Manna 4 Lempira Backpacks 2020

Sponsoring a child with Manna 4 Lempira means not only sending letters and financial support to be a tangible reminder of the love of God in a child's life, but also getting the chance to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts every year to encourage their God-given potential through education and the simple joys of childhood.  I hope this overview of the backpacks I packed for my sponsored children will help you as you pack!  Click on the photos to enlarge.

For starters, here is a guideline from Manna 4 Lempira showing the school supplies every backpack should have.  Your monthly sponsorship fees cover these items, so you don't have to send them.  Some sponsors like to pick out their own supplies for their sponsored children, but anything you don't send will be provided to them by the ministry.  If you choose not to send the supplies, you can still send fun gifts to be added to your child's backpack!  Just make sure the gifts are grouped together in a large Ziplock bag and clearly labeled.  All bags, whether Ziplocks or full backpacks, must be labeled with your child's full name and ID number.  The required school supplies are: 8 notebooks, 20 pencils, 2 large erasers, a pencil sharpener, 2 boxes of 24 crayons (younger children) or 2 boxes of 12 colored pencils (older children), pens (2 red/2 blue/6 black), a ruler, scissors, and glue or glue sticks.

I also included some extra school supplies based on things my sponsored children told me their schools required in the past.  These items are: a pencil bag, a grid notebook for math, construction paper, a plastic folder, a miniature dry erase board with markers, red/blue correction pencils, and a Spanish dictionary.  If you choose to send a dictionary, make sure it's one with Spanish definitions, not just an English dictionary that tells you the word in Spanish.  I am sending this one.  

1 child's school supplies

In addition to school supplies, every backpack needs to include 4 toothbrushes, 2 tubes of toothpaste, a bar of soap, a wash cloth, 3 pairs of socks, a comb, and hair ties (girls) or a baseball cap (boys).  I also chose to add dental floss, a toothbrush case, hand sanitizer, a face mask (may be required for school attendance next year), and a solar lantern to each of my bags.  Even some of the families who normally have electricity in their homes haven't been able to afford it during the pandemic, so I am sending lanterns to all of them.  They are also each getting at least one outfit and a white t-shirt to wear under their school uniform, but I haven't purchased them all yet.

1 child's hygiene items and other essentials

The ministry also makes sure every backpack has at least one fun item.  They recommend dolls for girls and soccer balls with matchbox cars for boys; but you can choose to substitute these items.  My younger girls are getting various dolls including American Girl, Wellie Wishers, and Adora's Be Bright dolls.  The colorful hair on the Adora dolls reminded me of the time one of my girls tried to color her hair with sidewalk chalk at the pool during our visit.  While American Girl dolls are more expensive of a gift than what I'd typically send in a backpack, one of my girls who I'm very close to wrote that she wanted the same doll I had as a child.  Since she is 14 and likely about to outgrow dolls, I knew I wanted to encourage that child-like side of her for as long as possible.  For this reason, I thought it was a worthy investment.  I chose to send it in her backpack instead of waiting for a visit so she can enjoy it for as long as possible.   If you do choose to invest in one of these dolls, they are excellent quality and literally last for decades.  If you are looking for something similar for a more reasonable price, Target has beautiful 18" dolls called Our Generation, which are usually around $25.

My older girls and my boy are getting deflated soccer balls with air pumps.  My boy is also getting a matchbox Jeep, because Jeeps are my favorite car.  In addition to their big dolls, a few of my girls will also be getting some little Disney princess figurines (based on their favorite princesses) and smaller LOL surprise figurines, if they've mentioned liking either of those things.  The only other big gift is a pair of roller skates, which is going to one of my 13 year olds who told me she dreams of owning them.

All the dolls.  I didn't end up sending the smaller one in the front center.

After the required items, you can fill the remaining space in your child’s bag with just about anything!  The recent pandemic and quarantine inspired me to pack various activities that can keep them busy, encouraged, and educated while at home.  Each child is getting a few items from my stash of various books (including bibles), coloring books, paint sets, bead kits, sidewalk chalk, hair chalk, hair braiding supplies, dance ribbons, card games, Lego sets, educational workbooks, and educational flashcards.  I specifically chose sidewalk chalk because it was something that kept my family busy during quarantine this year.  Click on this photo to enlarge for detail.  

All extras combined

Last, I'll probably be adding in some handwritten letters, stickers, and other small items I haven't been able to send over the past several months due to border closures.  Most importantly, pray over your items and how they will bless your sponsored child!  

Manna 4 Lempira Backpacks 2019

Sponsoring a child with Manna 4 Lempira means not only sending letters and financial support to be a tangible reminder of the love of God in a child's life, but also getting the chance to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts every year to encourage their God-given potential through education and the simple joys of childhood.  I currently sponsor 7 children through this incredible program.  Click on photos to enlarge.

For starters, here is a guideline from Manna 4 Lempira showing the types of items every backpack should have.  Please note this is the 2019 list and may change for future years.  Your monthly sponsorship fees cover these items, so you don't have to send them.  Some sponsors like to pick out their own supplies for their sponsored children, but anything you don't send will be covered by the ministry.  If you choose not to send the supplies, you can still send fun gifts to be added to your child's backpack!  Just make sure the gifts are grouped together in a large Ziplock bag and are labeled with your child's name, ID number, and photo.  The backpack items are: 8 notebooks, 10 pencils, 2 large erasers, a pencil sharpener, 2 boxes of 24 crayons for younger kids or 2 boxes of 12 colored pencils for older kids, 10 pens (6 black, 2 blue, 2 red) for older kids, a ruler, a pair of scissors, glue sticks, 4 tooth brushes, 2 tubes of toothpaste, a bar of soap, a wash cloth, socks for their school uniforms, and a toy.

