These are stories from our child sponsors in their own words. Many of our child sponsors have found that sponsoring a child has changed their lives as well as the life of the child they sponsor.
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I am an only child, but when people ask if I have a sister, I say yes. I have never lived with my sister, and I have only been in the same country as her for four weeks of my life, but she is still my sister. My sister’s name is Flor. Flor is one of the children that lives in Ciudad de Angeles. Above is a video of a moment I remember vividly. I still remember this moment clearly, because it was the first time I met my sister.
You might consider this photo a strange one to choose to symbolize our sponsorship of Chanti. After all, you can’t even see Chanti or my daughter Lydia’s face! But this candid photo from our most recent visit to Cozumel speaks volumes about what sponsorship means to our family. Though our financial sponsorship of Chanti is essential, it’s not just about sending money to Ciudad each month. It’s about a relationship. It’s about a love that transcends language barriers.
The first time our whole family met Chanti, we were a little worried about whether we’d be able to bond with her. We knew only a handful of words and phrases in Spanish, and we were a little nervous about the encounter. However, within an hour of meeting Chanti, she and my daughter Lydia were holding hands and singing together “Jesus Loves Me” in Spanish. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.
We have had the opportunity to visit Chanti on several occasions, and it always strikes me that God chose the perfect child for us. She fits perfectly into our family, just as she fits perfectly into the family at Ciudad. What a blessing it has been for us to know this wonderful child and her Christian family in Cozumel, and to know that God is using us in a small way to take care of her needs.
The first time I visited Ciudad de Angeles was in June of 2004. After having been there for about one day, I knew I was getting hooked. Everything about it was amazing. How these children, who were orphans from varied unthinkable backgrounds, were so well adjusted and just plain old happy children was amazing to me. The women, only mamis at the time, who were dedicating their time to help raise these children was amazing and honorable to me. How God was able to orchestrate a family and not your typical orphanage was even more amazing. I knew before the week was over that one, I would be back and two, I wanted to be a part of this mission in any way I could. So, I prayed for just that. I was a soon-to-be engaged young teacher at the time. Little did I know how what I had prayed for would soon come true.
I had recently returned from my third trip and knew more children would soon be coming to Ciudad. My husband and I had only been married for three months. He knew my passion for this mission. When to opportunity to sponsor one of these child came along I immediately got my husband on board. I remember staring at a photo of four beautiful children. How do you choose? How do we just say, “Ok, we want this one.” Well, I prayed about it. I prayed we would be led to the one that fit best with our family and then prayed that the other three would also be blessed with loving and involved sponsor families. So, we made our choice. August 2005, that’s when another member was added to our new family. No, we did not have a baby, but instead got a beautiful, giggly, smiley four year old little girl! Her name is Anahi.
I will never forget the day we arrived in Cozumel to meet her. I was so anxious, I almost burst through security. I could see her through the glass doors. As soon as I was cleared, I dropped my things and ran to her and scooped her up in my arms. She was just beautiful and smiley! She was our ‘first’ as we refer to her. She allowed us a glimpse of what being parents would feel like. Well, two years later we got pregnant. Anahi was able to see her ‘baby sister’ growing in my belly and be a part of this new life with us. She met our daughter when she was only six months old. It has been love ever since. I love seeing them together, big sis and little sis. I pray that with each year their bond strengthens and that they will have a life long friendship with each other.
When we embarked on this journey, little did we know just how much our life would be affected and our hearts opened by the working hand of God. Being a part of this mission has added so much to our family. It’s given us another member, a reason to learn another language, many new friends and relationships with other brothers and sisters in Christ, and a passion for mission work. Five years later I can say with full faith that we did not choose her, God chose her for us. Anahi has been a blessing in our lives. She is an extended part of our family, a relative that just happens to live in another country. She fits right in to our family and has been filling our life with extra love, joy, and giggles for the last five years. She is ours; she has a very special place in our family.
