thedrifter
12-19-08, 12:09 PM
December 20, 2008
'The meaning of Christmas': Santa asked to keep boy's brother safe
By Dionesis Tamondong
Pacific Daily News
Two weeks ago, third-grade teacher Maria Duque assigned her students to write a letter to Santa and ask for whatever they wanted.
As she expected, most students asked for a Wii game console or a skateboard or some kind of toy.
But while reading the letters for grammatical errors and sentence structure, she started to get teary when she read one boy's simple wish:
"Dear Santa, I know you're real. I believe in you. Please keep my brother safe in the Army."
Duque cried, then rushed to share the letter with other teachers.
"They all started to cry," she said.
While Santa may not guarantee Marvin Fanoway's wish, the 9-year-old boy's selfless act has touched many at Machananao Elementary School in Yigo. The faculty and a member of the Guam Army National Guard recognized the boy in a ceremony yesterday.
Staff Sgt. Vincent Cruz, a spouse of one of the teachers, surprised Marvin with a stocking full of goodies, including a coloring book from the Guard's Family Assistance Center aimed at helping children who have loved ones deployed.
As Duque stood in the middle of the teacher's lounge and explained Marvin's wish, the teary-eyed faculty "awwwed" with affection.
One teacher broke out a guitar and began serenading Marvin with "Feliz Navidad" and the rest of the faculty joined in.
The boy's mother, Margaret, said she was surprised to hear about her son's wish.
"He's always asking us to buy him toys. Out of all the things he could ask for, I didn't think he would wish that," she said.
If Marvin did ask for some of the things most kids are asking for, the mother of eight said, she would probably have a hard time affording it.
Margaret Fanoway, a clerk at Macy's, has another daughter in the Army deployed to Iraq and another daughter who recently joined the Marines.
"I know what they're doing is dangerous. I just try to live life one day at a time and leave it up to the Lord," she said.
While her husband was upset about his children joining the military and being so far from home, the Margaret Fanoway said she was upbeat about the opportunities the military could afford them.
"Something good will come out of it," she said. The couple is originally from Yap, but have lived on Guam for almost two decades.
As Cruz kneeled to present Marvin with a Christmas stocking, he told the boy he was representing Santa because Santa was too busy keeping his brother safe.
Cruz said Marvin's letter hit him and reminded how he had missed his family when he was deployed.
He said he sent Marvin's 20-year-old brother, Methodius, an e-mail to relay what his little brother wished for. When Methodius replies, Cruz said, he intends to print the e-mail and give it to Marvin.
The shy boy, whose favorite subject is science, said he plans to join the Army one day. For now, he said, he'll keep wishing for his brother's safety.
And he knows his wish will be granted because of his faith in Santa.
"I saw him at the mall," he said.
Principal Robert Malay said Marvin's letter showed how good family values were being instilled at home and at school.
"He could've asked for anything, any toy, but he remembered his brother and asked for his safety," Malay said.
"We look for the meaning of Christmas every year, and this is a good example of that."
Additional Facts
TO THE POINT
A boy who wrote to Santa, asking for his brother to be kept safe, was given a stocking of goodies by the Guam Army National Guard.
Ellie
'The meaning of Christmas': Santa asked to keep boy's brother safe
By Dionesis Tamondong
Pacific Daily News
Two weeks ago, third-grade teacher Maria Duque assigned her students to write a letter to Santa and ask for whatever they wanted.
As she expected, most students asked for a Wii game console or a skateboard or some kind of toy.
But while reading the letters for grammatical errors and sentence structure, she started to get teary when she read one boy's simple wish:
"Dear Santa, I know you're real. I believe in you. Please keep my brother safe in the Army."
Duque cried, then rushed to share the letter with other teachers.
"They all started to cry," she said.
While Santa may not guarantee Marvin Fanoway's wish, the 9-year-old boy's selfless act has touched many at Machananao Elementary School in Yigo. The faculty and a member of the Guam Army National Guard recognized the boy in a ceremony yesterday.
Staff Sgt. Vincent Cruz, a spouse of one of the teachers, surprised Marvin with a stocking full of goodies, including a coloring book from the Guard's Family Assistance Center aimed at helping children who have loved ones deployed.
As Duque stood in the middle of the teacher's lounge and explained Marvin's wish, the teary-eyed faculty "awwwed" with affection.
One teacher broke out a guitar and began serenading Marvin with "Feliz Navidad" and the rest of the faculty joined in.
The boy's mother, Margaret, said she was surprised to hear about her son's wish.
"He's always asking us to buy him toys. Out of all the things he could ask for, I didn't think he would wish that," she said.
If Marvin did ask for some of the things most kids are asking for, the mother of eight said, she would probably have a hard time affording it.
Margaret Fanoway, a clerk at Macy's, has another daughter in the Army deployed to Iraq and another daughter who recently joined the Marines.
"I know what they're doing is dangerous. I just try to live life one day at a time and leave it up to the Lord," she said.
While her husband was upset about his children joining the military and being so far from home, the Margaret Fanoway said she was upbeat about the opportunities the military could afford them.
"Something good will come out of it," she said. The couple is originally from Yap, but have lived on Guam for almost two decades.
As Cruz kneeled to present Marvin with a Christmas stocking, he told the boy he was representing Santa because Santa was too busy keeping his brother safe.
Cruz said Marvin's letter hit him and reminded how he had missed his family when he was deployed.
He said he sent Marvin's 20-year-old brother, Methodius, an e-mail to relay what his little brother wished for. When Methodius replies, Cruz said, he intends to print the e-mail and give it to Marvin.
The shy boy, whose favorite subject is science, said he plans to join the Army one day. For now, he said, he'll keep wishing for his brother's safety.
And he knows his wish will be granted because of his faith in Santa.
"I saw him at the mall," he said.
Principal Robert Malay said Marvin's letter showed how good family values were being instilled at home and at school.
"He could've asked for anything, any toy, but he remembered his brother and asked for his safety," Malay said.
"We look for the meaning of Christmas every year, and this is a good example of that."
Additional Facts
TO THE POINT
A boy who wrote to Santa, asking for his brother to be kept safe, was given a stocking of goodies by the Guam Army National Guard.
Ellie