Hello from NYC!

I'd like to introduce you to Martin and Uwamubona, the children my mom and I sponsor in Rwanda through World Vision. In February I went to Rwanda with a team from my church here in NYC. We went to build houses, to continue to build relationships and also to meet our sponsored children. It was amazing. It changed my life in a way that I could not be more excited about and it stirred desires in me that I cannot wait to pursue. One of these desires is to be an advocate for getting more children sponsored in Rwanda.

Martin and Uwamubona live in the village of Nyamegabe. It's one of two villages that my church has been highly involved in over the past couple of years. Through our small congregation we've seen over 700 children sponsored in our villages...but there are so many more children who need sponsorship. Being there I got to see first-hand the difference that sponsorship makes. We'd be on the worksite surrounded by kids and you could literally point out ones who had sponsors -- they'd have shoes and most importantly, be wearing a school uniform.

I'm writing you today to ask you to consider sponsoring one of the children in our villages. As a church we've committed to coming alongside World Vision (and the Chicago Marathon) in a campaign to get 1000 more children sponsored. One of them could be yours!

Sponsoring a child only costs $35 a month and it provides clean water, nutritious food, health care for the child and his or her siblings, AIDS prevention and the opportunity to go to school. In the past year and a half that I've been a sponsor I have never once worried about that $35 (and those who know my finances know that I live on a pretty thin shoe-string). The absolute best part is that I have seen with my own two eyes where this money goes. I have looked into the eyes of the World Vision employees in Rwanda and I know that these people are out there in the field being our hands and feet in a country in need of such simple things that our $35 a month can provide.

Most importantly though, I've met these two little lives in person. I spent a whole day hiking up those jeans on Martin and wiping Uwamubona's nose. We danced, we sang, we laughed and we ate together. They are in my heart for good, but they were there long before I traveled halfway across the world to meet them. They've been there since I picked out there faces on a wall in the fellowship hall of my church. I truly hope that you can experience this same connection by becoming a sponsor.

The process is easy. If you are interested in sponsoring a child in one of our villages then use the link here (or the YES button below) to visit a secure page on my church's website where you can set preferences for the child you'd like to sponsor like age rage and choose a boy or a girl. (Under "Trinity Advocate" be sure to scroll down to my name.)

If you would like to read more about World Vision, please visit their website at WorldVision.org.

And of course if you have any questions or concerns please email me or call me
(917) 691 - 0453. I would love to tell you more about my trip (you can view all my photos and videos here).

I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for Martin, Uwamubona and I -- and I hope that you'll join us on this incredible journey. Maybe the next time I go to Rwanda you can come with me to meet your child. Just click the YES button below...

Love,
Ashley