Meet Ahlumile

This is Ahlumile, or Mile (pronounced Millie) as we like to call her. She lives in an AIDS affected area of South Africa and she is two years old. She lives with her mother and sister in poverty. She has the most serious eyes and crazy hair. She likes to play with toys and helps out around the house by being good. I've never met her, but I care about her. I don't know her Mother, but I bet she cares about me and I know we have a few things in common.

Our family has joined the World Vision family and select Mile as our sponsored child. We have "adopted" her, so to speak. We have talked about this for over a year- reading about Compassion bloggers and hearing about World Vision at various Casting Crowns concert. When I was given a raise this past month, I knew we were prompted to share our financial blessings with another.

We selected Mile because she turned 2 on December 29th... the same day Abby turned 2. When we found out we were having a girl, the 2nd name we had selected was Millie. We also for a short time were pregnant with twins and likely would have named the second child, had she been a girl, Millie. The Lord is in the details!

We are hoping to build a relationship with her through letters and teaching Abby about sharing and caring for others. We bought Abby a small doll that looks similar and named her doll Mile and placed Ahlumile's picture on the refrigerator. We are hoping to make the connection with her slowly.

I pray her Mother knows that we love her daughter and want to help her with an education, fresh water, medical care and basic needs. All the things you know she wants to provide herself. It breaks my heart to think about Abby being sick or hungry and not being able to help her.

I'll keep you all posted on our sweet little Mile. If you want to know more about World Vision, click here. One of the things I love about the organization, we have Mile and Mile has us. Nobody else. It makes it so much more concrete. I am not sending money to a school or a village, but a person. She isn't relying on something abstract, but she is waiting on a letter or assistance from just us.