Dear Evy:

Dear Sweet Girl, you have been on my mind all day. Today the organization that we sponsor children through is having their awareness day. They wanted us to take “selfies” with our sponsored child and hashtag it to create more awareness. I was able to take a picture of Ava and her sponsored sister Mariah, but you are not here to hold the picture of Valeria.

I first heard about this organization, Unbound, at Ava’s baptism at our church. Unbound is a Christian organization providing funds to families so they can stay together. This isn’t adoption. These families want to stay together but just need some financial support to do so. I knew right then that I wanted to sponsor one child for every child we would have. So I picked a girl closest to Ava’s age, Mariah. A couple weeks before you passed, I had looked online to sponsor another child, this time for you. For some reason I never did. So a couple weeks later I had thought of it again. Even though you were no longer here, it didn’t mean that I wasn’t going to fulfill my promise. A little girl Valeria from Honduras was the closest in age to you and just really grabbed my heart. She seemed to have similarities to you. I know that you won’t be able to grow up and write to her like Ava and Mariah, but this little girl Valeria is the luckiest of all. She has you. You will be her direct connection as a little Saint in Heaven.

Here is the first letter we received from Valeria’s mom (translated). It is so touching and just what I needed.

Dear Sponsor: Beth Legge
I am writing to you for the first time with much love and affection. This is Marbeli, mother of your sponsored child Valeria. I feel very happy for you have sponsored my daughter. I thank God and you for having such a great heart as the one you have. Valeria is too young and she is not able to express herself with her own words; but I feel very happy and I do not know how to thank you.

My daughter is very beautiful. She is also very kind and cheerful with our neighbors. She likes water very much and to play with her sister Andrea who is 7 years old. Thanks for the opportunity you have given to my daughter. She will receive benefits such as clothes, food, medicine and some more benefits.

I, as the mother of Valeria, want to send you our most cordial welcome to our humble home. Now, you are apart of our family and you will always be in our prayers of every single day. For God bless and watch over you and all your family. With much love and affection, Marbeli, the mother of your sponsored child. May God bless you always.

Valeria’s mom is wrong. We are blessed to have found Valeria. Her mother’s letter is the epiphany of live simple, be happy. She knows her daughter’s basic needs will be met and that is all that really matters for her happiness. We pay a dollar a day. What would we do with one extra dollar a day? Nothing. It would hardly be noticeable. But to your sponsored sister, a dollar is everything. Sponsoring Valeria will be our constant reminder in fulfilling our promise to you, Evy: living a happy and simple life! I can’t wait to see what Valeria’s family teaches us throughout our journey together. Thank you Evy for bringing us together. Hugs and kisses 🙂