Your generosity is not only a blessing this Christmas but all year long. Today, as you celebrate the birth of our Savior we hope you feel the depth of His love and gratitude — and ours — for the ways you have cared for these little ones around the world…

Merry Christmas!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Who gets that chicken or soccer ball you give through the Gifts of Compassion Christmas gift catalog?

Does a gift like that really make a difference? How does a soccer ball make an impact on a child in poverty?

It’s hard for me to answer these questions, because I’ve never wanted a pig or cow for Christmas. But after doing some research, I found this story from Tanzania showing how the gift of a soccer ball made a lasting impact.

Encouraging Talent in Tanzania by Charles Ngowi

Last year, the money given toward soccer balls helped fund not only the purchase of soccer balls for children, but also the second National Children and Youth Talent Festival in Tanzania, November 30 through December 4, 2010.

It was organized by Compassion Tanzania, and the event brought together about 600 children who had earlier been competing at the development center and regional levels in order to qualify for the national event. The children came from the 12 regions of Tanzania where we operate.

In addition to sports equipment, the festival provided opportunities for children and youth to display their God-given talents through competition, while socializing with others in a friendly environment and compassionate manner.

The festival also developed the children’s talents with the possibility of one day making them economically self-supporting using their skills in sports and arts.

The children participated and competed in different kinds of events including soccer, javelin, high jump, singing, drawing, painting, netball, discus and many more. At the end of the event, the top students and overall regional winners were awarded trophies and medals.

One of the Compassion children who attended the festival was Hemedi, 15, who is now in secondary school. He was registered with Compassion in 2004 when he was 9 years old and got involved in sports with the Compassion team when he went to Arusha in 2007 to play in the first Talent Festival.

What has Hemedi gained by being involved with sports?

“Sports help us know each other and socialize well. They also help us be in unity; it’s easy to support one another when you know what someone needs.

Through sports, I have been able to know many people. Sports also help me be fit physically, and by playing different sports it is not easy to be attacked by opportunistic diseases.”

Whether it’s competing at a national level, understanding the value of teamwork, or getting healthy and fit, your gift of a soccer ball is giving life to dreams of Compassion children around the world.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Thursday, December 16, 2010 was a special day in Saksida, a little suburb of Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. In this neighborhood, not far from the noisy traffic of the town, time seemed to have stopped.

In the community Bonheur Ville (Town of Happiness), wonderful praise music rose from the Saksida Assemblies of God Church. The parents, children, and staff were jubilant.

The presence of children in church that Thursday was not something unique; they were accustomed to coming to the child development center on Thursdays. Yet their colorful uniforms, along with the attendance of parents and officials, indicated that something special was taking place. The center was celebrating Christmas for the very first time.

Saksida Assemblies of God Church began its partnership with Compassion in 2010. When Eglise Evangélique Baptiste de Toega Koudougou started 118 needy children were registered; among them are 32 sponsored children.

The 2010 Christmas celebration was special for at least two reasons. First, the child development center had begun just four months earlier. As a new center, Christmas was an opportunity to show parents how much we care for their children.

The second reason was that many Compassion-assisted children come from Muslim or animist families and did not know what Christmas was. Even for those who are Christians, the word “Christmas” has almost never been linked to such celebration.

After a few speeches started off the celebration, the floor was given to the children. They presented what they had been working on for the past month.

In front of the parents and guests, children showed their artistic talents with ballet dances and songs. Boys were in jean uniforms and girls wore colorful dresses and skirts. They honored the Savior with their voices and dances.

Then their representative, Ruth, stood in front of the audience and spoke. She thanked the audience for the nice celebration and blessed all of them.

Soon it was time to eat and drink. Plates were filled with macaroni and meat, a meal much appreciated by the children. Hands and forks raced from dishes to mouths.

While eating, the children’s minds focused on another part of the celebration: the time when the children would receive gifts from Santa Claus. They could wait no longer.

