Love Lempira Backpacks 2023

As many of you know, I sponsor 7 beautiful girls through the child sponsorship organization Love Lempira (formerly called Manna 4 Lempira).  Sponsorship gives children a strong start in life by providing the tools they need to reach their God-given potential.  This is done through feeding programs, school supply distributions, medical care, bible classes, and letters of mentorship/discipleship from their sponsors.  Part of the program includes the opportunity to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts to your sponsored child every year.  For any sponsors who are unable to do this, your monthly fees will ensure your sponsored child receives at least the basic supplies from the program.

I love joining in with other sponsors to share photos and ideas of what we're sending to our kids each year.  Since it will be several months before we get to see the children receive these gifts, it's fun to fill some of that time by seeing what everyone else is sending.  That being said, do not compare yourself to me.   Sure, get ideas from me; but it's ok if you are sending more or less than I am.  God leads every sponsor differently based on their sponsored children's specific needs.  

This is an overview of the gifts I'm giving to my 7 sponsored children (plus gifts for two of their siblings) this year, between their backpacks and our upcoming visit.  I haven't decided yet exactly how the items will be divided between backpacks and visits, so I'm sharing it all together. 

I had a goal of spending under $100 total for everyone's school supplies and hygiene items combined.  I stuck to this almost exactly, spending a total of $96.38.  For school supplies, each child will receive pencils, colored pencils, crayons, pencil sharpeners, erasers, glue, scissors, and a protractor.  I also added a few small fun supplies to each bag such as fidget pens, other pretty pens, character pencil toppers, heart shaped erasers, or colorful pencil grips.  Some of the older girls will receive a few extra supplies depending on their schools' requirements.  These include grid paper, pens, highlighters, Wite Out correction tape, and compasses.  I didn't include notebooks this year, because the program plans to purchase them for the children locally, so they have the specific types their schools require.  So know they will receive these too, just not from me.

Each girl will also receive toothbrushes and dental floss from me.  The program will provide them with toothpaste and soap.

Example of supplies for 1 older girl

Just some of the fun extras

Thanks to the donations of friends and family, I was able to send a solar lantern to each child's family at no cost to me.  I recommend these even for families who have electricity at home, as some rural areas don't have streetlights.  This can make it difficult to walk to evening church services (which are common in Honduras) or early morning work/school hours.

For most of my girls ages 14+, I am also sending safety alarm keychains.  You will see these featured in the gift photos, but I wanted to specifically highlight them here to explain the importance.  During my visit last year, I heard multiple stories of teens and tweens staying home unsupervised while their parents work.  This made me want to be sure they had some extra tools to alert someone if they are ever in a dangerous situation.  Some of the ones I'm sending also have a whistle at the bottom, so they can be used even when the battery dies. 

After the required items, I set a budget of $100 per girl to get them each some things they wanted and needed.  Praise God, I successfully stuck to this budget and was able to get them each a wide range of items that fit their interests. 

Click on photos to enlarge.

Flor (almost 7) loves unicorns and dolls.  She asked for shoes and socks.  She will receive: A Chelsea unicorn doll with accessories, FAO Schwarz stuffed unicorn, daisy sweatshirt, tennis shoes, croc style shoes, 5 headbands, unicorn fidget toy, tea set, socks, princess coloring pack, white tshirt, jeans with white floral design, 2 dance ribbons, 2 shirts, 3 dresses, jewelry set, and personalized sunglasses with hair bow set.  Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, solar lantern, a unicorn keychain, and a letter.

 

Katrin (almost 10) loves hair accessories, toys, and animals.  She will receive: A Chelsea mermaid doll play set with extra doll, coloring set, extra colored pencils, diary, unicorn fidget toy, 4 headbands, princess sweatshirt, hair bow, Squishmallow stuffed animal, 2 Hello Kitty plush bag clips, tennis shoes, croc style shoes, gel pens, jeans, socks, watch, 2 dance ribbons, 3 shirts, 1 dress, 3 pieces of jewelry, fake hair with bow clip, and personalized sunglasses with bow with hair bow set.   Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, solar lantern, Squishmallow keychain, and a letter.

