Treasured Letters
Sponsored children treasure their sponsors' letters. Many children read the letters repeatedly, often until the paper wears thin. You can find these treasured letters adorning the mud walls of a family's home or placed in a locked box. It is not uncommon for a child to produce for visitors, at a moment's notice, every letter a sponsor has written. Writing to your sponsored child is a tangible expression of your love and lets a child know he or she is valued. Even after they are older and have families of their own, Compassion graduates extol the praises of sponsors' letters and the hope they represented.
Easy and Effective Communication
Writing a letter is an easy, effective way to communicate. We believe letters can become one of the best aspects of sponsorship for both you and your child. Because we believe letter writing is so critical, we offer a variety of ways to send a special message to your child:
- You can write your child online.
- You can send photos and/or a special gift to your child through Compassion.
- You can use our special stationery, which leaves room for translation by our language specialists. (The stationery is included in your child's letter to you.)
Write Your Child Online
You can write your child online by going to My Account. Write a message; we will process it and make sure it gets to your child as soon as possible. As we continue to develop our procedures and more churches where the children live get access to electricity and computers, we will be able to shorten the time between when you send a letter and when the child receives it. Follow the guidelines below to help you develop a satisfactory letter-writing experience with your child.
When you write please keep the following in mind:
- Try and write about experiences your child will understand — for example, your family, your hobbies, what your church is like, where you live, the climate and customs of your country, any pets, your favorite Bible verses, and simple prayer requests. Try to be sensitive to your child's economic situation and not talk about material aspects of your life.
- Write words to encourage your child and let the child know you are praying for him or her.
- Short and simple letters facilitate translation and enable your child to receive your letters sooner.
- Encourage your child/ren to write or draw pictures.
You may send photographs or small paper gifts — postcards, greeting cards, bookmarks, stamps, pages from coloring books, appropriate photos and pictures — with the letters you write. Children cherish these gifts that are simple reminders of their sponsors' special love for them. Remember to write your reference number and your child's reference number on the back of each item.
Send your child a letter now.
