Ron and Carol McDonald – Sending you our love at Valentines. This year we will celebrate 47 years of marriage. Faith, hope and love are keys to a life of giving and receiving. While Carol has been in California with her parents, Ron and our CHaRA team have continued spreading CHaRA love in Zanzibar.

Semeni is 8 years old. One year ago a car ran over her legs. She lost one leg at the knee and the other leg was not set straight. Her Father is the Assistant to the Minister of Land, Energy & Water. Giving Semeni a PET Cart filled her and her parents’ hearts with joy. Ron was also filled with joy to see the smiles on their faces.

My parents are 88 and 89 years old and have been married for 68 years. My Dad had a heart attack, then my Mom had a heart attack watching him being hooked up to machines in the ER. Now that is a heart connection! My family gathered together in January to be with our parents as our Dad had open heart surgery. Our Mom stayed strong by his side. It was a precious sight watching them. Some nights you will find them sleeping with their hands intertwined. This is great love between two people. This great love is passed down to their children, grandchildren and everyone they have touched these many years. People were coming into the room just to see such love. They would ask, how did they stay in love so many years? My Dad would say just be kind, never say an unkind word. My Mom would say she loves him with all her heart.

During the long days in the hospital we met a lot of wonderful health care people; doctors, nurses and care givers. We are thankful for each person we met along this path. We are thankful to God for a life filled with faith, hope and love.

This is why CHaRA began so that we can give to others the faith, hope, and love we have been given.