Letter From John

I received a letter from John, my Compassion Sponsorship child in Kenya. It is handwritten by a translator and reads as if they interviewed John and wrote the letter with him. This seems age-appropriate for a 5 year old boy.

John’s Letter

Dear William Murphy,

Receive greetings from your son John. He says “hallo and how are you?” He is so thankful for the letter you sent him. He says he feels happy to have that letter read to him and this makes him pray for you.

John says he lives with his grandparents all this home and that he goes to school and he is in his final year in nursery school. John would love to share with you his last results in school. He says, “I was number three and I was given a rubber as a present.”

“How was your Easter?” asks young John. “I went to church and we sang in church,” he says. He continues, “I also went to town with my friends and I ate ice cream for the first time and it was sweet.” He laughs.

He says he really loves you. “God bless you.” John says he would love to share with you his new song “Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.” “Do you know this song?” he asks.

“Bye Bye” he ends.

Your son,
John Bosire

John also drew some weather pictures for me on the back of the letter. I thought this was really neat:

It is nice to see that in Kenya the trees bend a bit too when it is a windy day.

My Letter Back

I was able to email a letter back tonight through the compassion.com website. Here it is:

John:

I received your letter from Easter, and I too had a wonderful time celebrating Jesus’ resurrection at my church. And like you, I really love to sing in church every time we get to. One of my favorite songs is also Jesus Loves Me. I just had to sing it again when your letter reminded me of it. The version of that song that I like has these verses:

Jesus loves me, this i know
for the Bible tells me so
little ones to Him belong
they are weak but He is strong

oh, alleluhia, allelu
alleluhia, alleluhia
alleluhia, allelu
alleluhia, allelu, alleluhia

Jesus loves me, He who died
Heaven’s gates are open wide
He will take away my sin
and let this little child come in

alleluhia, allelu
alleluhia, alleluhia
alleluhia, allelu
alleluhia, allelu, alleluhia

do you love Him, does He know?
have you ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear us say
that we love Him every day
so, help me run the race before me
strong and brave to face my foe
looking hourly onto Jesus
as each day on word i go

alleluhia, allelu
alleluhia, alleluhia
alleluhia, allelu
alleluhia, allelu, alleluhia

amazing grace, how sweet the sound
once was lost, but now i’m found
once was blind, but now i see
amazing grace saved a wretch like me

alleluhia, allelu
alleluhia, alleluhia
alleluhia, allelu
alleluhia, allelu, alleluhia

What other songs do you like to sing?

I am glad to read that you liked the sweet ice cream you had in town. Here in my town we like to mix fruit with the ice cream to give it different flavors. Strawberry is my favorite. What is your favorite fruit?

I am so happy to read about your grades, and I tell my friends where I work about how you were one of the best students in your class this last term. That is such wonderful news. Please keep up the good work at school, especially as you move up from nursery school. When do you start up your next term of school?

I hope you and your grandparents have a great week. I am always thankful for you and your family. May God continue to bless you as you learn how to follow Him in all you do.

I love you,
Bill

I am looking forward to continuing the conversation in the future through the letters. As I was listening to the song John mentioned and that I was reminded of, I thought to myself how amazing it might be if someday the Compassion children’s centers could have video chats with sponsors in the United States. I think it would be really neat to sing with John. Perhaps someday in the future. For now I can dream about the internet truly bringing us all closer together.

Advertisement

~ by Bill on August 10, 2010.