I have traveled to Nepal nine times since 2008. Seven of those trips were to see the child my husband and I sponsor. In 2009, I learned about Mitrata. I had always wanted to sponsor a child, and I felt a real connection to the people in Nepal. That's how and when a little boy named Bibek came into my life. I think he was 7 or 8 at the time. Of course, I wrote the letters and sent the small gifts and loved getting the notes from him, but I wanted to be able to see him face-to-face, so I signed up with the Mitrata sponsor group and took the daunting flights to Katmandu, Nepal. The rest is history.

Visits, at first, were interesting. I think he was about ten the first time I came. Bibek was shy and his English was “in progress.” But we managed. And we bonded. And the little boy on the other side of the world became bigger than life. He became part of my family. My kids knew his name, saw his pictures, read the letters he wrote them, and came to love him. My husband and son traveled with me to meet him and my daughter and daughter-in-law have it on their bucket list. They write him letters in the spring and fall, and they love to hear how his life is going. He's part of our family. I teared up the first time he signed a letter with “your son from another mother.”

Fast forward to 2019:
We arrived late at night on November 6th very tired and jet lagged and settled into our boutique Nepali hotel. After a few hours sleep, we were out daring to navigate the transaction machine to get rupees, enjoying Nepali tea, getting fitted for our own custom Nepali attire (when in Rome, do as the Romans do), and walking miles in the mass of humanity that is Nepal. It cannot be described. It can only be experienced.

Then, finally, it was time to go meet our sponsored kids for dinner. We walked into Thamel, which is the place of a thousand shops (or more) and entered a small restaurant where we waited for our kids to arrive.

Finally, they were there, and there were so many hugs, smiles, tears, shyness (but only for a moment), and joy in the room. It is a magical thing. Love and laughter and an outpouring of emotion from everyone involved. I have experienced this many times now, and it only gets better. To watch the kids and sponsors meeting for the first time, and then afterwards to see the happiness it brings for all is touching and beautiful!

As for myself and Bibek, I always cherish our reunions. He really is my son from another mother, but I love him like my own.

— Reva Meadows
Mitrata sponsor since 2009

My son from another mother

My First Day in Nepal

Interviewing our kids: the greatest reward in child sponsorship!