Cristel (10) is receiving her very first backpack from me this year, so I stuck to the items I like to be sure all of my new children receive such as a bible and a bigger toy.  She will receive: Glitter combat boots, a coloring set, socks, bead set, 2 headbands, Squishmallow stuffed animal, cupcake fidget toy, personalized bracelet, glitter hair bow, white shirt, dress, Our Generation doll, and bible.   Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, and a letter.

Emely (11) loves soccer, art, and the colors grey and black.  She will receive: A prayer journal, watercolor paper for painting, bead set with string, jeans, black sweatshirt, Under Armour tennis shoes, extra colored pencils, gel pens, paint with brush set, socks, white tshirt, soccer ball, soccer shirt, 2 dresses, 2 headbands, personalized bracelet, butterfly fidget toy, and Squishmallow stuffed animal.  If the dress on the right looks photoshopped, that’s because it is.  I swapped out one of her dresses after taking the original photo, and edited it so the photo would be accurate for my records.  Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, and a letter with extra hair ties added to the envelope.

Amy (13) loves crocheting.  She will receive: Jeans, a long sleeve shirt, 8 rolls of yarn, the book Anne of Green Gables, a prayer journal, gel pens, headband, sandals, embroidery set, crochet hooks, knitting needles, book light, fidget toy, personalized bracelet, hair ties, socks, hair clips, Squishmallow stuffed animal, hair brush, purse, and 2 short sleeve shirts.  Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, solar lantern, and a letter.

Adiany (14) loved the color black and Kawaii accessories.  She will receive: Black Under Armour tennis shoes, extra colored pencils, a prayer journal, Kawaii pencil bag, Kawaii pens, 2 long sleeve shirts, a watch with bracelet set, socks, emergency alarm keychain, fidget toy, 3 nail polish, gel pens, gel pen coloring book set, Squishmallow stuffed animal, beads, personalized bracelet, jeans, 2 short sleeve shirts, headband, black dress, and hair bow set.  Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, solar lantern, Kawaii keychain and pins, stickers, and a letter with extra hair ties added to the envelope.

Saudy (14) loves video games and making jewelry.  She will receive: Spiral hair ties, Pura Vida bracelet set, gaming fidget toy, gel pens, personalized bracelet, prayer journal, beads with bead spinner set, socks, Yoshi stuffed animal, 2 shirts, sweatshirt, and jeans.  Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, and a letter.

Paola (15) has her quinceañera shortly before she receives these gifts, so I tried to get her lots of pink girly items.  She will receive: A bead set, plush bear bag clip, safety alarm keychain, cupcake fidget toy, cosmetic bag with makeup/scented soap/mirror, hair ties, hair brush, jeans, prayer journal, gel pens, sandals, personalized bracelet, hair clips, socks, headband, a watch with bracelet set, white shirt, skirt, sweatshirt, and blanket.  Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, solar lantern, and a letter.

Hiliany (16) requested items to learn acrylic nail design.  She will receive: Many nail design supplies including a drying lamp and nail drill, tote bag to hold the nail supplies, a safety alarm keychain, headband, hair clips, personalized bracelet, plush bear bag clip, gel pens, prayer journal, jeans, long sleeve pajama shirt, 3 regular shirts, and socks.  Not pictured are her school supplies, hygiene items, solar lantern, and a letter.

Christmas Cards 2023

I’ve spent this week finishing up Christmas cards for my sponsored children through Love Lempira.  I kept things pretty simple this year since I’ve been busy finishing up the kids’ backpacks, but I like how they turned out.  I also went pretty deep into the theology of Christmas in my 2021 and 2022 letters, so I was ok keeping these shorter.  If you sponsor a child through Love Lempira, the deadline to send Christmas cards is September 5.

I used these pretty glittery cards, which I actually found in a closet left over from family Christmas cards a year or two ago.  I translated the short greeting inside which says, “joyful wishes for a wonderful Christmas season.” 

Along with the cards, each child will receive something nativity-related (either a bookmark or stickers) and something celebration-related (stickers featuring either hot cocoa or animals with gifts and decorations).

Inside the card I wrote: Christmas is to celebrate that Jesus was born to rescue us from sin and allow us to become children of God if we turn to Him. This is a hope that no one can take away from us no matter what, so we can always celebrate it.

