This year, on October 6th, our daughter Sabrina will turn 14. We will celebrate another birthday that same day. Our other daughter, Noellia, lives in the Dominican Republic. Noellia and Sabrina share the same birthday, the same age, born on the exact same day. We support Noellia through the sponsor-a-child program at World Vision.
Our daughter, Sabrina, loves to read. She is always on her computer. She loves anime and cosplay and Japanese food. She gives a creative spark to everything she does, whether it is the clothes she chooses to wear or her hair styles. She is kind hearted and a wonderful friend. She is extremely smart and humble. Her dad and I are very proud of her.
We have never met Noellia. But, she has a smile that lights up every photo. She has been our sponsored child for about five years through World Vision. She has a pet goat. She helps her parents with chores like carrying water. She has resilience and determination and wants to be a doctor. Through her notes and sponsor reports, Noellia is also a constant reminder to me that our life here in the United States is very blessed.
While we have been given so many physical comforts, there are many children in this world who have nothing. There are many families who are without basic food and shelter. Many will die from illness or starvation. The current situation in Africa is just one of many crisis areas on our globe.
Organizations like World Vision remind us that life does not revolve around us as individuals or as families. We need to help others - we need to shift the focus just a little bit from our own world. We need to give as generously as we have been given.
So Happy Birthday to both of our daughters: to Sabrina, and to the daughter we have never met in person, Noellia. We consider ourselves better for having both of you in our lives. May you each experience God's richest blessings in the year ahead.
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