Jordan's 2010 Annual Photo

Just logged into my account and have a new photo of Jordan. Boy, she is growing up fast. She is wearing a T-Shirt I sent in a previous package.

Family Photos of Jordan

What a surprise to receive another CI envelope. Guess what? My direct package made it to Ecuador to my beloved princess. I always call Jordan "Princess" or "Angel". She is just so adoreable. It was a very small package: nightshirt, family photos and play dough.

Her mom wrote again a lovely letter and said that Jordan is always so happy hearing from me and was so happy having more photos of me. And, she sent me four photos of herself and activities. I was so happy and will treasure these photos forever.

The photos are of her direct package, with her sister Danna as Jordan was dressed as a Christmas star (for her school activity), graduation from kindergarten, swearing an oath to the Ecuadorian flag, dressed as football player (3rd from right - school activity)

Great Mail Day!!

I know I am a bit late in posting, but have received 5 letters from my beautiful girls from the Philippines last week. Irish, Jessalen, Joyselle, Maria and Lorelyn.

I am so amazed how well they write, although English is not their first language. I was so busy over the weekend replying to their letters. I have written to all and have mailed photos to Lorelyn and Irish directly to CI as I have included a couple of family photos.

I am just waiting until the best airfares are coming out as I have made up my mind visiting either the Philippines (April or May) or Colombia. Hubby always says "Whatever" but I mean it that this time I will book the flight, either he is coming with me or not. I know it sounds cruel.

Great Mail Day!!

Today I have reiceived two letters from Joyselle (Philippines) and my beloved Jordan (Ecuador).

Joyselle wrote that she graduated from primary school and will be attending High School in June after the summer break. I am so proud of her and she is growing up so fast. Not anymore the little 9 year old I began sponsoring two years ago.

And Johanna (Jordan's mum) wrote on behalf of Jordan as she is still too young to write by herself. As usual the letter was full of information and what my little princess was up to. They went away for their holidays to see the grandma who lives in another town, she swam in the river with her cousins and friends and is just a happy little girl. And of course, I was told off for not writing again. I am really wondering if Jordan really gets my letters. I am still writing to her every two months. Can't believe that I am sponsoring this adoreable girl for almost two years nest month.

Shopping for Joyselle

Today I went shopping for Joyselle. She will be 12 years old at the end of June and I bought her a T-Shirt, bag, eye shadow, notebook & pens. I can't believe it that I am sponsoring her now for 2 years.

And I have mailed the birthday package to my beloved Jessalen. I know I am very late because her birthday is at the end of this month. Oh well, I am just so busy at the moment.

I am still waiting for direct package photos of Maria, Jessalen, Monica & Elina. Fingers crossed I will get their photos & letters soon.

Letters!!

Today I have received the introductory letters of my two new Filippino girls, Irish Mae and Lorelyn.

I am very impressed by the letter of Irish Mae and she wrote in perfect English. She and her mom are welcoming me into the family, she will be in grade 5 in June and likes the colour pink.

Lorelyn will be in grade 3 and lives with her mom and two siblings. In her bio she has a 14 year old sister. Maybe she has an older sibling or a little baby brother or sister. I will ask her in my next letter. Also, she is walking to school as it is not far. Her letter was short, but sweet.

I also received a reply to my January letter from Karol (Colombia. I am just so impressed by this 6 year old. She writes very good letters, her handwriting is very neat and she tells me that she is so happy for having a "madrina". A reply is on the way to her as well.

Christmas Packages made it!!!

Joyselle
Monica Jane
Jessalen


I am so glad that the Christmas packages made it to the Philippines. Better late then never!!! I mailed them out in November (sent them by surface mail) and it normally takes 3 weeks to reach the Philippines. But bear in mind, we had a post strike almost every week for 2 days!!! The girls look so happy in their photos. I am still waiting if Maria Isabel received hers. And my beloved Jessalen always wear the clothes I am sending her.

