From left are Olga Argueta, CFCA staff member in Guatemala, and Cleta, a sponsored aging friend.

In the countries where we work, the elderly often have no one to depend on for their well-being. They receive no social security and may not be able to count on family members for support, as adult children are often occupied with their own survival.

About three years ago, a community in Guatemala noticed some of our sponsored aging friends had difficulties traveling to the local CFCA office for birthday celebrations, Christmas celebrations and other CFCA activities. So they decided to take the celebrations to the sponsored friends’ own homes, and that’s how regular visits to sponsored elderly began!

In the words of Olga Argueta, CFCA staff member in Guatemala

Every three months we plan one whole day for visiting the elderly. We have identified six friends of the 50 sponsored aging friends in our community who have difficulties moving around, and they are the ones we visit.

As a group, for this activity we visit three elderly friends every six months. But every social worker has monthly visits to stay up to date with each sponsored friend’s condition.

During our visits we spend some time talking and listening to our friend. This makes them feel uplifted and loved. They truly appreciate our affection, and I believe this is as important as the monthly sponsorship benefit they receive.

Sometimes other sponsored elderly friends will come along with the staff. We clean their home, make their bed and wash dishes or clothes.

CFCA staff members clean Cleta’s house.

We prepare a snack or a meal, and we all eat together. Sometimes we have games.

CFCA staffers preparing food …

… then sharing it with Cleta.

Every visit brings back good memories. I remember one of our elderly friends who I thought was too old to do heavy chores.

We visited him in his home, but then he decided to take us into the forest to gather firewood.

We ended up cooking our meal in the woods, and I witnessed how our visit gave this aging person the will and the strength to get up from his bed and have a good time. I also remember his laughs while I was carrying a big load of firewood back to his home.

I have each one of their smiles in my memories, and that is the greatest reward that I have and treasure.

In the words of Cleta, a sponsored aging friend in Guatemala

Cleta is in her nineties, but when you ask her age, she says, “I am 40,” and laughs. Even though Cleta had eight children (two have passed away), she lives alone in her home.

How often do you receive visits from outside?

Not very much. Once in a while my neighbor comes over to give me food, but that’s about it. My children try to visit as much as they can, but I usually stay home by myself.

They [her children] have suggested that I should live with them, but I prefer to stay in my home because I was born here and I want to live here until my last day.

What do you like about the CFCA staff visits?

I feel lonely. I would probably stay in bed all day if it weren’t for my friends from CFCA. It is boring to be in bed and have no one around you.

(Cleta looks at Olga and says to her: “I am happy that you came today. You are bringing joy to my heart and a smile to my soul.”)

Is there any message you would like to give your sponsor?

I have heartfelt gratitude for my sponsors as they are with me when I feel lonely. I ask for their prayers. May God reward their kindness and may God bless them.

Thanks to them, today I am wearing a new dress that I received as a monthly benefit in CFCA.

Anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for bringing happiness to my home, thank you for the food, thank you for your love, thank you for your kind hearts and for your prayers.

CFCA-Guatemala staff and Cleta.

Regeena is a 67-year-old widow in India, living in a home for the elderly. She has three grown children and seven grandchildren. When Regeena was younger, she worked in a mill. Regeena lost a foot in an accident at the mill and now has a prosthetic foot.

Regeena has been sponsored since 2007 and enjoys being part of CFCA. “I like visiting [with the CFCA staff members] and making them happy,” she said.

What is your secret for a long life?

I used to work in a mill. That was very good exercise for me. I lost my leg while working and now I use a prosthetic foot.

What advice do you have for young people?

My advice for young people is that they should study well, obey their elders and take care of their grandparents.

What is the most important thing your mother taught you?

My mother taught me to be clean and to work nicely. She always taught me to pray to God.

Tell us something special about yourself.

I like singing and listening to music.

If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

I do not feel [the need] to go anywhere. This place is OK for me.

What’s one thing that has changed from when you were young to the present day?

There is lot of change. I feel that I have become very humble. I do not behave the way I used to when I was young.

What’s your favorite food?

I like buttermilk, dal (a thick Indian stew) and beans.

That’s tremendous cause for celebration! Behind every letter is a special story and friendship that we treasure.

Here are three sponsored children in El Salvador who recently received letters from their sponsors. Their smiles say it all.

Norma is 8 years old. She enjoys attending school and playing with her friends. Photos, like the one Norma is holding from her sponsor, are a fun, meaningful and practical way to deepen ties between sponsors and sponsored friends.

Veronica, at 10 years old, writes frequently to her sponsor. They share many things in common. For example, their favorite cartoon is “Tom and Jerry.”

Luis is 10 years old. He loves to play soccer. Here he is, reading aloud from his sponsor’s letter.

Developing a sense of friendship and mutual encouragement is one of the most rewarding aspects of sponsorship through CFCA’s Hope for a Family program.

Don’t wait – write a letter to your sponsored friend today!

Students listen attentively to the CFCA scholars during a tutoring session.

By Regina Muburu, CFCA communications correspondent for Africa

It is a hot Tuesday afternoon and sponsored children are gathered at a local CFCA office in Kenya, with their books and pens, keenly following what they are being taught.

The teachers of the day are Vincent, who is pursuing a degree in business administration and accounting, and his colleague, Kevin, who is enrolled at a local university studying for a bachelor of commerce degree.

The two students are both 23 years old and part of the CFCA Scholarship Program.

“As scholars we volunteer hours of community service to the CFCA office helping out in various duties. It is during this period that we noticed that the children in our area were not performing well [in school],” Vincent said. “Looking at the report cards as scholarship students, we felt there was a need to step in and help.”

