2 + 2 + 1 = 5

Jon writing.

So today I wrote letters to our sponsored children we have overseas through Compassion International.  My family has been involved with Compassion since I was a teenager.  My family when I was younger sponsored a little girl; I remember she has the same birthday as my sister.

Jenn's already written much about our twin sons we lost four years ago.  After that experience, when we felt like doing something in memory of our boys, we decided to sponsor 2 children from overseas.  Since my family was familiar with Compassion and I knew they were an organization that could be trusted, we sponsored two boys.  The criteria was simple.  Find two boys whose birthdays were March 14th, in honor of our boys.

So just now I wrote 2 letters wishing each boy a happy birthday.  One in Ecuador, one is in El Salvador.  I truly hope they have great days and that their lives are enriched by the program Compassion is able to offer.   Tomorrow we'll go visit the tree we had planted as a memorial to our boys.  And throughout each day our thoughts our with our Little Dude in the Bad Place.

2 kids overseas, 2 twin boys in Heaven, 1 little dude waiting to come home with us.  Those are the 5 boys whose lives we have either impacted, hope to impact, or have impacted us.  Kind of strange how 2 babies alive only 2 hours can have an impact as great as they do.  Because of those 2 little babies, 2 boys overseas receive sponsorship and an education, and 1 little boy is soon going to have a change in his life the magnitude of which he has no idea.

Let's be fair - do I miss our twins, do I wish they had survived?  Of course.  But to think that at least some good came out of their short existence at least lets me know they made an impact even in the short time they were here.  Happy Birthday Jacob and Zachary.  And Adrian and Carlos, I hope you have a great birthday.  Little Dude....we're on our way.