January, 2010
Dear Friends,
To give you a notion of Earth's dimensions, I can tell you that before the invention of electricity, it was necessary to maintain, over the whole of six continents, a veritable army of four - hundred-sixty-two thousand, five hundred and eleven lamplighters.
LePetite Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I never cease to be amazed at REACH and how it maintains its role of a light-giver. This week, once again, I received an affirmation of just such a truth in a letter written by two young brothers to their REACH mentors:
"We cannot explain in words how much you mean to us. You are not merely two people who come and go in our lives. You are so much more. Ever since we were little, you have always showed us love and that you have cared. Some of our favorite childhood memories are filled with memories of our times with you whether it was Binky the dog barking or spending a wonderful summer at the lake. Every moment we have spent together is a cherished one that is – no doubt – deeply and truly appreciated. You have done things for us that our parents couldn’t have done. You bring so much joy to our hearts with your warming smiles and fun…our memories of you will never fade."
From the Antoine de Saint- Exupéry quote above, we learn the extent of need for light in our world and how it was once provided by an army of lamplighters. Technology has relieved us of the task of manually challenge darkness but technology alone cannot eradicate dark, silent corners where children with terminal illness, with HIV/AIDS are apt to hide.
As the brothers' letter attests, REACH mentors and REACH programs extend care on a faithful basis. Not the wick of candles or oil lamps but week after week, light is delivered to children and families in potentially dark circumstance of our earth.
Shalom,
Susan K. Slonaker
With your help, we are making a difference here on earth. Please continue to help impact a child’s life by increasing your monthly giving by $10, $25, $35 or more. For $125 a month you can sponsor a terminally-ill child with mentoring, case management and activities throughout the year.