Allen and Anthony

Christmas 2010 through 2011

"May the Christmas season fill your home with joy, your heart with love and your life with laughter."

Allen Nayiga to Anthony Rizzuto

Reply from Allen Nayiga, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Dear Anthony,

Though most of my friends love and play football, I find it very much energy demanding to be part of it. When it comes to our school playing against another school, I find myself supporting and cheering the school team in full gear. Joy feels me when you tell me that you meet your parents. Praise be to God.

Kind and lovely time to you please.

Allen

Reply from Anthony Rizzuto, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

April 2011

Dear Allen

Believe it or not I'm just like you. I don't really like doing sports. I find myself cheering the team on most of the time. I don't really enjoy sports. I am more of a reading person myself. I'm really into history. But I do follow baseball and hockey over in America. I hope you do good in school and I hope your enjoy the rest of the year.

Your friend Anthony

Correspondence March 2010 through December 2010

My name is Allen Nayiga. I am 13 years old and a member of the Sounds of Hope youth program in Uganda. I am in the 7th grade. I live at home with my parents, two brothers, two sisters, cattle and poultry. I share my room with my brothers and sisters, ages between 5 and 13.

My chores include helping with cooking, washing clothes and utensils, fetching water and firewood, cleaning my home and preparing my bed. I love sports, music and "Netball". One of my favorite songs is "Angels of hope and our dear visitors".

I have to walk four miles to school each way, five days a week. I go to church regularly with my family and my favorite hymn is Ontukuze (Holify me). I want to grow up to be a nurse.

Reply from Anthony Rizzuto, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

"Dear Allen ... I am very happy to meet you. My name is Anthony. I am 14 years old and in the eighth grade. The one thing I can't believe is that you have to walk four miles to school. I take a school bus. I see that you want to be a nurse. I want to be a policeman. I only have to do a few things that you do for chores. Things are different in the United States.

Let me tell you what I really like about our youth group. Youth group has helped me make new friends and to learn new things - about faith, about the needs other people have and about how we can help. My favorite hymn is "Here I am, Lord" because it symbolizes a great time in history ... (the Lord came to earth 2,000 years ago but the song is about how we respond to him today ... here I am, Lord!)"

I hope to hear from you."

Anthony, Bill (seated); Daniel (back), Vicky (front)

Reply from Allen Nayiga, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Hullo Anthony Rizzuto,

Am glad am your bible pal. My dad is John and my mom is Rosemary. Both parents are still living .They are gardeners. Am living with both parents. Learning how to solve problems is what I learn from meeting other youth.

My best subjects are Social studies, science and English.

Your friend, Allen

Comment and Challenge from Lindsay Ullmann, United Kingdom

Hi ... my name is Lindsay Ullmann. I started to write poetry when I was your age and it helped me to learn more about myself as a person. I grew to understand that I had to search to just find myself . I am in my 20's and now am a professional songwriter and singer. So if we turn our thoughts around into something positive we can accomplish almost anything - through creativity and spirituality.

Allen and Anthony, do you feel that you have had a wake up call in life like I had through poetry, when I was your age? If so, would you care to share? Would you agree that creativity and spirituality can help us and also those around us?

Reply from Anthony Rizzuto, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Hello Allen ...

I am glad that we are penpals too. My dad is Joe and my mom is Amy. My parents are separated, which means that they do not live together anymore. I mostly live with my mom but I see my dad every week. My best subjects are social studues and math.

Our youth group takes some time off in the summer with only a mountain hike scheduled for August 7th. Then we start our weekly Sunday night meetings in September.

Anthony

Reply from Allen Nayiga, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Dear Anthony,

Being able to see your dad weekly, is great I can tell you that hear when parents separate, it takes a kid to see his/her other parent a longer time and some even don’t see any of them until when they are old in age to demand their parents. Give thanks to God that they are still living and you meet them for a parental love which some dearly miss.

Next youth meeting, we hope to practice a certain skit from the Bible for presentation in the church. I need to be part of the practice so that I can be part of the presentation.

With joy,

Allen

Reply from Anthony Rizzuto, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Dear Allen

I am very happy to hear from you again. You are right about seeing my dad every week. Sometimes in America kids can't see their parents all their lives or only twice a year. Then again some kids can't see them because they have some kind of problem. They have been a lot of that over here. If you don't mind me asking what kind of sports do you like. A few of my other pen pals say they like football ... do you? I hope to hear from you soon.

Your friend

Anthony

Would you like to become another Bible Penpal with Allen or Anthony ? Send them a note and/or answer Lindsay's question by writing a note to our website e-mail : timferguson@christianyouthgroup.org. Your thoughts will be included on this webpage. Allen, Anthony and Lindsay will be notified that you have written.