I was very excited to receive the information about the child I will be sponsoring. His name is Erick Rolando Villava Vega, 7 years old and from Quito, Ecuador.  He has black eyes and hair with a very kind smile, wearing a bright orange collared shirt in his photo. As I continued reading thru the information I had been provided with, I found out that his favorite subject in school is Art.  He also enjoys dancing as well as singing.  He sounds like a very creative child.  He enjoys sports, playing soccer and playing with his friends. The chore he is responsible for at home is sweeping.  His family consists of him alone and his mother Gladys.  They reside in one multi-use concrete room with a corrugated metal roof, where electricity and running water are available along with a gas stove.  Their income relies solely on the mother and is well under $300 a month.  After reading thru everything and taking on the responsibility of sponsorship,  I hope to give back to them what I can already feel they are giving me.  It opens my eyes to the trivial things I get caught up with, wasted energy toward negative situations and how many things I think I need for the sake of having.  All the while just taking the time to pay attention to something outside of my everyday, is providing this child with a healthy future & a chance at education.  

It leaves me questioning where the education system in our own country is going and why we aren't providing for our children's future?  Why is this even an issue in what is suppose to be a rich country?  We keep chasing the wrong kind of wealth.  We should all know by now we aren't taking any of it with us at the end of where this road leads and the next one picks up...