Ibagué, Colombia
December 21, 2007
Mr. Harriet Bvnzli
Dear Godfather:
Please receive my dearest greeting. My name is Jesús Adolfo Osorio Gonzales and I would like to wish you a merry Christmas and a New Year full of success for you and your family.
This letter’s main objective is to thank you for all your help. I want to dedicate to you my graduation from high school. I received a technical diploma from the Juan Lozano y Lozano high school and I would like to start a career at university and I will accomplish this goal with God’s help, yours and my abilities and attitudes.
This year was not the best for me and my family because my grandfather died on September 16, he fell down and hit himself really hard and died immediately. We will not see him again and we do not have his company and help anymore, which is really bad because he was supporting us with his retirement fund. I know God will not abandon us. I would also like to tell you that I come from a low income family and thanks to God and your help I was able to finish high school at 15 and I would like to continue studying. I would like to become an electronic engineer, so I can help my mother and my brother. My mother supports my family and she does not have enough economic resources to pay for tuition. My average grade on the national test we have to take in Colombia (ICFES) was very low and the career I want to study is not available at Tolima University (the only public university in my town). For this reason I would have to study a different career, which would be physical education but in order to be admitted there I need to have a higher grade on the national test.
I am thinking about taking a course at the Tolima University so I can take a test again and get a higher grade so I can study there.
I apologize for telling you so many sad things but this is the only chance I have to talk to you. I would like you to tell me about Switzerland and send me post cards so I can see how beautiful it is.
I appreciate you reading this letter and I hope that God blesses you and your family.
Yours truly,
Jesus Adolfo Osorio
Ibagué, December 2007
Cristina Malnati Burkhartdt
Receive my dearest greeting. I hope that you are enjoying good health and wealth in company of your family.
I would like to tell you that I finished the school year with excellent academic results. I was one of the best in my group and for that reason I was promoted to ninth grade, which I will course in 2008.
In addition to this I would like to tell you about some changes that we have had to experience. First, we had to move out of our house because it was affected by the avalanche of the Combeima River. My grand mother is letting us use a room in her house so we can live there for a while.
My dad left us and my mother is in charge of all the responsibilities of the family. She works at the market selling vegetables and fruit and she supports the family with her earnings. My family is formed by my mother, my three little sisters and myself. For this reason we sometimes have to face many difficulties because my father stopped helping us since a year ago. We still have faith in God and we know that he will never abandon us.
My mother got some government help to get a house so she is looking for a house that costs 9000000 (4.500 usd), we have a lot of expectations and we hope she can find something because we are very uncomfortable.
I would like to thank you for putting your trust in me, and for offering me your support. This makes that I fight everyday to not disappoint the person that has given me a hand so I can achieve my goals and to prepare for the future.
The support of the YMCA family has been very important for me and they have welcome me and given me the chance to participate in two of their programs; music and youth club, which have been an important basis to continue with my personal, spiritual and intellectual growth.
With the money you sent to help the people affected by the avalanche, they bought beds, sheets a stove and cooking utensils that we really needed. Thank you one more time and I hope God rewards you for your generosity.
My family and I hope that you have a good time these holidays and that the coming year brings prosperity for you and your family.
Yours truly,
Dennis Yurley Gonzales Batta