Fruit of the Spirit Devotions

When the global pandemic began at the beginning of 2020, children in the Manna 4 Lempira sponsorship program were no longer able to meet for church or bible teaching.  As a way to keep them learning the Word at home with their families, 6 of us sponsors came together and wrote a bible challenge booklet.  We each wrote one week of the challenge; then the ministry director compiled them into a booklet and had them distributed to all of the children in the program.  For my week, I wrote a series on the Fruit of the Spirit.  If you sponsor a child through Manna 4 Lempira who was in the program as of mid 2020, they have already received these devotionals.  However, if your child is new to the program or is part of a different sponsorship organization, this could be a great study to send to them.  You could send all 9 fruits at the same time or send 1 fruit in each letter over the course of several months with the devotion and verse for that fruit.  You can also customize it by adding coloring page for each fruit, fruit-themed recipes or scented stickers, and so much more.

My Amy with her banana-themed devotion about joy

Introduction: When you become a child of God, He puts His Holy Spirit inside of you to teach you, comfort you, and guide you.  The Holy Spirit makes beautiful things grow in our hearts.  We call these things the Fruits of the Spirit, because they grow in our hearts like fruit grows on a tree.  The fruits that the Spirit grows in our hearts are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  God promises that His children will always have the choice to use these things.

Memorize Galatians 5:22-23: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Descriptions & Fruit Analogies:

Love: Love means caring about someone and doing what is best for them.  When I think of love, I think of hearts.  A fruit that reminds me of love is cherries, because they look a little like hearts.

Joy: Joy is the happiness we get from God.  Even when we are sad about something else, we can have joy about God, because He is always with us.  When I think of joy, I think of smiles.  A fruit that reminds me of joy is bananas, because they look like smiles.

Peace: Peace is the calmness that we get from God.  It means we can relax and know that everything will be okay, even when something scary happens, because He will never leave us.  When I think of peace, I think of a calm place, like a beach.  I also think about standing tall and confident, and not being afraid.  A fruit that reminds me of peace is pineapples, because they grow in calm, tropical places like a beach; and they stand tall with a big crown of leaves on top.

Patience: Having patience means waiting for something that takes a while, without complaining or becoming anxious.  When I think of patience, I think of praying for something and trusting that God will answer, even if it takes a while.  A fruit that reminds me of patience is watermelon, because watermelons are huge, so we have to wait a long time for them to grow to full size.

Kindness: Kindness means being nice to others and doing nice things for them.  A fruit that reminds me of kindness is oranges, because when you open an orange, it is broken into pieces- to be shared with friends!

Goodness: Goodness means doing what is right.  All people have sinned, so none of us are good on our own.  Jesus died to take the punishment for our sins for us, so our spirits can be good again.  Then, He put His Holy Spirit inside of us to help us make good choices.  A fruit that reminds me of goodness is apples, because in the bible, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate a fruit (which people think was an apple) from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  This reminds us that we need to make good choices.

Faithfulness: Faithfulness means believing in God and His promises, even when you can't see them.  A fruit that reminds me of faithfulness is figs.  In Jeremiah 24, God's people were held captive as slaves, while other people mocked them.  God showed Jeremiah two baskets of figs: one good and one rotten.  This was a symbol God's promise for the future.  God promised that His people who were going through trouble now would turn out prosperous like the good figs, and their enemies would be like the rotten figs.  They needed to have faith to believe this, because it wasn't what they could see at that time.  But later, it happened, and they were freed!

Gentleness: Gentleness is very similar to kindness.  It means being careful to say and do things that will make people happy instead of hurting them.  It means speaking soft words instead of harsh words.  When I think of gentleness, I think of something soft and fuzzy.  A fruit that reminds me of gentleness is peaches, because they are fuzzy on the outside.

Self-Control: Self-control means that God gives us the ability to control ourselves and use all of the other Fruits of the Spirit that He gave to us.  It means that we can always choose the right thing and never have to choose the wrong thing.  Instead of thinking of self-control as one fruit, we are going to think of it as a big fruit salad- because it helps us to use a mixture of all of the other Fruits of the Spirit.

 

Memory verses for each fruit:

Love:   1 John 4:19 (We love, because God first loved us.), John 3:16 (For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life), Romans 5:8 (God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.)

