Letters for Lavin: January

Yesterday I talked about one of my goals for 2013.  This is the first letter of the year I've written for my sponsored daughter, Lavin.  The last letter I received from her was a little before Christmas.

I try to find cards that have a decent amount of writing space inside, but are also bright and colorful for the child to enjoy.

One thing I would like to clarify is that my daughter, Lavin, is fifteen years old.  She reads and writes English fairly well.  She can comprehend a lot of subjects now that she would not have understood when I first began to sponsor her.  If your child is new to English or very young, I would encourage you to write much more simply than I write to Lavin.  With that in mind, here are the contents of my first letter to Lavin:

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Be sure to remind your child that you are praying for him.  Quoting Scripture over him is such a powerful way to share the Gospel and offer discipleship.  The things you say are powerful to your sponsored child.  You are an adopted parent to him; he admires you so much and will listen eagerly to what you have to say.

Telling your child that you love her and are proud of her is important.  You may be the first in her life to speak those words, which can change everything for her confidence and self-esteem.  I once had a conversation with a sponsored child who told me, "I did not always work hard in school because I did not realize it was important, but when my sponsor mentored me and told me that it was important I worked hard and that he believed I could succeed, my grades improved so much that I rose to the top of my class."  Your encouragement is so important to your child's development!

I sent Lavin a few gifts in my letter, including:

• A bookmark with the books of the Bible
• A hologram sticker of a Panda
• Glittery flower stickers on a sheet
• Five pictures: one of my family (with names of everyone written on the back), one of me and my dad, one of only me, and two of me and my best friend/adopted sister.

Sending photographs of your family is a great way for your child to feel like he knows about your life and belongs with you.

Notice that everything I'm sending Lavin fits neatly into the envelope.

I hope this was helpful in your letter-writing to your sponsored child.  Remember also that you can send letters electronically to your child on the Christian Relief Fund website!

If you decide to join with me and commit to writing one letter per year to your child, let me know in the comments.  If you do not sponsor a child but would like to do so, check out www.christianrelieffund.org.  Also feel free to ask questions about letter-writing or child sponsorship in the comments.  I am passionate about child sponsorship and would love to answer any questions you have.