I would like to share the first letter I got from sweet little Melany in Columbia. She is only five so one of her teachers actually did the writing for her but she signed her name (so.cute) and drew me a picture.
I learned that her favorite hobby is to play. Her favorite foods are rice, meat, and plantains. Her favorite subject is math (same as Isadora!) and she likes cats and the color yellow.
She wanted to share Psalm 23: 1 with me: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." Very fitting for children in poverty!
This is some of the message she sent:
"Melany says that her family took her to the park and she ate ice cream. Melany goes to church every Sunday to pray and sing. Melany tells you that she loves attending the project because she learned how to color and draw. Melany sends you kisses and hugs."
So cute!! I'm in love already :)
Showing posts with label Letters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Letters. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Why you should write letters
Taken from the Fall 2006 Compassion Magazine, entitled "Your Letters - Simple Treasures" written by Briton Kamugisha and Tania Mendes.
"Your letters are beacons of light in your child's dark circumstances of poverty. To show the immense importance of each letter you send, two sponsosred children share their experiences.
"Coming of Age in Brazil...
"Ariane lives in Vista Alegre, Brazil, where only 25% of children complete elementary school. Ariane could have easily been among these children. But she is in secondary school and has hope for her future, a hope she attributes to her sponsors' encouraging letters.
"She says, 'The letters from my sponsors mean that they care for me and remember me. In 2001 my parents were very sick...so I wrote to [my sponsors] telling them about this problem and they answered me telling me that God was in control and that I should remember that God can do everything. My sponsors comforted me with their words and prayers.'
"Ariane treasures each letter from her sponsors and carefully saves each one. 'I like to reread [my letters]. One time per year we have an exhibition here in the project and I have exhibited my letters, cards, and photos with a lot of happiness to share about my sponsor,' she says.
"Through their letters Ariane's sponsors have helped her thrive in her harsh environment. Smiling, she says, 'I think it is very good to receive a letter from a sponsor because we [sponsored children] feel important an valued like a person. Can you imagine receiving a letter from the other side of the planet, from a person you don't know personally who really cares for you? Can you? It's very, very important!
"'I would like to say that it is very important to feel their love. It is so good to be loved. We can exchange prayer requests and this keeps us together. When a child receives a compliment from his sponsor it is forever in his mind and heart. That is why a simple letter is so important to us sponsored children.'
"...But Waiting in Rwanda
"Maritete, a Rwandan orphan, is waiting for her first letter but sees her sponsors as her lifeline to a better future. Her tremendous faith and prayers keep her going from day to day, despite her difficult circumstances. She is eager to build a relationship with her sponsors, so she prays for a letter.
"She says, 'I write to them all the time and I am not sure whether my letters reach them. And if they reach them I feel surprised that they don't reply, but I wait. I know God is on my side and I will never be defeated. I know the God I serve will one day change their hearts and light will shine upon me as I receive the first letter from them.'
"Even though Maritete is waiting, this little girl believes in God's perfect timing. She says, 'I am praying for [my sponsors] because nothing happens without the will of God and nothing happens out of God's time. Maybe the time for them to write to me is not yet. I will be patient and wait; they will reply to me.'
Maritete has not received a letter from her sponsors, but their loving support is helping shape her spirit. Compassion President Wess Stafford explains, 'The spirit of a little child is a lot like wet cement. When a child is young, it takes little effort to make an impression that can last a lifetime.' Your letters, every short note, Bible verse or card, leave a wonderful, lasting impression on a child's heart."
I hope you will take the time today to write to your sponsored child or correspondent child. You don't have to wait for a response from your child to write a new letter, I write my girls every month.
If you are a sponsor and for whatever reason do not want to write to your child or for whatever reason cannot, please call Compassion and let them find a correspondent partner for your child so he/she can reap the benefits of creating this lasting relationship.
"Your letters are beacons of light in your child's dark circumstances of poverty. To show the immense importance of each letter you send, two sponsosred children share their experiences.
"Coming of Age in Brazil...
"Ariane lives in Vista Alegre, Brazil, where only 25% of children complete elementary school. Ariane could have easily been among these children. But she is in secondary school and has hope for her future, a hope she attributes to her sponsors' encouraging letters.
