Praying for each other for a long time, Sponsor Managed to Meet the Sponsored Child

Marlince Dapaole (37) has been supporting Dina, a child from Sentani who is the representative child of Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) in Papua since 2017. After five years of supporting Dina and only communicating through letters, Marlince finally had the opportunity to meet with Dina on July 12, 2022.

The plan to meet Dina started with a longing to be able to take a closer look at the changes and developments that have occurred to Dina and her family. At first Marlince thought that the longing was just a fantasy because Marlince was on an island very far from where Dina was. However, Marlince always carries this longing in prayer until the wish is not just a fantasy and can become a reality.

Not only that, there are also interesting things from this meeting. Marlince and Dina had both fantasized and hoped to see each other. Both of them have been praying for this for a long time from their respective places.

Marlince said that she really missed getting to know Dina in person and listening to the changes that Dina and her family went through. Marlince also wants to know whether the donations made through the Child Sponsorship program of WVI are really beneficial for children.

Marlince said she was happy to see and hear Dina's development directly from her childhood until she was a teenager. According to her, Dina has grown to be a brave child and is passionate about pursuing her dreams.

Dina's family who attended this meeting also shared stories that there was the most special thing about Dina, namely that Dina has been able to choose her circle of friends, to things that are priorities for her even though she is still a teenager.

"When her friends invite her to play, or go for a walk, she chooses to be in the library to read and study," said one of Dina's family.

Dina is also actively involved in the activities of the Children's Forum in her village and also joins the Children's Forum in the Regency. Dina is also fairly active in church activities, and she even dreams of becoming a pastor.

Marlince hopes that Dina can continue to study hard in pursuing her dreams. She hopes that Dina can become a child who can be proud of herself, her family, the community and in the future will also be useful and become a channel of blessing for others.

At the meeting, explained Marlince to WVI staff, and she strongly encouraged the sponsors to be able to visit their sponsor's children. He found joy and was refreshed. At this time, even though Marlince no longer supports Dina, she will always carry Dina in his prayers.

Dina also feels grateful to be able to meet the sponsors who have supported her. She said, "I am very happy to be able to meet my sponsor in person. So far (we) can only communicate through letters. Thank you for being my sponsor all this time. May God always bless you. Thank you!"

Written by: Earlene, Sponsor Engagement Executive Wahana Visi Indonesia