I shared a letter I wrote last May. I sent the letter about foster care and adoption to all of my Compassion kiddos. In the past year, I have gotten many responses back from that letter! I think it was my most responded to letter.
My kiddos told me that they did not know anyone who was adopted. Some of them wrote very caring-ly about orphans, expressing their desire that everyone would have a family and know what it was to be loved.
Tonight, I am writing to my newer kiddos about foster care and adoption. This time the letter is a bit different. Last year, I shared about a girl in foster care that I met. This year, I am telling them about a girl in the Ukraine who is waiting for a family.
Feel free to use/edit this letter to share with your kiddos about adoption!
Dear friend,
Hello! How are you? My family and I are well, thanks to God. I have been thinking about you and praying for you lots. You are very special to me!
In the USA, May is national foster care month. Foster care is when a child goes to live with another family. The child either does not have parents, or his parents cannot care for him. The child may live with many families in the foster care system. One day, a family may choose to adopt that child. Then the child goes to live with that family forever. Do you know anyone who was adopted? Do you have something like foster care in your country?
In Romans 8:14-17 says, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
Just like when a child is chosen to be adopted by a family, we too are adopted into a family. When we trust Jesus with our lives, we are adopted into God's family! In Ephesians 1:4-5, it says that God choose us, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will." Psalm 103:13 tells us that God takes good care of his children, "The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." It is good to know that God loves us and will take care of us! If you have accepted Jesus into your heart, then you are my sister! We are both children of God, and that makes us sisters!
God made you special. He loves you very much. You are important. I love you, friend! God bless you.
Love,
Elisabeth
Have you written to your kiddos about adoption? If so, what was their responses?
Showing posts with label letter writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label letter writing. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Compassion Share and Tell
This month I did two sets of letters to my Compassion kiddos.
The first set of letters I did was online. I wrote about respecting others and treating others with kindness.
"I pray for you that you will be a Godly woman. I want to know that you will treat everyone with kindness and respect. Make sure to honor those in authority above you. And likewise, respect and care for those who are not as old or strong as you. That way, everyone will see that Jesus lives in you.
"Remember that even though you are young now that you can still be an example of a young lady who loves Jesus. As 1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."
Now I am working on my Christmas card package to mail to all my kiddos. I was inspired to send cards this year to each of my kids because they may have never gotten a card before. I hope it makes them feel special :)
I got these cards a couple years ago, and they're super sweet (and cheap!). I can't find the ones I got this year.
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| via |
For my older girls, I included some Sudoku like this -
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| via |
I sent some sticker scenes to my little boys. I also have some cute Christmas stickers that I am sending to them all. They are stockings and ornaments and such.
Well, that is what I did for my Compassion kiddos in October. I hope this gave you some ideas or inspired you to write your sponsor children too!
Check out others' October Compassion Share and Tell posts here -
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Saturday, June 15, 2013
Letter Writing Ideas From a Very Special Perspective
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| Maria and I at the Advocates Retreat |
Without further ado, please welcome Maria! :)
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Maria Momojara Diamond. I was born in Peru in a very dangerous and poor community but at the age of 7, I became a Compassion sponsored child. God blessed me through this ministry not only nurturing my physical body but also my mind and spirit. I was able to strengthen my relationship with God, my family and my friends. The relationship with my sponsors (three different ones) helped me to understand God's love for me. Their letters meant a lot to me and were a source of encouragement and love. I know God used them to bless my life and I am forever thankful to them. Through Compassion, I was able to study at a Language Institute and learn English as a second language. I was 18 years old when I graduated from the Compassion center, and I asked God in prayer to help me find a job so I could sponsor a child one day. I wanted to give what I received; God's love and hope. After few years, I saw God's provision when I was able to get a job at Compassion-Peru as a translator. I loved my work and then, I was able to sponsor my first child. Now, I am married to a wonderful godly man who is also a Compassion sponsor and advocate. We sponsor a total of 9 children and correspond with other 3. We both are committed to share our story and help other children like me to be free from poverty in Jesus' name.
What was your experience with letters as a sponsored child?
During my 3 first years of sponsorship, I did not get letters from my sponsor. I only knew his name and his nationality. It was sad because I still had to write letters because they were mandatory, and I could see the joy every time my friends got a letter from their sponsors. I wanted that so much.
When I was 10, I got a new sponsor, Harriett. Even when she only sponsored me for a year, she wrote me letters and they became so special to me. I remember asking her to pray for my dad's salvation and work opportunities. She wrote me back and said she would do it. That meant the world to me to know that she will join me in prayer to interceed for my dad.
My last sponsors, Amy and Brian sponsored me since I was 11 until the day of my graduation. They wrote me many letters and they made me feel part of their family. They would tell me that they loved me, that they were proud of me, that they were praying for my family and me.
What was your favorite thing to read about in your sponsors' letters?
About my sponsors' lives and country, and their favorite Bible verses.
What was your favorite thing to get with letters?
Pictures and stickers.
Did you have a preference between typed or handwritten letters?
Not really. My last letters were typed but I still liked them, I guess because what I really wanted was to hear from my sponsors.
What advice would you give a sponsor about letter writing?
Write to your kids and share with them what God is teaching you. Kids growing in poverty always face difficulties and temptations and the only thing that will help them is God's Word and presence in their lives. Tell them how much you and God love them. Teach them how important it is to pray to our Heavenly Father and to read and study His Word. Also think about how you were at the age of your sponsored child and give them an advice. Advice about their studies, honoring and respecting their parents, growing in their relationship with God, developing godly friendships, remaining sexually pure, and dreaming for their future. Your words are so powerful.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My participation in the Compassion center blessed me so much. All my friends and I received the same benefits: meals, medical checkups, education, and Christian values; but each one of us had a personal experience with our sponsors. The relationship with my sponsors helped me to dream big in God and be free from poverty.So there you have it- letter writing tips from a formerly sponsored child! You can write your child from your online account HERE.
