The Smallest, Most Heartfelt Donation

Today, I received a letter from a 10-year-old girl named Sarah who I used to babysit when her family still lived in Cincinnati. Here's what it says:

Dear Catherine,
Happy Easter! I hope yours was incredible! Mine was. My family has a tradition of putting up charts so we know how well we are doing with our give ups and take ons for Lent. If you do both give up and take on correctly, you get 2 nickels. The first one you earn goes to the Church and the second one you keep. This year, however, I am not giving my money to the Church. I am giving it to your orphanage in Romania. It isn't much ($2.30) but I hope it will help you.
Love, Sarah

When I read this letter, my eyes began to tear up. What a beautiful witness this young girl is. She has always been such a delight and her generosity has really moved me. It reminds me of the Parable of the Poor Widow: "And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put more in than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she our of her poverty has put in everything she had." -Mark 12:41-44. Her donation has even humbled me. If someone as young as Sarah sees the need, then I, as someone who has the chance to change the world, shouldn't pass up the opportunity to do so.

Sarah's donation brings the grand total of fundraising to date for Casa de Copii Don Bosco to $21,002.30. Everyone who has donated has been so generous and I could not be more thankful for our benefactors. I am so excited about this project and God has made it very clear that his is what He wants.

I had surgery on my shoulder 3 weeks ago and everything went well. I will be in a sling for another week and a half and then I will have 6-8 weeks of physical therapy after that. I'm hoping to be back in Romania by mid-June.

If you'd like to donate to the orphanage fund, on the side bar is the link to the donation page. Just choose the orphanage fund designation.

I find great joy in these words. I hope you do too. "My greatest pleasure if to serve the Lord in His poor children rejected by other people." -St. Damian of Molokai