The two scholars decided to create an academic club for sponsored children who needed extra help with their studies.

The club is facilitated by 17 scholars who choose different subjects, in which they excel, to tutor the sponsored children. These subjects include mathematics, business education, science and geography.

CFCA scholars tutor sponsored children in different subjects.

“When the scholars shared the idea of forming the academic club with us, we were ready to assist them by buying items to facilitate the tuition,” said Crispus Natala, CFCA staff member in Kenya. “We made a budget and got the money to buy a white board, markers and an eraser. This was a great idea to boost the performance of our beneficiaries.”

CFCA staffers shared the idea for the academic club with parents of the sponsored children and it was well received.

Each time the schools close for the holidays, the children can now come for tutoring classes that are free of charge.

“We had to find out from each child what his or her weak subject is and took it upon ourselves to help them improve on it,” Kelvin said.

The academic club is also like a mentorship club. In addition to tutoring students, the scholars hold counseling sessions where they discuss various issues affecting the children.

Scholars will also hold career talks and select topics to debate.

“It is easier for the children to open up to the scholar students because they feel free to talk to them on various issues they may be facing academically and socially,” Natala said.

“The club has also made the children visit the office regularly and it is easier for the staff to follow up on the child’s well-being as well as letter writing, photos and other CFCA requirements.”

Though the sun is scorching hot, the children are participating actively in each lesson.

“It is encouraging to see the children’s grades improve,” Vincent said.

A meeting of the minds: CFCA scholars tutor students during an academic club meeting.

I had an idea of teaching when I started looking for a teaching job. I have no classroom experience. I have never been taught how to put together a lesson plan. I have never been taught how to manage a classroom. My classroom looks like I took the 90′s, shook it, and I took what fell out and put it on my walls.

Nevertheless, I am learning. I feel as though when you get to high school its not as much what is on the wall as to what is in the heart and in the mind. Students wonder about all things about life. There are students with real hurt and pain. They are going through what an average 12-18 year old should not have to worry about. They are asking questions about God’s character and how does knowing that information apply to out lives. It has been great!

I would not trade being at CFCA for anything in the world. I thank God for the opportunity to teach! It has truly been a blessing so far!

Edelmira and her family in Guatemala.

Edelmira is a mother of four: three boys and one girl. Edelmira’s son, Josue, is sponsored through the Hope for a Family program. The family does not have running water in the home, and they must travel to a community tank to get water.

Edelmira gives us an inside look into the life of her family.

What is the current water situation in your home?

We do not have running water in our home.

Every day I walk 20 minutes to a community tank to get our daily supply of water.

I bring the water home in big plastic jars. I carry two jars: one on my head and one on my arm.

I make several trips back and forth to the tank. I walk up and down hills, and it usually takes me about two or three hours every day.

I am familiar with walking and carrying heavy loads. When I was a little girl my father would have us work in the fields and carry big sacks of corn and beans on our head.

Do you ever experience water shortages?

The community tank provides water for most of the people who live in this area.

We must wait in line to take a shower, wash clothes and fill our jars to bring water home.

I usually wait up to 45 minutes in line.

Can you describe what a typical day is like for you?

I wake up at 4 in the morning to start bringing water home from the community tank.

Around 6 a.m., I come back home to cook breakfast and get my children ready for school.

I take my children to school, and around 8 or 9 a.m. I continue bringing water from the community tank to our home until around 11 in the morning. Sometimes my children also help me bring the water home.

We use the water I bring home to drink, cook and wash dishes.

Every afternoon I take all of my children to the community water tank to take a shower and wash clothes.

Edelmira and her son Josue must travel to bring water to their home.

I need this firewood to cook food and boil the water that we drink.

I also dry our clothes in the sun, and then I fold it very tightly. This keeps the garments neat so there is no need to iron them.

I am very careful with the water that I use to cook and drink.

I boil and keep the water in plastic containers that I have received from CFCA.

Is there any message you would like to give your child’s sponsor?

There is no substitute for water. God has provided water, so let us take care of what’s available to us.

Treasure the water that you have.

We hope we have the opportunity to meet my son’s sponsor.

It is not easy to provide running water for a family. About 30 percent of the sponsored friends and their families do not have running water or electricity at home.

Many cannot afford the costs for pipe installation or the monthly fees ($3 to $4 a month) for the service, which is not dependable. Those who can afford running water in their homes still encounter challenges because water is rationed by local authorities.

A typical family may use three or four candles per day. Every candle costs about 13 cents, so that would be about $4 a month. Families are not able to commit to a monthly electric bill so they prefer to use candles and buy as many as they can afford.

CFCA helps sponsored friends and their families obtain water basins, plastic water containers, metal water containers and water pumps.

A big thank you to Roxeny Lemus, CFCA social worker in Santa Maria, Ixhuatan, Guatemala, for providing us with this information.

Margaret, mother of a sponsored child in Bhagalpur, India.

For some families, a college savings plan has four legs, is covered in hair and eats from a slop bucket.

Raising livestock provides additional income for many sponsored friends and their families, and some take out loans through CFCA to help meet family needs such as education.

Margaret, mother of a sponsored youth in India, did just that to help her son, Paulus, pay for his tuition and realize his educational dreams.

“It gave new hope for our future,” Margaret said.

Margaret and her husband, James, live in a small town near Bhagalpur, India. Other than agriculture, there is little opportunity for business in their village.

Margaret and James wanted their son to receive a quality education, but with the nearest college located 24 hours from their home, it was going to be a challenge.

