Christmas Letters 2022

If you sponsor a child through Manna 4 Lempira, the deadline has already passed to send Christmas letters.  Even though I’m late to sharing what I wrote to my sponsored kids, I still wanted to share in case you want to use this theme while writing letters for another organization or for future years.  Here is what I wrote:

Hello beautiful!  I am writing this letter around the time of Christmas 2022.  I hope you have a beautiful Christmas celebration with your family!  Christmas is a time to celebrate that Jesus was born to save us from sin so we can be children of God.  

There is a song I like to listen to at Christmastime called Oh Holy Night.  One of the lines of the song says “He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.”  This is so beautiful to me because it reminds us that we are worth so much to God, He sent His Son here just to save us!  Because He wanted us to be His children!  I have a shirt I like to wear at Christmas that has the words to the song on it, “…and the soul felt its worth.”

Precious girl, you are worth so much to God.  He sees you and loves you.  I pray that your heart is filled with so much joy this Christmas season, knowing you are deeply loved forever.

Manna 4 Lempira Backpacks 2022

Sponsoring a child through Manna 4 Lempira means getting the chance to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts once a year. I hope this overview of the backpacks I packed for my sponsored children will help you as you pack! 

Most important are the school supplies themselves!  While I love to fit as many fun gifts into backpacks as possible, I try to remember that the main point of the program is to send children to school and send fun and quality school supplies.  The items I am sending to each child are: 5-6 composition notebooks (chosen because the harder covers are less likely to bend en route), 24 pencils, 2 packs of colored pencils, 2 pencil sharpeners, and 2+ erasers.  Older children are also receiving pens and scientific calculators.  Younger children are also receiving crayons.  One girl specifically requested Wite Out correction tape, so she will receive this too.  I especially love the pencils I chose for some of my older girls, which are pastel colored on the outside but have rainbow shavings when sharpened.  The older girls’ backpacks have clear pockets in the front where they can display whatever they choose, even photos.

Both styles of older girl bags with one set of supplies

Both styles of younger girl bags with one set of supplies

Close up of the pencils

I’ve been sponsoring children for ten years now, which means many of the girls who I’ve sponsored since they were little are becoming teenagers. Their needs are increasing and they are starting to express more of their goals and interests. Two girls specifically are already working towards their careers.  Saudy (13) is learning to make and sell jewelry.  Estefani (16) is taking lessons to style acrylic nails.  So, I gathered a bunch of supplies to help as they get started.  I plan to visit Honduras right around the time backpacks are sent, so half of each girls’ supplies will actually be given to them during the visit and half will be sent in backpacks. I am showing all of it here since I’m not sure exactly how it will be divided.

All of Saudy's bead supplies (UPDATE: The princess set in the top ended up going to one of my other girls instead.)

All of Estefani’s nail styling supplies

In addition to school supplies, the program is great about making sure a toy is added to every backpack, to bring some extra joy and excitement to the children on backpack distribution day.  I like to send the toy myself, just so I know my sponsored children will get things that cater to their interests.  This year, my older girls are each getting a soccer ball.  My younger girls are each getting either a doll or a stuffed animal.

After the school supplies and toy, sponsors can fill the remaining space in their child’s backpack with just about anything.  When I asked for feedback on their favorite gifts from last year’s backpacks, almost all of my girls mentioned the diaries.  So, I wanted to send more writing supplies.  I filled these organza bags with journals, colored pen sets, and stickers.  My younger girls who aren’t old enough to write yet are instead getting plastic beads.

Next, I try to always include clothing.  Not only is it a necessity that helps the families, but it’s fun for the kids to dress up and fun for us sponsors to see photos of them wearing the clothing throughout the year.  As I’ve watched several of my girls grow into teens and pre teens, I’ve realized many of them may be starting to outgrow some of the frilly dresses and colorful graphic t-shirts I’ve sent in the past.  So, I wanted to focus on sending practical clothing and accessories.  Each girl will receive at least 2 shirts, a pair of jeans, and a set of hair accessories.  Most ended up with more clothing and accessories than this.  Here are just a few of my favorites

Most of the clothing all together

Most of the accessories all together

Katrin (age 9)

Flor (age 6)

Multiple girls ages 13-14

Most of my girls in the 12-17 age range will also receive a nail polish set.  I wanted to send an extra pretty gift since their clothing isn’t as colorful and fun as the younger girls.  I chose nail polish rather than more jewelry because it’s an activity they can do with friends.  I usually avoid liquids for fear they will break and leak; but I felt strongly that this was the right gift, so I am taking the risk.  One of the program leaders told me nail polish has arrived safely in the past and was greatly loved by the girls.  The nail polish bottles will be individually wrapped in paper towels, placed inside of a ziplock bag, and then inside of a cosmetic bag.  If you don’t want to send liquids, you can send nail stickers such as these, these, and these.  Or fake nails like these.  I’m sending these floral nail stickers with their upcoming letters, which should arrive around the same time as backpacks.  Another idea of a beauty item that can be shared with friends is hair chalk, though this is less practical for everyday use.  