Joy: Nehemiah 8:10 (The joy of the LORD is your strength.)

Peace: Deuteronomy 31:6 (Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.)

Patience: Galatians 6:9 (Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.)

Kindness: Matthew 7:12 (Treat other people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law of the Prophets.)

Goodness: Romans 3:23 (For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) Tie into how our only goodness is through Jesus

Faithfulness: Hebrews 11:1 (Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.)

Gentleness: Proverbs 15:1 (A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.)

Self-Control: 2 Timothy 1:7 (God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.)

 

How Jesus Used the Fruits of the Spirit:

Love: John 3:16 tells us Jesus did what was best for us by coming to Earth to save us so we could have eternal life.

Joy: Luke 10:21 says Jesus rejoiced when He thought about the Holy Spirit and how He gives us knowledge.

Peace: Matthew 14 tells us Jesus walked on water in the middle of a crazy storm.  This tells us He wasn’t afraid, because He had calmness and trust in God to protect Him.

Patience: Mark 1:13 tells us Jesus stayed in the wilderness for 40 days while being tempted by the devil.  This shows that He had great patience while waiting for the season to end.

Kindness: In Matthew 19:14, Jesus told his disciples to let the little children come to Him.  Jesus loves children and was very kind to them.

Goodness: 1 Peter 2:22 tells us Jesus never sinned or said anything wrong.  This tells us He is the only one who is completely good, so He is the only one who can save us.

Faithfulness: Several places in the bible, such as Luke 3:21, show Jesus praying.  This shows us His faith in His Father even when He couldn’t see Him.

Gentleness: In John chapter 8, a crowd of people were trying to kill a woman because she had sinned.  Jesus stopped them, forgave her, and let her go free even though she had done something wrong.  This shows that He is gentle and caring to anyone who accepts His gift of forgiveness and believes He died to save us.

Self-Control: In Matthew 4, Jesus was being tempted by the devil to bow down to him.  Jesus was without food or water in the wildness.  It would have been very easy for Him to become tired and give in, but He didn’t.  He controlled Himself and continued to worship God.

How to Throw a Quinceañera

In Honduras and much of Latin America, a girl’s quinceañera (15th birthday) celebrates her transition into womanhood and is often a bigger deal than her wedding.  It’s a chance to make her feel loved and celebrated, as well as a reminder of the plans God has for this next season of her life and how far He has already brought her.  As a child sponsor, I’ve made it my personal goal to help celebrate each of my sponsored girls’ quinceañeras.  As often as possible, this will mean being there for the celebration and throwing a whole party.  Other times, it will simply mean sending a dress and decorations so they can celebrate with their families.  I was recently blessed to be able to spend a weekend with my Estefani and her family in Honduras, celebrating her quinceañera at the beautiful Hilton Princess hotel.

Here are some of the gifts and elements we included in the celebration.  Whether you are visiting your sponsored child in person for the celebration or sending gifts in their backpack, I hope this gives you ideas of some things to include.

The gown & accessories: We got Estefani’s quinceañera gown from Amazon.  These gowns in stores often cost hundreds or thousands of dollars; but Amazon has several beautiful options under $100.  Just search "quinceañera gown" to see many beautiful options right on the first page.  Most of them are not on Prime and can take a few weeks to arrive, so plan ahead.  I got her tiara and bracelets from Claires.  The necklace and earrings were a gift from her aunt.  I also gave her some makeup as a gift for the occasion- some light blush and eye shadow, lip gloss, mascara, and eye liner.

Surprise dress: One element of a quinceañera in the US is the surprise dance.  I don’t know whether this is traditional or whether it’s a modern addition.  Typically, the surprise dance is when the girl comes out during the reception in a 2nd dress her guests haven’t seen before and does a dance that reflects something about her personality. Since Estefani’s party was just 6 of us in a hotel restaurant, there was no dancing.  Still, I’ve made it my own tradition to give my girls a surprise dress for their quinceañera.  In addition to the formal gown they know about ahead of time, I surprise them with this pretty-but-significantly-less-fancy dress on the day of the party.  The purpose of this dress is so she can have something more comfortable if she doesn’t want to wear her gown all night or if her gown doesn't fit; and so she’ll have something pretty to wear at home on her actual birthday if the party falls on a different day.  I did the same thing for my Melania for her quinceañera in 2014.   If you aren't visiting for the occasion or think the girl's parents may want to buy the fancier gown themselves, you could also send just the surprise dress.  I've done this with a few of my girls when I wasn't sure what kind of celebration they were having.  Here is Estefani wearing her surprise dress at home with a family friend on her actual birthday, the week after her party.