With the help of his CFCA sponsorship and his family’s contribution, Paulus was able to pay for his tuition, as well as room and board, and is receiving a quality education to prepare him for engineering school.

Paulus is now in his second year, which is the equivalent of 12th standard high school. After Paulus finishes his studies, he is planning to go to an engineering school in Calcutta.

Margaret raises livestock to pay for her son’s tuition.

She decided to purchase and raise livestock to sell.

“With the help of the loan amount I purchased two piglets to raise,” Margaret said.

Margaret repaid the loan amount in regular installments. Then, in May 2012, she took out another loan to purchase two young goats.

“The piglets have grown big,” Margaret said. “I will sell these pigs when we have to pay the first year’s engineering fees for my son. The young goats can help us to pay the engineering second-year fees.

“We are very much thankful to CFCA for helping us in providing the sponsorship support and also for the [mothers group] support,” Margaret said. “It is helping my son to study his higher education.”

Roseline holds a scoop of millet, the grain she sells to earn additional income.

“In our group we share ideas on business ventures and we also encourage each other on personal matters. … Our slogan is ‘Jikaze,’ which means ‘do not give up,’” Roseline said.

Through the Hope for a Family sponsorship program, CFCA offers opportunities for families to achieve economic self-sufficiency through mothers groups and other activities.

Roseline is the secretary for her mothers group. She takes the minutes at each meeting and is also the signatory.

Through the mothers group, Roseline has been able to start her own business, something that would not have been possible without the loan she received from her mothers group last September.

Roseline used the loan to purchase 23 tins of millet, which is a type of grain grown widely around the world for cereal. Roseline re-sells the millet to earn additional income for her family.

She has since opened a bank account to save the profits she earns because she is planning to expand her business in the future.

“I would like to encourage my fellow mothers to work hard and make use of the help that CFCA gives them through the CFCA support groups,” Roseline said. “My wish is to see my children succeed in life and help the needy in society.”

By Veronica Batton, CFCA writer/editor

What’s one thing sponsored friends like to receive more than letters from their sponsors? Photos from their sponsors, of course!

Photos are a great way to show you care. Sponsored friends can look at a photo of their sponsor and know that someone, somewhere, is rooting for them to succeed.

My friend, Thilothammal in Chennai, India, has been asking me for a photo. Instead of sending her a regular photo of my husband and me, I decided to take my craft skills to the next level.

Get ready to love this.

DIY: Collage photo frame

(Difficulty level: super easy)

Materials needed:

Paper frame (If you can’t find a pre-made paper frame, you can use a photo matte board.)

Glue or tape

Scissors

A collection of photos

A photo of you holding your friend’s picture

1. Purchase a paper frame or photo matte board.

2. Begin by collecting several photos of you, family members, scenery from around your home and things you love. (These photos will be placed around the frame.)

3. If your photos are digital and stored on a media device, like an SD card, then you can take your device to your local photo center and have your photos reprinted in wallet size. (Some photo centers have the option to upload and print your photos from Facebook.)

You can also use photos you already have and cut them to fit around the frame.

If you have a color printer, and don’t mind using a lot of ink, you can do what I did and print your wallet-size photos at home. I resized my photos to 2 inches by 2 inches, so they fit around the frame. (This step requires a bit of extra effort.)

4. Find your sponsored friend’s most recent photo and have someone take your picture holding his/her picture. Print this photo when you print your wallet-size photos.

5. Once you have all of your photos together, begin by gluing or taping them to the outside of the paper frame (see below). Your photos may overlap and some may be larger than others. That’s OK! It’s not supposed to be completely symmetrical.

6. Tape or glue photos around entire frame.

7. Take photo from step 4 and place inside paper frame.

8. Write your friend a letter. Explain in the letter that you are always here for support and will give encouragement every step of the way. Your friend can look at the collage photo frame you made and know that someone is surrounding him/her with love.

Love this idea? Let me know! I’d love to hear your DIY experience or if you have other ideas on ways to jazz up your photos.

Happy crafting!

Pinterest is a fun way to explore blogs and find interesting articles or photos you love.

If you have a Pinterest board, then please follow CFCA.

Here’s just a small sample of what our Pinterest page offers.

Learn something new.

See beautiful pictures!

Be inspired.

Brighten your day with big smiles.

Because hope is huge.

It’s incredibly adorable.

See? We told you.

We know something small you can do with great love. Follow CFCA’s Pinterest page!

Like any of these photos? Repin your favorite!

Happy pinning!

CFCA helped Wanjiru with the protective gear she needed, and she now feels much more confident when working with the bees.

Wanjiru sells her honey locally and in different quantities so it is affordable for everyone.

Watch the video to learn more about how Wanjiru harvests honey.

Suriel Ramirez, CFCA social worker in Guatemala.

Suriel Ramirez, CFCA social worker, has worked for CFCA for nearly 10 years. He shared these insights about the earthquakes that affect the area.

How is this area impacted by quakes?

Our town has always witnessed earthquakes ever since I can remember. Many of the earthquake epicenters surround the mountains in this area.

We are vulnerable because two fault lines cross our state. These tremors have gotten stronger and more frequent since June of 2011.

For some reason, maybe it’s a coincidence, we can feel the strongest quakes the middle of each month.

It is scary to witness these tremors. People are alarmed and rumors of great disaster keep us fearful.

How have these quakes affected the homes of families?

A great number of homes in this area are made of adobe. This type of structure is vulnerable to earthquakes. Walls made with adobe easily break and fall with even small earthquakes.

Walls made with cornstalks and mud are also weak and can easily collapse.

