2024 Summer – Watoto Village
17/06/2024
From Letters to Warm Embrace
Yanny
I still remember the first time I heard of Watoto when I was still in primary 4 or 5. At the time, I was intrigued by sponsoring, something I hadn’t tried before. Now in the blink of an eye, I have been in the sponsoring scheme for six whole years. Looking back, there were a lot of children who needed help at that sponsoring booth, but I decided to help Innocent as soon as I saw his profile because he was the youngest amongst the kids, only about 3-4 years old. While anticipating the process of a sponsorship I remember thinking, these children are in need and I have no big difference in age, and how incredibly lucky I was to get to grow up in an environment having ample food and clothing. Yet they have to go through such hardship just to grow up. Maybe it was because of how similar we were in age, we were brought closer together, and it made me want to reach out to help them.
In these past few years of helping Innocent, I received letters from him from time to time. Watching as his letters grew from a handful of words in the beginning, into sentences and paragraphs as time passed, I was truly delighted at his ever-increasing progress, not to mention being glad to know he was doing well in Africa. Every letter I receive is an unforgettable moment., To me, Innocent is like a friend from afar, therefore I am always overjoyed to read about how he is doing in his latest letter. This year, while seeing Watoto on tour in Asia, I was amazed by their vitality and infectious energy, which inspired me.
Of course, I was elated to finally get to meet Innocent, feeling the excitement and anticipation rushing through me, but at the same time anxious about not knowing what to say. However, my nerves were quickly chased away as I saw Innocent and in its place was his big smile and warm greeting. But the moment that made the deepest impression on me was this: because I’m the type of person who’s slow to warm up, with this sudden encounter, I found myself scrambling for words for a moment. As the awkwardness crept towards a standstill, Innocent approached me in an embrace, and this hug brought us together instantly. This instance showed me how Innocent is a child full of warmth and love, I’m ecstatic knowing I have made such a friend.
In the future, I hope to continue to help Innocent as well as build a long-lasting friendship together. At the same time, this wonderful experience has revealed to me the Lord’s power and blessing, as well as his love, care, and planning for each one of us.
Additionally, I would like to call and urge for participation. You too, can become messengers of love and hope, to help and sponsor more kids, so that this power of hope and love could, through God, flow into a wider, broader, further world, where every child living in despair can witness light and the promise of hope.
I am also especially grateful for this opportunity to sponsor and get to know Innocent. Not only have I gained a friend from Africa, but I have also gained a deeper understanding of the world, and more importantly, I have been able to see for myself how God can change a person’s life and how much He loves us. I hope that through God’s blessings, we can fulfill His plan for every one of us
