Ivan and Vito

Christmas 2010 through 2011

"If one night a big fat man jumps in at your window grabs you and puts you in a sack, don't worry, I told father Xmas I wanted you for CHRISTMAS."

Reply from Ivan Ssekiziyivu, Sounds of hope Youth Group, Uganda

Ivan Ssekiziyivu to Vito Racanelli,Lindsay

Hello my great friend Vito,

In my heart, I have faith that the Lord is enabling to reach high horizons in your life. How is Avani doing? Does she find 6th grade funny and interesting to her? Stubborn people are sometimes great thinkers. I hope Nikhil is one of the great thinkers. My studies are flowing smoothly and my music is being admired now as am invited to sing to some events that organized by renowned musicians here. I get helps to get known and gain confidence as well. I have shot a video for the song related to careful driving. Some people are starting to enjoy and love it.

Thanks for your continued prayers. I wish you had a way of getting my Video and you watch my music.

A lot of joy to you.

Ivan

Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Dear Ivan,

I am the youth leader of the group at Deer Park Presbyterian church. You have been corresponding with Vito for the past year. Vito first came to our youth program over 12 years ago as an older teenager. Now he is quite a young man. He has moved on from our youth program as he should. I do see him occasionally during the year as he lives in Deer Park but not enough to be able to facilitate his continued correspondence with you. I do know this - your letters were very important to him and I, as his youth leader, truly appreciated them.

I want to share with you, as older members of your group, the following challenge. Jesus taught us ... where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Keep the sacrifice of Jesus and his teachings at the center of your lives. He does so much for each of us. When we need wisdom, his words, recorded in the gospels, always provide answers. Through our prayers we always find strength.

I hope to start a group for 20 to 30 year old young men and women at our church in October. I do not know whether it will be successful but I will try. Perhaps another Bible Penpal can be found in this group if you are interested. I will always remember all of you at Sounds of Hope in my prayers.

Tim Ferguson

Posted September 2011

Correspondence March 2010 through December 2010

My name is Ivan Ssekiziyivu. I am 29 years old and a member of the Sounds of Hope youth program in Uganda. I live in a rental unit and have sisters but they do not reside with me. My chores at home include washing clothes, cleaning my home and preparing food.

I am in my first year of college in Canada. I am taking a correspondence course and go to college five days a week. . I love to listen to music and really enjoy two songs: "As You Pray" and "Bless My Days". When home I attend church with my family and my favorite hymn is Holy Holy. My goal is to oneday be an international air transport manager.

Reply from Vito Racanelli, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

"Dear Ivan ... My name is Vito and I am 26 years old. I am currently an assistant adult leader of the youth group. I have graduated from college four years ago and currently am working in a grocery store. My favorite Bible song is Amazing Grace. I am living in a small house with my family (my mother, father and younger brother).

Frank, Vito, Dennis, Arindam, Mike

What has kept me involved in youth group these past ten years has been that I can come and get together with people I have really become close to over these years. Take care of yourself and each other. Hope to hear from you real soon."

Reply from Ivan Ssekiziyivu, Sounds of hope Youth Group, Uganda

Dear Vito,

Being chosen by you to be pals was so special and interesting as well. I can tell you that we are so grateful for the great programs SOUNDS OF HOPE has for the youth including me. These programs help us get together and understand who our creator is and how we can reach other people to win lost souls for Christ. Through music dance and drama, we spread the Gospel and being a musician myself, I compose songs and train the fellow youth the music for church and fellowshipping.

My dad is Dick William and my mom is Phoebe and they are all living .Both parents of mine are peasant farmers. I usually visit my parents since I don’t live with them at home.

The best course topic for me is Air cargo rating and charges.

I hope I will read again from you any time. Ivan

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.