Finally, cookies, candies and popcorn were offered and each child received his share with satisfaction. Large smiles beamed from their faces. For many of the children, it was the very first Christmas gift they had ever received.

Parents were amazed. How can people living far away decide to support children they do not know and provide them with such gifts to celebrate Christmas? This was the kind of question rushing through the minds of parents as they witnessed the celebration.

One mother shared,

“I am very happy for the Christmas celebration today. My prayer is that next year, things will be better. May God help sponsors and donors to continue their support.”

Handshakes and hugs ended the celebration, with children looking with excitement to next Christmas when they can joyfully celebrate again.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Do you sometimes feel so overwhelmed by the issue of poverty that it stifles your ability to act?

I sure relate, but action is the very thing Jesus calls us to do. To share the love of Christ not only in our speech, but through our actions.

He wants us to DO something.

I’m continuously encouraged and inspired by the stories of what sponsors are doing to change the lives of children … and the transformation that has taken place in their own lives because of it.

“But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” — 1 John 3:17,18 NASB

When I was involved with the creation and implementation of the Christmas 2011 Gifts of Compassion gift catalog, I heard about two young sponsors who put their faith into action by rallying others and meeting tangible needs through the catalog.

Here are their stories.

A Christmas Gift Catalog Party
by Bethany Fristad, third-year student at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa

In my small town of Sartell, Minn., I hosted a fundraiser to promote the Gifts of Compassion catalog and raise money for safe drinking water and other items in the catalog. I also gave 100 percent of the admission proceeds to Compassion.

There were 29 participating small business vendors at the fundraiser, including Scentsy, Mary Kay and Pampered Chef. I also set up Christmas trees with images of the gift items from the catalog as ornaments.

More than $2,000 was raised, providing 32 families in developing countries with safe water for life as well as soccer balls, goats, garden seeds, Bibles, mosquito nets, school supplies and baby formula.

At the event, a young mother holding her baby was moved to tears as she purchased a $20 item on the tree to provide another baby across the world with formula. The thought of her own child in those devastating circumstances and without food urged her to make her purchase.

Two-year-old Caden loved the Compassion Water of Life safe water systems! He was so fascinated with how they worked. Not only did he show enthusiasm for the filtration system, but he grabbed a stack of pamphlets and showed no fear as he walked up to strangers and said, “Water.”

I love how God has brought Compassion into my life, but to be successful in this fight against poverty we must all do our part to make sure children do not go hungry, that they have the opportunity to be educated, to dream, and to just be kids.

God is working and He wants us to be involved. He wants our hearts to break for what breaks His so that we can do HIS work with OUR hands.

We can do the small things to show God’s great love at work. Simple things done with great love will change the world.

Your service power is not based on who you are, but on who Jesus is through you. When we offer ourselves to others, we offer ourselves to Christ.

Not Your Everyday Birthday Party
by Noah Gerdes

When my mom and I were planning my 12th birthday party, mom asked me if I would like to have my friends bring gifts for me or if I’d rather have them donate money to buy soccer balls through the Gifts of Compassion catalog.

I currently sponsor a 6-year-old boy, Ismael, in Ecuador.

It wasn’t hard at all to decide to have a party that wasn’t all about me. I have too much of my own stuff, and I wanted to help others who don’t have as much.

At the party, my mom and I made a soccer ball out of newspaper and twine to show my friends what children in some developing countries might have to use when they play soccer.

After my mom talked with my friends about the homemade ball, we played a game of soccer with it. Our game lasted only a couple of minutes because the ball quickly came apart!

My friends thought the helping children in need was a fun idea. I hope it helped them realize that everything is not about us.

One of my friends wondered how often children in other countries must have to stop their games in order to fix their homemade soccer balls.

My parents and I plan to visit Ismael and my family’s other sponsored child, Kassandra, on a sponsor tour in February. I’m bringing a new soccer ball to Ismael.