Concrete and cinderblock homes are the safest, but even these homes are in danger when a strong earthquake occurs.

I have seen cinderblock walls crack and fall just as fast as others made with adobe or cornstalks.

What challenges does a family face when living in a damaged home?

Local authorities and government must provide a temporary shelter for the families whose homes are unsafe and uninhabitable.

An earthquake-damaged home in Guatemala.

These families do not have peace when they go to sleep at night. They cannot rest at ease and they say, “God will decide if I wake up tomorrow.”

Many of the family members deal with physiological stress because their lives are at risk.

What type of help does a family receive when there is an emergency such as an earthquake?

CFCA staffers have discussed with sponsored friends and their families what they can do in case of an emergency.

The families have received basic safety instructions. They know to stay calm, look for an open space outside their home, keep a source of light, such as a flashlight, candles or matches, and have emergency numbers and CFCA numbers available.

We also have an emergency fund that covers immediate needs such as water, food supplies, clothing, bed sheets, plates and cups.

CFCA staffers follow up with each family, and in some cases we provide help for home repairs.

Anything else you would like to add?

I remember visiting a sponsored boy’s home because I was going to take a picture of him and his family.

I was in his room when we felt a huge quake. The next thing I knew, I had a wall of adobe falling directly behind me.

We are called to serve our sponsored friends and we must work in this environment. Taking risks is part of our work.

CFCA staffers also help sponsored friends and their families look for help through other government and non-government organizations that assist with disaster relief.

Interview with Felipa, whose grandson, Melvin, is sponsored through CFCA. Felipa lives with two of her children, their spouses and her four grandchildren.

Felipa and her grandson, Melvin, who is sponsored through CFCA.

What is the current situation of your home?

The walls in our home are not safe. I go to sleep praying that nothing happens during the night, but there is not much we can do. We do not have the means to fix or reinforce our walls.

How have the earthquakes affected your home?

The cinderblock walls of my home have many cracks, and the cement floor in one of our rooms is cracked.

How often do the earthquakes occur?

We have tremors all the time. We had a couple of earthquakes two days ago.

Some quakes are big and easily felt, but others are small and I barely notice them, especially if I am walking.

Last year the quakes occurred often, maybe every 30 minutes, which went on all day and night for several months.

The quakes were so frequent and I was scared. I didn’t even want to come in the kitchen to cook for my family.

What steps do you take to help protect your family?

People in this area are familiar with earthquakes, but it still scares us every time.

It is hard to stay calm, but we try and move as fast as we can to an open space outside our home. I am always aware of everyone at home, and once we are outside I do a head count. Our neighbors also look out for each other.

My biggest concern is our neighbor’s home. It is a large two-level home made of concrete and cinderblocks.

We would have very little chance of survival if that house collapses over onto our little home.

I can’t sleep at night thinking that a big [earthquake] may come and bring that house down on us.

When the quakes are big we sleep in shelters. Sometimes we stay with one of our neighbors. They have a large front yard and we feel safer.

Other than this, there is not much more that we can do. All we can do is pray because the tremors will continue.

Felipa looks at the damage caused by the earthquakes.

If there was one thing you could change regarding the current infrastructure, what would it be?

I would fix and reinforce my cracked walls.

Is there any message you would like to give your grandson’s sponsor?

God has decided to give us a place to live. Some places have earthquakes, some places have tornados and some places have landslides, but we must keep our faith in God.

I want to tell my grandson’s sponsor that our faith is huge. We always pray for his sponsor and for our town so that God continues to protect us.

Anything else you would like to add?

The sound of an earthquake can freeze your body.

The power of an earthquake is incredible. It moves lampposts, cars and buildings.

Your body continues to shake long after the quake has stopped.

CFCA sponsor Kevin meets Tatiana, his sponsored child in Colombia.

1. Remember that CFCA sponsorship is a one-to-one relationship.

Every child, youth and aging person in our Hope for a Family program has one sponsor.

CFCA sponsorship provides sponsored friends and their families with resources such as education, food, skills training, micro-loans and participation in a caring, supportive CFCA local community.

While sponsorship benefits vary depending on location and family needs, the goal of the Hope for a Family program is to help families in their efforts to break the cycle of poverty.

2. Remember to write.

Writing a letter is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your sponsored friend.

Letters from sponsors are often prized possessions for sponsored friends and their families. It is sometimes the only mail they receive.

Norma, a CFCA sponsored child in El Salvador, reads a letter from her sponsor.

Sponsored friends cherish what their sponsors send in the mail, and words of encouragement can be read and re-read in times when encouragement is needed most.

You can send a letter to your friend through the mail or you can log into your online sponsorship account at hopeforafamily.org to send an eLetter to your sponsored friend.

Your eLetters are emailed directly to the local CFCA office where your friend lives. There they are translated and then delivered to your sponsored friend.

It saves time and money. Click here to write an eLetter to your sponsored friend.

3. Remember the $30 a month is not a handout.

The benefits, programs and services extended to your friend through sponsorship are administered by a CFCA project.

Your sponsorship contribution helps with needs such as tuition, uniforms, school supplies, food, health care, recreational activities, livelihood initiatives, formation workshops for parents and more.

(Detailed descriptions of the program benefits and services offered in your friend’s project are listed on the “My Sponsorships” page of your online sponsorship account. Simply login, select your sponsored friend’s name and click on their project to learn more about the benefits offered in their area.)

In addition to their long-distance relationship with you, your friend and their family are accepted into a local CFCA community that supports them on a daily basis.

Part of this community is the support group that your friend’s parents or guardian will most likely belong to. Much of the progress achieved by your friend’s family in the Hope for a Family program will be through participation in this CFCA support group.

