Write to your sponsored child! Seriously!

I've been moved today to write a blog post about the importance of writing to your sponsored child.
I don't remember exactly how, but this morning I stumbled across a few blog posts describing just how much sponsored children love our letters.

"This year, I had the privilege of working on a project where I read letters from the pastors of Compassion’s church partners and child development centers all over the world. Reading those letters really opened my eyes to the effects our letters have on the children.

Almost every single pastor mentioned how excited and joyful the children were when they received letters from their sponsors. Their eyes lit up, and their smiles widened. They also spoke of how sad children were if a letter didn’t come.

The pastors had to reassure those children that, even though they didn’t get a letter, their sponsors truly cared about them and loved them."                                                                                        Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/how-to-write-a-letter-from-the-new-compassion-app/#ixzz3dZNsHTyB

"Poverty tells children, “You don’t matter!” But that is a lie. Your letters shine light into the darkness. They say: “You do matter Suzana.” “I care about you Renato.” “Jesus loves you Lerionga.”
Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/write-to-a-child/#ixzz3dZNJm8h9

"But it was heartbreaking to hear that some sponsored kids never get letters from their sponsors.  In fact, our new friend Alejandro told us he was sponsored for ten years and NEVER got one letter from his sponsor. He spoke about it a few times, and he always choked up. All those years the mail came, and his friends got letters. As a child he wondered what was wrong with him?"
http://susanisaacs.blogspot.co.nz/2010/05/be-compassion-correspondence-sponsor.html

https://vimeo.com/74308291

If you sponsor a child, write to them. A child may understand that you are sending money for their education, food, and activities, and that has a profound impact on them. But, to a little child in poverty, getting letters from a person in a far away country -who cares about them- is by far the coolest part of sponsorship.

I didn't realise until recently how cool they though it was. I enjoyed writing letters, sending post cards, and stickers, to my little girl, Manthsha, and the other children I sponsored before that, but I wondered if she really could appreciate the letters. -She's only 5 at the moment. She can't read. Do they read them to her? Does she even understand who I am?

When I was in India working with an orphanage where some children are sponsored, I asked the pastor if the children liked getting letters from their sponsors. He looked like he was surprised I asked. "Oh Yes." He said. "Especially because sometimes they get stickers." Before Christmas last year, the pastor of Manthsha's church sent a christmas notice to us sponsors. In it, he requested for sponsors to write more.

Yet, only after reading these blog posts I get that it's a big deal. When I was about 4 years old, I remember somebody at church giving me stickers. I was so excited and happy that I ran off immediately to show my Mum. If you give a sheet of colourful stickers to and 5 year old,  Imagine the excitement of kids when the mail comes. Getting a packet from their sponsors, maybe having the translation read to them, maybe being able to make out the letters of their native language themself. Being told simple messages like "You're special". Getting stickers, photos, colouring books, knowing somebody far away cares. What kid wouldn't love that?

I really feel for the kids who don't get letters. As seen in the quotes above. Their freinds get letters, they know someone somewhere is matched to them and could send them letters, but they don't get any.

So, just a reminder, if you sponsor a child, please write to them. If you aren't going to write to them, maybe find a friend who can. If you sponsor through Compassion (who work through Tear Fund in New Zealand), they a programe finding people to write to children called correspondents, who don't sponsor financially, but write letters to the kids as normal sponsors would. I've just asked if I can become one. How about you?