Help Mike Help Friends of the Orphans

At 18, I was graduating high school and flirting with girls. I was a pretty simple dude. But that summer, on a mission trip with twenty other youth from my church, I visited the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos orphanage in Honduras. While there, we spent time repairing playground equipment, preparing meals, cleaning facilities, and socializing with the orphans. It was during this socializing that I met Carlos, one of the children at the orphanage who I have since sponsored for over four years. After deciding to sponsor Carlos, I needed to go back. So, for my Christmas (December) and birthday (January) presents, I asked for a plane ticket to Honduras. Nothing more, nothing less. To my joy, December 25th arrived, and beneath the tree sat a small envelope with "Mike" written across it. That February, I flew back to the orphanage and spent days of one-on-one time with my little buddy. We had the time of our lives speaking broken English and Spanish back and forth to one another. I remember on a bus ride we took during an excursion we sat in our seats and tried to teach each other "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in our respective languages, but every time Carlos would get to "Eyes and ears and mouth and nose" he would make a ridiculously funny face and I would be reminded what it's all about: making the world a better place for someone else. In the years and letters that followed, Carlos and I would always write the same line to end our communication. "I hope you write to me again soon. You are my favorite person in all the world."

I am not sure how much interest this fundraiser will garner, but I hope that my story has inspired just one person to donate just one dollar that you would not have given. Please: help me help the organization who provides the suppport necessary for children like Carlos to live. Without Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos and Friends of the Orphans, Carlos would be motherless, fatherless, and left to look after his two sisters.

Thank you for everything. Seriously. Even if this cause does not impact you, thanks for your consideration and for all the good you do elsewhere in your life.