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| Lynn, Cole and Joe Dansker |
Joe, Cole and I would like to wish you all a safe and joyful Thanksgiving.
We will not be sharing the holiday this year with our family, instead we are embarking on an exciting journey. We would like to share this story.
A little more than 3 years ago we looked into sponsoring a child through the Adoption Agency I used to bring Cole into our lives. They offer a Sponsorship program that offers children in several countries the opportunity to attend school. In many countries in order to attend school you have to be able to purchase a school uniform and shoes. Thousands and thousands of children (maybe more) do not attend school in these countries because they do not have the means to make such a purchase. We decided we wanted to sponsor a child and give him/her the gift of education.
We chose Guatemala because the native language is Spanish and Cole has been attending a Spanish immersion school for the past 4 years. Cole always wanted a little brother or sister and we thought it would be a great opportunity for him to feel like a big brother and a way to practice his Spanish writing skills. The little boy that we have been matched with is named Selvin. He is the youngest of 4 children and to the best of our knowledge, no one in his family has attended school. He turned 8 years old last month, and lives in a hut with no floor and no refrigerator. Our annual donation pays for his uniform and shoes. To our great joy, Selvin has completed 3 years in the sponsorship program; beginning his 4th year in January when the children return from a 2 month Holiday break.
Selvin not only has to keep his grades to a high standard, he is only allowed to miss a few days of school each year and his parents must remain engaged in the program. If these 3 qualifications are not met, he would not be able to continue in the program. The fact that he has remained in the program for 3 full years is an anomaly. Most children do not, mostly because there are so many stresses on the family that it does not remain a priority.
We have kept in touch with Selvin and his family through the Agency and have shared letters, drawings, photos over the years. We are been allowed to send him books, pencils, crayons, paper, markers (anything that is considered a school supply) but no toys or clothes or anything that his family may need.
Cole turns 9 on Sunday and next Wed is the first night of Hanukah so Joe and I decided to give Cole a birthday/Hanukah gift that he will never forget. We have surprised him with a trip to Guatemala to meet his “little brother” and his family. We leave this Saturday Nov 23rd and return on Nov 30th. We will be sightseeing for 2 ½ days and then we have plans to spend the next few days with Selvin taking him to the zoo, swimming at the hotel pool and other activities that he probably has never been exposed to. We will meet his family as well and will be escorted by the woman who runs the Sponsorship Program in Guatemala throughout our stay. Thank goodness she is Bilingual as my college Spanish is rusty at best!!! Cole will also serve as our translator on this journey. How exciting it will be to hear him converse with Selvin in Spanish!
We are THRILLED (and a bit nervous) about our adventure, however we are looking forward to meeting our extended family in Guatemala!!
We look forward to sharing our journey with you through stories and photographs when we return.
On behalf of Joe, Cole and myself have a great Thanksgiving holiday! Be safe!
Lynn Dansker
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