Maria is on Facebook, and you should totally friend her because she's awesome and probably shares lots of cool stuff (though I am not on FB, so I don't know, but that is how Maria is!). You can find her HERE.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Letter Writing Ideas
This month I am going to write to my Compassion family about foster care. I read somewhere that May was national foster care month, so I thought this was the perfect time to write about it.
Here is my letter. Feel free to edit it and use it yourself. If you have had experience with foster care or adoption, or know someone who has, I am sure your child would love to hear about that as well!
Dear friend,
Hello! How are you? My family and I are well, thanks to God. I have been thinking about you and praying for you lots. You are very special to me!
In the USA, May is national foster care month. Foster care is when a child goes to live with another family. The child either does not have parents, or his parents cannot care for him. The child may live with many families in the foster care system. One day, a family may choose to adopt that child. Then the child goes to live with that family forever. Do you know anyone who was adopted? Do you have something like foster care in your country?
In Romans 8:14-17 says, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Just like when a child is chosen to be adopted by a family, we too are adopted into a family. When we trust Jesus with our lives, we are adopted into God's family! In Ephesians 1:4-5, it says that God choose us, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will." Psalm 103:13 tells us that God takes good care of his children, "The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." It is good to know that God loves us and will take care of us! If you have accepted Jesus into your heart, then you are my sister! We are both children of God, and that makes us sisters!
God made you special. He loves you very much. You are important. I love you, friend! God bless you.
Much love and many blessings to you,
Elisabeth
I wrote this next letter a couple months back, but I think some of it goes with the theme of adoption. Either way, your child will love to know that they are special to you!
Dear friend,
Here is my letter. Feel free to edit it and use it yourself. If you have had experience with foster care or adoption, or know someone who has, I am sure your child would love to hear about that as well!
Dear friend,
Hello! How are you? My family and I are well, thanks to God. I have been thinking about you and praying for you lots. You are very special to me!
In the USA, May is national foster care month. Foster care is when a child goes to live with another family. The child either does not have parents, or his parents cannot care for him. The child may live with many families in the foster care system. One day, a family may choose to adopt that child. Then the child goes to live with that family forever. Do you know anyone who was adopted? Do you have something like foster care in your country?
In Romans 8:14-17 says, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Just like when a child is chosen to be adopted by a family, we too are adopted into a family. When we trust Jesus with our lives, we are adopted into God's family! In Ephesians 1:4-5, it says that God choose us, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will." Psalm 103:13 tells us that God takes good care of his children, "The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." It is good to know that God loves us and will take care of us! If you have accepted Jesus into your heart, then you are my sister! We are both children of God, and that makes us sisters!
God made you special. He loves you very much. You are important. I love you, friend! God bless you.
Much love and many blessings to you,
Elisabeth
I wrote this next letter a couple months back, but I think some of it goes with the theme of adoption. Either way, your child will love to know that they are special to you!
Dear friend,
Hello, how are you? My family and I are well. I have been praying for you, and I thank God for you!
Psalm 103:13, "The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." Psalm 68:5, "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." God is your heavenly father, and He loves you so much! Think of it, the God who made you is your Father. He wants the best for you. He is always with you, cheering you on! God is so proud of you when you do your best, and He encourages you when you don't succeed. You are precious to Him, like an expensive jewel.
Here are some lyrics from one of my favorite songs by Britt Nicole, Gold-
"Well everybody keeps score, afraid you're gonna lose Just ignore them, they don't know the real you All the rain in the sky can't put out your fire Of all the stars out tonight, you shine brighter Don't let anybody tell you that you're not loved, And don't let anybody tell you that you're not enough Yeah there are days when we all feel like we're messed up, But the truth is that we're all diamonds in the rough So don't be ashamed to wear your crown, You're a king you're a queen inside and out You glow like the moon, you shine like the stars This is for you, wherever you are This is for all the girls, boys all over the world Whatever you've been told, you're worth more than gold So hold your head up high, It's your time to shine From the inside out it shows, you're worth more than gold, You're worth more than gold! So don't be ashamed to wear your crown You're a king you're a queen inside and out"
That is what I think of you, Juan. You are more precious than any gem or expensive thing. No matter what anyone says to you or the way they look at you, you are worth more than gold. Don't let anyone look down on you, but set an example for all people in what you do and say. (1 Timothy 4:12) I love you!
Your friend,
Elisabeth
What are you going to write to your sponsored kids about this month?
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Letter Writing Topics #2
Because you seemed to enjoy my Letter Writing Prompts post, I thought I would post another one!
Your School/College-
Are you in school now?
What was the name of your school?
How far away was your school?
Did you walk, ride a bus, or live at your school?
What classes did you take in school?
Which class was your favorite? Why?
Which class did you not like? Why?
Who were your friends at school? Are you still friends with them?
Include pictures of you when you were in school or school worksheets.
Your state-
Where do you live (state and country)?
What is your state known for?
What is your state/national flower, tree, etc?
What seasons do you experience? Which is your favorite?
What grows near you?
What is your favorite thing about where you live?
What don't you like about where you live?
Does your family live near you?
Share pictures or coloring sheets of your state.
Your hobbies-
What are your hobbies?
When did you start doing those things?
What do you like about them?
Where do you do your hobbies?
Do you know anyone else who likes to do those things?
Share pictures of your hobbies or coloring sheets!
What is your favorite things to write about?
Your School/College-
Are you in school now?
What was the name of your school?
How far away was your school?
Did you walk, ride a bus, or live at your school?
What classes did you take in school?
Which class was your favorite? Why?
Which class did you not like? Why?
Who were your friends at school? Are you still friends with them?
Include pictures of you when you were in school or school worksheets.
Your state-
Where do you live (state and country)?
What is your state known for?
What is your state/national flower, tree, etc?
What seasons do you experience? Which is your favorite?
