Sponsor a Stake?

Valerie, a LCF coordinator, and a traveling companion

Would anyone like to sponsor a stake in the Philippines with Mike and me?

If we all chipped in a regular amount every month, we could support all the malnourished kids in one Philippine Stake.

Since I'm volunteering as country supervisor for the Philippines, I can guarantee that all of the money is going directly to local coordinators and recipients.  And, I mean ALL the money.  I help to decide where the money is going, and I know the people in the Philippines who are running the program.  I collect the reports from the coordinators.

You would receive the pleasure of regular updates and pictures from the families in the stake.

Donations tax-deductible.

If you are interested, email me directly at imagine.inspire.inquire@gmail.com.

For more information, I would recommend the Liahona Children's Foundation website, an article from the Wall Street Journal called Smart Aid for the World's Poor, and an article from the Meridian Magazine by Bob Rees, who was one of my colleagues in the Philippines last May.

Here are some pictures that were recently sent to me by one of the coordinators in the Philippines.  She took a trip to a remote ward in her stake to find out if any of the children qualified for the program.

It has been a pleasure for me to receive email like this on a regular basis.

Sister,
I am sharing with you some pictures Sister Valerie shared with me today.  I can feel her joy to be able to reach those people in the island!
I am sharing with you smiles in my face as I am doing this .  Enjoy! 

Note from Valerie:

"There is a Boy named Iyanan, John Carl who caught may attention because he is very thin. His age is 32 months old. Until now he cannot stand or sit alone."

Mothers waiting at the church to have their children screened for malnutrition.

John Carl is quiet while being measured. 

I am no expert, but after spending a week in the Philippines measuring over a 1000 children, I can see some of the classic signs of malnutrition in this boy - the thin arms and legs, the patchy hair, and the flaky, scabby skin.

When measured, his height and weight are in less than the 3rd percentile for healthy children his age.

Kids like John Carl are often calm (or lethargic) and will hold still when measured.

In contrast, here are a few pictures of our Joycie, who is almost the same age as John Carl.