President George H.W. Bush Secretly Sponsored a Filipino Boy for 10 Years
The 41st President of the United States had corresponded and sent money to a 7-year-old boy in the Philippines starting in 2002 under the pseudonym George Walker.
A spokesperson for the Office of George H.W. Bush had confirmed the authenticity of the letters between the former president and the young boy, according to CNN.
Bush had sent his first letter to Timothy, the name of the child he sponsored, beginning on January 22, 2002. He had gotten the idea to sponsor a child the previous year after attending a Christmas concert in Washington. The non-profit organization, Compassion International, uses local churches to help children around the world living in impoverished environments.
The main concern at the time was for Timothy’s safety, which was how the pseudonym for Bush was created. He would send presents to Timothy, even though he wasn’t technically allowed to, that included color pencils, sketchpads and paints when Timothy had mentioned he liked art.
“P.S. Be sure to say your prayers. I do every day.
This birthday present will show you the time all around the world.”
“P.S. Here is a picture of our dog. Her name is Sadie. She has met a lot of famous people. She is a very good dog she was born in England. She catches mice and chipmunks, and she runs like the wind.G. Walker.”
“Dear Timothy,I love that picture of you holding that ‘World Time’ gadget.I also have learned that you play the guitar – terrific!Timothy, have you ever heard of the White House? That’s where the president of the USA lives.I got to go to the White House at Christmas time. Here is a little booklet that I got at the White House in Washington. I hope you…”
“Dear Mr. & Mrs. Walker,How are you? I hope you’re in good condition.I would like to thank you for not forgetting me. You’re so nice and good.God is so good to us. He gives us the body & will to get to where we want to go.Thank you so much for the book, I like it very much.”
Upon finding out who his sponsor had been for ten years, Timothy was surprised that his former sponsor had been a former world leader.
By the time Timothy had turned 17, the graduation age for the sponsorship program, his sponsorship had passed on to Angie Lathrop, the executive assistant of former Compassion International president Wess Stafford. Lathrop went to the Philippines to visit Timothy where it was first revealed to him that his sponsor for the past 10 years was U.S. President George H.W. Bush. Timothy could hardly believe he was sponsored by a former world leader. That was the last update that Compassion International received on Timothy’s whereabouts despite attempts to find him.
“We may not know where Timothy is, but we know he’s now living a successful life. Sponsoring a child, even if they are still in the womb, can encourage them and guide them to become great human beings,” Stafford said.
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