What grows near you?
What is your favorite thing about where you live?
What don't you like about where you live?
Does your family live near you?
Share pictures or coloring sheets of your state.
Your hobbies-
What are your hobbies?
When did you start doing those things?
What do you like about them?
Where do you do your hobbies?
Do you know anyone else who likes to do those things?
Share pictures of your hobbies or coloring sheets!
What is your favorite things to write about?
Monday, March 11, 2013
Letter Writing Prompts
I feel very organized and even inspired and motivated right now! :) So when a sponsor of a four-year-old on Compassion's support network asked for letter writing ideas, I decided I would come up with a detailed list of themed letter ideas.
Obviously the list is endless, but here is what I came up with-
Your church-
Is it big or small?
What is your pastor's name?
Do you teach in Sunday school?
What did you learn this week? (perhaps in simpler terms though)
You can share a picture of your church, your pastor, or you and some church friends.
Also, Bible coloring pages could be sent.
Your family-
How many people are in your family?
What do they like to do?
How old are they and what are their names?
What do you like most about your family?
What is your favorite family memory?
Share a picture(s) of your family.
You can include coloring sheets representing things your family likes to do/
Your favorites-
What is your favorite color?
What is your favorite animal? Why?
What is your favorite place (church, the garden, etc.)? Why?
What is your favorite Bible story or verse? Why?
What is your favorite season? Why?
What is your favorite thing to do?
You can share photos of your favorite things (not like material things such as a car or your house, but photos of your community or seasons)
You can also include coloring pages of your favorite things.
About yourself-
What is your birthday?
Who is your best friend(s)?
Do you work? If so, what do you do?
What do you do in your free time? Why do you like it?
What are the seasons like near you?
Where do you live (state and country, not specifics)?
Do you live in a city or in the country?
What is your town like?
You could also share some about your family or some of your favorites.
Share photos of yourself, your friends, and where you live.
Include coloring pages that show things you like or that are near you.
When I was your age...-
What did you like to do?
What was your family like?
Who were your friends?
Did you go to school/preschool? What did you like about it? What didn't you like?
What was Sunday school like (if you went)?
What were your chores?
Share a picture of yourself when you were that age.
Include coloring pages of little kids.
My friend just wrote a post showing examples of "when I was your age..." letters. You can read it HERE.
Bible story-
Where can the child find the Bible story?
What is the Bible story about? (share it in your own words)
What can you learn from the Bible story?
When was the first time you heard the Bible story? What did you think of it then?
When was the last time you heard the Bible story? Did you learn something new from it?
What do you like most about the Bible story?
How has this Bible story impacted your life? (Did it comfort you when you were scared or sad? Did it help you trust God more? etc)
Are you learning anything from the Bible story today?
Include coloring pages of that Bible story.
What are some things that you have written about lately?
Obviously the list is endless, but here is what I came up with-
Your church-
Is it big or small?
What is your pastor's name?
Do you teach in Sunday school?
What did you learn this week? (perhaps in simpler terms though)
You can share a picture of your church, your pastor, or you and some church friends.
Also, Bible coloring pages could be sent.
Your family-
How many people are in your family?
What do they like to do?
How old are they and what are their names?
What do you like most about your family?
What is your favorite family memory?
Share a picture(s) of your family.
You can include coloring sheets representing things your family likes to do/
Your favorites-
What is your favorite color?
What is your favorite animal? Why?
What is your favorite place (church, the garden, etc.)? Why?
What is your favorite Bible story or verse? Why?
What is your favorite season? Why?
What is your favorite thing to do?
You can share photos of your favorite things (not like material things such as a car or your house, but photos of your community or seasons)
You can also include coloring pages of your favorite things.
About yourself-
What is your birthday?
Who is your best friend(s)?
Do you work? If so, what do you do?
What do you do in your free time? Why do you like it?
What are the seasons like near you?
Where do you live (state and country, not specifics)?
Do you live in a city or in the country?
What is your town like?
You could also share some about your family or some of your favorites.
Share photos of yourself, your friends, and where you live.
Include coloring pages that show things you like or that are near you.
When I was your age...-
What did you like to do?
What was your family like?
Who were your friends?
Did you go to school/preschool? What did you like about it? What didn't you like?
What was Sunday school like (if you went)?
What were your chores?
Share a picture of yourself when you were that age.
Include coloring pages of little kids.
My friend just wrote a post showing examples of "when I was your age..." letters. You can read it HERE.
Bible story-
Where can the child find the Bible story?
What is the Bible story about? (share it in your own words)
What can you learn from the Bible story?
When was the first time you heard the Bible story? What did you think of it then?
When was the last time you heard the Bible story? Did you learn something new from it?
What do you like most about the Bible story?
How has this Bible story impacted your life? (Did it comfort you when you were scared or sad? Did it help you trust God more? etc)
Are you learning anything from the Bible story today?
Include coloring pages of that Bible story.
I hope these ideas inspire you to write to your sponsored child! But if they don't, here's a song to encourage you to get writing! :)
What are some things that you have written about lately?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Three Letter Writing Myths
Here I am going to disprove three letter writing myths that might be believed when writing to your sponsored child.
1. I have to fill up the whole page.
No, you don't. Yes, your child would love to read pages and pages from you, but they would also love just a few words. Even only a few sentences of encouragement would be such a blessing to your child!
2. I can't tell them what I do because there is such a difference between my life and theirs.
Yes, there is a big difference between your life and your child's. However, you can still tell them about your life. Tell them that you had lunch with a friend. Tell them that you went to work. Please do be careful about what you say, but if you keep it simple, it should be perfectly fine!
3. I have to send out a whole package when I write my child.
While a whole package of coloring pages and stickers is nice, so is a letter. Often when I try to put together a whole package, it takes me longer to get the letter out. That is the most important thing- the letter. Sure, send extra fun stuff sometimes, but it is not as important.
