Without this trip I would have never realized the true joy that comes from giving back to others...

Below is reflection written by sponsor Isea Kelley after returning from a youth trip to NPH DR this April.

On the morning of April 14th, I arrived at the airport with my father and my close friend to head off on a weeklong service trip to NPH DR. Little did I know that the week ahead was going to change my life forever. When we arrived in the DR, we walked outside as a wave of heat hit us all, and with a sigh of relief we all secretly appreciated the warm weather we hadn’t experienced in months. We got on the bus and rode through the streets of San Pedro to the NPH home. This was the first time I had seen such poverty - there were families of five packed on small mopeds and cows eating garbage bags on the side of the road. About 20 minutes later we drove through the gates of NPH. We got off the bus, put our things in the visitor's house, and took a tour. Although it felt somewhat awkward at first to be in a new place with new people, I loved every minute of walking around the home with hot rain hitting my face.

The next morning we were eager to spend time with the kids! Upon arriving at the boy’s house a little boy wrapped himself around my legs and would not let go. He was playing on the ground with sticks and pulled me down by his side to play! I didn’t realize this at the time but this little boy, who I now sponsor, changed me forever. We spent the rest of the day building and flying kites together! It was eye opening to see the kindness and openness these boys, and all of the children at NPH, have for each other and for us as visitors.

During the week we helped out around the NPH home and in the batey. Singing classic Disney songs at the top of our lungs, we loaded giant sticks in a truck and mixed concrete. Working each day in the batey was a way for us to help and meet other children and adults. While we were mixing concrete, strangers would walk by and give us a cheerful “hola”. These small gestures at both the NPH home and in the batey filled my heart – as sharing a wave or a hello with a stranger in the states is rare. Never in my life had I had more fun, than when we made an assembly line passing heavy buckets of concrete to one another while listening to Spanish Pop music. The rest of the week, when we weren’t working, we spent time with the children. There was endless amounts of playing games, dancing, making kites, playing catch, and drawing. Although all of these things seem simple, the time we spent together with the children was so valuable and special. 

As the week came to an end it was heartbreaking. Endless amounts of hugs were given all around and we had to say our final goodbyes. A few tears rolled down my cheek as I said goodbye to Jose (the boy I met on the first day), some were tears of joy and some of sadness. Joy because I was so incredibly thankful to have been given this opportunity and to meet such kind and amazing people, but sadness because I knew that I would have to wait so long to come back. My time at NPH DR was a time that I will cherish for the rest of my life, but I know that I will hopefully be able to go back sometime soon. This trip changed me for the better - without this trip I would have never realized the true joy that comes from giving back to others. I am extremely thankful for this experience, the children, the people I met, and the friends I made both in the DR and right here at home! 

A Message of Gratitude from a Pequeño Who Grew Up at NPH Mexico

Dear Friends:

Let me introduce myself, my name is Gustavo de Jesus Ramirez Rodriguez, I was born in Mexico, and I am now 23, and soon will be 24. I am a medical student in one of the most prestigious medical schools in northern Mexico.

Let me offer my most sincere thanks for everything that this great family has done for me, which I have the honor of being part of - Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH).


If I may, I will try to summarize how amazing it has been to be a part of this family for over 18 years. I mean, I'll try, because I know that words are not enough to describe the difference they have made in my life and the lives of thousands of children and youth throughout the 9 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Everything started out on September 5, 1996, when I was five years old and accompanied by my four brothers and three sisters, after a period of domestic violence, alcohol problems with my father and his abusiveness in our family, we had the amazing opportunity to be part of this amazing family, where, from the first day we had the opportunity to get access to medical and dental services, education, psychological support, services that we never believed we would have access to. At NPH we belonged to an environment full of love, service, solidarity, trust, fun, friendliness and safety, where everyone around us greeted us with an amazing smile and made us feel part of one big family.

