Compassion children regularly pray for their sponsors. You are investing in their lives, and they consider you family. Write as if you are.

Be encouraging! And please be sensitive to the child's economic situation. Avoid discussing the material aspects of your life.

• Describe your family (e.g., where they live, what they look like, their interests, type of work they do, pets, etc.).
• Include a small paper gift — photos, postcards, bookmarks, greeting cards, etc. Learn more about what items can and can't be sent.
• Explain special holiday and family customs.
• Talk about important events — weddings, graduation, trips, new jobs, holidays, etc.
• Mark your calendar and send a card to celebrate a holiday or festival that is important to your child.
• Share your dreams and the daily activities of your life.
• Write about the terrain/climate/people where you live.
• Reminisce about your childhood.
• Discuss a person who influenced you.
• Talk about an important life lesson you learned, something you learned in school, or something you're learning now.
• Describe how you overcame a challenge or met a goal.
• Share your favorite Bible stories and verses.
• Elaborate on your church and the various ways you serve Christ. See also, Is it all right to ask if my child is a Christian?
• Remind your child that you pray for him or her regularly. Mention specific items your child has mentioned in his or her letters.
• Explain how your family includes your sponsored child in daily life (e.g., praying for him or her or displaying his or her photo in your home).
• Share your prayer requests and praise reports.
• Express what a privilege it is to be your child's sponsor.
• Affirm that God loves him or her and has a great plan for his or her life.
• Include a verse:
  • about God's provision for the future (Jeremiah 29:11)
  • about God's love for us (John 3:16), the value of each child (Psalm 139:13-14), or loving one another (1 John 4:7)
  • about the power of prayer (Matthew 21:22)
  • about the importance of learning (Proverbs 4:13)
• Encourage your child to write back and/or draw pictures for you.

And ASK QUESTIONS.

View a list of questions to ask.

What topics should I avoid?

• Discussing the material aspects of your life (e.g., the size of your home or the kind of car you drive).
• Sending photos that show your possessions.
• Sharing your home address, e-mail address or telephone numbers.
• Using colloquialisms and slang.
• Including bulky items, or items other than paper, in your letters.
• Suggesting your child come for a visit or that you'll send a particular gift. 

Yes. Compassion is a Christ-centered, church-based ministry. However, a child does not have to be Christian to benefit from Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program.

In our Child Sponsorship Program, each child has the opportunity to hear the gospel in an age-appropriate and culturally relevant way. But neither the children nor their families are obligated to become Christians.

Your letters and questions offer another opportunity for your child to hear the gospel and demonstrate faith in action.

Honesty and openness invite a child to a deeper, more personal relationship with you. Euphemisms, such as "passed away" in reference to a death, don't always convey the message you intend.  

When discussing personal issues such as death and divorce, the best approach is to state the fact — "My mother died" or "Susan and I are getting divorced" — rather than explaining the details or using indirect expressions.  

Because your child's perspective is different from yours, based on his or her culture, age and personal experiences, the child might not ask additional questions.

Discussing personal issues requires great sensitivity, particularly when communicating through letters and across cultures, particularly when the questions deal with health matters, which can often carry strong cultural stigmas. 

Whether or not you should ask a particular question depends on your relationship with the child and the nature of the question. If you are uncertain, please consider delaying the question until you have built a stronger relationship with the child or have a better understanding of the culture. 

Invite your child into a deeply personal relationship by modeling trust and honesty. Share with your child first. Allow him or her to see your courage and to take the first step. 

Remember you are a mentor. Show your child you care by being patient, open, inviting and, most important, involved.

Speak to your child honestly and clearly. It is not necessary to go into detail about why you cannot continue the sponsorship. Instead, focus on the positive aspects of the relationship. For example, you may consider talking about:

• what you enjoyed most about the relationship
• how you grew stronger in your faith or as a person
• what you learned from your child — about his or her country, culture or even about yourself
• how proud you are
• that you will continue praying for him or her

• the child's schooling, health and Christian activities
• his or her family duties, hobbies and sports
• a description of the child development center he or she attends
• general, environment and economic information about the community
• details about the child's country, such as
  • history
  • education
  • religion
  • culture
  • holidays and festivals
  • typical foods
  • and more