A Very Special Day

Last Friday was a special day. It was the day I met my sponsored child--Arjan. I have wanted to meet him for some time now, so to have this come to pass was like a dream coming true.

Arjan is nine years old and quite a happy young boy. He is the fourth of five siblings, all boys. His favorite subject in school is math, and he also likes to draw. His father--Joseph--works the fields nearby and is the sole provider for their family. At the same time, his mom--Daisy--stays at home to care for his younger brother and his sixteen-year-old brother, who is special needs. Due to the remote location of where they live, his oldest brother has never attended school because special needs services can only be provided within the city. They roughly live off of 100 dollars a month--sometimes a little more, sometimes less. Arjan’s dream is to become a police officer to help others and help provide for his family. My day with Arjan and his mom consisted of visiting the Mayon Volcano, lunch of his choice at Jollibee, which would be like a Mcdonald's in the States, visiting his home in the mountains, and taking the two of them grocery shopping. As the day wore on, I loved how Arjan became more and more comfortable and would randomly burst into songs.

My visit also included touring the Children's International “headquarters” in Legazpi City, about a 30-minute drive from where Arjan lives, and seeing the various medical clinics they have and a library and computer lab. Within this region alone, Children International has at least 30,000 participants. When I was told this little fact, I immediately thought of the population of Eureka or Suisun City--relatively small cities. Still, this one is made up of children living in poverty. It was a joy to share this day with Arjan as well as to meet his family. I hope to revisit him shortly and to be able to watch him fulfill his passions and dreams. Children International truly is an excellent organization. If you have ever considered sponsoring a child, but have never followed through, consider partnering with them because there is always a child in need of sponsorship.

In other news, my parents will be arriving for a visit on the 15th of next month! I am very excited to see them and to be able to get away for a few days. Time is going by fast, and my last few months are going to be busy ones! We are starting to prepare for our Christmas parties, which will begin at the end of November. It will be a fun time of showering the boys of MCH and partner ministries of Extreme Response with love and gifts. I am also excited to share with you all details about where I will be going after the Philippines and when! It is crazy to think about how things came together so quickly when I was still unsure what the bigger picture looked like a few months ago.