For 18 years I had no problem feeling part of a family at NPH; my family is like any other family in the world, I think the only difference is the number of brothers and sisters, as we have hundreds or thousands, and over time more and more come. With the support of this great family, I can say that my greatest success has been in academics. With access to a quality education, good values, and my own personal growth, I received my primary education, high school education, and eventually college education. During the course of my studies, I was always taught a very simple philosophy that shaped my future… to serve my fellow man. So it was that which I studied toward in high school, a technical career directed to biological science, with the aim to help prepare me for medical school.

Upon finishing my upper secondary education, I was required to perform two years of service to NPH as a way of giving thanks for all I had received. I took care of younger siblings, and it's a way to continue sharing and communicating the importance of serving others - that's how I got the opportunity to start a project on the border between Mexico and the United States in Matamoros; Tamaulipas, one of the states with the highest social disintegration in Mexico.

With this project I learned many things during those two years and had the opportunity to share with the children and youth in the hacienda of Miacatlan, Morelos. What I learned: the value of responsibility, understanding, support; and many other things. These years of service were a time of great reflection through which I made the most important decision in my life. It was a time when I realized many of the lessons of life that our father and founder; Father William Bryce Wasson wanted to convey. During this time, I had the opportunity to prepare to take my entrance examination to college, which I passed successfully, and gave me the opportunity choose between attending two very prestigious universities in Monterrey, Mexico with a full scholarship to complete my studies. It was one of the greatest satisfactions that I personally have had, but I think it's the least I could do to make all those who have made this possible for me feel proud.

Currently, I am in the eighth semester of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Monterrey (UDEM), on full scholarship. I must admit that it has not been an easy road, but this is what I am really passionate about, and it gives me great satisfaction to serve those most in need of my services. Most likely we will not be able to change the health system in my country completely, but I'm quite sure that I will strive to give the best of myself every day to those in need.

During my time at NPH, I have had the opportunity to meet many people who help make the dreams of me and my brothers and sisters come true; people without self-interest are able to give the best of themselves for us, like receiving a letter of congratulations on a birthday, spending time with us on important celebrations such as graduations, or perhaps through financial contributions, they have managed to create an atmosphere of security and love, for thousands and thousands of children and young people. We can never thank them for as much as they have given us, but I guarantee that the seed is being planted now, and will provide very good results.

Friends, thank you for all you do for us. We sincerely appreciate the opportunity you give us to gain access to a better future for our lives. Without you this would not be possible. You are loved and appreciated.

Sincerely,

Gustavo

High Schoolers Host Fundraiser to Support Sponsorship

Below is a reflection written by high school student Danielle Stone from Glenview, IL, who organized a fundraiser to help support Johana* at NPH Guatemala. 

Recently, my tennis team and I decided to have a bake sale at our school. We wanted to have a team bonding experience and be able to help others at the same time. When we were trying to decide what organization the money should go to I suggested NPH. I told them all about the organization and about how I sponsor a child from Guatemala. They thought it sounded like a great cause and so we set a date for the bake sale. Everyone on our team made 3-4 dozen baked goods that we sold during lunch hours at our school. We sold cupcakes, brownies, cookies, lemon bars, pumpkin bread, and donuts. Everyone signed up for a shift time when they could work the table and sell our goods.

It was so incredible to see how many people wanted to learn more about NPH and how everyone was so supportive. Our goal was to raise around $300 and we ended up raising $400.66. We sold out of all our baked goods in 5 periods, which is very fast. It was such an amazing experience for me to be able to teach my peers and teachers about the mission of NPH.

*names have been changed to protect the privacy of children 

Sponsors Meet Godchild After 12 Years!