It’s going to be fun to see how he will react when I give him his own soccer ball!

My friends and I raised enough money to purchase 15 soccer balls through Compassion’s Christmas gift catalog.

I probably would have had this kind of birthday party even if I wasn’t Ismael’s sponsor, but because I do sponsor him, it helped me make my decision more easily because I know what his situation is like.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Bethany Fristad is from Sartell, Minn., majoring in communication arts at Wartburg College in Iowa. After she graduates, she plans to work in the nonprofit field and continue being a strong advocate for Compassion!

Noah Gerdes is in the 6th grade in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., where he enjoys reading and playing football, basketball, soccer and the saxophone. He also keeps very close track of the statistics for all 32 NFL teams!

Kaley works in constituent marketing for Compassion U.S.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

It’s the middle of December, a midmorning in the middle of the week. Most people are working, but at this hour of the day the church is full. What’s going on?

Wind carries the sounds of songs and shouts of joy from the Hermon Baptist Church that can be heard from a block away.

Once inside the building, happy faces, balloons and nice decorations complement the sounds heard from the distance. There is a celebration, a Christmas celebration for children of the Fe y Esperanza Student Center located in Managua, Nicaragua.

Activity begins with a devotional time where the word of God is shared with the audience to emphasize the real meaning of Christmas.

The event also includes a fine display of talents from children who sing, perform drama, and other activities. Parents are proud of their children’s performances and applause follows each presentation.

All the plans for this final activity of the year are a great success. The time spent in planning, preparing the budget and organizing everything is well worth the final result.

The Christmas excitement began a few weeks ago when each registered child attended a toy and clothes exposition where children could select from among a variety of items to indicate what they wanted for Christmas. Once selected, presents were marked with children’s names and codes to be set aside for the day of giving the presents.

Weeks passed and the big day is finally here. This morning is Christmas for the children. They will soon have in their hands the long-awaited toy or clothes they chose.

The older ones might wait until Christmas day to open or wear their gift, but the little ones will open their presents as soon as they leave the center. Either way, all registered children, sponsored and unsponsored, are pleased with what they receive.

After the devotional time, children stand in lines by age to receive the presents, a little snack and candies. All of them go home happy.

Development center director Lidia shares,

“Traditionally, the church celebrates Christmas with a special service on Christmas day. Dinner is served for all families that want to stay at church after the service and everyone fellowships until midnight.

For children in general there is a toy fair. The church gives children play money starting in September. This is given for attendance at church services, participation in class, good behavior, bringing a guest and other requirements.

In December the collected play money will serve to ‘buy’ toys, imitation jewelry, clothes, etc., that church leaders have gathered from donations in the previous months. Children who attended church regularly have more ‘money’ to ‘buy’ at the toy fair.”

It’s a fun activity for the children and their parents. Children can get as many things as they can afford with the amount of play money they have. Whatever children get from the toy fair becomes a new item for their Christmas.

No matter how difficult their situations might be at home, children can always expect their present.

While adults are immersed in problems and crises, for children there is no crisis that can take away their joy for the arrival of Christmas.

“Christmas is a special date for children when they expect a gift, something very important for them because they know it comes from their sponsors.”

Taking into consideration the living conditions of these children, none of them could get a nice present like the one received at the center; that is why older children understand and value the help received from the student center and church.

Parents are also aware of the benefits and value the support received from the center.

Many of them are self-employed and do not have enough income to cover the weekly family expenses.

That’s the case of Thelma, mother of a registered child. She is sometimes employed washing and ironing, and her income changes from week to week.

Although she only has one child under her care, hardships come her way.

“An average of what I make a week is $13.00 dollars. This is not enough to cover all of the expenses of my son and me.”

People in the community are mostly self-employed (selling tortillas, street vendors, small grocery store owners), or are domestic service or factory workers. Lidia tells us,

“There are many homes of registered children that have a very difficult economic situation, which cannot afford to buy all products of basic need, neither a gift like the one they received today.”