Ivan and Vito, 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 Ivan Ssekiziyivu, Sounds of hope Youth Group, Uganda

Hello Lindsay Ullmann ,

Am so grateful for getting a friend with great talent in poetry and music. I have all along wanted music in my life and I have tied all I can to make sure that I achieve my dreams. I Thank God I can tell you that at least I have moved a distance as regards improving my talent in music. I can write, sing and train others in music. I have got some songs already produced and some are being worked upon. I can get you some of my music if you need to listen to any. I have also been able to record some videos of music.

We are proud of Sounds of hope which brings us together and we compose, train and sing some songs as youth.

Indeed when we have dreams, we need to work around the clock to make sure we achieve our dreams regardless of what we go through. I have a belief that life has never been completely easy to every body apart from the few who were born with silver spoons in their mouth but others have to work tireless to make both ends meet. I have we shall share a lot as we get to know ourselves. But as you said innovation and spirituality are like twins and need to move hand in hand. I can't forget to say that Tim and John need our prayers and appreciation in their efforts to see that this Bible program becomes a reality bringing different cultures together and indeed that is what the Bible tells us we should know that we have one creator that is God.

Hopefully I will hear from you.

Ivan

Reply from Vito Racanelli, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Hello Ivan ... Sorry I haven't written back but I have been busy lately. One thing I forgot to mention in my last letter is that in my spare time I like to write stories. Your course, "Air Cargo Rating and Charges" sounds interesting and I would like to know more about it. What are you actually studying?

Our group, here on Long Island in New York, USA, meets each Sunday night September through June then takes time off in the summer. I am looking forward to a mountain hike in August, our one summer activity.

Take care of yourself and each other. I hope to hear from you again.

Vito

Reply from Lindsay Ullmann, United Kingdom

Hi there Ivan.

Thank you very much for responding to my thoughts. Your comments are very much appreciated. I do believe that music can heal and also that by being creative we allow other people into our lives and can also find a stronger spiritual connection with a higher force.

I agree with what you say about the "silver spoons" and I am under the belief that life was never meant to be easy and we all have our own unique path in life to follow .. what ever happens, learning from our mistakes is the most important thing. I would love to hear some of your music. I write about many different things myself and am currently in the process of trying to create an album of my work.

I look forward to hearing from you,

With kindest regards,

Lindsay

Reply from Ivan Ssekiziyivu, Sounds of hope Youth Group, Uganda

Hey Vito,

This is Ivan the musician again saying hullo to you. I hope all is going on well. Are you employed? Busy people are always great people because they spend most of their times thinking and serving people, I also enjoy reading stories and some of my songs are got from such stories that I read and others from the events that unfold in our lives. Air cargo Rating and Charges involves understanding what the luggage is weighing and how much should be paid for it before being allowed on plane that is part of the study.

We are practicing music and drama since of the team leader in music I spend my time fine tuning as well as composing some music for our youth group.

Until then I wish you the best.

Ivan

Reply to Lindsay Ullmann, United Kingdom

Dear Lindsay,

Reading from your brief mails, I can tell how creative you must in your writing and I would enjoy reading some pieces of your work. How can I send my music to you so that you can listen to it? I agree with you on the issue of each person having her/his own unique path in life to follow. But we need to know that the uniqueness in our path of life should be used to reach out people in away of winning the lost souls for Christ and making other peoples live better if we can. That is why I contribute 10% of sales to our youth group to meet the needs of other youths who are needy.

I look forward to reading your creative work.

Blessings,

Ivan

Reply from Vito Racanelli, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Dear Ivan,

It was nice to hear from you again. A couple of days ago we had our Christmas Fair in which we try to raise money to help those who are less fortunate than we are. Some of the money is going to local souyp kitchens around Long Island where we live.

About a week ago we had our annual Christmas party in which we go caroling to nursing homes and put on a show for them. [There is a picture of us singing at the Christmas Party on the card our leader, Tim, sent to your group.]

At my job this is usually the busiest time of the year because we sell a lot of inventory (items). I hope to hear from you again real soon. Until them take care of yourself and each other.

Your friend,

Vito

Would you like to become another Bible Penpal with Ivan or Vito ? 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. Ivan, Vito and Lindsay will be notified that you have written.