Over the past 10 years I have sponsored a young boy who has grown into a man through Compassion International. Today I received my final letter from him, which was bitter sweet. Gabriel was only 7 years old when I chose him to be my sponsored child. Gabriel was born in 1990 and it’s time for him to leave the Compassion Project. I have posted his final letter here. I urge you to consider reaching out to someone who is in part of the world that doesn’t experience the same luxuries that we do. It truly blesses their lives.
April 9th, 2008
Dear Sponsor Jonathan Griffith:
I greet you with a special affection in the love of Jesus and I wish you are very well. I thank God because I do well at biology and after my school studies, I will go to University. I would like to study medicine and I am praying that God let me to study that career. I am going soon to turn 18 years old and I am going to leave the project where I learned many things. I was playing with a soccer team, my position is middle camp and I visited many places where we had to play and I met many special poeople that help me with my formation and the most important is that I knew to God and His immense love to us. I am living with my grandmother and my aunts in Pastrana Barrero Neighborhood which is a very peaceful neighborhood and there I have many friends. My address is (removed) my phone number is (removed). I am very grateful with the sponsorship that you gave me all these years. It was a great blessing although I did not have the oportunity to see you in person. But I know that you are a great person. I thank your letters and for praying for me. I ask you always pray for me and I will take you into my heart because I will never forget all you did for me. I trust in God to bless you and protect you and whole your family. I say good bye with a great hug. So Long!
I love you,
Gabriel A Negrete H
Needless to say, I feel as though I have a long lost son in Columbia who has grown up in adverse conditions and one day I will meet him. The experience is well worth the monthly gift. Compassion International.