These letters came from the four children!


Dear and appreciated Shana,

I hope you are doing well in union of your family. I tell you I am doing well, thanks to God. I came back to school and I had a good vacations. I visited my mother. (I think that this is good to hear because her mother abandoned the family) I thank you for the visit and I pray God to have the privilege of meeting you one more time. I thank you for everything you brought for me and for the time we spent during the visit. My family felt so glad and grateful. I say good-bye with a stronger hug than the one we gave each other that day.

Your sponsored child,

Sonia Lucia






Dear Sponsor Shana:

I send you many greetings from me and my family. I send you this letter and I am thankful that you are a very special person to me. The day when I saw you, I was so happy to hold you and it was like a fantasy for me. I thank you so much for the dolls, the toys, blouse, lunches, and presents you brought, the bracelets and necklaces for my mom: my mother and I are so very thankful. I am so happy and I wait for the day you will come again and everything will be prepared for your arrival again.

Goodbye lovingly, your sponsored child with kisses and hugs

Bleydis








Dear Sponsor,

I say hello and May God fill you of blessings. Thanks for coming to visit us in Colombia and in our city. Thanks for the gifts my children received. They will be useful to them. I tell you that my children were so happy for all of the gifts you brought for them. Thanks for thinking of them. May God reward you for all you do for the needy. I don't know how to return you all you do for us. I will always be grateful. Let me tell you that Francisco is very glad because of you and he told his friends about the nice way you treated him. My children wish that you succeed n everything you do. I am very thankful for all. May God bless you. Kiss from your sponsored child.

Karina (She is Francisco's mother)







Dear Sponsor Shana,

I hope you are doing well in union of your family. I thank you for coming to visit me from a distant place. I also thank you for giving me and my siblings and I so many presents and for taking us to the arcade. We had lot of fun there. Thanks, I love you, love you, love you. I thank God for having you close to me. Thanks for the bracelets, t-shirt and pen. I have not enough space to describe the many gifts I got. In my next letter I will include a surprise for you. I say good bye kindly,

Yiseth



Now, I can't wait to see the surprise that Yiseth has for me! All of the letters touched my heart and definitely made my day! So sweet :) God bless.

Trip Photos

New photos from the trip came this week and I will post some of them a little later :)

Samy

Samy on the escalator

I forgot to post this one on the blog, one of my faves :)

Photos and Random Thoughts

Believe it or not I still have a few more photos of Bleidis and Maria that I need to post. They were on my phone and I have a few more photos of Yiseth and Nelson, I think, and photos of the hotel, as well as a few more videos of the city. I'll try to finish them all by this week or next.

Random Thoughts about the Trip




I keep hearing the cheers of the children on the plane, when we finally landed in Cartagena after being delayed in the air due to a disabled plane on the ground at the airport.

I keep hearing the children whispering excitedly, "Cartagena! Cartagena! There's Cartagena!"

I remember gazing at the beautiful city as we flew in and then later seeing the sad poverty stricken areas that my children live in.

I still find tiny bits of glitter on some of my belongings, from Bleidis and Maria who had it sprinkled in their hair.

I miss the sweet aroma of the city of Cartagena and sound of people singing loudly in the early morning hours. It didn't matter if I only had one or two hours of sleep :)

I even miss the crazy driving, the impatient honking of horns of cars and people dodging to get out of the way.

I miss seeing people everywhere in Cartagena and in Barranquilla, just the mass of humanity.

I keep seeing the joy expressed on the face of the young man who worked for CI in Barranquilla. He was a former sponsored child.

I remember that wild and crazy ride to Barranquilla and me holding on for dear life, praying to make it there and back.

I miss the fact that I can't wear my favorite pair of earrings now, because one was eaten by a horse that nibbled on my ear when I came too close to it, in the Old City!

I remember the panic I felt when I thought that I had lost my camera one time and then my purse, another time.

I wonder what the children are doing during different parts of the day now, and wondering how little Maria is doing in the heat. She was always perspiring so much when we were outside and little Francisco only had that one fan to cool the family off in their home.