"She says, 'The letters from my sponsors mean that they care for me and remember me. In 2001 my parents were very sick...so I wrote to [my sponsors] telling them about this problem and they answered me telling me that God was in control and that I should remember that God can do everything. My sponsors comforted me with their words and prayers.'
"Ariane treasures each letter from her sponsors and carefully saves each one. 'I like to reread [my letters]. One time per year we have an exhibition here in the project and I have exhibited my letters, cards, and photos with a lot of happiness to share about my sponsor,' she says.
"Through their letters Ariane's sponsors have helped her thrive in her harsh environment. Smiling, she says, 'I think it is very good to receive a letter from a sponsor because we [sponsored children] feel important an valued like a person. Can you imagine receiving a letter from the other side of the planet, from a person you don't know personally who really cares for you? Can you? It's very, very important!
"'I would like to say that it is very important to feel their love. It is so good to be loved. We can exchange prayer requests and this keeps us together. When a child receives a compliment from his sponsor it is forever in his mind and heart. That is why a simple letter is so important to us sponsored children.'
"...But Waiting in Rwanda
"Maritete, a Rwandan orphan, is waiting for her first letter but sees her sponsors as her lifeline to a better future. Her tremendous faith and prayers keep her going from day to day, despite her difficult circumstances. She is eager to build a relationship with her sponsors, so she prays for a letter.
"She says, 'I write to them all the time and I am not sure whether my letters reach them. And if they reach them I feel surprised that they don't reply, but I wait. I know God is on my side and I will never be defeated. I know the God I serve will one day change their hearts and light will shine upon me as I receive the first letter from them.'
"Even though Maritete is waiting, this little girl believes in God's perfect timing. She says, 'I am praying for [my sponsors] because nothing happens without the will of God and nothing happens out of God's time. Maybe the time for them to write to me is not yet. I will be patient and wait; they will reply to me.'
Maritete has not received a letter from her sponsors, but their loving support is helping shape her spirit. Compassion President Wess Stafford explains, 'The spirit of a little child is a lot like wet cement. When a child is young, it takes little effort to make an impression that can last a lifetime.' Your letters, every short note, Bible verse or card, leave a wonderful, lasting impression on a child's heart."
I hope you will take the time today to write to your sponsored child or correspondent child. You don't have to wait for a response from your child to write a new letter, I write my girls every month.
If you are a sponsor and for whatever reason do not want to write to your child or for whatever reason cannot, please call Compassion and let them find a correspondent partner for your child so he/she can reap the benefits of creating this lasting relationship.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
It's Letter-Writing Week!
The Compassion blog just posted 20 letter-writing prompts that can help inspire a letter to your sponsor or correspondent child this week. So if what I posted the other day didn't quite inspire you, hopefully this will help!
http://blog.compassion.com/20-letter-writing-prompts-you-can-use/
Go forth and write!!
http://blog.compassion.com/20-letter-writing-prompts-you-can-use/
Go forth and write!!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Correspondent Partners
To start things off, what is a correspondent partner? A correspondent partner is someone that writes to a sponsored child through Compassion with no financial support given. The child has a financial sponsor but that sponsor has chosen for whatever reason to not write to their child. When this is the case, sponsors are allowed to turn over their letter-writing "rights" so to speak and a correspondent partner is assigned. We've already talked about how vital letters are so it's obvious how important being a correspondent partner is. There are a couple of sides to this.
1. The sponsor side.
Are you sponsoring a child and love making an impact and love seeing your child grow and develop but letter writing is "just not your thing"? Maybe you don't enjoy writing letters, don't feel that you're good at it, don't know what to say or how to relate to a child. Maybe there is a group of you sponsoring once child or your entire church/business/organization is sponsoring one child. It can be overwhelming or confusing to a child to have multiple people writing to him/her so no one writes to keep things easy.
There's nothing wrong with not wanting to write to your child. I love writing letters, but it's not everyone's thing, that's fine. The important thing, if this is the case for you, is that you turn over your letter-writing "rights" and allow someone else to write to your child for you.
