Letters!

We just received a delivery of 35+ letters written by some of the 140 students whose education we sponsor through our scholarship fund.  What a treasure!

This set of letters comes from  students attending Idodi Secondary School.  They are students in forms one through four -- about the equivalent of 7th through 10th graders here in the US.  Many have only been studying English for a couple years.

My dear sponsor,

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ.  I am very happy to get this chance to communicate with you for what you are doing for me, especially for paying school fees and other contributions. I hope that you continue well with your daily activities.  I am also continue well with my studies and with my health also.

The aim of writing this letter is to say thank you for paying school fees for me.  I promise you that I anticipate I will study hard and will pass my form four examinations and join the advanced level.

God bless you and lengthen your life expectancy.

The letters are written in English, by students who are often apologetic or bashful about using this language.  Some of the letters use identical phrasing, as students have gathered together to write -- I can imagine them talking together, "what words can we use to thank these people we have never met?"  Yet every letter is heartfelt and sincere.

Some of the older students, more fluent in their English, share some of the personal details of their lives.

The following are documents of my studies in school subjects and in final examinations.  I am in the position of number 60 out of a class of 204 students in form three.

I have an average of 71B and am in the position of #4 out of 263 students in form four.  This position puts me in a good position to continue further studies.

My subjects I take are math, history, geography, kiswahili, English language and physics.

Now I'm in form five and I believe I will study up to university college, so I will need your help up to the end of my studies, because as I told you in the first letter, my parents died long time ago.

Thanks for your sponsorship, it makes me happy and enjoying my studies at Idodi Secondary School. Our school environment is good by having trees, library, laboratory and enough teachers.

Many students affirm that without the help of the sponsor, "I would not be where I am today."

I would like to say "God bless you" because I have nothing else to give in return.

And the students close their letters with thanks and a promise to use this extraordinary gift -- the opportunity for an education -- for the good of their community. 

I will study hard.

Many of the students address their sponsors as "my parent" or "my american mother and father."

From Amos:  May God bless you, from your son from another continent of God.

If you are a sponsor of one of these students, thank you very much!  Letters will be available for pickup in the narthex the weekend of December 3/4.

If you would like to change a life, give a gift, and build a relationship with one of our Tanzanian students, your contributions to the Tanzanian Scholarship Fund are welcome.  $360 provides one secondary scholarship -- tution, room and board for one year.  Write checks to SOTV with "TZ scholarship" in the memo, or use Simply Giving to have monthly or twice monthly payments automatically withdrawn from your bank account.

God bless you for the good work you have done.