Also known as community-based groups, self-help groups and mothers groups, this model of development gives parents and guardians of sponsored children more ability to shape the CFCA Hope for a Family program in their areas.

The decentralized structure of the small-group model also allows CFCA headquarters in Kansas City and the CFCA project serving your friend to respond to the families’ needs more efficiently.

Joseph was sponsored through CFCA and recently graduated with a bachelor of science in communications and public relations. Way to go, Joseph!

4. Remember there’s no “cut-off” date to sponsorship.

CFCA does not have a “cut-off” date for sponsored friends.

Other sponsorship organizations may end the sponsorship once a child turns 18. At CFCA, youth may remain eligible for sponsorship as long as they are in school and meet other program requirements.

With the help of CFCA sponsorship, young people have become teachers, nurses, social workers, accountants and doctors, and they have pursued various other professional careers and trades.

5. Remember you’re making a difference!

Sometimes it may feel like nothing’s happening or you’re waiting for a letter for what seems like forever, but we hear every day how important your support and friendship are to your sponsored friend.

As Mother Teresa said, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

By Judy-Anne Goldman, CFCA multimedia manager/producer

The Blog Action Day website explains that, “The Power of We is a celebration of people working together to make a positive difference in the world, either for their own communities or for people they will never meet halfway around the world.”

What a natural fit for CFCA!

CFCA lives “The Power of We” in the work we do all over the world.

Our recently released documentary, “Rise and Dream,” is exactly that kind of celebration. You can see that in the trailer (below). The film tells the story of a community of families working hard to break the cycle of poverty in an area impacted by violent conflict.

“Rise and Dream” shares that message of strength, resilience, determination and love, as 13 teenagers volunteer to learn the traditional music of their culture and perform in front of 10,000 people from communities served by CFCA.

This story shows that change happens and the “Power of We” is strongest, not just when you work together, but when you dream together.

It’s the same message CFCA has been hearing around the world for more than 30 years. And not only are we inspired by the sponsored friends and their families, but we can also learn so much from them.

Lessons from “Rise and Dream”

• The dedication of children. We asked each teen to tell us his or her dream. They shared that their goal was to help their family have a better life. Many parents in the U.S. who have seen the film have told us that they want their children to better appreciate what they have and understand another level of what it means to be a family.

• Joy within impoverished conditions. One striking aspect of the film is an abundant spirit of joy. In some scenes, smiles, joking and laughter fill the screen, reinforcing the understanding that poverty is a condition; it doesn’t define who we are.

• How to clear a field, build a stage by hand and put on a huge concert without electricity on the edge of a jungle. We’ll leave you with that lesson to learn when you see the film.

From our website, you can order a DVD and sign up for our monthly eNews to find out where future screenings will be held in your area.

Our dream is that 1 million people see “Rise and Dream,” come together in the interest of doing good in the world and dream together.

Together we are “The Power of We.”

1. Yes, I’m still blogging.  I got caught up in another writing project and that gave me a bit of writer’s block as far as the blog is concerned.  Sorry for slacking off!  I’ll try to do better.

2.  Anybody know of good resources for learning to sight-read music?  I’ve only ever been able to learn a song after hearing it; just looking at the music and trying to discern the melody from that is like reading ancient Greek to me.  My choir has limited rehearsal time, so sight-reading is a must.  The frustrating part is that I can actually determine the notes and the key signatures, but the way that translates to a sound totally escapes me.

3.  Yes, Jen’s encouragement to participate in 7QT was what got me to post this.  And yes, I’m late – I was a bit under the weather on Friday.  Thank you, Jen, for keeping this open till Monday!  (I don’t care if I don’t get the gift card; I just needed a kick in the rear to get back to blogging.)

4. As the title of this post implies, I love fall.  Love it, love it, love it!  October is the most beautiful month of the year where I live.  The temperature is perfect, the sky is blue, the trees are changing colors, and I can see God everywhere I turn.

5. Only 37 days until Thanksgiving!   Due to work and the whims of my mother-in-law, I haven’t spent Thanksgiving with my family since 2009.  My family, being Irish Catholic, really lives it up, and it isn’t quite the same as spending Thanksgiving with DH’s subdued family.  ;)  (Even DH agrees with me on this one.)

6.  Of course, the down side of getting Thanksgiving off is that I’ll have to work on Christmas.  I told the person in charge of our schedule that I didn’t mind so long as I could get to Midnight Mass.

7. It’s not Friday, but we need a song anyway!  This song is a little spooky and will hopefully put you in the mood for Halloween.  Here is “Harvest Moon” by Blue Oyster Cult.

For more Quick Takes from Jen and others, visit Conversion Diary!

There was no bakery in Oscar’s community in Guatemala, so CFCA provided training and a loan for a group of parents to build an oven and start making bread. The initiative and solidarity of parents and guardians participating in the CFCA Hope for a Family program make such efforts possible.

Oscar and others in their group are eager to share their knowledge about baking bread.

Well, now’s your chance to learn, as Oscar explains the process for baking bread in Guatemala in this short video.

Related links

• Putting bread on the table in Guatemala

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Photo credits for Kenya and Uganda go to Regina Muburu, CFCA communications liaison for Africa. Photo credits for Madagascar go to Paul Pearce, CFCA director of global strategy.

It’s always a joy to be in touch with you, this time from Africa. Together with Paul Pearce, CFCA director of global strategy, and Karen Allemang, CFCA trips and international volunteer manager.

I had the privilege of accompanying a wonderful group of CFCA sponsors on this September 2012 journey to Kenya and Uganda.