Well, I hope this encourages you to write to your child and shows you how simple and easy it is!
What are some other myths about letter writing?
1. I have to fill up the whole page.
No, you don't. Yes, your child would love to read pages and pages from you, but they would also love just a few words. Even only a few sentences of encouragement would be such a blessing to your child!
2. I can't tell them what I do because there is such a difference between my life and theirs.
Yes, there is a big difference between your life and your child's. However, you can still tell them about your life. Tell them that you had lunch with a friend. Tell them that you went to work. Please do be careful about what you say, but if you keep it simple, it should be perfectly fine!
3. I have to send out a whole package when I write my child.
While a whole package of coloring pages and stickers is nice, so is a letter. Often when I try to put together a whole package, it takes me longer to get the letter out. That is the most important thing- the letter. Sure, send extra fun stuff sometimes, but it is not as important.
Well, I hope this encourages you to write to your child and shows you how simple and easy it is!
What are some other myths about letter writing?
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Speak Life- Write to Your Sponsored Child
I am totally loving listening to TobyMac's newest album Eye on It on YouTube!
I thought this was a great song that could be an inspiration to write to your sponsored child. It talks about how your words can change a life. I hope you'll listen to it-
Here are two posts on Compassion's blog that share how sponsor letters change lives-
A Sponsor's Letter Inspires a Child's Dream
How Do One Sponsor's Letters Offer Support?
Write your child today!
Lizzie :)
I thought this was a great song that could be an inspiration to write to your sponsored child. It talks about how your words can change a life. I hope you'll listen to it-
Here are two posts on Compassion's blog that share how sponsor letters change lives-
A Sponsor's Letter Inspires a Child's Dream
How Do One Sponsor's Letters Offer Support?
Write your child today!
Lizzie :)
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Letter Writing Ideas
I have some free printables for you to send to your sponsored child!
Here is a very difficult maze. It would work great for your older sponsored children. HERE is the link for it. If you sent this maze to your child, you could include something saying that God works out every little detail of our lives. Or you could write something about how there are crossroads in life and encourage your child to follow God always.
This is a detailed coloring page for an older girl. You can get that HERE. The story of creation would go well with this. You could explain how every one is unique too.
Paper dolls could be sent to any girl! Here are two sets (HERE and HERE). I would tell the child in the letter that accompanies the dolls that no matter what she is beautiful. What you wear doesn't determine how beautiful. 1 Peter 3:3-4, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."
This reminds me of architecture or something. I think it would work well for a boy. HERE is the link. I am not sure what to include with this letter. You could probably write something like I suggested in the first one.
Two how-to-draws can be found HERE and HERE. You could encourage your child's artistic talent with these. The creation story would go well with these too.
You could use this stationery to write your kids. It can be printed HERE.
This site is by a Compassion sponsor. She has lots of printables for you to send to your child. You can visit her site HERE. (I highly suggest you do!)
I hope you can use these. Feel free to share your favorite printables in the comments below!
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Here is a very difficult maze. It would work great for your older sponsored children. HERE is the link for it. If you sent this maze to your child, you could include something saying that God works out every little detail of our lives. Or you could write something about how there are crossroads in life and encourage your child to follow God always.
This is a detailed coloring page for an older girl. You can get that HERE. The story of creation would go well with this. You could explain how every one is unique too.
Paper dolls could be sent to any girl! Here are two sets (HERE and HERE). I would tell the child in the letter that accompanies the dolls that no matter what she is beautiful. What you wear doesn't determine how beautiful. 1 Peter 3:3-4, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."
This reminds me of architecture or something. I think it would work well for a boy. HERE is the link. I am not sure what to include with this letter. You could probably write something like I suggested in the first one.
Two how-to-draws can be found HERE and HERE. You could encourage your child's artistic talent with these. The creation story would go well with these too.
You could use this stationery to write your kids. It can be printed HERE.
This site is by a Compassion sponsor. She has lots of printables for you to send to your child. You can visit her site HERE. (I highly suggest you do!)
I hope you can use these. Feel free to share your favorite printables in the comments below!
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Friday, December 28, 2012
Snow themed letter for young sponsored child
I am linking up with Blogging from the Boonies again for Correspondence Connections.
Since everyone seems to sponsor children under six, I decided to write up a sample letter to send to kids six and under. Because we got a lot of snow today, I thought it would be a good topic to write about.
I would use my sponsored child's name rather than friend, but either work. You can copy this letter completely if you like or just use it to get you started. If you do write a snow letter, here are some pictures you can use (just say a friend took them for you)-
Since everyone seems to sponsor children under six, I decided to write up a sample letter to send to kids six and under. Because we got a lot of snow today, I thought it would be a good topic to write about.
Hello, friend!
How are you? My family and I are well. It is winter where I live. Winter is the coldest season in New York. It gets so cold that it snows instead of rain! Snow is white, and it covers the ground. Sometimes the snow gets meters high. (Note: Use metric measurements when writing to your children. The translator will not convert from English to metric.) If you hold the snow in your hand, it melts into water. It is fun to play in the snow. Sometimes you can build a small fort or snow man out of the snow. A snow man is made out of three balls of snow stacked on each other.
Psalm 28:7 says, "The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy." If you are ever scared, friend, just remember that God is always with you. He is bigger than any trouble you face. God will help you and protect you. It also says in the Bible that God will turn your sadness into joy.
God made you special, and He love you very much. He has a great and wonderful plan for your life. You are very important, friend. I love you lots! God bless you.
Hugs and kisses,
Your sponsor
I would use my sponsored child's name rather than friend, but either work. You can copy this letter completely if you like or just use it to get you started. If you do write a snow letter, here are some pictures you can use (just say a friend took them for you)-
(Please don't use these photos without permission.) Last year I wrote each of my kids' names in the snow with my finger. I took a picture of it and sent it to them. I hope that it encourages you to write to your sponsored children this month!
