How to write a wonderful letter to the child you sponsor

Sponsored children love receiving messages and greetings! But what to write? Sometimes we sit down and writer’s block creeps in. To help you out, we’re sharing our top tips for writing messages that will bless the hearts of the children you sponsor!

1) Write words of love, support and encouragement

We all need to be encouraged and affirmed in our walk through life. This is especially important for the child you sponsor; poverty creates struggles which can make a child feel they’re unseen and have no value. Knowing that someone, somewhere in the world, cares about them and is praying for them has an enormous impact on sponsored children.

“I have had the same sponsor for seven years, since I began at the project. I am happy because I can speak with her through letters. I feel like I am part of her family and she is from mine.” Estrella, 13 years old, Guatemala

2) Share your favourite Bible verse

Here are some of our favourite Bible verses which you could copy and paste into a template on your myCompassion page, or via our App:

• May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

• “For the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

• “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

• “The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3

• “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

How to write a wonderful letter to your sponsored child

3) Show an interest by asking questions

Questions you can ask your sponsored child in your letters:

• Who are your family members?

• How old are your siblings?

• What is your favourite colour?

• Which sports do you enjoy?

• Do you have a favourite Bible verse?

• Which subjects do you enjoy at school?

4) Share about yourself and your life

Letter writing skills take time to learn and might be new for the child you sponsor. It’ll take time for them to learn to read, write and express themselves, so be patient. Enjoy seeing their skills and confidence develop over time.

You can help by sharing about yourself, your life and interests. The children in our programme are very curious to know about their sponsors and you’ll be modelling what makes for an interesting letter!

Here are some of the many topics you could cover over time…

• Introduce yourself and your family.

• Share about your hobbies.

• Do you enjoy travelling? Is there a particular country you’re interested in? Have you ever visited the country or continent where your sponsored child lives?

• Share sensitively about your holidays. We’ve put together some specific writing tips about how to share about your holidays in your letters and cards.

• Share about the culture, customs and holidays in the UK. How do you celebrate Christmas or Easter?

• Your sponsored child may be interested in your work, school or church. Share more about what you do and why you enjoy it.

5) Be encouraged: sponsored children cherish your letters!

6) Avoid jargon or slang that's hard to translate

When you write your letter or greeting, ‘think’ in your child’s language and culture. Take a moment to ask yourself if your letter would make sense to a child.

7) Send a photo

The child you support will love receiving photos. When you send a message online via our App or your MyCompassion page, you can easily attach a photo, or several.

Letter writing ideas

8) Involve your children or grandchildren

If you sponsor as a family, why not encourage your kids to get involved and start writing letters and cards to your sponsored child. They’ll not only learn about life in a developing country, they’ll improve their own writing skills at the same time!

9) Book it in!

Set aside a regular time to send a message. You could set a recurring calendar prompt on your phone as a handy reminder, and then log straight into our App. Messages only need to be short to express that you’re thinking of the child you sponsor. They will feel deeply loved and valued to know you are thinking of them and praying for them.

We know that children love receiving letters from their sponsors, so log into your myCompassion account today and send a letter or a greeting.