You do not lose out on anything regarding being a sponsor. You still financially support the child and can send, birthday, Christmas, and family gifts. You will still get photo and informational updates about your child. The only difference is that you will not have the personal line of communication.
If this is something you're interested in, call Compassion: 1 (800) 336-7676 and speak to a representative.
2. The correspondent side.
Would you love to impact the life of a child but simply don't have the funds to do so? That's fine and perfectly understandable. Do you love to write letters, love children, and want to make a life-changing connection? If so, becoming a correspondent partner is right for you!
You may not send any gifts financially (that's what the sponsor is for) but you may send letters, pictures, and flat items that don't change the shape of the envelope (like stickers/bookmarks/postcards, etc.) Compassion asks that you write at least four times a year (although you should write as much as you can, I strive for every month).
If this is something you're interested in, call Compassion: 1 (800) 336-7676 and speak to a representative.
As for more letter ideas, as I write letters to my siblings each month, I'll let you know what I'm writing about and that can be the Letter Idea of the Month.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments! And as always, check out some kids that need sponsors.
1. The sponsor side.
Are you sponsoring a child and love making an impact and love seeing your child grow and develop but letter writing is "just not your thing"? Maybe you don't enjoy writing letters, don't feel that you're good at it, don't know what to say or how to relate to a child. Maybe there is a group of you sponsoring once child or your entire church/business/organization is sponsoring one child. It can be overwhelming or confusing to a child to have multiple people writing to him/her so no one writes to keep things easy.
There's nothing wrong with not wanting to write to your child. I love writing letters, but it's not everyone's thing, that's fine. The important thing, if this is the case for you, is that you turn over your letter-writing "rights" and allow someone else to write to your child for you.
You do not lose out on anything regarding being a sponsor. You still financially support the child and can send, birthday, Christmas, and family gifts. You will still get photo and informational updates about your child. The only difference is that you will not have the personal line of communication.
If this is something you're interested in, call Compassion: 1 (800) 336-7676 and speak to a representative.
2. The correspondent side.
Would you love to impact the life of a child but simply don't have the funds to do so? That's fine and perfectly understandable. Do you love to write letters, love children, and want to make a life-changing connection? If so, becoming a correspondent partner is right for you!
You may not send any gifts financially (that's what the sponsor is for) but you may send letters, pictures, and flat items that don't change the shape of the envelope (like stickers/bookmarks/postcards, etc.) Compassion asks that you write at least four times a year (although you should write as much as you can, I strive for every month).
If this is something you're interested in, call Compassion: 1 (800) 336-7676 and speak to a representative.
As for more letter ideas, as I write letters to my siblings each month, I'll let you know what I'm writing about and that can be the Letter Idea of the Month.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments! And as always, check out some kids that need sponsors.
Monday, October 15, 2012
What do I write about?
The first couple of times you write to your sponsored child it can be somewhat of a daunting task. What do you say to someone that is (in most cases) much younger than you and lives in a very different culture than your own? The key is to find things that you both understand and if you don't feel that the child will understand, explaining it.
One tip that Compassion stresses is to keep the letters simple. I usually follow this general format:
1. Ask how they are doing, say how I am doing.
2. Give praise/recognition of something from the last letter.
3. Tell him/her about what has been going on in my life or what I've been reading in the Bible.
4. Encouragement
5. A message of love to close.
Letters are a great way for both you and the child you are writing to, to grow and learn. It is a time for encouragement, support, and love. Here are some topics or ideas for what to write about in your letters (taken from the Compassion Website):