What did you write to your sponsored child?
Lizzie :)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Letter Writing Ideas
Hello!
I have written a couple posts about letter writing ideas. Today I am going to share some posts by some amazing letter-writers! Also, I have a new poll on the right side of my blog. Please vote on the ages of the children you sponsor. I will be posting next month on some more writing ideas, so knowing the ages of your kids will help me know what to write about.
Teresa Dawn posted a series of questions to ask your sponsored children and to answer about yourself. Here is the last post in that series with the links to all the rest- Questions to Ask Your Sponsored Child
Jill posted about writing to your sponsored child about your faith (includes some sample letters)- What to Write~ Your Faith
Michelle wrote about many topics and included many great ideas on what to send with letters as well- 101 Letter Writing Topics
And, of course, Compassion's official blog has many great ideas and sample letters- About Letter Writing
I really hope that you read these posts. I hope it helps you grow closer to your sponsored child, too. Don't forget how important your letters are! Your child will treasure them forever.
Did you write a post about letter writing ideas or have any other ideas on what to write? Please share in the comments.
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
I have written a couple posts about letter writing ideas. Today I am going to share some posts by some amazing letter-writers! Also, I have a new poll on the right side of my blog. Please vote on the ages of the children you sponsor. I will be posting next month on some more writing ideas, so knowing the ages of your kids will help me know what to write about.
Teresa Dawn posted a series of questions to ask your sponsored children and to answer about yourself. Here is the last post in that series with the links to all the rest- Questions to Ask Your Sponsored Child
Jill posted about writing to your sponsored child about your faith (includes some sample letters)- What to Write~ Your Faith
Michelle wrote about many topics and included many great ideas on what to send with letters as well- 101 Letter Writing Topics
And, of course, Compassion's official blog has many great ideas and sample letters- About Letter Writing
I really hope that you read these posts. I hope it helps you grow closer to your sponsored child, too. Don't forget how important your letters are! Your child will treasure them forever.
Did you write a post about letter writing ideas or have any other ideas on what to write? Please share in the comments.
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Letter Writing
Hello!
I have always loved writing letters. I have had some pen pals, but none wrote to me as much as I did to them. Not, of course, because they were not amazing friends. I think I might have a knack for writing letters, because I never run out of things to say!
Blogging from the Boonies is doing a link-up each month called Correspondence Connections. Basically many bloggers will be sharing ideas on what to write in letters to sponsored children. I plan on linking up, and here is my first post.
I help out with the four-year-olds at my church every other week. (My church is really big. So they divide up classes by age/grade.) I really love it for three reasons: one, the kids are just soo sweet; two, Mainor is four, and I love to think that he is like them; three, it gives me something to tell my kids.
I share the lesson in my own words for Mainor. I wasn't sure what to write him because I had never had a little kid before. The lessons are usually about David. I try to apply the Bible lessons to life today. The one I plan on using is God gives us good friends (David and Jonathon). I will tell Mainor about my friends and ask a question or two about his.
For my older kids, I tell them about how much I love to be around little kids. I may share the lesson with them as well. I will tell them about serving God and that if we love God, we can show it by loving and helping other people. I also ask about their younger siblings.
Well, I hope this gives you some ideas. I will be sharing some more each month.
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
I have always loved writing letters. I have had some pen pals, but none wrote to me as much as I did to them. Not, of course, because they were not amazing friends. I think I might have a knack for writing letters, because I never run out of things to say!
Blogging from the Boonies is doing a link-up each month called Correspondence Connections. Basically many bloggers will be sharing ideas on what to write in letters to sponsored children. I plan on linking up, and here is my first post.
I help out with the four-year-olds at my church every other week. (My church is really big. So they divide up classes by age/grade.) I really love it for three reasons: one, the kids are just soo sweet; two, Mainor is four, and I love to think that he is like them; three, it gives me something to tell my kids.
I share the lesson in my own words for Mainor. I wasn't sure what to write him because I had never had a little kid before. The lessons are usually about David. I try to apply the Bible lessons to life today. The one I plan on using is God gives us good friends (David and Jonathon). I will tell Mainor about my friends and ask a question or two about his.
For my older kids, I tell them about how much I love to be around little kids. I may share the lesson with them as well. I will tell them about serving God and that if we love God, we can show it by loving and helping other people. I also ask about their younger siblings.
Well, I hope this gives you some ideas. I will be sharing some more each month.
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Sunday, October 21, 2012
"Why?" you ask
Hello!
So I told you all about letter writing. I gave you ideas of what to write. I let you know what you could send. But, I never told you why. So here is my five reasons why-
1. to show you care
You sponsored a child in poverty, right? So you obviously care to some degree about that child. But, how are they going to know that? Compassion International has an unsponsored children fund. This provides the same privileges to the unsponsored children as the sponsored children get because of their sponsor. While your sponsored child is very grateful for that, they don't really understand it. When you write them, then they will know you care. If you care about them, then show it. Write them.
2. to tell them God loves them
These kids that you sponsor hear that God loves them. However, they probably only hear it from the Compassion project. When you write in every letter "God made you special, and He loves you very much!" they will begin to believe it.
The Church's mission is that every man, woman, and child will hear and see the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your sponsored child sees and hears about God at the project activities. None-the-less, I really believe that you need to tell them as well. That way it will be coming from more than one person, and it will be ingrained in them.
(I stole a couple things here ;) "God made you special, and He loves you very much!" is taken from VeggieTales. "that every man, woman, and child will hear and see the Gospel of Jesus Christ" is taken from my church's mission statement.)
3. to help them do better
Studies have shown that sponsored children who receive correspondence from their sponsors do better in school. " In fact, we've found that children that receive regular correspondence from their sponsors tend to do better in school and stay in our program longer." (Shaina Moats HERE) You want your money to do the most it can, right? Your sponsorship donation helps your sponsored child go to school. Of course you want them to succeed in school, so write them.