I wonder if little Melanie, Yiseth's little sister, liked her presents. I did not meet her but wonder what she is like.

I keep seeing Francisco's bright wide eyes when our eyes met and I keep seeing Sonia running as she came around the corner, our eyes locking when we met on the first day. I won't forget that hug.

I wonder how Nelson and Yiseth will smile when they realize that Nelson now has a sponsor. I wonder how they will talk excitedly about the letters they will both get from their sponsor now.

I worry about Bleidis, and hope that she is eating properly, seeing that her mom had to feed her lunch when I was there.


I miss hearing the sounds of the people marching down the streets in Cartagena, when it was so hot as they waved little red and white flags because the Colombian president was coming to their city.

I miss the friendly, patient smiles of the Colombian people who were nice to this American, who did not know what she was doing!!

And most of all, I can't wait until the day when I can return to see the children again!!

The Streets of the Old City

As you can see from this video, the streets of the Old City were very busy and followed no traffic patterns or guidelines. This was very interesting to me and and I thought dangerous at the same time.

Reflections on My Trip

Posted July 7 on Lift One:


This time last week I was finishing up my visit with my sponsored children in Cartagena and Barranquilla. I had the best time, meeting them and spending time with them and their families, and I hope that the children enjoyed themselves.

Things were crazy at times on the trip, like the aggressive driving in the cities, and the time that a horse that did buggy rides nibbled on my ear, and ate one of my earrings! I spent most of my time in the city of Cartagena which was fascinating to me with all of the history, the mass of humanity in the Old City, the constant movement, the sounds, sights, and sweet aromas that surrounded me and then there was the sad realization that the city is physcially divided into 3 sections, the rich section, the middle section, and the section where my sponsored children live. During my stay, people were eager to show me the beautiful new part of Cartagena as well as the historic sights but my heart was with my sponsored children who live every day in poverty. I saw the beautiful smiles of my kids and the relatives that brought them to meet me and then I also saw the sadness and feeling of hopelessness that one has when they are living in such conditions.

I have been thinking about how I can make another trip to Cartagena and Barranquilla to see these beautiful children again. I can't explain the feeling that you get when you actually see this child that you have bonded with and made a commitment to. From Sonia's tight hold on me when she met me, to Yiseth gingerly fingering my bracelet, to Francisco's bright smile snd shy glances, to the inquisitive questions and searching gazes of Bleidis, I know that as a sponsor, I am an integral part of their lives. I hope and pray that I will be able to provide the necessary support and friendship that they need, through the work of Children International, to help them become all that they can be, given their situations.

I saw first hand the dedication of the special CI workers. You could see the genuine compassion and concern that my translators, Gabriel and Ruth had, as they shared about the children, the families, and the programs. They answered all of my questions. If they did not know the answer, they took the time to find out. I really enjoyed meeting the workers who translate all of the children's letters in the office of Barranquilla. They made me feel right at home as I was able to sit with them, observe, and interact with them. I met a young man who is a former sponsored child who had such joy on his face as he talked about now being able to work with Children International and I was able to talk to Emelisa, one of our own lifters. She has the photo of her adorable sponsored child at her work area and you could see the love that she has for her. Even the drivers were dedicated to the work. One of my drivers was willing to drive me around for two days even though he was sick himself and the other driver was so kind and willing to help out whenever he could.

Each child that I visited has so much potential as all of our sponsored children do and I want my sponsored children to know this and go as far as they can with my help and with the help of CI. Meeting my children just helped to strengthen my commitment to sponsorship. If you are able to meet your child, I would encourage you to take the plunge. You will not regret it :)

Thank you, Children International for making this time such a wonderful experience for me and my sponsored children and God bless all of the work that you are doing for children and their families.

Bleidis and little Maria

A sleepy little Maria

Bleidis having fun


She finally takes the plunge to cross the scary part :)

More Photos of Bleidis

Bleidis at the produce section in the grocery store. She likes fruits too!

