When I was a little girl, I had an Aunt Joan who would always send me cards. Every holiday I would peek into the mailbox and see her familiar handwriting on that heavy white envelope.
She sent a Christmas card. Birthday. Easter. Fourth of July. No holiday went by without a letter from Aunt Joan. And each one made me feel special. Loved. Remembered. Encouraged.
That’s exactly how your letters make the child you sponsor feel. Special. Loved. Remembered. Encouraged.
11-year-old Maria in Peru smiles from ear to ear as she clutches her letters from her sponsors Brian and Melissa.
But here’s the thing. I never wrote Aunt Joan back. I thought about it. I wish I had. But I never did. But that didn’t matter to her. She didn’t care that I never wrote her. Because letter writing was her ministry to me. And she would do it no matter what my actions were.
Rest assured, the child you sponsor is better at writing letters than me! But in this season, you may not be getting letters as often as you’re used to. Let me encourage you to keep writing. Why?
5. Your child needs to know you’re real.
Most children won’t ever get a chance to meet their sponsor. Your letters are a real, tangible reminder that you’re a real person!
4. The child you sponsor needs to hear “I love you.”
You could literally send a card that ONLY says those three words, and it would be a powerful tool against the darkness children in poverty face daily.
3. Children who receive letters do better in school.
Compassion research has shown that the simple act of receiving a letter makes a child feel more motivated – ready to take on the world!
2. Children who don’t receive letters can feel hopeless.
While I had lots of people in my life telling me I was loved, the child you sponsor may not have someone at home speaking that message.
1. Your words are priceless.
Did you know that sponsored children AND their parents say they’d rather receive letters than physical gifts? That’s huge! Your words are worth so much more than you know!
So, each time you write a letter, imagine the moment the child you sponsor gets called to the front of the room to pick up her letter.
Center Director Abreham Beyene hands out letters to an excited group of children at ET 303 in Nazareth, Ethiopia.
Picture him reading it for the first time.
And then picture your words planting deep within her heart.
You are special.
You are loved.
You are remembered.
Be an Aunt Joan. Write a letter today.
For ideas on what to write today or fun options to send in your letter, head over to our Compassion Letter Club Board on Pinterest where sponsors share their own letter-writing ideas.
Not a member of the Compassion Letter Club? Join in the community by following us on Pinterest and sending an email to compassionpinterest@gmail.com to let us know you what to pin your great letter-writing ideas too!