4. because they want you to
Often when sponsors don't write, their sponsored child asks them to. And when sponsors write, their sponsored children thank them. This post by Compassion shows this.
5. because it will change their life
I heard a story once. It was about a sponsored child (not through Compassion) and the impact his sponsor had on his life. This boy grew up in poverty. But, his sponsor encouraged him. She told him his future was bright. One day, this boy went to compete in the Olympics (track-and-field, I think). He won the gold medal, and his sponsor watched him on the tv. Then this young man went to visit his sponsor. He took the gold medal and hung it around his sponsor's neck. He told her that without her, he would not have been able to do what he did.
There are many other stories about lives being changed through their sponsors letters. Suyianga is going to be a pilot. Nathan is going to be a doctor. Haminton enjoys hearing the exciting experiences of his sponsor. Shiela is encouraged by her sponsors letters.
I love this video! If you can't watch it all (which I highly recommend you do), start at 1:57
Why do you write your sponsored children?
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
So I told you all about letter writing. I gave you ideas of what to write. I let you know what you could send. But, I never told you why. So here is my five reasons why-
1. to show you care
You sponsored a child in poverty, right? So you obviously care to some degree about that child. But, how are they going to know that? Compassion International has an unsponsored children fund. This provides the same privileges to the unsponsored children as the sponsored children get because of their sponsor. While your sponsored child is very grateful for that, they don't really understand it. When you write them, then they will know you care. If you care about them, then show it. Write them.
2. to tell them God loves them
These kids that you sponsor hear that God loves them. However, they probably only hear it from the Compassion project. When you write in every letter "God made you special, and He loves you very much!" they will begin to believe it.
The Church's mission is that every man, woman, and child will hear and see the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your sponsored child sees and hears about God at the project activities. None-the-less, I really believe that you need to tell them as well. That way it will be coming from more than one person, and it will be ingrained in them.
(I stole a couple things here ;) "God made you special, and He loves you very much!" is taken from VeggieTales. "that every man, woman, and child will hear and see the Gospel of Jesus Christ" is taken from my church's mission statement.)
3. to help them do better
Studies have shown that sponsored children who receive correspondence from their sponsors do better in school. " In fact, we've found that children that receive regular correspondence from their sponsors tend to do better in school and stay in our program longer." (Shaina Moats HERE) You want your money to do the most it can, right? Your sponsorship donation helps your sponsored child go to school. Of course you want them to succeed in school, so write them.
4. because they want you to
Often when sponsors don't write, their sponsored child asks them to. And when sponsors write, their sponsored children thank them. This post by Compassion shows this.
5. because it will change their life
I heard a story once. It was about a sponsored child (not through Compassion) and the impact his sponsor had on his life. This boy grew up in poverty. But, his sponsor encouraged him. She told him his future was bright. One day, this boy went to compete in the Olympics (track-and-field, I think). He won the gold medal, and his sponsor watched him on the tv. Then this young man went to visit his sponsor. He took the gold medal and hung it around his sponsor's neck. He told her that without her, he would not have been able to do what he did.
There are many other stories about lives being changed through their sponsors letters. Suyianga is going to be a pilot. Nathan is going to be a doctor. Haminton enjoys hearing the exciting experiences of his sponsor. Shiela is encouraged by her sponsors letters.
I love this video! If you can't watch it all (which I highly recommend you do), start at 1:57
Why do you write your sponsored children?
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Letter Writing- Week Four
Hello!
Wow. Time has flown. I feel like I just wrote the first post in this series. Anyway, I am going to tell you how I keep everything organized. I am usually not very organized, but I think I have done pretty well keeping all of my Compassion things organized.
I was going to post pictures for it to make more sense, however I have been gone all day. I will do my best to explain what I do. So if you have any questions, let me know in the comments. I will do my best to help you.
I have a gallon bag for each of my Compassion family. I use a Sharpie and write the child's full name and number on the bag. I keep the child packet, letters from the child, and any stickers or stationery for that child in the bag. Last summer, this worked perfectly. Now the gallon bags have gotten shorter, so I have to fold the stationery in half.
I keep all the stickers for the child in a quart or sandwich bag labeled "stickers." I also printed off name labels for all of my Compassion family. However, I did not have adhesive paper. So, I find that I do not use them. I have them in a snack bag labeled "name labels" in the gallon bag too.
Whenever I get a letter from one of my Compassion family, I am very excited. That is not really important, but I thought I would tell you anyway ;) Whenever I get a letter, I make sure to keep the envelope and write the date I received it on the back. This way, I know how long it took me to get the letter from when it was written. Also, I can see how long it has been since I got a letter from that child.
I write each of my Compassion family twice a month. I write two each weekend. For instance, I wrote Mabel and Aruna this past weekend. I do this online. The whole month, I work on a package to send out. I will write a themed letter to all of my kids. Last month I did geography. I will print off maps or song lyrics to go along with the letters. I also include stickers and coloring pages.
If I get a letter from one of my Compassion family, I reply to it within a day or two. I don't include stickers or anything, just a letter. I like to comment on all that they wrote to me and ask them questions about it. I don't include any extras because it can get expensive to buy all that stuff and to send it out.
Well, that is what I do. What do you do? How do you keep organized? I am always looking for ways to improve my organization.
What did you learn during this series? I hope you got something useful out of it.
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Week One- Letter writing ideas and tips.
Week Two- How does my letter get to my child?
Week Three- How does my child's letter get to me?
P.S. Please use the survey on the right to show where you sponsor a child. I have all the countries that Compassion works in.
Wow. Time has flown. I feel like I just wrote the first post in this series. Anyway, I am going to tell you how I keep everything organized. I am usually not very organized, but I think I have done pretty well keeping all of my Compassion things organized.
I was going to post pictures for it to make more sense, however I have been gone all day. I will do my best to explain what I do. So if you have any questions, let me know in the comments. I will do my best to help you.
