It was recently revealed that ex-US President George HW Bush secretly sponsored a boy in the Philippines for a decade between 2002 and 2010, from when the boy named Timothy was 7 to 17 years old.
The former world leader, who passed away recently, sponsored the boy under a pseudonym due to concerns over the boy’s safety. The Office of the late 41st President confirmed the authenticity of the correspondence between the boy and Bush, that CNN had gotten a hold of.
According to CNN, Bush sponsored Timothy after getting to know about non-profit Compassion International that uses local churches to help poor children around the world, at a Christmas concert in Washington.
Besides sponsoring Timothy, Bush sent him gifts and wrote him letters even though he technically was not supposed to do so. In one instance, the boy, who did not know the real identity of his famous sponsor, was touched to receive art supplies from Bush when he mentioned how much he liked art.
In another letter, Bush wrote: “P.S. Be sure to say your prayers. I do every day. This birthday present will show you the time all around the world.”
Sharing a picture of his dog in another letter, Bush wrote: “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.”
In one instance, Bush gave Timothy a special booklet from the White House. He wrote: “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…”
Timothy replied: “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.”
When Timothy turned 17, he graduated from the sponsorship program and Bush could no longer sponsor him. Timothy’s teenage sponsorship was turned over to to Angie Lathrop, the executive assistant of former Compassion International president Wess Stafford.
Once she received her sponsorship of Timothy, Angie travelled to the Philippines to meet the teenager. There she revealed to him that his sponsor for the last decade was the former US President. Angie told the press that Timothy was surprised and could hardly believe he was sponsored by a former world leader.
That was the last update Compassion International has on the now-25-year-old Timothy’s whereabouts despite attempts to find him. Angie told reporters: “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.”