Are Letters Important?

I've read a lot over the years about the importance of writing to my Compassion kids. Some great articles are found on the Compassion blog, such as "Are My Letters Really That Important?" and "10 Motivating Reasons to Write Your Child". I've read blogs posts from Blogging from the Boonies, such as "Yes, Letters Really Are That Important". I highly recommend reading these posts! They are very insightful and motivational...and say things better than I'll ever be able to! But right now, I want to share why I think letter-writing is important.

First, I see letter writing as a means of fulfilling the great commission. Matthew 28:18-20 says, "18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen" (NKJV). The members of the child's local church will be most of the discipleship work with the child--but we also have the opportunity to help disciple our Compassion child through letters!

Second, it makes Compassion sponsorship personal! When I am writing to my kids and receiving letters and building a relationship with each child, then I spend time thinking about my kids during the day and praying for each child by name. Sponsorship is no longer just a gift of my money, but of my time.

Third, it is a joy! It's hard when your kids don't write frequently or answer your questions. But then those times where you are able to connect with your child are just that much better! And for those of you who need encouragement to keep writing even when it's hard, read this post.

But don't just take my word for it! I asked my friend, Shamim, a former sponsored child what she would want to share to sponsors.

She shared with me that children love to receive letters from their sponsors and that she always felt good when she received letters. She said she loved receiving letters! She also said that receiving gifts was a great experience--from the paper dolls I sent in letters to the birthday and Christmas money. And she said that it is good for sponsors to write letters to their children.

Shamim also said to feel free to ask more questions...so if you have any questions that you would like to ask a formerly sponsored child, please leave a comment with your question and I will ask Shamim!

And sometime soon, I plan on writing a post about fun letter-writing ideas...hopefully they'll provide encouragement and inspiration on your letter writing journey!

Also, the letters included in the post were ones I wrote using Compassion's online templates! I highly recommend using them...they are so much fun and so quick and easy to do!