I have a gallon bag for each of my Compassion family. I use a Sharpie and write the child's full name and number on the bag. I keep the child packet, letters from the child, and any stickers or stationery for that child in the bag. Last summer, this worked perfectly. Now the gallon bags have gotten shorter, so I have to fold the stationery in half.
I keep all the stickers for the child in a quart or sandwich bag labeled "stickers." I also printed off name labels for all of my Compassion family. However, I did not have adhesive paper. So, I find that I do not use them. I have them in a snack bag labeled "name labels" in the gallon bag too.
Whenever I get a letter from one of my Compassion family, I am very excited. That is not really important, but I thought I would tell you anyway ;) Whenever I get a letter, I make sure to keep the envelope and write the date I received it on the back. This way, I know how long it took me to get the letter from when it was written. Also, I can see how long it has been since I got a letter from that child.
I write each of my Compassion family twice a month. I write two each weekend. For instance, I wrote Mabel and Aruna this past weekend. I do this online. The whole month, I work on a package to send out. I will write a themed letter to all of my kids. Last month I did geography. I will print off maps or song lyrics to go along with the letters. I also include stickers and coloring pages.
If I get a letter from one of my Compassion family, I reply to it within a day or two. I don't include stickers or anything, just a letter. I like to comment on all that they wrote to me and ask them questions about it. I don't include any extras because it can get expensive to buy all that stuff and to send it out.
Well, that is what I do. What do you do? How do you keep organized? I am always looking for ways to improve my organization.
What did you learn during this series? I hope you got something useful out of it.
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Week One- Letter writing ideas and tips.
Week Two- How does my letter get to my child?
Week Three- How does my child's letter get to me?
P.S. Please use the survey on the right to show where you sponsor a child. I have all the countries that Compassion works in.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Letter Writing- Week Three
Hello!
This week, I am going to write about how your sponsored child's letter gets to you.
Most Compassion projects have a letter writing day. All the children will write letters to their sponsors. Then they give them to their tutor to be checked over. Once the tutors have decided that all the letters are satisfactory, they will give them to the field office. This can take two weeks to one and a half months.
Once they get to the field office, the letters are translated. The Compassion staff will then spot check a few letters from each translator. After the letters are translated, they are sent to the GMC (Compassion's headquarters in Colorado Springs).
When the GMC receives the letters, they are packaged up to be sent to the sponsors. You can see this in the video below.
Did you get any letters recently?
Change a life!
Lizzie
Make sure you read Week One and Week Two of the letter writing series.
This week, I am going to write about how your sponsored child's letter gets to you.
Most Compassion projects have a letter writing day. All the children will write letters to their sponsors. Then they give them to their tutor to be checked over. Once the tutors have decided that all the letters are satisfactory, they will give them to the field office. This can take two weeks to one and a half months.
Once they get to the field office, the letters are translated. The Compassion staff will then spot check a few letters from each translator. After the letters are translated, they are sent to the GMC (Compassion's headquarters in Colorado Springs).
When the GMC receives the letters, they are packaged up to be sent to the sponsors. You can see this in the video below.
Did you get any letters recently?
Change a life!
Lizzie
Make sure you read Week One and Week Two of the letter writing series.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Letter Writing- Week Two
Hello!
Have you ever wondered how your letter got to your sponsored child? If you have, maybe I can shed some light on the process today.
Every month, Compassion's headquarters in Colorado Springs (aka GMC) receives 100,000 paper letters and 15,000 Internet letters. However, 30% of the sponsored children with USA sponsors do not get any letters. Only 2.6% of USA-sponsored children receive six or more letters a year. It is really sad, because the letters can encourage the kids so much. Compassion knows how much the letters mean to the kids. If a sponsor has not written a letter in six months, Compassion sends a postcard with stationery to write their sponsored child.
Compassion has sixteen employees that deal with the letters from sponsors. One is a researcher and fifteen are processors.
If Compassion receives a letter that does not have the child name and number or the sponsor name and number, the researcher will look up the info on the computer. Because it is difficult to find this information, it can slow down the letter by two weeks. Fortunately only three percent of the letters received must be researched.
The processors check the letter to see if it has the identification information on it. They also will remove anything that cannot be sent.
When your letter gets to the GMC, it will get sorted by country. Internet letters are printed off at the GMC and sorted by country, as well. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, letters are sent to the country offices. They are shipped Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, etc. It can take two weeks to one month for the letters to get to the country offices.
Once the letters reach the country office, they are translated. Usually, Compassion contracts translators and pays them by letter. The translators get one or two weeks to translate the letters. Then the letters are brought back to the country office. The employees at the country office spot check a couple letters by each translator.
After that, the letters are sorted by project center. They are either mailed, picked up, or dropped off to the project. It can take two weeks to six weeks for the letters to get to the project. Sometimes the projects are in the middle of nowhere, so there may not be a way to mail the letters.
When the project gets the letters, they are logged into the child's record and sometimes with a copy. Then the child will get the letter. Usually, the letter stays at the center until the child writes back.
Here is a video of the process that Compassion put together.
Well, I hope I made some sense! Write your child today.
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Read Week One of the letter writing series HERE.
Have you ever wondered how your letter got to your sponsored child? If you have, maybe I can shed some light on the process today.
Every month, Compassion's headquarters in Colorado Springs (aka GMC) receives 100,000 paper letters and 15,000 Internet letters. However, 30% of the sponsored children with USA sponsors do not get any letters. Only 2.6% of USA-sponsored children receive six or more letters a year. It is really sad, because the letters can encourage the kids so much. Compassion knows how much the letters mean to the kids. If a sponsor has not written a letter in six months, Compassion sends a postcard with stationery to write their sponsored child.
Compassion has sixteen employees that deal with the letters from sponsors. One is a researcher and fifteen are processors.
