4 Ways To Love Your Sponsored Child

5 years ago, we met our first child-across-the-globe on paper, because of a video at a conference. You should see how he’s grown these years, how he’s changed.

You should see how he’s changed us.

Last Sunday, our family was blessed to encourage our church to sponsor children through Compassion International. I cannot thank the leadership of our church enough for organizing this. Because praise God ~ nearly 150 children, mostly from an extremely poor region of Bolivia, now have Aunties and Uncles and “adopted” siblings at Southbridge Fellowship.

They will be loved.

Compassion staff in Bolivia will care for their physical needs and train them to support themselves one day.  They’ll train them to lead, and many of them will grow up and lead in their own communities. They’ll tell them the life-changing story of Jesus, and we hope every one will be released from poverty in Jesus’ name.

My husband and I loved helping people find a child to sponsor. Some looked for a child close in age to their own children. Some looked for children who had been waiting a long time for a sponsor. Some welled up in tears and said, I think we’ve found our girl. I couldn’t help but share those tears, because of what I know.

These children will soon learn they’ve been picked. They’ve been chosen, and their lives will change. Not only that,but a group of ordinary people–who just became sponsors–will be changed.

At the tables Sunday, some had questions. They really wanted to do this thing well. So here are my–

4 ways to love your sponsored child well:

1. Pray for them. Frame their picture and display it in your home. Let it remind you to pray for your new, extended family.
2. Write them regularly. This is the heart of sponsorship–building a relationship. So set a schedule and write your child, once a month or every other month. You may want to use Compassion’s website, where you can write and upload recent photos. Tell them about yourself, and encourage them. Share your hope. If you wish, send small, flat gifts like stickers, bandaids, baseball cards, drawings, or small paper craft projects. Search for CI on Pinterest, and you’ll find loads of ideas. Just remember, your letters do not need to be pinnable. They just want to know you!
3. Follow the Compassion Blog. They do an excellent job of sharing resources, so don’t miss it. You might even want to use their curriculum to learn more about the developing world with your kids or grandkids.
4. Think about visiting. Pray God will make it happen someday. It may seem impossible, but I encourage you to ask for it, and take the opportunity when it comes. It might be the best thing you ever do! (Read about our visit with our Compassion kids here.)

If you already sponsor a child, what would you add to this list? Share with us in the comments!