face�to�face. Kristine's home is
in Caloocan City in The Philip-
pines. My husband and I live
thousands of miles away in New
she is a beloved member of our family.
Army's Child Sponsorship min-
istry. Kristine, the youngest of
four children, was born one
month after her father died in a
construction accident. With no
compensation from his em-
ployer, Kristine's mother Nora
took on the support of four children and her aging
mother--on the meager income of a laundress. It
is not surprising that Kristine was underweight
and malnourished at birth.
learning center. When Kristine was five, their
corps officer recommended she receive assistance
scribed her as "a happy child who loves to sing and
tell stories," but she remained malnourished and as
a result experienced recurring health problems.
the giving has never been one way. And what she
has given us has made us infinitely richer. Her first
fore she mastered writing in Eng-
lish, impressed us with her
gratitude and eagerness to do her
best in everything. "I'm studying
hard," she told us, "because I want
to finish my studies with flying col-
ors. My average is 86%. My best
chores and after that we play joyfully."
Dad Vernon. She sent greetings for Mother's Day
and Father's Day and lovely handmade Christmas
cards. Her picture graced our refrigerator door. She
proudly displayed photos of our family to her