Her name is Reina and she is 8 years old. She has long dark hair and big brown eyes. She lives in the mountainous region of Guatemala with her mother and grandmother. Her mother sells tortillas in an effort to support them.
I have never met Reina but we have corresponded with each other, with the help of a translator, since I became her sponsor four years ago through an organization called Compassion International.
In her letters, Reina tells me about her chickens and asks me to pray for her mother and her grandmother. She draws me pictures of her house and colors the sky blue with a yellow sun. I keep her letters and hand-drawn pictures in a special place and honor her request for prayer, and I always include Reina in those prayers as well.
If Reina beats the odds and finishes high school, she will probably not attend college. Only 2 percent of Guatemalans attend universities, and only half of those graduate. One of the highest paying jobs in her country is that of a factory worker, where she can earn about $126 per month.
I learned about Compassion International on Heartlight's Web site and decided to check it out. I saw Reina’s picture on the page of children waiting to be sponsored. I took one look at her little solemn face and fell in love. Within minutes, I was signed up as her sponsor.
For less than what it costs to fill up my gas tank, Reina receives medical care, food, encouragement, and support from a school sponsored by Compassion International.
The dictionary defines the word compassion as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”
There are thousands of children waiting for someone like you to help alleviate their suffering. “Somewhere children dance to the joyous music of life and elsewhere they only cling to existence. They are all ours,” says Laurie Kohl. Why not make a child dance this holiday season through a sponsorship?
Merry Christmas from the Kindred house to yours!