Meet Joyselle

How can I forget to introduce Joyselle!!!. Well, I am sponsoring Joyselle since May 2008 (it was a birthday present to myself). She is from the Philippines and will be 12 in June. She is living with her parents, brother and sister on $85 monthly. I am Joyselle's second sponsor.

Meet Irish Mae from the Philippines

A while ago I have asekd CI if they have any Filippino girls available for sponsorship which are of mixed parentage. Well, you cannot ask them for this specific need.

I was browsing again the website and came along this very beautiful girl from the Philippines. I have seen her before a couple of years ago and her look is very unique. At that time I couldn't sponsor her but saved her photo. And she came up and I really can't afford another sponsorship so decided if Irish Mae would still be there on the website on Monday I will sponsor her. And so I did. Therefore I need to make a bit more of a sacrifice. The CI website is so dangerous. You all guys know what I mean. You were only just browsing and a cute little face pops up which is very hard to resist.

So I have checked last night my account and she was there. all her photos are going back to 2004. Well, Irish Mae is indeed of mixed parentage (her surname is very common)and she is 10 years old and lives with her single mum, no siblings. They have electricity, water and a toilet in their home.

I have written my first letter to her already and can't wait to get to know her. so, I must really stay away from CI, otherwise I end up with more kids, especially the Filippino and Colombian girls as they are so adoreable.

Maria Isabel - Special Needs Gift

Today I have received Maria's Special Needs Gift. The family bought groceries, rice cooker, ice cool box, T-Shirt and slippers for Maria Isabel. The mum and Maria Isabel were very surprised receiving a Special Needs Donation.

Mail Day!!

Yesterday I got letters from Elina, Jessalen and the very first letter from Karol Juliana. I was so happy hearing from my beloved kids.

Elina drew loads of hearts and wrote my name and her name in them. She is 8 years old and is writing all her letters by herself. She tells me a lot what she is doing and I am so proud of her. I have sent her a couple of photos and made a copy of the family photos I have received from CI. And she said that I am beautiful (ahh). Elina is now in grade 2 and loves Maths.

My beloved Jessalen wrote that she is in the Top 10 in her school (not class)and had a parade on Valentines Day. She is telling so much what is going on in her life, anwers all my questions and is just grateful for my support.

And Karol Juliana wrote her first letter (all by herself. She is only 6 years old and it was very short and she wrote that she likes doing homework. How sweet.

I will send a couple of letters later on today or next week. I am still waiting for the direct packages I have mailed out in November and January.

Meet Lorelyn

I was so bored over the weekend and checked again CI's website. I know browsing is very bad and I have pressed the "sponsor me" button again. As you can imagine I cannot keep away from the Philippines!!. The kids, especially girls, are so adoreable!!
Well, Lorelyn lives with her mum and her older sister in a one multi use room. Dad is no longer alive. She sleeps on the floor on a mat. Her mum is working as a street vendor and makes just $20 a month. I am Lorelyn's first sponsor and she has been waiting for over a year. I cannot wait to get to know her.

Lorelyn - February 2009

Jessalen 2010

I just checked into my CI account and found the 2010 photo. Boy, she is growing up a lot and she is almost 10 years old. And she is wearing the pink T-Shirt I have sent her almost 1 1/2 years ago. And she is getting prettier by the day!!!
I have found an updated family report and the income has dropped again. I think I need to save up for a donation.

Direct Packages - still waiting

I am still waiting for some direct package photos of Christmas gifts I have sent to Jessalen, Maria Isabel and Monica. I have sent the packages out in November and I just hope and pray that they made it to the Philippines!! I am running every day to the mailbox but no letters or photos from CI. But hey, they probably come all at once.

Maria Isabel

I know I can't keep away from the Philippines. therefore I am sponsoring Maria Isabel (born 2002) since June 2009. She is living with her mom (dad passed away) and 5 siblings on $38 monthly. Maria Isabel is the youngest of the family. They live in a 1 bedroom, 1 multi use room and sharing one bed between them. I have provided a special needs gift to the family last month and can't wait what they have bought with the $100 I have sent.