Bleidis is holding her birthday treat.

These are a few more photos of Bleidis, the last child that I visited. She lives in Barranquilla. She lives with her little sister, Maria, her mom and stepdad.

Poor Neighborhoods in Cartagena

This video was taken on the way to see Sonia or one of the CI centers in Cartagena. It shows some of the poorer neighborhoods in Cartagena.

Baby Valentina

Francisco's aunt hid behind Valentina and the kids enjoyed seeing themselves on camera. The child in the black shirt w/the designs told me that he was Francisco's brother, I think, because he wanted a sponsor too. We are standing in front of Francisco's home.

Francisco Gets Ready to Eat some Chicken!

I guess they don't have Colonel Saunder's finger licking good chicken but they enjoyed this meal. I had some kind of beef but could not eat the salad :(

Evelyn Gets New Shoes

Evelyn was a little disappointed because she wanted a large bouncing ball to sit on but her mom said that she needed shoes and we were not able to get icecream due to time limitations! She'll have to do that with Sponsor Steve! But Francisco seemed to be happy in the video :)

Bleidis on the Trampoline

This is one of the few videos that I have of Bleidis!

Yiseth and Nelson Playing Games

Nelson and Yiseth had a great time on the games and won many tickets. Sonia wanted to ride the waterslide but since it was being repaired, she did not get to ride anything else because she was too tall for the rides.

Photos of Francisco and His Family

Samy

Francisco gets ready for lunch

Baby Valentine with her auntie and a cousin

Samy
Funny Face

Francisco at home

Sonia and Yiseth's aunt


Yiseth and Nelson


Sonia

A happy Nelson

Yiseth and Nelson on a ride

Playing games

More Photos of Yiseth, Sonia, and Nelson

Watching Michael Jackson at the Mall

These videos were taken at the mall on the day that I visited Yiseth and Sonia. We were waiting for the rides to open. Everyone wanted to watch the 3 Michael Jackson videos that they were showing simultaneously. There is always a lot of security in the stores, but I did not know why they wanted the girls to move until I saw that there was a sunken place in the floor that they did not want anyone to stumble on. Nelson is memerized by Michael Jackson.

Sights and Sounds of the Old City of Cartagena

This is where my hotel was located, right in the midst of the Old City, which was busy all day and all night. Most activities ceased around 3:00 a.m. It was very busy with constant movement and noise but I loved it. Martin was my tour guide and I took the tour on my final full day in Cartagena.

Francisco and Evelyn Having Fun

Francisco and Evelyn had lots of fun in this large play area. They spent most of their time here.



..

Samy Rides a Horse :)

Some of the rides for little children were not working, but Samy found this one and seemed to like it :)

Photos of Cartagena

Cartagena Trip Photos

Click on the photo to go the album. Most of these photos were taken on a tour that I did on the very full day in Cartagena, after I met the children.

More photos and videos of the children are coming. I found some more photos of Bleidis on my camera phone that I had forgotten about :)

Center

View of the street from the top floor of the center

View going down the steps from the top floor of the center

Training room for parents/volunteers

Library that the children use

Center Photos

Now for some photos of the CI center in Barranquilla that I visited. I will post more photos and videos of the kids later.

Waiting for Lunch at the Mall

Sonia, Yiseth, and Nelson waiting for lunch at one of the malls in Cartagena. Gabriel sat with us at our table which the aunts and the driver sat together. I love these smiles and Nelson's expression :)

Francisco Gets New Shoes

Franciso is seen here with little brother Samy, young mom, and Gabriel, the CI translator.

Bleidis at the Mall

Bleidis and her little sister, Marie, seemed to be a little scared of the rides at the mall. Mom was a little apprehensive too :)

Back with more photos and videos a little later!

Here is a video of Bleidis when we went shopping for groceries. She informed me that she did not have a birthday party (just turned nine) so I said that she could have a slice of something that she liked. She wanted to share it with me but I couldn't eat it due to my health and also could not eat the fruit after later realizing that I thought that visitors to Colombia are warned not to eat some of the fruit. I should have just bought one anyway but didn't think to, at the time! I love her eyes!