1. Describing or talking about your family (where they live, what they look like, interests, work, etc.)
2. Explaining holiday or family customs (your child may do this too so you can see the cool parallels)
3. Talking about important events (weddings, graduations, trips, new jobs, holidays, etc.)
4. Sharing dreams and daily activities of your life
5. Writing about where you live (because it's probably very different from where you live)
6. Talk about your childhood (maybe you liked to do/play with similar things as your child!)
7. Talk about someone that has influenced you
8. Talk about a life lesson you have learned or something you are currently learning
9. Talk about how you overcame a challenge or met a goal
10. Share favorite Bible stories and verses
11. Talk about prayer requests (both your own and anything the child has asked you to pray for)
12. Talking about how you include the child in your daily life (praying, sharing letters/pictures)
13. Talking about what a privilege it is to be the child's sponsor
14. Affirm that God loves them and has a great plan for his/her life.
There are a couple of topics that Compassion wants you to avoid:
1. Discussing the material aspects of your life (size of home, kind of car) because the child will likely not understand
2. Sending pictures that show your possessions
3. Sharing your address, email, or phone number
4. Using slang
5. Suggesting that the child visit or that you're going to send a particular gift
In addition to writing letters, there are other things you can send to your child in the mail. These include:
1. Birthday and Christmas cards
2. Stickers
3. Bookmarks
4. PHOTOS
Basically anything that is flat and that will not change the shape of the envelope.
A full list of what can and cannot be sent can be found here.
This is a fairly broad overview so I'll talk more about what to say, other letter-writing ideas, and questions that come up about letter writing throughout this week as well as how to become a correspondent partner with Compassion. If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments.
Love & Peace
One tip that Compassion stresses is to keep the letters simple. I usually follow this general format:
1. Ask how they are doing, say how I am doing.
2. Give praise/recognition of something from the last letter.
3. Tell him/her about what has been going on in my life or what I've been reading in the Bible.
4. Encouragement
5. A message of love to close.
Letters are a great way for both you and the child you are writing to, to grow and learn. It is a time for encouragement, support, and love. Here are some topics or ideas for what to write about in your letters (taken from the Compassion Website):
1. Describing or talking about your family (where they live, what they look like, interests, work, etc.)
2. Explaining holiday or family customs (your child may do this too so you can see the cool parallels)
3. Talking about important events (weddings, graduations, trips, new jobs, holidays, etc.)
4. Sharing dreams and daily activities of your life
5. Writing about where you live (because it's probably very different from where you live)
6. Talk about your childhood (maybe you liked to do/play with similar things as your child!)
7. Talk about someone that has influenced you
8. Talk about a life lesson you have learned or something you are currently learning
9. Talk about how you overcame a challenge or met a goal
10. Share favorite Bible stories and verses
11. Talk about prayer requests (both your own and anything the child has asked you to pray for)
12. Talking about how you include the child in your daily life (praying, sharing letters/pictures)
13. Talking about what a privilege it is to be the child's sponsor
14. Affirm that God loves them and has a great plan for his/her life.
There are a couple of topics that Compassion wants you to avoid:
1. Discussing the material aspects of your life (size of home, kind of car) because the child will likely not understand
2. Sending pictures that show your possessions
3. Sharing your address, email, or phone number
4. Using slang
5. Suggesting that the child visit or that you're going to send a particular gift
In addition to writing letters, there are other things you can send to your child in the mail. These include:
1. Birthday and Christmas cards
2. Stickers
3. Bookmarks
4. PHOTOS
Basically anything that is flat and that will not change the shape of the envelope.
A full list of what can and cannot be sent can be found here.
This is a fairly broad overview so I'll talk more about what to say, other letter-writing ideas, and questions that come up about letter writing throughout this week as well as how to become a correspondent partner with Compassion. If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments.
Love & Peace
Friday, October 12, 2012
Letters: They're Important
One of the most important things a sponsor can do for their child is provide him/her with social support. With oceans and countries a part, how is this possible? The answer of course is letters. Writing letters to your sponsored child is absolutely vital. Why? Let me share a true story.
I recently heard the story of a formerly sponsored child in the Dominican Republic. He talked about how his family literally had nothing to eat and how he had no money for school supplies and had to sell cornbread in the streets from the time he was five-years-old. In addition to those types of challenges poverty brings he also brought up an aspect that I feel is easily forgotten.
He called it the "no hope monster". The evil, monstrous feeling that he was nothing, his life meant nothing, he wasn't going to go anywhere in his life, he was destined to sell cornbread his entire life, and that it was pointless to dream because none of his dreams would come true. These feelings are deadly. Giving up on yourself and your life leads to nothing but more pain, more suffering, more poverty. It leads to poor choices like gangs, drugs, and prostitution. And once the monster gets in your heart, it's hard to get rid of it. The monster keeps telling you that you're worthless, stupid, good-for-nothing, and that nothing will ever get better so it's pointless to try. Negative thoughts lead to negative actions which leads to more negative thoughts which starts a terrible cycle.