The ring: I asked my friend who attended another quinceañera  in Honduras about a month before this one what traditional things I should include.  She told me the girl’s mother had given her a special ring that would some day be replaced by her wedding ring.  This is similar to the idea of a purity ring; I just don’t use that name any more because I want my girls to know they are pure through the blood of Christ even if they make a mistake, and that it’s never too late to start following His plan for their lives.  The focus of this ring is to remind the girl of who they are in Christ and what He has for their futures, to encourage them to wait for that. I got Estefani this adjustable ring from Amazon since I wasn’t sure of her size.  It is shaped like a crown to remind her that she is a daughter of the King.  To be honest, there was so much going on at her party that I didn’t get to explain this meaning in detail when I gave it to her.  I sent a letter later talking about it.  My friend also told me that at the quinceañera she attended recently, the girl was given a special bible as a gift.  I had just given Estefani a bible in her backpack this past year which is why I didn't include one in the celebration, but this is another idea.  This bible is specifically a quinceañera design and is in Spanish.

 

The heels: One of the most important parts of a quinceañera is the heel ceremony.  This is when one of the parents changes the girl’s shoes from flats to heels- a symbol of growing up.  Estefani ended up being uncomfortable in her heels and wore the flats all night, but they'll be something special she can keep for when she's a little older.

The doll: Another part of a quinceañera is the last doll.  This is, traditionally, when the girl receives a doll as a gift for the last time before she becomes an adult.  Estefani already received the doll she really wanted (an American Girl) earlier this year and likely won’t be interested in them for much longer, so I just got her a small one from the dollar store as a way to keep the tradition.  I didn’t want to invest too much into something she’d likely never use.  Her little cousin ended up claiming the doll as her own by the end of the night and playing with it at the dinner table, which is fine.  Quinceañera dolls usually have fancy dresses to match the girl’s.  Even a Disney Princess doll or princess Barbie could work.

The photo album: As far as I know, this isn’t a traditional aspect of a quinceañera.  It is, however, something I’ve been planning for more than half of Estefani’s life. Since she was 7 years old, I’ve saved every photo I had of her and copies of every letter I’ve written to her in a folder in chronological order to make an album for her quinceañera.  Thanks to a distant relative, I was also able to get a few of her baby photos to include.  We had such a special time looking through this album together with her aunt.  I wrote her a letter at the beginning talking about her quinceañera and left some blank space at the end for her to add additional photos of her friends and family.

Manna 4 Lempira Backpacks 2020

Sponsoring a child with Manna 4 Lempira means not only sending letters and financial support to be a tangible reminder of the love of God in a child's life, but also getting the chance to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts every year to encourage their God-given potential through education and the simple joys of childhood.  I hope this overview of the backpacks I packed for my sponsored children will help you as you pack!  Click on the photos to enlarge.

For starters, here is a guideline from Manna 4 Lempira showing the school supplies every backpack should have.  Your monthly sponsorship fees cover these items, so you don't have to send them.  Some sponsors like to pick out their own supplies for their sponsored children, but anything you don't send will be provided to them by the ministry.  If you choose not to send the supplies, you can still send fun gifts to be added to your child's backpack!  Just make sure the gifts are grouped together in a large Ziplock bag and clearly labeled.  All bags, whether Ziplocks or full backpacks, must be labeled with your child's full name and ID number.  The required school supplies are: 8 notebooks, 20 pencils, 2 large erasers, a pencil sharpener, 2 boxes of 24 crayons (younger children) or 2 boxes of 12 colored pencils (older children), pens (2 red/2 blue/6 black), a ruler, scissors, and glue or glue sticks.