This year is not the exception for families who cannot buy a present for their children; however they find relief with the student center. Thelma shares more,

“They do an efficient job. I am thankful with God for giving us the opportunity to have our children here. It’s a great help and all children of the community are benefited with the center.”

In the middle of it all, the meaning of Christmas is of great importance. The child development center staff and church leaders make sure that each child understands the reason behind the presents.

Thelma’s son Kevin wants us to know,

“Christmas is a family time and also a celebration that Jesus was born.

I am also more than thankful with my sponsors for all they have done for me, because of the support they send me, because they write to me.”

This joyful time is made possible because of the generosity of many people around the world that have the willingness in their heart to share with others a little of what they have.

To them, Lidia expresses,

“Thank you to all the men and women who bring joy to many homes. This blessing means something great for us.”

The morning ends with a sense of satisfaction; everything went well. Our child development center staff begin cleaning the work area as soon as each one finishes giving out presents. The place looks as if nothing has happened; it becomes quiet, nice and clean.

There are no more sounds of music or children shouting. Little by little the staff begin to take a seat; this year’s joyful Christmas celebration has finished.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I have a confession to make: I’m not a huge fan of Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I hate celebrating Jesus’ birth or spending time with family and friends or enjoying delicious turkey dinners. It’s the pressure that comes around gifts.

I like to get people gifts, especially when I know it’s something that will make them smile.

I bought a copy of Beauty and the Beast for my oldest daughter awhile back, and she threw herself on the floor and squealed with glee (ah, to be 4 again…).

My wife and I went to Chicago to attend a conference back in April, so I got tickets for an architectural tour of the city and she was thrilled (she loves history and city planning).

My youngest daughter and I went to Starbucks and I bought her a cookie and she was ecstatic (it’s so easy to please an almost-2-year-old).

So Christmas is easy when it comes to other people. But I get really uncomfortable when people ask me what I want for a gift.

Deciding what to ask for isn’t easy in part because I’m in that stage of life where if there’s something I really want, I can get it myself. Adding in my specialized interests — I am the weirdo who asked for a primer in biblical Greek and Spurgeon’s autobiography for Christmas — I typically find myself scrambling to pull together something that isn’t going to result in headaches or expense.

One of the things my wife and I decided early on in our marriage was that we wanted Christmas to be about more than getting — we didn’t want wish lists to be the focus.

As we read the scriptures, we saw these reminders that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) and that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). Those reminders really hit home for us.

That’s what we wanted Christmas in our family to be about — to remind ourselves of this truth and teach our children the same.

There are a few ways we’re doing that:

One way is that we look for needs that we can practically meet right here in our community, whether giving to the local food bank or doing something as simple as buying a cup of coffee for a stranger.

Another way is taking an opportunity to give to ministries that have been a blessing to our family and are helping move the gospel forward.

And a third way is looking for ways to bless the global poor with gifts like what you’d see in the Gifts of Compassion catalog – giving tools to help others earn an income, stay healthy and get an education.

• Give a Gift of Compassion: United States | Canada | Australia

These may not be mind-blowingly original ideas, but they’ve really helped us relieve the pressure that comes around gifts as we focus on others rather than ourselves.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Sponsored children receive letters from their sponsors. Unsponsored children do not.

Andrea, one of the Compassion workers and our translator, told me that the only time there is a true distinction between a child who is unsponsored and a child who is sponsored is when letters are handed out. It’s a little bit like the unsponsored children are wearing scarlet letters.

This Christmas things are different. We came to Ecuador to hand deliver the Christmas cards you created for the unsponsored children.

To date your Christmas Cards have been delivered to the Embajadores de Dios Student Center and the Nuevo Amanecer Student Center! Some of the facilitators at other centers have already gone to the Compassion Ecuador office to pick up cards for their centers as well!

