Moises: Compassion International

Here is the letter I wrote to you, Moises:

Dear Moises,

I hope that you are well today!  I am so glad that a dentist came to your village and talked to y'all about brushing your teeth.

Do you still love soccer?
And cars?
How is your family doing?
When you come to the Community Center, what is your favorite thing to do?

My Henry still plays soccer, just like you.
My Svea and Corinne don't play soccer but love stickers (so here are some stickers for you).
I read that it is cold where you are, but in our neighborhood it is usually hot. So hot that we don't wear sweaters or hats. The sweater in your picture looks very warm.

Please know that between letters, we pray for you and hope you laugh everyday and play and run and know that you are loved.

More soon,
Mollie

Here is the letter that I DID NOT WRITE, BUT LIVES IN MY HEAD:

Dear Moises,

I am sorry that I am such a terrible Pen Pal.
When everyone at the Community Center in Bolivia gets a letter from his/her sponsor and you don't, I am so so so sorry. I am paralyzed at the concept.
I love writing you; I hate WHY I am writing you.





I hate that a world exists where some children's faces are on a bulletin board, a web site and a radio station looking for sponsors from people whose children will never know true need.
That gap is disheartening and preventable.
Humans are so difficult.

The faces on this particular display could very easily have been my own:

I am sorry that I tried to send you gifts and that is not possible with the Compassion International agreement. I am glad that I can send you stickers.
I feel thankful for automatic debits so that you can receive our financial gift each month ($38) to hopefully boost your local economy and not rely on my forgetful, guilty and over-everything nature.

Hooray for a dentist coming to your Center!
I would like to know how many teeth you have lost, does your culture have a Tooth Fairy, what you thought of the toothpaste flavor, and what your Mom has to say to get you to brush your teeth at night. I struggle with that.

Hooray for soccer!
Who is you favorite team?
Do you like to score or assist?
Have you ever been the Goal Keeper?

Do you ever feel like you have had to grow up too soon?
Are you tired of the cold?
Will we ever be more than donor/recipient?

I wonder if you sleep on your back or your tummy...do you prefer spicy foods or sweets...what do you like to read...what is your favorite expression when you score a goal...

Again, I am sorry that I am lame in my letter-writing consistency.
Please know we love you from here to there, from up to down, and all over the soccer field.

Thank you Compassion International,
Moises' Sponsor,
Mollie

Re-blogging Glennon - for the Momastery love...

I don’t want a new, better life in 2016. I just want new eyes to see that my life is already staggeringly beautiful. 

I don’t want to be a better mom in 2016. I just want new eyes to see that the miracle is not good better best — the miracle is that these people are mine and I am theirs. Full stop.

And I don’t want to be a BETTER ME in 2016. Screw that. I don’t want to chase after some imaginary more fabulous version of myself. I AM what the people I love need. I already AM. And when we are always BECOMING we have no room to BE. So I’m done striving. I’m fine, thanks. I’m showing up to love my people and you and the world this year JUST AS I AM.

HELLO WORLD, IT’S ME GLENNON. I’M A LITTLE LOOPY AND WOO-WOOOOO AND SOMETIMES I GET REALLY REALLY DOWN LIKE WHOA. So HI! LET’S GET STARTED!!!!

Self-improvement is just another hiding place. DON’T TRY TO BE BETTER. JUST NOTICE THAT IT’S ALL GOOD ENOUGH ALREADY.

Thank you, GDM.