For the older kids, I wrote a wish for their hearts to be filled with the warmth of joy like the warmth of the hot chocolate in the stickers.  For the younger kids, I wrote a wish for their celebrations to be as joyful as the animals in the stickers with their gifts and decorations.  

Comment below and share what you are sending in your Christmas letters this year!

Backpacks on a Budget

Each year towards the end of summer, I share an overview of what I’m sending to my sponsored children in their backpacks.  I love to share my excitement and give other sponsors ideas of things to send.  I plan to do the same this year.  However, this time I’m sticking to a strict budget, which involves shopping slowly throughout the year as I find deals.  So, I decided to also do a post sharing the budget of the 1 bag I’ve finished so far, for anyone who is shopping slowly and looking for deals like I am.  

Not counting the required school supplies, which I’ll get to in a separate post, I set a budget of $100 per child to get them some things they wanted and needed.  It may sound like a lot, but it’s amazing how quickly that budget can get used up if you aren’t careful.  This budget doesn’t include shipping, tax, items donated to me, or items left over from other projects that I would have had anyway.  I’m part of a Buy Nothing group on Facebook and relatives have donated some items, which helped to stretch my budget farther.  I also stretched my budget buying gently used items at places like Once Upon a Child, Just Between Friends, Ebay, and yard sales.  Some of my teens even got some of my gently used clothes that I no longer wear.  Additionally, I used member rewards at places like Target and Temu.  While some items are used or discounted, I only buy things that are in like new condition and will last a long time, and only things that fit the child’s personality.

With last year’s backpacks, I sent each girl a question sheet to fill out with questions like their favorite item they received and whether the clothing I sent was the right size.  During my visit last fall, I also wrote down any of their needs and interests I noticed.   These things helped me to be intentional with my shopping.

Today, I want to show you one backpack I have completed so far as an example of how much you can get for $100 if you look for deals.  Even if your budget is smaller or larger than mine, a lot of the same shopping tips can apply, to get the most for your money.  This backpack is for my sponsored child Flor who will turn 7 years old shortly after she receives it.  Flor loves unicorns and dolls.  She recently mentioned tennis shoes and socks as her biggest need.

I plan to visit my kids later this year.  If I do, a few of these items will be removed from her backpack and given during the visit instead.

Stuffed FAO Schwarz unicorn, $14.25 from Target.  Used 5% Red Card discount, worth $15.

Chelsea unicorn doll, $11.89 from Target.  Purchased on sale after Christmas, originally $16.99.  Also, a Chelsea backpack accessory set, $0.  Donated by my mom who got it at Dollar Tree for $1.25.

Pop It fidget toy, $0.87 from Walmart’s Valentine section.  Purchased in a pack for $3.48 and split between 4 kids.

Tea set, $0.  Left over from another project.  Originally from Dollar Tree for $1.25.

2 dance ribbons, $0.  Donated by a friend.  Originally from Amazon, worth $2.84 ($1.42 each).

Disney Princess coloring set, $1 from Target

Snowflake dress, $8.50 from Once Upon a child.  Gently used, worth around $20 new

Denim dress, $6.50 from Just Between Friends which is a kids consignment event held all over the US.  Gently used.  The exact original price is unknown, but is at least $10 based on similar styles I found online.

Color block dress, $0 from Temu.  Free gift with purchase of other items.  Worth $4.94.

Jeans, $5.99 from Old Navy.  Purchased during Memorial Day sale.  Worth $34.99.

Unicorn flip sequin shirt, $9.55 from Target.  Used 5% Red Card discount and Target Circle reward points.  Worth $10.20.

Butterfly shirt, $5 from Just Between Friends consignment sale.  Gently used.

Plain white tshirt, $2.87 from Target.  Used Memorial Day sale and Target Circle reward points.  Worth $4.  I tried to put a white shirt in every backpack because their school uniform tops are white.  In case they ever can’t afford a uniform (which has to be purchased in Honduras), at least they will have the right colors to wear.

Daisy sweatshirt, $3.28 from Temu

Tennis shoes, $10.09 from Temu.  Used member rewards, worth $12.59.

Croc style shoes, $7.19 from Temu

Pack of 10 pairs colored socks, $4.99 from TJ Max.  

White socks, $0.27 from Temu.  I split up a pack between kids and used a discount code.  They are worth $0.39 without the discount.