To encourage spiritual growth, I included bibles for the 4 girls who haven’t gotten one from me before, and Christian books for everyone else.  The older girls will receive either Live Your Faith or A Girl’s Guide to Making Good Decisions.  These books by Elizabeth George are extremely important topics for this age range- encouraging girls to not simply learn the Word of God, but also to live it.  The younger girls will receive The Jesus Storybook Bible, which is a wonderful storybook that points all stories, both old and new testament, to salvation in Jesus.

Older girl books

This bible for Hiliany (15) has floral pages

Younger girl books

I still hope to add toothbrushes, and keychains to hang on the backpacks.  Other than these things, my gifts are complete!

Princess Letter

This is a copy of the princess-themed letter I send to all of my sponsored girls towards the beginning of our sponsorship.  It teaches about being a child of God in a fun age-appropriate way.  

Dear Princess,

Today I want to tell you something very special. Did you know you can be a princess? God is the King of the universe. He loves you so much that he wants to crown your heart with glory (great beauty) and let you be His daughter and His princess forever. Do you want to know how?

God loves us so much that He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, to earth to die and receive the punishment of our sins so that we can be free from sin and be children of the perfect God.  Sins are things we do wrong like lying, arguing, having jealousy, or disobeying our parents. Three days later, Jesus resurrected and defeated sin! If we want to become children of God forever, we just need to believe this, confess that Jesus saved us from our sins, and turn to follow him. 

If we do this, He will fill us with His Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with great beauty. The Holy Spirit will always be with us to comfort us, teach us, and help us make good decisions. Because God is the King, if we are His children, we are princesses!

You are so special and loved, princess. See you soon!

Princess letter I sent to my Ashley in 2019, including princess stickers & necklace

Baptism Letter

In my Christmas and Easter letters, I wrote on the theme of salvation and following Jesus.  For all of my children ages 11 and up, I am continuing this theme into my May letters where I will be talking about baptism and sharing the story of my baptism.  Here is what I wrote:

Hello, beautiful girl!  How are you?  I am well, thanks to God.  I am writing this letter in May 2022.  In my Easter letter, I wrote to you about being a follower of Jesus.  Today, I want to write to you about one more part of that- baptism.  Baptism is a celebration that the bible tells us to do when we become followers of Jesus, to declare our faith to others.  Baptism is when you go somewhere like a river or pool and get dunked under the water.  Going under the water symbolizes our sins being washed away and our old sinful spirits dying.  When we rise up out of the water, it symbolizes being born again; which means starting life as a child of God.  Have you been baptized, or do you want to?  If you want to, please tell a leader at church, the sponsorship program, your family, or me when I visit.  

I was baptized when I was 17 years old.  My baptism was at the pool of a hotel near where I live.  I was baptized by my pastor and his son.  My mom and my friends came to watch.  I wore a shirt with a cross on it that my sister painted for me.  The shirt had the bible verse John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

With this letter, I'm sending you a photo of my baptism.  I'm also sending you a coloring page of some ocean waves, to remind you of baptism.  You can color the waves, write prayers in between them or under them, or cut them out to use as a bookmark in your bible or decoration in your diary.  While you do this, I encourage you to talk to God about baptism and all of the other ways you can celebrate your faith.

You can send any number of things along with this letter: photos of your own baptism, water-themed coloring pages or stickers, bible chapters mentioning baptism, and so much more.

And while I didn't do it this time due to space limits (I sent the letter by email to be printed for the children in country), you can also send baptism-related journaling prompts or questions for the child to dwell on if they are considering being baptized.  If any of my children respond expressing interest in baptism, I will do this for them in the future.  Some questions you can send are:

- Why do you want to be baptized?
- What do you think baptism means?
- What is sin?
- What is the consequence of sin?
- Do you believe that to be free from sin, be children of God, and go to Heaven, we need a perfect Savior (Jesus) to take that consequence for us? 
- Do you believe that Jesus died to take this consequence for you and rose again to defeat sin?
- How can someone receive this free gift and become a Christian?

Easter Letters 2022

If you sponsor a child through Manna 4 Lempira, the deadline to send Easter cards has already passed.  I was delayed in posting these blogs, but still wanted to share what I wrote in my Easter cards in case you need ideas for children through other sponsorship organizations, or for future years.  Truly, though, this theme can be used at any time of year.

In my Christmas letters, I started a theme of salvation and repentance.  Click here to view that post.  I continued this theme for Easter, talking about being a true follower of Jesus.  Here is the letter I wrote to my older girls (ages 11 and up).  My two younger girls got a much simpler version of the message.

 Happy Easter (name)!

 On Easter, we celebrate the love of God. God loves us so much that he sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from sin so we could be His children and live forever in heaven as children of God. Jesus died to pay for our sins and rose again to defeat them. To become children of God forever, we just need to believe this and turn to Him in repentance.

 In the Bible, in Luke 9:23, Jesus says, "If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

 This verse tells us to put aside our own ways and sins and turn to following Jesus. Just like Jesus sacrificed for us on the cross, He asks us to sacrifice our own ways and sins and turn to what He has for us. That is what this verse means when it says "take up your cross." We don't need to know everything right away. Just take the first step to follow Jesus and He will show us. 

In addition to this handwritten card with a cross design on the front, each girl received some floral cross stickers.  Some also received a few extra floral and/or Christian stickers I had saved.