Cell Phone Love

Hello, Sponsors!

Yesterday morning while I was still sleeping, my cell phone rang next to my bed. When I answered it, I heard Tonny's voice: "Hello, Mum! I am here at the school with some of your children, and they want to hear your voice!" What a wonderful way to wake up on a Saturday morning, with ten sweet conversations that went something like this:

Me: Hello. 
Kid: Hello, Mum. 
Me: How are you? 
Kid: I am fine, Mum. Thank you, Mum.

And each conversation was accompanied by the laughter of all the other children in the background, amazed to witness a conversation on two sides of the world. The same laughter occurred last August whenever I would take a picture on my camera, and show it to them.

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The kids I spoke to on the phone: Front row: Paska, Patricia, Eunice, Aaron, Hamis. Back Row: Scovia, Babra, Winnifred, Thomas (spoke with a strong clear boy voice), Emmanuel (Still reluctant to smile, and a bit reluctant to talk)

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They are learning English, and promised to study hard, so that when I return, we can talk to each other in English. Did I ever write about why I love these children so much? They are so respectful, grateful, good-humored, hard-working and sweet (and they are not even boy scouts!) They told Tonny, "Uncle, we love what you, Mum Sally and all our sponsors did for our life and the efforts you are putting for our future to be a bright future." Some of the things they like about their new school are lots of classes, including PE, learning English, it feels safe, nice teachers and matrons, enough food, and it feels like a family.

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Acayo Eunice

Then, Tonny says, "Eunice surprised all of us by saying to me that, 'Uncle, me, am now saved from all evils because I have become a born-again Christian.' That is what our little girl Eunice said today while smiling seriously to us all."

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Alanyo Fiona

Back at the office, Alanyo Fiona visited Tonny with her father. She is also going to a new school in town, where her father lives, so that he can take her for regular medical treatments she needs. She also likes her new school and she loves doing homework (!) very much as she wants to improve her class performance. She told Tonny she prays for us all every day. For us, these kinds of statements seem unusual for children. But for these children, I really believe they are honest expressions of their spiritual lives. Everyone who works with African children seems to encounter this.

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Otam Levi

One of our sponsors has had to quit because of financial hardship, so we I am looking for a sponsor for Otam Levi. He is six years old, and his father died in a construction accident. He loves playing soccer and doing math, and is reported ly a humble and disciplined little boy. If you know of anyone else who would like to sponsor this little boy, please forward this letter to them or let me know.

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Finally, I want to share with you a song that I heard on the radio later in the day yesterday after speaking with the kids. It is called Heather's Song (click on it, Mom, then click on "Listen while you read").