Mar 18 2010 from Cleveland

Hello my dear Son Bashir! I'm very glad you asked me the questions and as always, you ask the most excellent, insightful, thoughtful questions. Here are my answers for you.

Before i visited Dar Es Salaam, I had no intention or idea to find and help an African boy. I decided to help you just because you deserved it, and because I knew the Hand of God was clearly at work in bringing us together.

You deserved it because you and Mr. Iddi took such fine care of me and helped me so much during my time in Dar Es Salaam. You treated me like family and helped me to feel at home. "Jiskia upo nyumbani" in Dar Es Salaam!

Also, it was so clear and obvious to me that the Hand of Almighty God had brought us together. When I first saw you and Mr. Iddi at the airport, I felt like it was a reunion with my family, not like meeting strangers.

Also, I could see what a brilliant, hard-working young man you are, and how I could help you by encouraging you and paying for your education and other needs.

I always remember my years of horrible poverty when Christopher was a baby (he is 5 years older than Douglas). All those years ago, I promised myself that if I ever had enough money and God wanted me to help someone, I would do so happily, to thank God for blessing my family with a decent life. I could see that you simply needed encouragement for your many wonderful talents, and money to pay for education. I could see that you are brilliant and dedicated and will be a great success in the world. Also, I greatly admired your talent for translation and fluency in many languages.

And the longer we know each other, the more amazing and wonderful things I discover about you! That is why I can always trust God to guide us, because He has guided me every step of my life, and I keep following His directions, and He has blessed us so well!

"A Promise Is a Loan." That is a marvelous and true saying of Malawi. Now I ask you to forgive your Mum for a promise I made but did not remember to do, which was to make copies of your Christmas and New Year's Day pictures and send them to Douglas. Please accept my apologies for forgetting to do it. I will be happy to do it tomorrow! I'm also happy you sent him an email!

This evening in Cleveland it was very pleasant, 10 degrees Celsius, so Mr. Jimmy and I just took a walk around the neighborhood. We saw many young moms and dads taking their babies for a walk or taking their little children for a bike ride.

How is the weather in Dar Es Salaam? Rainy? Still too hot?

MAY GOD BLESS MY SON!

Your loving and devoted Mum

Dear Bashir, in my other email, I forgot to say that I'm so relieved and happy that your father is doing well and is not so hungry these days! I promise to send you more money for your dear father as soon as possible so he may continue to eat better. And I share his Dream that we will see each other face to Face if God wishes, and I pray too that God lets that Dream Come True!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR DEAR FATHER!

Your devoted and caring Mum