Now, I’m going to be honest: handing out the cards has been a little awkward for me. It seems that the children don’t quite know what to make of them, at first. They examine them carefully, watching as I hand cards out to the other children, and then quietly compare their cards with the other kids in the room.

But then there’s a change. I start hearing their little voices mumbling and I look around to see that they’re reading their cards. Each face wearing a very intent and serious look as they grasp their cards and read them aloud.

Enter celebration!

After the children read their cards they walk around, waving them in the air, excited to have received a letter!

I can’t express what truly beautiful moments these have been. You’ve caused such great joy and excitement and I believe the cards caused such a stirring in their little hearts. I never saw one card abandoned or laid down. They clung to them, they waved them in the air, and they read them over and over.

Thank you for making this possible.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I’d like to share with you something that startled me this morning. Yesterday the team and I visited Nuevo Amanecer (New Dawn) Student Center here in Ecuador. I spent much of my evening processing what the Lord had shown me during the day.

Then, this morning I re-read some of my journal entries from last night, and when I finished I finally realized the children I had written about are living in poverty.

I had been thinking of them like they were children in my hometown, in my own neighborhood. How could I be in a community with such need and not connect that the children at the child development center lived in the community?

I walked off the bus yesterday morning and entered extreme poverty. But 30 seconds later I was on the church property where the child development center is also located. As far as my mind was concerned, I missed the poverty.

I am not exactly sure when this happened. It may have been somewhere between standing with people begging for food among the stray animals and entering a room filled with children smiling and laughing. The children all looked so healthy, so loved, so filled with hope.

Compassion’s mission, as most of us know, is to “release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.” I’ve always considered this a mission to “get behind,” but now I also find myself considering what a big mission it is.

Our mission is a monumental undertaking. It’s not just to feed children, it’s not just to make sure children are physically healthy, it’s not even to make sure they have heard the gospel – it’s all of this, yes, but it is also a mission that proclaims when children graduate from our Child Sponsorship Program they are mature, responsible Christian adults able to care and provide for themselves, and in a place where they can serve their communities.

The ability to release a child from a life of poverty is a noble mission. But is it being done?

The director of this center explained to us that the children registered into our sponsorship program in his community are facing many difficulties.

• Several parents of these children are divorced.
• Many of the fathers are alcoholics and unable to love and care for their children.
• Most of these children are being raised by single mothers.

So how did I journal and process my experience yesterday and, in a way, forget that these children live in poverty?

I think the volunteers at this center, the facilitator, the pastor and the director understand the importance of eradication. I know they rely on God for the victory, but I think your faithfulness and your commitment to your sponsored children is running poverty out of the minds and hearts of these children.

Let me assure you, all the children I talked with mentioned you and the letters they get from you. Also, as a side note, they love to hear about your pets!

All this to say, these children truly are being released from poverty. Thank you for what you’re doing.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

For many people, Christmas is a time of celebration and thanksgiving — a time filled with family and steeped in tradition. It is a time of praise and gratitude as we reflect on the birth of Jesus, our Savior.

For a child in poverty, Christmas can be very different. It may reinforce the hopelessness they experience daily; it can be a vivid reminder to parents that they are unable to provide for their children. It can be a day to get through instead of a day to enjoy.

Thanks to your love, thousands of children around the world who live in poverty do know of the hope of Christ and wait, just like any other child, in anticipation for Christmas Day.

Christmas for children registered in our programs is a celebration. Our centers usually have Christmas plays and music. Children are given special gifts, which are purchased through our Christmas Gift Program. When the children are presented with these gifts, they are told that the gifts are from you.

Of course, not every child registered in our programs has a sponsor. There are many children still waiting for someone to choose them. Our Christmas Gift Program ensures that every registered child, sponsored or unsponsored, receives a gift. Unsponsored children are told that the gift is from someone who cares about them very much.

That said, is there any difference at Christmas for a sponsored child and an unsponsored child?

The answer is yes.

