MONIKA – 9/7/2023

The Prelacy’s Orphan Sponsorship program, established in 1993, remains the centerpiece of the Prelacy’s mission in Armenia and Artsakh. We are pleased to share some of the letters that children regularly address to their sponsors.   

This letter is from Monika,* who is sponsored by Susan and Diran Keoleian. 

* We use only the first names of the children to protect their privacy. 

Dear Sponsor,  

I want to thank you for your care and assistance. 

I am Monika, the daughter of 44-day war hero Mkhitar. My father is a national hero. He fought non-stop for 40 days in the most dangerous parts of military action. He served in the special forces. On November 6, he was gravely wounded in Shushi. No one was able to go to his rescue.  

I miss him unspeakably and I feel his absence every minute of the day. He was my best friend, and he always forgave me for my mistakes and showed me the right way. 

I am 14 years old. I was born on May 16. I try to do really well in school. My favorite subject is English. I like swimming, photography, horse riding, travel, and learning foreign languages. I live with my brother, mother, and maternal grandmother because we don’t have any other relatives here. I want to live always in Artsakh.