Below is a reflection written by Mary Waldmann regarding the impact meeting her godchild had on her life

In 2002, we began sponsoring four-year-old Boris at NPH Guatemala. Over the next 12 years we exchanged drawings (his), photos and letters. Sometimes it was a little frustrating when letters weren’t very detailed or responsive to questions, but we kept at it. In July 2014 we were fortunate enough to travel to NPH Guatemala with a Seattle group, with the primary goal of meeting Boris. I was prepared for him to be a little standoffish since he’d never met us and and was now a 16-year-old teenager...and I’ll admit I was a little nervous. The first afternoon we arrived, Donna Egge was giving us a brief familiarization tour of the grounds when she spotted Boris on a balcony and called to him. In a flash, he was down the stairs wrapping his arms around me. As he planted a big kiss on my cheek, it really hit me just what a significant role godparents play in the lives of the pequenos. At that moment I was so glad I’d kept up our correspondence, even when it was challenging. And I was so grateful to finally meet the wonderful young man that little Boris has become. Over the next week we were able to spend a lot of time with him and learned much, much more about him. With his smattering of English, our smattering of Spanish, some help in translation and a lot of smiles and gestures, we were able to communicate pretty well and our correspondence will be much richer for it.

To those who are not yet sponsors, I can tell you what a difference you can make in a child’s life—please consider becoming a godparent. If you already sponsor a child, please consider visiting your godchild—it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life!

Maggie and Josue

Below is a blog post from great Friend, Maggie Ellis, in which she shares about her trip to Mexico and visiting her godchild. 

The Starbursts, Jolly Ranchers, and digital camera bounced around in my drawstring backpack as my friends Kathleen, Peggy, and I walked out of our dorm area. Night was beginning to fall, but there was no chance for us sleeping anytime soon. It was our second trip down to Casa San Salvador, so everything felt like home. In the mornings we would go to breakfast, which usually consisted of leftovers from last night’s dinner. Then, we led Vacation Bible School for the chicos and chicas, where we would sing songs, perform skits about bible stories, and create endless crafts. After, we would head to lunch and then participate in activities with the pequeños like basketball, futbol, and swimming. 

Now, the sky was a dark indigo with a burst of bright light coming from the cage walls around a slab of concrete the size of a soccer field. Yes, this was the best time of the day. Crickets chirped and pequeños scurried around us in their thin pajamas waiting for the games to start. We continued down the path where I recognized a small boy leaping through an open area of grass. My sandals slapped the lumpy cobblestone as I ran up to him. “Josue!” I cried out as I lifted him into the air. Although it was dark, his little teeth shined brightly as a smile spread across his face. 

Josue was a member of my Vacation Bible School group and the cutest thing to walk the planet. When I asked him why he had been running around the grass, his face immediately lit up and responded with one word: “Luciérnagas!” (Fireflies). Seeing how happy it made him, I knew what I had to do. For the next few hours, I abandoned my fear of bugs and ran around with him catching “luciérnagas.” He was so excited every time a new bug was placed in the container that he would shake and clap his hands. When it was time for him to go to bed, he gave me a quick hug and ran off into the dark Mexican night. 

As the week went on, Josue and I became inseparable. I would look for him at VBS, and he would wait for me on the edge of the pool. I knew that I could get his attention by singing a Christina Aguilera song, and he knew that with one sad look I’d give him candy from my backpack. The boy had me wrapped around his little 6 year-old finger and certainly wasn’t going to let go. When it was time to say our goodbyes at the end of the week, I gave Josue a picture of us that my mom had printed out the day before. He looked at it, smiled, and handed it back to me. “No, this is for you,” he said. “So you can remember me.” After much convincing and reassuring that I had my own copy at home, Josue finally took the picture and placed it near his pillow. 

The next day on our flight home to Minnesota I thought to myself, “How was I supposed to leave this little boy who had brought me so much joy? How would he be reassured that I would remember him?” I knew there was only one thing I could do. The day after I came back from Mexico, I decided to use some of the money I’d earned over the past summer and become Josue’s madrina. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’d tell you I’m pretty stingy when it comes to my own money, so it was a pretty big step for me. 360 dollars later, however, I can already tell you that it’s going to be worth it. Although Josue can’t read or write yet, I’ll still receive a picture he’s colored in place of a letter (which I will proudly hang in my college dorm room this year!). I can’t wait to watch this little boy grow up and certainly can’t wait for another trip to Casa San Salvador.