How to Go From Guilt to Gratitude With Your Letter Writing

Promise is wearing a maroon shirt with a red and blue patterned skirt. She is laying on her bed and is reading a letter from her sponsor.

If you haven’t written to your sponsored child for a while — or ever — you’re not alone. So don’t feel guilty. Read their letter and be reminded of the difference you’re making in their life; then write a few lines in return before life gets in the way. You’ll go from guilt to gratitude in minutes.

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Sponsors Share Their Best Letter Writing Tips

Fortune holds up letters from her sponsors. She is smiling and wearing a colorful dress.

For the best letter writing tips, go straight to the experts: sponsors! Recently we put out a call on our Facebook page asking for the best advice about writing to children in Compassion’s program. From practical to unique, their letter writing tips will inspire you to send a note the child you sponsor — and remind you that your words of encouragement make a world of difference!

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How to Get to Know Your Sponsored Child’s Family

Have you ever had one of those awesome, world-colliding moments when people from two different parts of your life meet? Like bringing a significant other home to meet your family for the first time. Or introducing your friends from church to your friends from work at your birthday party. These experiences only come around every now and then. And I love them.

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A woman wearing a pink shirt and a young boy in a black shirt smile as they hold up a cake reading

How Do You Make Your Sponsored Child Part of Your Daily Life?

Many of the children in our program think about their sponsor as an extension of their family. Maybe you feel the same way about the child you sponsor. You know you want to pray for him or her daily and write letters often. And through those actions and your financial gifts, you’ll no doubt make a powerful impact on your sponsored child’s life. But … you feel the need to do more. You want to incorporate your sponsored child into your daily life as much as possible. The question is: How?

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Three teenage girls smile as one of them holds a letter from her Compassion sponsor.

6 Teens Tell Us What They Like to Hear in Their Sponsors’ Letters

To answer some of sponsors’ common questions about exchanging letters, we asked sponsored teenagers in Ethiopia and Colombia what they like most about their sponsors’ letters — and what they’d love more of.

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Boy wearing a blue shirt with white sleeves. He is standing in front of his bike and is holding a letter he received from his sponsor. Behind him is a tan brick wall.

3 Public Speaking Tips That Improved My Letters to My Sponsored Child

Recently I went to a public speaking workshop. I never thought of myself as a public speaker before I had to give a three-minute talk on the topic of my choice to complete strangers. I wrestled with preparing my talk for nine months! But my mentor shared three tips that helped me — and I realized that these same tips could also be applied in letters to the child I sponsor.

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A Brazilian child wearing a red shirt smiles and stands in front of a wall

10 Creative Ways to Include Your Sponsored Child This Thanksgiving

This year’s Thanksgiving will look a little different. With the changes that COVID-19 has brought, Thanksgiving may not include a large family gathering. But I’m grateful that the pandemic has helped us learn how to celebrate with those we love, without having to be near them. This inspired my family to consider ways to use what we learned to also celebrate with our sponsored children.

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Carol is wearing a maroon sweater and plaid skirt. She is standing outside the Compassion center. There is a blue door and a mural painted on the wall behind her.

5 Biblical Truths to Share With the Child You Sponsor

We all struggle to separate truths from untruths, especially these days.

Children living in poverty are surrounded by untruths too — lies told them by their circumstances of poverty. So when you write to your sponsored child, look for ways to incorporate biblical truths into your letters. Here are five ideas to get you started.

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Young girl wearing a dress with a white bodice and a black skirt. She is standing in an open doorway of her home and she is holding a letter from her sponsor.

3 Ways to Write to the Child You Sponsor

Paralyzed by the thought of mailing anything? Tired of technology? There’s a writing method for you. Here are three easy ways to make writing the child you sponsor a breeze!

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Sitting in a window reading

What to Do If It’s Been a Long Time Since You Received a Letter

Have you ever been so excited to receive a letter from the child you sponsor, but it feels like it’s been forever? I’m sure a lot of us have. And it’s highly likely that you might feel that way during this global pandemic. Here’s when to reach out to us if it has been a while since you received a letter — and tips for while you wait!

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A girl hugs a letter to her chest.

How to Write Your Sponsored Child in a Time of Crisis

Writing letters to your sponsored child during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, requires a little extra thoughtfulness and sensitivity. That’s why we’d like to give you a few tips for writing letters to your sponsored child right now!

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A woman sits at a table, writing a letter.

A Letter-Writing Plan for the New Year

The timeline for when you should write the child you sponsor about upcoming holidays and different topics can be confusing. That’s why we decided we’d start the year off with a handy letter-writing plan to help you understand how to time your letters.

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