By the Calendar: 12 Ideas for Writing to the Child You Sponsor in 2022
As the new year begins, I’m always thinking about the calendar. It’s probably because of the yearly planning we all tend to do. (Got to get after those goals, am I right?) Or maybe it’s because every year for the past 16 years I’ve received a wall calendar for Christmas from a dear friend. Whatever the case, a good wall calendar or even a digital calendar that you keep up-to-date online can help you prepare for the year to come. Here’s how keeping a calendar helps me figure out when it’s best for me to write to the child I sponsor.
Continue Reading ›Your Top 5 Compassion Stories of 2021
As editor of the Compassion USA blog, I always love looking back over the previous year to see which articles resonated with you the most. It gives me a chance to reflect on the powerful stories and photos that come from our photojournalists around the world and writers in the U.S. I also get an idea of what type of content to gather and share with you in the year to come. In case you missed them, here were the top stories of 2021 on the Compassion USA blog.
Continue Reading ›
We Asked Alumni to Write 1 Final Letter to Their Former Sponsors
Vitoria was the first child I sponsored with Compassion. In her photo, she had pigtails and a shy smile. I wrote letters to her where we talked about the grades she made in school and her dreams to be a veterinarian. I watched her grow up through letters and photos for over a decade. She graduated from the Compassion program in 2015, and I never got to meet her.
The Moment When 2 Sponsors Saw “Behind the Scenes”
It was 1995 when 20-year-old Bonnie picked up a child sponsorship packet from a table at church. She looked down at the photo of a girl in Uganda who was waiting for a sponsor. It would be 26 years before Bonnie realized the magnitude of her decision to become part of Norah’s amazing story by sponsoring her that day.
How to Go From Guilt to Gratitude With Your Letter Writing
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.
Friend Carries On Legacy of Sponsor Killed in 9/11 Attacks
Stacey opens a box and places a stack of papers, photos and cards on the dining room table of her home in a Washington, D.C., suburb.
“This,” she says with a laugh, “this is Angie!” It’s a silly birthday card with a handwritten note. Next, Stacey holds up a newspaper with the headline, “Pentagon Attack Claims Local Woman.” Angie’s obituary is clipped to the side.
Sponsors Share Their Best Letter Writing Tips
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!
Writing Letters Is Inconvenient — And That’s a GOOD Thing!
Writing a letter is inconvenient. But that’s what makes it so beautiful. Inconveniencing yourself can be a gift to the child you sponsor. And it can also be a gift to you.
A Wedding Surprise Highlights Her Incredible Sponsorship Story
For an unsuspecting family in Colombia celebrating a wedding rehearsal dinner, a single word was powerful enough to bring every member to tears: “Sorpresa!”
Wondering what the surprise could be, the family turned to see the last person they could have expected: the Compassion sponsor of the groom, Mateo. For eight months, sponsor Kristen had been regretfully telling Mateo and his family that she wouldn’t be able to make a trip to Colombia for his wedding. But what they didn’t know was that she was determined to be there — and Compassion staff were helping to make it a surprise.
The Day 6-Year-Old Sophia Learned to Dream Without Limits
The world that 6-year-old Sophia sees around her is one of poverty and limitations. But Compassion’s photojournalist in Brazil, Sara Navarro, is among the caring adults who inspire her to dream without limits. Here’s Sara’s story of the day she visited Sophia.
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.
4 Ways Letter Writing Benefits You and the Child You Sponsor
OK, so I need to make a confession … I’m not as good as I should be at writing letters to my sponsored child. And I make all sorts of reasonable excuses for it, too:
“My life is already so busy with my work and kids that it’s hard to find the time.” “I feel like I just wrote a letter a couple months ago.” (It was 10 months ago.) “I need to wait until I have more to say.” “My letters don’t really matter anyway.”