I also included some extra school supplies based on things my sponsored children told me their schools required in the past.  These items are: a pencil bag, a grid notebook for math, construction paper, a plastic folder, a miniature dry erase board with markers, red/blue correction pencils, and a Spanish dictionary.  If you choose to send a dictionary, make sure it's one with Spanish definitions, not just an English dictionary that tells you the word in Spanish.  I am sending this one.  

1 child's school supplies

In addition to school supplies, every backpack needs to include 4 toothbrushes, 2 tubes of toothpaste, a bar of soap, a wash cloth, 3 pairs of socks, a comb, and hair ties (girls) or a baseball cap (boys).  I also chose to add dental floss, a toothbrush case, hand sanitizer, a face mask (may be required for school attendance next year), and a solar lantern to each of my bags.  Even some of the families who normally have electricity in their homes haven't been able to afford it during the pandemic, so I am sending lanterns to all of them.  They are also each getting at least one outfit and a white t-shirt to wear under their school uniform, but I haven't purchased them all yet.

1 child's hygiene items and other essentials

The ministry also makes sure every backpack has at least one fun item.  They recommend dolls for girls and soccer balls with matchbox cars for boys; but you can choose to substitute these items.  My younger girls are getting various dolls including American Girl, Wellie Wishers, and Adora's Be Bright dolls.  The colorful hair on the Adora dolls reminded me of the time one of my girls tried to color her hair with sidewalk chalk at the pool during our visit.  While American Girl dolls are more expensive of a gift than what I'd typically send in a backpack, one of my girls who I'm very close to wrote that she wanted the same doll I had as a child.  Since she is 14 and likely about to outgrow dolls, I knew I wanted to encourage that child-like side of her for as long as possible.  For this reason, I thought it was a worthy investment.  I chose to send it in her backpack instead of waiting for a visit so she can enjoy it for as long as possible.   If you do choose to invest in one of these dolls, they are excellent quality and literally last for decades.  If you are looking for something similar for a more reasonable price, Target has beautiful 18" dolls called Our Generation, which are usually around $25.

My older girls and my boy are getting deflated soccer balls with air pumps.  My boy is also getting a matchbox Jeep, because Jeeps are my favorite car.  In addition to their big dolls, a few of my girls will also be getting some little Disney princess figurines (based on their favorite princesses) and smaller LOL surprise figurines, if they've mentioned liking either of those things.  The only other big gift is a pair of roller skates, which is going to one of my 13 year olds who told me she dreams of owning them.

All the dolls.  I didn't end up sending the smaller one in the front center.

After the required items, you can fill the remaining space in your child’s bag with just about anything!  The recent pandemic and quarantine inspired me to pack various activities that can keep them busy, encouraged, and educated while at home.  Each child is getting a few items from my stash of various books (including bibles), coloring books, paint sets, bead kits, sidewalk chalk, hair chalk, hair braiding supplies, dance ribbons, card games, Lego sets, educational workbooks, and educational flashcards.  I specifically chose sidewalk chalk because it was something that kept my family busy during quarantine this year.  Click on this photo to enlarge for detail.  

All extras combined

Last, I'll probably be adding in some handwritten letters, stickers, and other small items I haven't been able to send over the past several months due to border closures.  Most importantly, pray over your items and how they will bless your sponsored child!  

Manna 4 Lempira Backpacks 2019

Sponsoring a child with Manna 4 Lempira means not only sending letters and financial support to be a tangible reminder of the love of God in a child's life, but also getting the chance to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts every year to encourage their God-given potential through education and the simple joys of childhood.  I currently sponsor 7 children through this incredible program.  Click on photos to enlarge.

For starters, here is a guideline from Manna 4 Lempira showing the types of items every backpack should have.  Please note this is the 2019 list and may change for future years.  Your monthly sponsorship fees cover these items, so you don't have to send them.  Some sponsors like to pick out their own supplies for their sponsored children, but anything you don't send will be covered by the ministry.  If you choose not to send the supplies, you can still send fun gifts to be added to your child's backpack!  Just make sure the gifts are grouped together in a large Ziplock bag and are labeled with your child's name, ID number, and photo.  The backpack items are: 8 notebooks, 10 pencils, 2 large erasers, a pencil sharpener, 2 boxes of 24 crayons for younger kids or 2 boxes of 12 colored pencils for older kids, 10 pens (6 black, 2 blue, 2 red) for older kids, a ruler, a pair of scissors, glue sticks, 4 tooth brushes, 2 tubes of toothpaste, a bar of soap, a wash cloth, socks for their school uniforms, and a toy.