Karol Juliana

I shouldn't look on the CI website. It is very dangerous to click the "sponsor me" button. But how could I resist? I am very bad.
This is Karol Juliana (born 2003) and she is from Colombia. She is living with her parents, sister (she is sponsored by super sponsor Steve) and brother in a one multi use room on just $29 monthly. And that is very low. Karol Juliana is now the poorest of my kids. I can't wait to get to know her and the first letter is already on the way to her.

Elina

Elina (born 2001)is from Colombia and has been waiting for a sponsor for almost 2 years. I am sponsoring her since August 2009 as she was featured on a CI campagne "end the wait" and I just felt drawn to her. Although I did not want to sponsor another child I just couldn't resist on the family's very low income of $75 monthly. And their living condition is deplorable. I am so happy having her in my life and the family's income has again dropped to $50 monthly. She is living with her parents and 3 brothers. Her letters are so sweet and she always draws lots of hearts and says that she loves me very much. I hope that I can go to meet her one day in Colombia.

Monica

This is Monica (born 2002) and she is from the Philippines. I have chosen her because I was looking for a Filippina with the name of "Monica", the name of my mother. I am sponsoring Monica since June 2009 and I hear a lot from her and her letters are very detailed. She lives with her parents and older brother.

Jordan

This is Jordan (born 2004) and she is from Ecuador. She is living with her mother, brother and two sisters in a one multi use room made out of split cane. Her mum is working as a maid and brings home about $120 a month. As the family cooked their meals over open fire I have provided Jordan and her mum with a portable gas stove. I wasn't planning on taking on another child - I was just browsing the site and she came along. It was her name and I am sponsoring her since June 2008. As Jordan is too young, her mum writes all the letters. They are very informative and Jordan tells me off for not writing to her. I just love this girl and her family so much.

Jessalen

This is Jessalen (born 2000) and she is from the Philippines. I am sponsoring her since January 2007 and she tells me that I mean so much to her and calls me "Auntie" as her mom is deceased and her father has abandoned her. Jessalen is living with her legal guardian and the family makes at the moment around $120 a month. She loves reciting poetry and enters competition.
I have bought a bunk bed for her and the family in July 2007 as she was sleeping on a mat on the floor.
Jessalen is actually my second sponsored child as I sponsored a little Mexican girl, Vianey, for only 3 months before her parents pulled her out of the sponsorship programme.

Why do I sponsor?

Well, I always wanted to sponsor a child but never really thought about it. I was like, the money will not reach its destination, the child/family does not exist etc. All these questions went through my mind.
Then my little nephew was born in 2004 and the tsuanami in South East Asia struck on Boxing Day 2004 I looked more into it. But I still did not take the plunge. Then the decision was made as my little niece was born late 2006. I started looking more into child sponsorship and came across so many organization. Do you want community based programme or the child/family directly benefitting from my sponsorship contribution. It was very hard. I sponsored a girl from Vietnam through PLAN UK but wasn't happy and relinquished this sponsorship after a year (hardly no contact to the child/family). I came across Children International so many times on the web and really thought that only people from the USA could sponsor through them. As I became more interested in child sponsorship I joined a yahoo group "forchildsponsors" and received very useful information. And I was delighted that I also could sponsor through CI, although I am not based in the USA. I signed up to sponsor a girl from Brazil through Childfund, USA (formerly Christian Children's Fund)but she moved out of the area (no contact was established)and sponsored also through CI. I sponsored my very first child through CI. It was a little Mexican girl, but her parents pulled her out of the programme after only 2 months. I was devastated.
Now my family of sponsor children has grown over the years and I love them dearly. I will introduce them shortly.
It has now become my most "addicted" hobby and I really need to stay away from these sponsorship sites!!!