If Compassion receives a letter that does not have the child name and number or the sponsor name and number, the researcher will look up the info on the computer. Because it is difficult to find this information, it can slow down the letter by two weeks. Fortunately only three percent of the letters received must be researched.
The processors check the letter to see if it has the identification information on it. They also will remove anything that cannot be sent.
When your letter gets to the GMC, it will get sorted by country. Internet letters are printed off at the GMC and sorted by country, as well. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, letters are sent to the country offices. They are shipped Fed Ex, UPS, DHL, etc. It can take two weeks to one month for the letters to get to the country offices.
Once the letters reach the country office, they are translated. Usually, Compassion contracts translators and pays them by letter. The translators get one or two weeks to translate the letters. Then the letters are brought back to the country office. The employees at the country office spot check a couple letters by each translator.
After that, the letters are sorted by project center. They are either mailed, picked up, or dropped off to the project. It can take two weeks to six weeks for the letters to get to the project. Sometimes the projects are in the middle of nowhere, so there may not be a way to mail the letters.
When the project gets the letters, they are logged into the child's record and sometimes with a copy. Then the child will get the letter. Usually, the letter stays at the center until the child writes back.
Here is a video of the process that Compassion put together.
Well, I hope I made some sense! Write your child today.
Change a life!
Lizzie :)
Read Week One of the letter writing series HERE.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Letter Writing- Week One
Hello!
As an Advocate for Compassion International, I get opportunities to attend conference calls to expand my knowledge about Compassion's ministries. Yesterday I attended a call about the correspondence between sponsors and their sponsored children.
So, I will be posting a four week series about letter writing. Let me know what you think about it! I hope that you will learn something useful from it :)
This week, I am going to tell you some tips and ideas on what to write and include in your letters to your sponsored kids.
Probably the most useful thing I learned on the call was that you should not use contractions in your letters. Since English is not usually the translators' first language, they may not know contractions. So, they may not get correctly translated.
Also, slang is not a good thing to use. For instance, if you wrote "couch potato," the translator probably will not know what you are talking about.
Short, simple sentences are the easiest to translate. Long letters take a longer time to translate, so try to keep it to one page or so.
The person leading the call has had a chance to visit many of his sponsored children. He said that when he got home from visiting them, he sometimes thought how many things he forgot to ask his sponsored children. He ended up realizing that his sponsored children told him what they wanted him to know. I say all that because it is important that we don't make our letters an interrogation. Although asking a few questions is fine, it is going to mean more to our sponsored children if we tell them about us and that we care for them.
Onto the ideas...I write a themed letter to each of my sponsored kids each month. This month I am sending a map I printed showing where their country is in relation to mine. I am also sending a New York state map that shows where I live and go camping.
I have also themed letters about school, a Bible verse, a song, a season, or what I have been up to, such as hanging out with a friend or playing soccer. I like to send photos, stickers and coloring pages along with the letters. You can also send band aids, post cards, bookmarks, cards, and anything else that is flat paper.
On Hallmark, you can make personalized music cards. I sent one to Lucie for her birthday with the lyrics to the song that played. Many sponsors say that their sponsored children loved them, and I can't wait to hear what she says about it.
Unfortunately, the cost to send something like a toy car or hat would be so high. So, Compassion does not allow you to send those things. However, you can send a monetary gift. Then the staff will take the child shopping to make sure the money is spent well. Then, you will receive a thank you letter about what your child got.
Last but not least, you can write your child on your online account. They have awesome templates to use, and you can attach up to three pictures!
What do you send to your child? What have you written letters about?
Change a life!
Lizzie
By the way, you can get free shipping on your Oriental Trading order through September 20. Use code wce3583
As an Advocate for Compassion International, I get opportunities to attend conference calls to expand my knowledge about Compassion's ministries. Yesterday I attended a call about the correspondence between sponsors and their sponsored children.
So, I will be posting a four week series about letter writing. Let me know what you think about it! I hope that you will learn something useful from it :)
This week, I am going to tell you some tips and ideas on what to write and include in your letters to your sponsored kids.
Probably the most useful thing I learned on the call was that you should not use contractions in your letters. Since English is not usually the translators' first language, they may not know contractions. So, they may not get correctly translated.
Also, slang is not a good thing to use. For instance, if you wrote "couch potato," the translator probably will not know what you are talking about.
Short, simple sentences are the easiest to translate. Long letters take a longer time to translate, so try to keep it to one page or so.
The person leading the call has had a chance to visit many of his sponsored children. He said that when he got home from visiting them, he sometimes thought how many things he forgot to ask his sponsored children. He ended up realizing that his sponsored children told him what they wanted him to know. I say all that because it is important that we don't make our letters an interrogation. Although asking a few questions is fine, it is going to mean more to our sponsored children if we tell them about us and that we care for them.
Onto the ideas...I write a themed letter to each of my sponsored kids each month. This month I am sending a map I printed showing where their country is in relation to mine. I am also sending a New York state map that shows where I live and go camping.
I have also themed letters about school, a Bible verse, a song, a season, or what I have been up to, such as hanging out with a friend or playing soccer. I like to send photos, stickers and coloring pages along with the letters. You can also send band aids, post cards, bookmarks, cards, and anything else that is flat paper.
On Hallmark, you can make personalized music cards. I sent one to Lucie for her birthday with the lyrics to the song that played. Many sponsors say that their sponsored children loved them, and I can't wait to hear what she says about it.
Unfortunately, the cost to send something like a toy car or hat would be so high. So, Compassion does not allow you to send those things. However, you can send a monetary gift. Then the staff will take the child shopping to make sure the money is spent well. Then, you will receive a thank you letter about what your child got.
Last but not least, you can write your child on your online account. They have awesome templates to use, and you can attach up to three pictures!
What do you send to your child? What have you written letters about?
Change a life!
Lizzie
By the way, you can get free shipping on your Oriental Trading order through September 20. Use code wce3583
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