Kenya

In less than 4 days I leave for Kenya. The list of things to do is almost as long as the flights I will be on and the time change is difficult to get used to. But, every time I have the privilege to go, all I can think about are the beautiful faces of the kids and how honored I am to get to see them again.

This year my 13 year old son is coming with me. He's packed lots of toys, backpacks, school supplies, and hundreds of other items. He's excited to meet everyone I've been talking about for years, to buy new toys, and missing a few days of school isn't so bad either. But, Justin is going as a representative of Angel Covers. He will be learning how we monitor programs, assess needs, and listen to kids and adults tell us what works in their culture.

Seeing the country and schools through his eyes is one of the things I'm looking forward to the most. I will be posting blogs and pictures as much as I can, and so will Justin. We have started a blog just for him. http://www.angelcoverskids.blogspot.com/ Please pass along this blog address to anyone you think would be interested in reading his stories and hearing about his experiences. This is a great opportunity to get your kids involved and interested in the needs of children in Kenya.

Join us on this exciting journey. You helped make it possible.

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Maps

Angel Covers has been offered a wonderful opportunity. Beautiful maps of China are available and for each one purchased, Angel Covers will receive 50% of the proceeds.

These maps are a 24” x 36” poster with provinces and selected place names labeled in Chinese Characters (Hanzi), Chinese pinyin (romanized spellings) and the English translation of the meaning of the place name. The maps include a chart of over 100 commonly used characters/words found in Chinese place names. The poster is $15 plus $5 shipping.

Please consider ordering one of these by going to http://www.familyscholartree.com/parents.html They make a beautiful gift, poster for a child's bedroom or classroom, or just a great addition to your home. You will be supporting children around the world.

Gift Cards Make A Huge Difference

For years Angel Covers has had gift cards available on our website for a wide variety of programs. Donations can be made in honor of a teacher, family member, co-worker, or anyone around the world and a card will be sent describing your donation to that person. These are a wonderful way to provide a gift for someone while helping kids. One child who has been helped because of our gift cards is Tommy.

Tommy is a 4 year old boy in China attending Love Without Boundaries Believe in Me IV school. Because of donations through gift cards, Angel Covers has been able to send Tommy to school for a year. Tommy has learned to count to 10, say his full name, and is learning to follow directions and cooperate with others. He loves playing with his friends at school too. Because of donations through gift cards, Tommy is learning how to interact with others in a way he wouldn't have been able to before.

Next time you need a gift, please consider our gifts cards. They are changing the lives of children like Tommy around the world.

Caring Kids

Frequently kids from around the country contact Angel Covers about how they can help others. Donations of clothing, vitamins, school supplies, blankets, and many other items have been sent to us from children trying to make a difference. More than $400 was recently sent by a school after they held a bake sale to raise money for Angel Cottage. Each of the children who worked on this fund raiser will have his or her name on a brick at Angel Cottage.

Another great example of a generous child helping orphans was seen this week. Melanie is a 5 year old little girl who was adopted from China when she was 10 months old. Rather than asking for toys for her birthday, Melanie asked her friends to donate towards baby bouncers. Because of her selflessness, two more bouncers will be purchased and given to orphans in China. Melanie put aside her own wants and asked that needy children be helped instead.

We can all learn from Melanie's example and the example of children around the world. Are you willing to follow their lead?

More Full Tummies

July has been a month for wonderful pictures of smiling children with full bellies. Not only did we received the great report from our nutrition program in Huaibei, Anhui but we also received more pictures from the Humble Hearts lunch program.

The children of Humble Hearts frequently don't know where their next meal is coming from. Because of the school's lunch program, these kids know they will at least have one meal each Monday through Friday. They are each also receiving a glass of Ensure once a week to help boost their nutritional level. The smiles on these children's faces are priceless.

As July comes to a close, I begin to worry about these kids again. There is no school in August each year. Without school, food is not guaranteed.

I am fortunate enough to be going to Kenya this year. I'll be at Humble Hearts on the first day of school and would love to be able to give all of these kids a piece of fruit to welcome them back. If you would like to contribute to this cause, please go to www.angelcovers.org/donation.html and write "fruit" in the message section of your donation. Raising the funds to purchase 250 pieces of fruit leads to the problem of how I will carry it all to the school....a problem I look forward to having!