Me, Marie, and Bleidis

Learning where we live

Mom and Marie, relatives in the back

Mom, Me, Marie, Bleidis, Stepdad

Bleidis and little sister, Marie with some of their gifts

Both girls looked like little princesses.

Bleidis

Bleidis is one of my newest CI sponsored children. I have only sponsored her for over a year. She just turned nine years old and she lives with her mother, stepfather, and little sister, Marie. The reason I decided to sponsor Bleidis is because she was so thin in her photo and I loved her smile and large eyes. I have learned that although Bleidis is very thin, she is not malnourished, but when she was at the mall, her mother had to feed her at times. Bleidis is very alert and speaks what is on her mind. She has the kind of eyes that seem to want to know everything about you. I am hoping to be able to raise funds to get her family a stove and in the future a sanitary facility, because right now, they are using an open field.

I do not have as many photos and videos of Bleidis because my camera battery died because I forgot to recharge it that morning in the rush to catch the van!!

More photos and videos of Yiseth and Sonia a little later! Next is Bleidis but Blogger is not letting me post photos today!

This is a video of Yiseth on the way to the mall. This was after we our initial meeting at the CI center. By then she had begun to relax a little. The night before, I had written down a list of things to ask the children like how they were doing in school, what their favorite songs, foods, ect. were but when I saw them I just wanted to take photos and videos to make sure that this was real, I guess. After taking the videos and photos the children wanted to see themselves :) Francisco and his siblings each had a chance to take pictures with the camera too.

The Water Ride

Yiseth and Nelson are having fun on the ride while Sonia seems to be happy eating. She was too tall to ride this ride. Her aunt is sitting beside her and Yiseth's aunt is standing near the ride in the white top. Gabriel, the the translator, is in the white top holding the blue CI bag.

Yiseth and Sonia seem to be so opposite but they have many things in common, which are things that I did not plan when I decided to sponsor them 6 years ago. I did know that both girls were living in single parent families and at that time, Sonia was living with her mom who was separated from her dad and Yiseth was living with her mom. Her dad was deceased. Both were the same age and both had brothers who were the same age. I did not plan this! Now both girls live with their grandmothers with moms out of their home. The worker said that Sonia has possibly been neglected or abused.

I told both girls to talk about anything while we were waiting for lunch and you can see how talkative Miss Yiseth is. Sonia basically listens. At one point I think that they are talking about the new watch. Yiseth received one also. I know that it is hard to hear but if anyone can make out and translate what they are saying, I would love to know!

Yiseth with a new top. It is a bit big and hopefully she will be able to wear it in the future. Yiseth's last medical report in 2010 listed her as malnourished.

Brother Nelson is so endearing that I decided to sponsor him when I came home. I am able to do this because I lost 2 children in another organization. I just love his personality!

Yiseth and Nelson

Yiseth and Nelson looking at the gifts. Nelson received some things also.

Yiseth at the center with her gifts

Yiseth and me at the center


Me, Yiseth, her brother, Nelson, and her aunt

Yiseth :)

Yiseth is my other sponsored child who is eleven years old. She also lives with her grandmother and one of her aunts brought her to the center to meet us. Yiseth has a younger brother, age 8, named Nelson who came with us on the outing. Incidentally Sonia also has a brother the same age, but he does not live with her. So these two little ladies have a lot in common. Yiseth was checking me out at first and a little reserved but then she began to relax and warm up after we spent more time together. I discovered that she loves to talk and I think that she enjoys being in front of the camera. Yiseth is the child that said that she wanted to see me on one of Steve's videos, so that is one reason why I took the trip to Colombia. She is very cute and full of life.

In front of her aunt's home

Sonia with her aunt


Sonia and me

Sonia was able to get her Pooh Bear since she did not get to do any rides

Sonia and me at her aunt's home

Sonia's aunt, me, Sonia, and a CI volunteer

Sonia and me in front of her aunt's home