Unsponsored children attend the celebration held at the center and receive Christmas gifts. Technically, unsponsored children receive all the benefits a sponsored child receives …

Except a Christmas card.

Most sponsored children also receive a card or letter from their sponsors at Christmas.

Many of you know that writing your sponsored child truly makes an impact. God uses your letters and words of encouragement to pierce hopelessness and to dry up the lies that attack your child.

How much more could your words mean during a season that celebrates the birth of our Savior?

I asked our Country Office staff, and staff from our child development centers in Ecuador who work closely with the children, to answer some questions about this.

I first asked, “What is the reaction of unsponsored children when they don’t get a Christmas card?” Each person had a similar response:

“They wonder why they don’t get a letter or a card. Of course we explain the situation to them and tell them it’s because they don’t have a sponsor, but that’s not enough for a child. This is something that makes unsponsored kids feel very sad and even discouraged. They start to say things like, ‘Why can’t I get a letter too?’” — Yovi de Racines, Secretary of “Camino de Santidad” Mission (This mission includes several child development centers in coastal Ecuador.)

“They feel frustrated and wonder why other children get a card and they don’t. This is really frustrating because it creates an evident difference between unsponsored and sponsored children.” — Betty Estacio, Country Office staff member from the northern region of Ecuador

“They feel left out and suddenly they find themselves wondering why they don’t receive anything. That’s when we explain the situation to them. We tell them it’s all because they don’t have a sponsor, but we also tell them they will receive special things in the near future. Of course that’s not totally enough to them, but at least makes them feel better. They feel sad until they finally forget about it.” — Maricruz Garófalo, Center Director of Puerta del Cielo (Gate of Heaven) student center in Ecuador

I also asked our staff, “How do the sponsored children feel when they receive a card from their sponsor?”

“They feel extremely excited and that excitement is the result of knowing someone cares for them in a genuine way. They think and feel that other people who live so far away care for them through the distance. “ — Betty Estacio

“First of all, they feel a rush of joy. They feel happy and very important. Generally, all the children show their cards to their friends.” — Yovi de Racines

“It is thrilling to see the joy in the little kids’ faces because many times the sponsors write about the things they do on Christmas and some of them are way different from what we do here.” — Mireya Benalcázar, Secretary at Puerta del Cielo (Gate of Heaven) student center in Ecuador

“Christmas is the most special time of the year for the children, so I believe greeting cards are a huge motivation to them, especially when they come from their sponsors. This simple detail can really motivate a child to keep on writing letters to his/her sponsor and make him/her feel loved and taken care of.” — Romel Cerda, Center Director of New Jerusalem student center in Ecuador

We know the impact a Christmas card can make in the life of a child, especially a child still waiting for the love of a sponsor.

If you are a sponsor and you have written to your sponsored child and/or you have contributed to the Christmas Gift Program, thank you. The hope and joy you are bringing to a child in need this Christmas is immeasurable.

As for the hundreds of unsponsored children who will not receive such a card, will you help us bring hope and joy to them this year?

We’ll tell you how you can help tomorrow.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Working in the contact center, I speak to many sponsors who ask for directions for sending a package to their sponsored child. Regrettably, packages can’t be sent. However, you can send a monetary gift – an option many sponsors I speak with are unaware of.

We do not accept packages, primarily because of customs and duty costs. In most cases, the cost of shipping and duty would exceed the value of the gift. Also, the risk of theft or loss of the package while in route is very high.

We send all of our mail through customs as “documents.” There isn’t a fee for shipping a document. However, if customs opens one of our boxes of letters and finds a piece of jewelry, they will hold that entire box of letters until they receive the customs fee for that item. This can cause letters to be unnecessarily held for long periods of time.

Each day, we receive items that we are unable to ship. Our correspondence team is in charge of contacting you to see if you would like the item returned or donated to a local charity. Doing this is quite a task as these items tend pile up fairly quickly.