This year, I sent each child a few pretty composition notebooks, a pack of pencils, colored pencils, and pencil sharpeners.  I wanted them each to have a few fun school supplies from me, and the ministry will provide the rest.

All 7 children's supplies

Supplies for 9-year-old Amy

I also chose to send the school uniform socks and toothbrushes myself, because there were specific styles I wanted them to have.  Along with those, I included under shirts for their school uniforms and dental floss.  The ministry will provide the other hygiene items.  Each child's items are nearly identical, so I'm only sharing one set here.

I like to send each child something to keep them active outdoors, a craft to keep them busy indoors, and something to read.  To encourage my girls' walks with God, this year I chose worship/dance ribbons, the His Princess devotional books, bible verse adult coloring books for the older girls, and princess coloring books for the younger girls ($1 each at Dollar Tree).  The ribbons are something I saw girls dance with so passionately during church services in Honduras.  Most of theirs were homemade and falling apart.  The princess books are full of love letters from God, based on scripture.  My two girls who already have the princess books are getting missionary stories about Corrie ten Boom and Amy Carmichael.  My only boy, Marcos, is getting the book A Teen Boy After God's Own Heart, an outer space coloring set, and a soccer ball ($5 at Five Below) with a pump.  I also threw in a few jump ropes I had saved in my stash.

After the most important supplies, I made sure they each had at least one toy.  Most of my younger girls are getting LOL dolls, which the ministry director says are very popular among girls in Honduras.  My 9-year-old girl who loves mermaids is getting two mermaid surprise dolls and a Shopkins mermaid car.  My older girls are getting these miniature bean bag stuffed animals with glittery eyes.  Marcos' toy is his soccer ball.

I wanted to include something additional for my older girls who may no longer like toys; so I found these fun cosmetic bags with confetti in the sides and filled them with little accessories.  Each one includes mud masks, lip gloss, lip balm, blush, a set of BFF necklaces, a set of friendship bracelets, nail stickers, a nail file, a hair band, and a bible verse card.  Most of these items are from Claire's, Justice, and Target. 

Last, I sent each child at least one clothing item.  I changed my mind about the clothing so many times that I didn't end up with a photo of every item, but I especially love these dresses for my three youngest girls.  I got them for $7 each on sale at The Children's Place. I'm also sending a quinceañera dress for my Wendy's 15th birthday, which is the week after the backpack distribution.

Some of my children will get a few extras as I sort through my stash over the next week, but these are the bare minimums of what they all have.  Comment below and share some of your favorite things you're packing this year!

Easter Letters 2019

This is what I sent to my sponsor children for the 2019 Easter card mailing.

While the themes of my Easter letters vary slightly based on the child, they all contain the base of this message:  "During the season of Easter, we celebrate that Jesus died and rose again to pay for our sins, so we can be free from sin and be children of the perfect God."  I then go on to ask how they celebrate Easter and tell them I celebrate by going to church, having dinner with my family, and eating chocolate.

All of my letters were decorated with these cute vintage stickers from Target.

For one of my girls who recently expressed feelings of loneliness, I shared Psalm 56:8, "You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle; are they not in Your book?"  I talked about God being present in our pain and explained this is the exact reason for Easter- God with us.  With her letter, I sent some stickers of crosses and flowers, and a unicorn necklace with her name engraved.  She loves unicorns, and I pray this makes her feel loved and noticed.

Two of my girls love bunnies.  I used this opportunity to teach about new life and buy a bunch of cute bunny things.  I shared: "Easter also reminds me of you because I know you love bunnies.  Where I live, we use things like baby bunnies being born and chicken eggs hatching as symbols of new life during Easter; like our new lives as children of God.  The stores here sell many things shaped like bunnies at this time of year- like toys and chocolate.  I live near a chocolate factory called Hershey.  They make many chocolates for the celebration."  With their letters, they are getting a variety of bunny themed stickers and activities.  I also bought some bunny-themed toys to save for our next visit.