This is the reality of too many kids in this world and this was the reality of the formerly sponsored child I heard speak. For him it got better and his no-hope monster was crushed. How did this happen? It happened through his sponsorship and from receiving letters from his sponsor.
Throughout his entire sponsorship he only received about four letters (which is a very, very low number) but he said that he cherished those letters and the words they carried. His sponsor told him that he could do anything, that she loved him, that she believed in him, that she was praying for him. The no-hope monster was crushed because for the first time in his life he had someone rooting for him and he didn't want to let that person down. He worked hard in school, he got good grades, he went to college, and is now living his dream of being a musician. All of this because one woman wrote him four letters and believed in him. That's powerful stuff.
From talking with other sponsors I've heard countless other stories like this. About a little boy who showed off his letters when a sponsor group came to visit and all of his letters had the corners ripped off. It was because he had tapped them all to his door so that he would be able to see and read them every day when he woke up. I've heard countless stories about how the children keep their letters in a special, safe place in their home and regard the letters as their most prized possessions.
Why? Because to these children these letters represent hope and that there is someone out there in the world that cares about them and believes in them. Without that sponsor they may never hear that message and the no-hope monster could be waiting to consume their heart.
I cannot stress enough how vital letters are, I really can't. Over the next few days I will give some letter-writing tips and ideas for what to talk about in letters as well as give an example of a letters I recently sent to my siblings, Isadora and Guerby.
Love & Peace
I recently heard the story of a formerly sponsored child in the Dominican Republic. He talked about how his family literally had nothing to eat and how he had no money for school supplies and had to sell cornbread in the streets from the time he was five-years-old. In addition to those types of challenges poverty brings he also brought up an aspect that I feel is easily forgotten.
He called it the "no hope monster". The evil, monstrous feeling that he was nothing, his life meant nothing, he wasn't going to go anywhere in his life, he was destined to sell cornbread his entire life, and that it was pointless to dream because none of his dreams would come true. These feelings are deadly. Giving up on yourself and your life leads to nothing but more pain, more suffering, more poverty. It leads to poor choices like gangs, drugs, and prostitution. And once the monster gets in your heart, it's hard to get rid of it. The monster keeps telling you that you're worthless, stupid, good-for-nothing, and that nothing will ever get better so it's pointless to try. Negative thoughts lead to negative actions which leads to more negative thoughts which starts a terrible cycle.
This is the reality of too many kids in this world and this was the reality of the formerly sponsored child I heard speak. For him it got better and his no-hope monster was crushed. How did this happen? It happened through his sponsorship and from receiving letters from his sponsor.
Throughout his entire sponsorship he only received about four letters (which is a very, very low number) but he said that he cherished those letters and the words they carried. His sponsor told him that he could do anything, that she loved him, that she believed in him, that she was praying for him. The no-hope monster was crushed because for the first time in his life he had someone rooting for him and he didn't want to let that person down. He worked hard in school, he got good grades, he went to college, and is now living his dream of being a musician. All of this because one woman wrote him four letters and believed in him. That's powerful stuff.
From talking with other sponsors I've heard countless other stories like this. About a little boy who showed off his letters when a sponsor group came to visit and all of his letters had the corners ripped off. It was because he had tapped them all to his door so that he would be able to see and read them every day when he woke up. I've heard countless stories about how the children keep their letters in a special, safe place in their home and regard the letters as their most prized possessions.
Why? Because to these children these letters represent hope and that there is someone out there in the world that cares about them and believes in them. Without that sponsor they may never hear that message and the no-hope monster could be waiting to consume their heart.
I cannot stress enough how vital letters are, I really can't. Over the next few days I will give some letter-writing tips and ideas for what to talk about in letters as well as give an example of a letters I recently sent to my siblings, Isadora and Guerby.
Love & Peace
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