Paul and I also visited the CFCA project in Antsirabe, Madagascar.

Visit to CFCA-Kenya

Since our humble beginnings in 1989, our Hope for a Family program in Kenya has grown to include 19,029 children and youth, as well as 1,167 aging individuals. In addition, 4,241 families have applied to join our Hope for a Family program.

In a very diverse atmosphere of 42 ethnic groups, CFCA works to become a unifying force.

Introducing Lillian

Lillian manages the mothers groups so lovingly that she refers to the mothers as family members.

“One of the unique features of the CFCA program in Kenya is their goal of going beyond the delivery of benefits and working with mothers of sponsored children to be economically self-sufficient,” Lillian said.

Staff members in Nairobi tell us that mothers groups can lead to economic self-sufficiency.

“We want to keep on getting better, and help bring the groups to maturity. Mothers can accomplish these goals,” Lillian said.

The home visits fill us with excitement about our CFCA programs and the potential of our sponsored friends and their families.

Visit to CFCA-Madagascar

In Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, we were kindly met by Liva Rajaonarisina, Antsirabe project coordinator, and Aina Rantoharimamy, Antsirabe project accountant.

It was a three-hour drive, mainly up, from Antananarivo to Antsirabe. The driver wasted no time on the very curvy roads. I was happy when I discovered the seat belt underneath the seat covers.

Many sponsored children and their families live in very small quarters in Madagascar. One single mother and her two children live in a single-room home they rent.

Their home has only one entrance and exit, which is a small window. The windowsill doubles as a platform for cooking with charcoal.

Visit to CFCA-Uganda

Currently we have 3,742 sponsored children, 144 aging friends and one vocation student in Uganda.

The testimonies of the CFCA scholarship students in Africa have been very inspiring and compelling.

In Uganda we are proud of our 80 university graduates. Among them are nurses, social workers and one doctor.

We are all one family based on God’s love.

Final note

Thank you for being with us on this trip to Kenya, Madagascar and Uganda. I ask you to pray for these dear people.

Please know of our love and thanks.

Bob Hentzen
CFCA Uganda
Sept. 30, 2012

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This year I once again had the privilege to travel to Guatemala on one of the CFCA mission awareness trips. This trip was incredibly special because I was able to meet each one of the young ladies I sponsor in Guatemala.

Guatemala is a beautiful country and the people of Guatemala are beautiful people, both inside and out. I never cease to be amazed by the smiles on each person’s face, even though I know some of the difficulties they face each day.

The trip began with a great itinerary coordinated by the CFCA-Guatemala staff members. I am continually amazed at the wonderful job that the CFCA staff does in hosting these trips and making us feel at home in our “home away from home.”

We were well taken care of and had the opportunity to learn more about the work that CFCA does day in and day out.

It makes me appreciate all the blessings I have in my own life and that what might seem like a small monthly contribution is really life changing for those children and youth that I sponsor.

The best part of the trip is, of course, getting to meet the children/youth whom I sponsor.

I had the opportunity to meet several of my sponsored friends during the group visit day.

After writing letters and receiving letters, it is a fantastic experience to meet everyone in person and to also meet the families. To see their smiles, and share hugs all around is such a memorable experience.

The highlight of the trip was when I realized how much these young ladies look up to me and that I can make a positive impact in their lives.

A few words of encouragement and support here and there can make such a difference in the lives of my sponsored friends. Because of that I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be a sponsor.

Thank you, CFCA, for the work that you do and letting me be a small part of the CFCA family.

I am a huge fan of crafts. If it involves fabric, creativity or hot-glue guns, you can almost guarantee I’ll be crafting it at some point down the road.

When we posted 18 small gift ideas to send in your Christmas card, we received so much positive feedback from our sponsors, I thought it would be fun to start a D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) tutorial on small craft items to send to your friend.

So, here it is! CFCA’s first DIY post: 10 steps to a friendship bracelet.

(Difficulty level: easy)

Materials needed:

Embroidery floss in assorted colors (You can find embroidery floss at most fabric stores).

Masking tape

Scissors

A hard surface or table

Patience!

The friendship bracelet I’m making is a four-strand classic strip. I am going to send it to my friend, Brenda, in Guatemala.

1. Cut four pieces of floss about 36 inches in length. You can use any combination of colors.

2. Tie a knot near the top, and tape the knot to a hard surface, then arrange floss in color order.

I’m using blue, blue, orange, orange.

3. Take color one and loop over and under color two. Pull floss until you form a knot.

4. Then, follow the same step as above, except take color one and loop over and under color three.

5. Next, repeat step above with color one and color four.

(When you are using four strands there will be three knots across.)

6. Repeat above steps with the next piece of floss. Since my next piece of floss is blue, my color order will now be blue, orange, orange, blue.

7. Continue with next piece of embroidery floss and continue making right knots across.

8. Continue making knots until you have achieved desired length of bracelet.

9. When finished, tie another knot at the other end of the bracelet. This will keep your bracelet from unraveling. You’re done!

10. Write a letter to your friend and tell them you made this friendship bracelet just for them.

I put Brenda’s friendship bracelet inside of a bag and stuck one of the CFCA mailing labels with her name on the outside. Now, if it gets separated from the card, the local CFCA staffers will still be able to deliver the item.

I haven’t made a friendship bracelet in many years, so it was a little tricky at first. I knew the bracelet I made wasn’t perfect, and I was a bit disappointed.

Then I remembered a lovely quote from Mother Teresa:

“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”

I put a whole lot of love in that bracelet, and that is what matters most. I think Brenda will like it simply because I made it especially for her.

