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Please Forgive Me

January 22, 2015 By Sandra Heska King

words are powerful

 

Dearest Nduta,

Have you ever heard of the Dominican Republic? It’s a country that shares an island with the country of Haiti just south of the United States in the Caribbean Sea. Compassion invited me to go there last week on one of their trips and write some stories about what I saw.

I got to visit one of the projects and go to church and help with some Vacation Bible School type activities. I helped lead songs in Spanish. (I don’t even know Spanish.) 🙂  I got to hang out with moms and children who participate in the Child Survival Program, and I got to visit some families in their homes. I got to see a little of what life was like for people. Some of our group had come to meet their sponsored kids, and it was so beautiful. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.

Oh, sweet girl, I’m so very happy that Dennis and I get to sponsor you though Compassion and that you have so many opportunities available through them. Some days I just want to cry for the joy of it. You’re on our hearts every day, and we wonder what you’re doing while we’re eating dinner or getting ready for bed or while we’re watching Grace play her sports. (She finished volleyball season and is trying competitive cheer for the first time. She’s 12 years old now.)

Anyway, on the last day we met with some of the Leadership Development Program students who shared their stories with us. I want to tell you about Yuleisy because she made me cry. (Well, they all did, but I’ll tell you about the others later.)

 

forgive

Yuleisy entered Compassion’s child sponsorship program when she was four years old. She grew up with her mother and grandmother because her parents separated when she was a year old. As you can guess, life was not easy. She later found out that her father had a second family, and that reality was very hard for her. She says that as Compassion taught her about her heavenly Father and His forgiveness, she learned to forgive her earthly father.

Yuleisy graduated from high school when she was just sixteen, and–oh, Nduta! You’ll turn sixteen in just a couple of weeks. And we’ve sponsored you since you entered the program–a little over eleven years now.

But here’s the thing that made me start to cry (well, the first thing): Yuleisy received only three letters from her “parents” during all twelve years they sponsored her. THREE! I know we’ve written way more letters to you than that, but I also know there have been long stretches when you haven’t heard from us. I mean to write. I plan to write. And then I let life get in the way, let time slip away. (I’m crying again as I write this.) Please forgive me.

“It’s good to invest (financially),” Yuleisy told us, “but it’s better to have a relationship.” She told us it’s very hard to see others get mail, and to not get a letter makes children very sad–makes them wonder if their sponsors really care. We also learned that some kids become angry when they are required to write letters when they don’t get a response.

Oh, Nduta. Please know we CARE. We never want you to feel sad or angry. Because you are worth more than the smallest sparrow and are more precious than the finest silver. God has a special plan for your life, and where you are right now and the experiences you’ve had are no accident.

Now here’s something really cool. Remember how you wrote that you wanted to be a neurosurgeon? (Be still my heart!) Yuleisy wants to be a doctor, too. A cardiovascular surgeon. She said she’s studying medicine because of Compassion, and she’ll actually be a general doctor next year! She told us there’s a high rate of congenital heart disease in the Dominican, and she wants to serve children and others in great need. She wants to be a doctor not because she wants to be rich but to help make others rich with possibilities.

I was sobbing by this time thinking about how far she had come, how she’s pressing on to realize this dream, how she will be a fixer of hearts–and how you dream of being a fixer of brains.

Keep pressing on, Nduta. Keep pressing into God as He continues to unfold His plan for you. Study hard. Know that we are cheering you on wherever His road carries you. And remember that ANY work you do for Him is a blessed work and a good work.

Yuleisy reminded us of the power of words. They’re instruments, she said, that God can use to heal hearts. “You can change lives with words,” she said.

You have changed my life–our lives–with your words. I love to touch the paper you write on knowing you also touched it. Sometimes I even press your letters to my lips. Is that silly? It makes me feel closer to you.

Love you oh so big!

 

image

 

In the stillness,

Sandy

Compassion has 164 projects in the Dominican Republic that serve 55,000 children. Not all have sponsors. Unsponsored children never receive letters. Won’t you sponsor a child today and share your life-changing words?

Central-America-Girl-300x250_DominRep
Note: You can find all my Dominican Republic posts here.  Kris Camealy and Amy Pederson have also been sharing life-giving words about this trip.

Linking up with Jennifer and other storytellers today.

And sharing coffee with Holley and other encouragers.

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Filed Under: Blog, Compassion International, Dominican Republic, stories

Comments

  1. Randy Bayne says

    January 23, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    Thank you, Sandra, for the encouragement to be better, more consistent, about writing to my sponsored teen.

  2. Sandra Heska King says

    January 23, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    I’m so glad these words encouraged you to write more words, Randy. “Letters” seemed to be the word of the week. The relationship and encouragement that’s fostered and inspired by our letters–well, I had not grasped that fully before.

  3. Yvonne Reynolds says

    January 23, 2015 at 1:09 pm

    So beautiful Sandra!! Just this week, I heard a formerly sponsored child tell an audience that she still has the very first letter her sponsors sent to her. These letters are treasured by the children, and this letter to Nduta will be treasured by her for a lifetime!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      January 23, 2015 at 1:54 pm

      We just don’t know what a huge impact we can make with our small offerings, do we? Thinking of and praying for you as you prepare for your own trip.

      • Yvonne Reynolds says

        January 23, 2015 at 3:57 pm

        So true! And thank you for your prayers for my upcoming trip, really looking forward to meeting Lina!

        • Sandra Heska King says

          January 23, 2015 at 10:49 pm

          😀 😀

  4. Dea says

    January 24, 2015 at 2:59 pm

    Oh, Sandy…just oh…

    • Sandra Heska King says

      January 24, 2015 at 9:03 pm

      Love to you, Dea.

  5. Hannah H. says

    January 24, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    What a beautiful letter. Thank you for sharing it with us also!!!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      January 25, 2015 at 12:32 am

      Thanks for coming by, Hannah. Grateful you took the time to read and comment. 🙂

  6. Martha Orlando says

    January 25, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    One heartfelt and beautiful letter . . . Thank you for sharing with us!
    Blessings!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      January 30, 2015 at 8:38 pm

      Thanks, friend. xo

  7. Terri says

    January 28, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    Sandra this is such a beautiful letter, it brought tears to my eyes.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      January 30, 2015 at 8:37 pm

      Thanks, Terri. Now to send it on to my “daughter.” I’m sure the translator will love the length of it! Oops. 😉

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