When I first sponsor a child, I send them a prince/princess themed letter that talks about being a child of the King.  I hadn't yet shared this with my newest girl, Ashley; so I incorporated it into the Easter message.  I also hadn't given her a necklace yet, which I do for all of my girls; so she's getting a princess necklace in her letter.  I took it out of the box and attached it to a piece of card stock to fit in the letter.  

The rest of my children are getting spring-themed stickers and letters about the symbolism of new life.  What are you sending in your Easter mail?

Christmas Letters 2018

I wanted to share what I'll be sending to my Manna 4 Lempira sponsored children with their Christmas letters; which are due November 5.  Since my backpacks already contain longer letters, I decided to keep these short.  The cards will contain just this short greeting: "Merry Christmas, (name)!  Christmas is the day to celebrate when Jesus came to Earth on His rescue mission to save us from sin and make us into children of God- for anyone who turns to Him.  He loves you so much.  I am praying for you always and hope to see you soon."  My newest sponsored girl, Ashley, will be getting a longer letter since it will be her first one.

Ashley's Christmas mailing

Since we often have letter deadlines that are before the holiday supplies come out in stores, I usually stock up the year before.  This year, I did already find some things in time to add to last year's stash.  I'll be sending nativity cards that can stand up as decorations, stand-up paper trees, Christmas sticker books, and Christmas-themed cartoon activity sheets.  I'm also sending them each a picture of my trip to the beach this summer.  I just need to put everything into some pretty festive envelopes and they'll be ready to go!

Summer Vacations/Fall Festivities/Thanksgiving

In my September letters, I am sharing highlights of my summer, upcoming fall festivities, and what I'm learning about God.  Basically, a life update.  Feel free to use any or all of these themes for sharing new parts of your life with your sponsored children.  They love to learn about you!  For Manna 4 Lempira sponsors, September letters will be delivered in the fall and November letters will be delivered around Christmas.

Hello again, sweet girl!  How are you?  I am very well.   I always think about the time that we spent together and pray that I can return to visit again soon!  Until then, God is always with you.  He left His Holy Spirit with us on the Earth to be a comfort to His children all the time.  He is a good Father who loves you so much.

What is new in your life since I saw you in June?  In my life, many things are new.  I am helping the ministry to pack backpacks for children.  We will be sending them to Honduras in December or January.  I packed backpacks for you and (names of my other sponsored children in their community) and chose special things for each of you.  I am also helping the group to pack some for children who don’t have sponsors.  This project is a huge blessing to me, because every time I look around my house and see all of the backpacks sitting there, which God has provided for His children, it’s like having the presence of God all around me.  I pray that you feel His presence when you receive your backpack.

Another new thing in my life is that next week, I plan to travel to the beach for a vacation with my family.  The ocean is one of my favorite places in the world.  I love swimming in the water and exploring the little shops along the boardwalk. I love sitting on the boardwalk outside of the hotel in the mornings, because it has 3 of my favorite things- flowers, coffee, and a view of the ocean.  I love to remember that God created the whole Earth just for His children to live on and enjoy.  I love to explore new parts of the world, like the ocean, and see some of those beautiful things that God made for me.  Where is a beautiful place that you like to visit?  

Recently, I became a teacher at my church for children ages 10-14.  I am very excited to teach them about God’s love for them.  

As I am sending this letter in September, it is almost the season of autumn in my country.  In autumn, the weather becomes cold and the leaves on the trees turn beautiful colors like orange and red.  In autumn, we harvest crops like pumpkin.  We make many foods that are flavored with pumpkin like pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, and even pumpkin coffee!  We drink a lot of coffee during autumn and winter, because it keeps us warm.  Where I live, pumpkins are a symbol of God’s bountiful blessings, because He blesses us with an abundance of crops during this season.  In November, we have a holiday called Thanksgiving.  On this holiday, we have a special dinner with our families, including pumpkin pie, and thank God for all of our blessings.  In the bible, Psalm 118:1 says, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His loving kindness is everlasting.”

With this letter, I am sending you some pictures from the last time that I went to the beach and some stickers of pumpkins.  I hope you like them!  I love you very much and I will write to you again very soon.