, because Marina's letter arrived more quickly than everyone else's, too!