Greeting card for Brenda: $3.99
Embroidery floss: $1.99
Sending your sponsored friend a handmade, one-of-a-kind gift: priceless.

Try it out and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear your friendship bracelet experience.

Check out another DIY post: Collage photo frame.

Related links

• 18 small gift ideas to send in your Christmas card

One week every year, CFCA employees who work closely with our sponsors get what they deserve.

They celebrate Customer Service Week!

Customer Service Week is an international event celebrated annually in the first week of October. The event is sponsored by the Customer Service Group, which provides information and inspiration to companies and organizations who want to recognize their customer service professionals by participating in the celebration.

This year’s theme was “Be the One.” At CFCA that means being the one to make a difference in the lives of the people we work with every day.

“Customer Service Week at CFCA is a time we celebrate those who answer the call, make the call and those who are committed to making the experience with this organization one to be remembered with a smile,” said Raelene Dietz, director of sponsor experience at CFCA. “It’s a way to say we are proud to be part of the sponsor’s experience, and we want all the staff to know they are appreciated.”

CFCA departments that celebrate Customer Service Week are Sponsor Services, the mission awareness trip coordinating team and the service center, which includes the letter services team that facilitates the mailing of children’s letters to sponsors and other staff members providing support services at our headquarters.

Kelsey Rae Adkins, communications liaison on the Sponsor Services team, explained why she enjoys the celebration.

“[It] makes me feel like my work is appreciated, and it’s a good way to have fun as a team,” Kelsey said.

The CFCA celebration featured puzzles, food and dress-up days.

As you might guess from the photos, Pajama Day is always a favorite. On Silly Hat Day, many showed up at 8 a.m. with funny hats, big hats, cowboy hats and more, all in a spirit of fun.

“Having managers that appreciate customer service is a great thing,” said Christina Panagakos, Sponsor Services phone liaison. “Having managers that reward us with cake is even better!”

Here are a few questions we asked him recently:

What made you decide to help animals on the street?

My mom and my dad always told me to be good with people and animals. I feel so much compassion for them.

I remember crying over three newborn baby cats I found abandoned in a soccer field. I decided to help them and see them grow.

Where do you find these animals?

I’ve found them everywhere: near my house, close to our church, at the soccer field, in the rural areas.

Please describe your favorite or most fond memory of your pet(s).

Wow, the truth is that I have adored them all, but there was Alaska.

Alaska was my neighbor’s dog. He bit my neighbor’s brand new mattress and made holes in it. I told him to let me have Alaska, and he gave him to me.

Alaska was big, black and white, with grey-colored eyes. His tale was long and in a spiral.

I enjoyed going out with him. He would run next to me riding my bike. Both of us would go to the river and he would jump right in, come out and shake his body, getting me totally wet. I did not care about that; I just laughed.

I enjoyed his company so much. He was with me in my ups and downs; he was strong and obedient. He was my partner. Sadly he died of a virus.

How has the CFCA Hope for a Family program helped you?

Every month I receive my food provisions, and on special occasions I get gifts. I also receive vitamins, shoes and clothing.

Whenever I need some help with some medicine or we are sick, we can come to CFCA and get help.

Click here to read more about Gregorio.

These much-anticipated celebrations often include family members and others in the local community.

Here are a few photos of recent CFCA birthday celebrations in Guatemala, Colombia and India. They were too precious not to share with you!

Edgar, left, a sponsored children in Guatemala, is really enjoying his cake! A birthday tradition in Guatemala calls for the birthday child to eat the cake without utensils, and when they lean in to take a bite, they are pushed into it.

It’s a special day in Colombia as sponsored children wait for their birthday cake and drinks.

Little Leydi from Guatemala is excited to join in the CFCA birthday festivities. She can have her cake and eat it, too.

More birthday fun in Colombia. Children know their sponsors have provided for these celebrations to take place.

Beyond the cake and party, CFCA staffers select and purchase age-appropriate gifts in the community, which also supports the local economy. These blankets will be given to sponsored children in Colombia as birthday gifts.

Bonus: Calculating one’s age in a rural village in India

People in the U.S. usually know the day, month and year when they were born, but that’s not true for every sponsored friend we serve.

Sreekanth Gundoji, our communications liaison in India, recently interviewed a family in a rural area and asked about the age of their daughter, Sona.

“Her mother, Maku, thought for a while and then replied that Sona’s teeth had fallen out recently, so her age must be 7 years,” he wrote. “That’s how they calculate their age.”

Related links:

• Donate to the CFCA Birthday Fund

Small changes, big impact

This is the third installment in our series about helping kids develop a global worldview. View part one here and part two here.

Sometimes when we imagine the people we want our kids (or ourselves!) to become, it can feel paralyzing. How do we get there exactly?

Kristin Littrell and family

Although it may sound cliché, I do think we become a sum of our days. We all know that the old Chinese proverb is true: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step.”

Sometimes small changes, casually sprinkled into daily life, really can take root in our kids’ lives, and our own.

The map on our table

Every morning, noon and night, our preschooler perches at our dining room table, her brightly colored world-map place mat catching her many drips and spills.

I bought the place mat on a whim one day when she was just an infant. It seemed silly at the time to buy a place mat for a child that wasn’t even eating solid food yet, but it wasn’t.

As I’ve said before, I want our kids to have a global worldview, and this was a tiny step in that direction.

Quickly, my infant become a toddler, gave up the high chair, and started making milk-puddle messes at every meal. So I pulled out the place mat. For months, it was just something to protect our dining room table – nothing more.