4 tiara headbands, $0 left over from another project.  Originally from Amazon.  They come in a pack of 12 for $9.99, so I would have paid $3.36 for 4.

Heart headband, $0.89 from Temu

Necklace set, $4.98 from The Children’s Place

Personalized sunglasses and bow set, $0.  These are a DIY project I did myself.  Technically the supplies did cost me a few dollars, but they are supplies I bought to do DIY for multiple projects, so it didn’t cost me any extra to make this for Flor’s backpack.  

These items would total $168.87 if they were purchased new without any discounts.  I paid $98.11.  This is a savings of $70.76.

Easter Letters 2023 (Sharing my Testimony)

If you sponsor a child through Manna 4 Lempira, the deadline to send an Easter card to your sponsored child is March 5.  For this mailing, you may send an envelope containing a card or letter, and flat gifts such as stickers or flat jewelry less than 1/4 inch thick.  Here is what I am sending.  Click on photos to enlarge.

Last year, I wrote to my sponsored children about what it means to follow Jesus.  This year, I decided to check another important topic off of my writing list for the older girls and share my testimony with them.  I started by handwriting a card with a short greeting inside, along with the verse 1 John 4:16. 

The younger girls will receive just this handwritten card and the flat gifts which you’ll see later in this post.  For the older girls, I included a typed page sharing my testimony and a photo of me at the cabin where I first surrendered to Jesus.  Here is the typed letter:

I am writing this letter around the time of Easter 2023.  Last year for Easter, I wrote to you about following Jesus.   This year, I want to share a story with you about how I became a Christian when I was 16 years old.  In the bible, Revelation 12:11 tells us that we will overcome by the blood of Christ and the word of our testimony.  This means that the story of how Jesus saved you and what God has done in your life will encourage you to overcome in difficult times.  What has God done in your life?

When I was a child, I believed that God existed, but I didn’t know who He really was or how to become His child.  When I was 16, a friend at my school invited me to the youth group at her church.   The people there were very nice and loving, so I continued to attend.  One day, the youth group invited me to go on a camping trip with them to a cabin where we would learn about God and have fun playing outside and sledding in the snow.  Even the fact that God brought me to a camp to get my attention was evidence of His love, because as a child I always dreamed of going to camp.  In the middle of the night while we were in our cabin, some of the girls wanted to read the bible. I didn’t know much about the bible yet, so I just listened to what the other girls were saying.  As they were reading, I kept thinking about the story of Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22.   In the story, God told a man named Abraham to give his son Isaac back to God.  But it was only a test of Abraham’s faith, and God let Abraham keep his son.  This story made me realize that I was imperfect, because I knew I couldn’t sacrifice something I loved so much to put God first. That night, I cried and told God that I didn’t know who He was or what I was supposed to do about it and I asked Him to show me. 

Over the next few weeks, as I continued to attend youth group, I learned that God created humans to love and be loved by Himself and other people.  To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Instead, we turned away and sinned.  I learned that our sin would separate us from the perfect God and Heaven when our lives are over.  BUT, God loved us so much He still wanted us back.  Jesus came, died, and rose again to pay the penalty for our sins so we could be free to be His children and live with Him forever instead.  So our Spirits can be reborn into His family.  It’s not something we can earn or deserve, because we’re all imperfect on our own.  We just have to turn to Him in repentance and receive it.  

Since then, God has done so many amazing things in my life, one step of faith at a time.  Including leading me on adventures to places like Honduras and allowing me to be your sponsor.  My favorite bible verse is Romans 8:30, “...and  these whom He justified, He also glorified.”  The word glorified means fills with great beauty.  God didn’t just save me, He filled my life with His beauty.  This doesn’t mean we won’t ever have struggles or make mistakes.  But it means God will be our solid rock, something that never changes or leaves, when things become difficult.  We are His children forever!

Along with this letter, each girl will receive a few gifts. The youngest 3 who haven't yet gotten a special necklace from me will get a cross necklace with a pink gem (shown here in the little plastic bag attached to the cardstock). The older girls will each get a couple of gifts including cross stickers, a bookmark with Romans 8:38-39 on it, or a pretty pink beaded bracelet.

Older girl

Younger girl