I understand that it’s disappointing not to be able to pick out your child’s gift and send it directly. Putting the thought, time and effort into sending a gift conveys love and sometimes “just” sending money seems impersonal. But if you’re willing to spend the money to purchase items here in the U.S., won’t you consider forwarding the money to your sponsored child? The money you send helps stimulate the economy in your child’s community, instead of here in the U.S.

Why should I give a gift?

The simplest answer I can give you is that it blesses your sponsored child and the child’s family and is a way to meet the needs in their lives. Monetary gifts to your sponsored children mean new outfits, their first pair of shoes, or the beginning of an income-generating business for the family.

Last fall, I sent a family gift to my sponsored child, Angela, in Bolivia. Incredibly, she and her family were able to buy so much with what I sent. With $75 American dollars, they were able to purchase a blue jean jacket, undergarments, a wool poncho, a jacket, a skirt, school materials, shoes for several members of her family, food supplies and a backpack for Angela’s brother, Jose.

The child development center staff even sent a picture of Angela with her family and everything they bought. Letters acknowledging the gift are sent every time a gift is received, but not everyone receive pictures.

If you send a gift of more than $60 you should receive a picture of your sponsored child posing with what was purchased. However, not all child development centers have the capability to send pictures.

I want to send a gift to my sponsored child. How does it work?

After we close our books for the month, our finance department receives a list of all the gifts given during that month. For most countries, we convert the gift into the country’s currency and transfer the funds to the country office’s bank. Some of our offices will either have their bank make the exchange from U.S. dollars to the local currency, or they will just use U.S. dollars.

Once the country office receives the money, a staff member transfers the funds to the respective child development centers. Some centers receive the money by check and some receive it directly transferred into a bank account. This entire process can take two to three months.

After the center staff receive the money, they set up a meeting with your sponsored child. In the meeting the staff member informs the child of your gift and discusses what some of the child’s and family’s needs are.

Next, your child signs for the gift to acknowledge that it was received. They then head to the market where the staff member helps your child purchase the items.

One hundred percent of what you give is used to make the purchase.

Finally, your sponsored child will write you a letter letting you know what was purchased and possibly include a picture, depending on the amount of the gift and your child’s center.

If you do not receive a letter within six months of sending your gift, please contact us. We will contact our country office for more information.

What kind of gifts can I send?

You have a few different options for sending a monetary gift. Each year, you can send $10 to $50 as a birthday gift, $10 to $50 as a general gift, and $25 to $1,000 as a family gift.

A birthday gift will be just that – a birthday gift for your child. When you send a family gift, the child and his or her family decide together what to purchase. A general gift can be sent for any reason and can used by the child or family to purchase what is needed at that time.

You also have the option of donating any amount, we typically suggest $20, to the Christmas Gift Program on your sponsored child’s behalf.

Although other gifts can be given any time of year, we request that gifts to the Christmas Gift Program be given by October 31, 2010 to ensure that the gifts are delivered by Christmas.

Wow! This is so great, Shaina! I am going to send a gift every month.

That’s actually not the best idea. Your sponsored child’s family most likely lives on less than $2 a day and a monetary gift will mean quite a bit to them. To help avoid creating a sense of dependence on your gifts we discourage doing this. Also, monthly gifts can lead to jealousy within the community and put your sponsored child and family at risk.

I really want to send my child a gift, but I can send only $5 this month.

The cost associated with processing the monetary gifts means we can’t accept gifts for less than $10. I encourage you to set your $5 aside, join it with another one of its $5 friends the following month, and then send the gift to us.

When I was little, I had the cutest teddy bear. I really want my sponsored child to have the same thing.

While you are welcome to suggest what you would like your sponsored child to purchase, the child makes the final decision regarding what is purchased. If your sponsored child is too young to make the decision on their own, the child’s family will help with the decision.

So do you have to send a gift to your child?

No. Does it bless them and their family incredibly? Yes. Emphatically, yes.

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