But then my parents took a European vacation and over breakfast one morning, they showed my daughter the country they visited on her place mat. And it clicked for her. She proudly identified that country every day for weeks.

Then other family members traveled, and we learned that we have friends moving to Ethiopia, so she added those destinations to her repertoire of countries identified on the map.

Slowly it snowballed, one country after the next.

Her world-map place mat became her pride and joy. When friends came over to play, she eagerly showed them these countries, and told them the personal stories behind each one.

As I listened to her, it was hard not to catch her enthusiasm for the world at large.

Her tiny voice would practically scream, “Did you know this is England? And this is Ethiopia? Our friends are moving there … “

It was like she was saying to her friends, “Did you know that this – our neighborhood, our city, our state – isn’t all there is?”

She was filled with possibility, with adventure, with a dream for what is out there. Is there anything better?

Growing world-changers

The map serves to expand her reality, gradually teaching her that there’s a whole world out there, where people live, and work, and play. A world just waiting to be explored, and people waiting to be loved.

All of that, from a simple place mat.

We hope this interest in the world will later translate to a desire to make the world a better place.

A Harris Interactive poll states that only one in four Americans believe that they bear “some responsibility to create a better world.”

If that’s true, then we’re going to need some world-changers.

Developing a global worldview doesn’t have to be daunting, or all-consuming. You could start with a place mat, like we did, or something else that works for you or your family.

Maybe you choose to decorate with a globe or map, or you start reading the tag on your clothing to find out where it was made. Small steps often lead to bigger changes in the heart and the mind, which is really what matters most.

How do you stay mindful of the larger world around you? Please share your ideas with us!

(If you’re looking for a world-map place mat, a quick Amazon search for “world-map place mat” yields several inexpensive options.)

How did you hear about CFCA, and what inspired you to sponsor?

I actually just came across this site while browsing around online. It may have been an “accident,” or perhaps, I was gently brought to it.

My philosophy is no one should ever have to suffer, and that includes people everywhere all over the planet, which basically goes hand in hand with CFCA’s mission: “Our mission is to walk with the poor and marginalized of the world so they may live with dignity and participate fully in society.”

Whatever I can do to help alleviate the suffering of others, I will do so.

So far, has the experience of sponsorship matched up with any expectations you had when you started? Have there been any surprises or new things you’ve learned along the way?

It has really exceeded my expectations. It’s not just a handout each month and that’s the end of it.

What I love is that you help provide essential benefits to help people climb out of poverty.

You also get the chance to be encouraging and to develop a special friendship, which to me is absolutely priceless. Plus, I am inspired by my sponsored friends.

You have sponsored friends across all ages! What have been some of the similarities and differences in getting to know each of them?

Well, I will be discovering that soon, since I’m still relatively new (only since June, and the first sponsored friend for me was my aging friend).

Three of Missy’s sponsored friends, from left to right, are Ester in the Philippines, Jose in Bolivia, and Sonia in Bolivia.

If I could, I would sponsor everyone. That’s how much this means to me, and the organization, and my sponsored friends.

I was inspired by what I read on CFCA’s website, and on its Facebook page. I wanted to sponsor from all three age groups, because I wanted to help each group.

Similarities are that they all struggle with poverty or live below the ideal economic level.

What would you say to anyone considering sponsorship but with questions regarding the cost, whether it makes a difference, etc.?

You will be so blessed in ways that you can’t even begin to imagine, and your sponsored friends will be too. It’s an absolute win-win situation for everyone.

To steal Nike’s quote: Just Do It! Yes, it works!

Thirty dollars is really not that high of a cost, and it really goes a long way each month.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I cannot stress enough how much I love this organization and everything that it stands for, because it matches my own philosophy. So to CFCA, I say thank you.

Thanks so much, Missy!

Sponsored aging friends in Colombia work on coloring Christmas and year-end greeting cards to their sponsors.

Working with the sponsored elderly in Bogota has been a very interesting process. We meet many people who have histories filled with pain and loneliness.

However, it is inspirational to see how they have overcome these situations.

They are always ready to move forward. That’s why, through CFCA’s Hope for a Family program, we seek to improve the quality of life for elderly people, empowering them and offering dignity.

Our programming includes working with aging friends to make crafts and establish exercise routines to strengthen their mobility. These tools enable them to learn new things while reaching within the skills and talents they already have.

Every two weeks, aging friends meet at each CFCA office in their local area. Rain or shine, they always show up on time, though most of them live in the peripheral neighborhoods of Bogota.

They always come with a smile and sometimes bring small presents such as biscuits, crackers or fruit to share.

Each meeting is divided into four parts. We begin with roll call. We then try to strengthen the CFCA identity by teaching the Hope for a Family model.

Teaching the model can be complex. Because of age, many of them quickly forget topics discussed in previous meetings.

However, it’s a great opportunity to attend because many of them express feelings of loneliness. These meetings help them feel that they are part of the CFCA family, which for some is the only form of family they may have.

In the second part of the meeting, we focus on praying. A different sponsored aging friend conducts the prayer in each meeting, promoting the participation of all members.

In the third part of the meeting, they exercise. These exercises are run by a sponsored elderly woman who is a leader in the community. Some who have mobility problems still participate in the exercise while remaining seated.

The fourth part of the meeting is designated craft time. Sometimes we color or work with clay, wool, sticks or other recyclable material.

It is a magical moment when the sponsored friends make the crafts step by step. I can see them smiling and talking with one another.

I see that they are happy and filled with life. They are excited about sharing, and they proudly carry the crafts they have made back to their homes with them.

In these ways, the project in Bogota brings hope to each family of sponsored aging friends.