Kari Fillmore

Full Tummies

Our nutrition facilitator in China, Cindy, just visited Huaibei and sent some of the best pictures. The baby on the right is called “laughing Buddha” by the orphanage staff. How adorable is that?! You can see why too. She looks so happy.

Thanks to all of your support, the babies continue to look great. The orphanage continues to use the cleft bottles we sent, which is obvious from the pictures of the babies with cleft lips. They are looking great. Not too skinny at all. And 2 will be having surgery soon! That's a huge blessing because they wouldn't be able to have surgery if they didn't weigh enough.

We are going to send more formula and rice cereal this month. Cindy said the orphanage was clean and neat and that the aunties take very good care of the babies. Many of the younger children are attending kindergarten outside of the orphanage during the day, which is wonderful. We will be purchasing formula that is good for the toddlers too (Neslac) because there aren't as many infants right now. This formula is also especially good for the babies with medical needs and was purchased in April 2008 with great success. The kids love the taste and it’s full of great nutritional benefits for all of the kids. We will also continue to provide more than 200 bags of rice cereal each month.

In February we were able to purchase heater/ air-conditioning units that are getting a lot of use right now. This area of China is not only very hot in the summer, but also very humid. These air-conditioners are preventing heat sores and sleepless nights.

The support of so many is making this program invaluable. Children are not only happier, but they are healthier, and are able to have surgery if needed because they are strong. If you would like to be a part of this life-changing program, please email me at kari@angelcovers.org Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you’ve done for these children. You are making it possible for them to have a full life.

Mama’s Wish - Letters of Gratitude

During the past school year 100 Mama’s Wish students wrote letters to their sponsors. Each of these letters were as unique as the girls that wrote them. The girls wrote about their families and the poverty of their villages, life at school and their dreams for the future. But the one thing all these amazing letters had in common was each young woman’s undying gratitude for the help she has received.

“When I couldn’t attend school due to my financial difficulties, you, though located so far away, extended a pair of helping and warm hands to me and pulled me out of my difficulties. In my heart, I truly feel happiness. Due to my family’s financial difficulties, I almost had to quit school. It was you that provided me this opportunity to continue studying

Many of the students wrote about the struggles their families face. Most of the girls come from very small, remote villages with little economic opportunity. Their families are struggling to make ends meet with an average income of only $98 a year.

“My family’s financial situation is very bad. Both my father and mother are working. It’s very difficult for us to pass the days. My parents were willing to continue supporting me only because I studied well. Otherwise, I would have been married out very early. It was at this time that you, like a deity, appeared in my life. Only because of your help was I able to regain brightness in my life.” ~ZhaXi

“Everyone in my family is a farmer. Our financial situation isn’t too good. My mom is disabled. We rely on the Chinese caterpillar fungus that my mother and brother dig up and sell in order to pay for our living expenses. My parents have worked hard and been through many difficulties.”~DuoJi

One of the most heartwarming things the girls wrote about was their genuine desire to give back to their communities as a way to repay the gift that has been given to them.

“I will use what you’ve shown me with your selfless and love-filled contribution to go help and protect other people.” ~SangJi

"I admire the size of your heart. You have inspired me to study hard so I can help someone as you have helped me. I wish you all of the health and prosperity in the world." ~LiMao

To all our wonderful Mama’s Wish sponsors we send,"Ten Thousands and Thousands of thanks to you." Your gift truly is making dreams come true for these amazing young women.

2008-09 Mama’s Wish Sponsorship

Mama’s Wish is currently looking for a few new sponsors for the upcoming 2008-09 school year. Sponsorships for a student to attend high school are just $10 per month. A one year sponsorship covers education fees, with some left over to help support living expenses. As a sponsor you will receive education reports with photos of your student, and you will have the opportunity to send and receive correspondence.

We also have several college students who are in need of sponsorship help for the upcoming school year. These amazing young women have beaten all the odds, passed the entrance exams, and are now attending University. With our help these bright women are on their way to fulfilling their dreams of becoming doctors, teachers, and community leaders. College sponsorships start at $35 a month.

You can learn more about the Mama’s Wish Education program by visiting our website http://www.angelcovers.org/mamawish.html
Photos of the students currently needing sponsorship can be found here: http://www.angelcovers.org/mamawishsponsorship.html

If you are interested in sponsoring a student or have questions about the Mama’s Wish program please contact Karen@angelcovers.org

Karen MacNair- Mama’s Wish Sponsorship Coordinator