This year, I sent each child a few pretty composition notebooks, a pack of pencils, colored pencils, and pencil sharpeners.  I wanted them each to have a few fun school supplies from me, and the ministry will provide the rest.

All 7 children's supplies

Supplies for 9-year-old Amy

I also chose to send the school uniform socks and toothbrushes myself, because there were specific styles I wanted them to have.  Along with those, I included under shirts for their school uniforms and dental floss.  The ministry will provide the other hygiene items.  Each child's items are nearly identical, so I'm only sharing one set here.

I like to send each child something to keep them active outdoors, a craft to keep them busy indoors, and something to read.  To encourage my girls' walks with God, this year I chose worship/dance ribbons, the His Princess devotional books, bible verse adult coloring books for the older girls, and princess coloring books for the younger girls ($1 each at Dollar Tree).  The ribbons are something I saw girls dance with so passionately during church services in Honduras.  Most of theirs were homemade and falling apart.  The princess books are full of love letters from God, based on scripture.  My two girls who already have the princess books are getting missionary stories about Corrie ten Boom and Amy Carmichael.  My only boy, Marcos, is getting the book A Teen Boy After God's Own Heart, an outer space coloring set, and a soccer ball ($5 at Five Below) with a pump.  I also threw in a few jump ropes I had saved in my stash.

After the most important supplies, I made sure they each had at least one toy.  Most of my younger girls are getting LOL dolls, which the ministry director says are very popular among girls in Honduras.  My 9-year-old girl who loves mermaids is getting two mermaid surprise dolls and a Shopkins mermaid car.  My older girls are getting these miniature bean bag stuffed animals with glittery eyes.  Marcos' toy is his soccer ball.

I wanted to include something additional for my older girls who may no longer like toys; so I found these fun cosmetic bags with confetti in the sides and filled them with little accessories.  Each one includes mud masks, lip gloss, lip balm, blush, a set of BFF necklaces, a set of friendship bracelets, nail stickers, a nail file, a hair band, and a bible verse card.  Most of these items are from Claire's, Justice, and Target. 

Last, I sent each child at least one clothing item.  I changed my mind about the clothing so many times that I didn't end up with a photo of every item, but I especially love these dresses for my three youngest girls.  I got them for $7 each on sale at The Children's Place. I'm also sending a quinceañera dress for my Wendy's 15th birthday, which is the week after the backpack distribution.

Some of my children will get a few extras as I sort through my stash over the next week, but these are the bare minimums of what they all have.  Comment below and share some of your favorite things you're packing this year!

Easter Letters 2019

This is what I sent to my sponsor children for the 2019 Easter card mailing.

While the themes of my Easter letters vary slightly based on the child, they all contain the base of this message:  "During the season of Easter, we celebrate that Jesus died and rose again to pay for our sins, so we can be free from sin and be children of the perfect God."  I then go on to ask how they celebrate Easter and tell them I celebrate by going to church, having dinner with my family, and eating chocolate.

All of my letters were decorated with these cute vintage stickers from Target.

For one of my girls who recently expressed feelings of loneliness, I shared Psalm 56:8, "You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle; are they not in Your book?"  I talked about God being present in our pain and explained this is the exact reason for Easter- God with us.  With her letter, I sent some stickers of crosses and flowers, and a unicorn necklace with her name engraved.  She loves unicorns, and I pray this makes her feel loved and noticed.

Two of my girls love bunnies.  I used this opportunity to teach about new life and buy a bunch of cute bunny things.  I shared: "Easter also reminds me of you because I know you love bunnies.  Where I live, we use things like baby bunnies being born and chicken eggs hatching as symbols of new life during Easter; like our new lives as children of God.  The stores here sell many things shaped like bunnies at this time of year- like toys and chocolate.  I live near a chocolate factory called Hershey.  They make many chocolates for the celebration."  With their letters, they are getting a variety of bunny themed stickers and activities.  I also bought some bunny-themed toys to save for our next visit.

When I first sponsor a child, I send them a prince/princess themed letter that talks about being a child of the King.  I hadn't yet shared this with my newest girl, Ashley; so I incorporated it into the Easter message.  I also hadn't given her a necklace yet, which I do for all of my girls; so she's getting a princess necklace in her letter.  I took it out of the box and attached it to a piece of card stock to fit in the letter.  

The rest of my children are getting spring-themed stickers and letters about the symbolism of new life.  What are you sending in your Easter mail?

Christmas Letters 2018

I wanted to share what I'll be sending to my Manna 4 Lempira sponsored children with their Christmas letters; which are due November 5.  Since my backpacks already contain longer letters, I decided to keep these short.  The cards will contain just this short greeting: "Merry Christmas, (name)!  Christmas is the day to celebrate when Jesus came to Earth on His rescue mission to save us from sin and make us into children of God- for anyone who turns to Him.  He loves you so much.  I am praying for you always and hope to see you soon."  My newest sponsored girl, Ashley, will be getting a longer letter since it will be her first one.

Ashley's Christmas mailing

Since we often have letter deadlines that are before the holiday supplies come out in stores, I usually stock up the year before.  This year, I did already find some things in time to add to last year's stash.  I'll be sending nativity cards that can stand up as decorations, stand-up paper trees, Christmas sticker books, and Christmas-themed cartoon activity sheets.  I'm also sending them each a picture of my trip to the beach this summer.  I just need to put everything into some pretty festive envelopes and they'll be ready to go!

Summer Vacations/Fall Festivities/Thanksgiving

In my September letters, I am sharing highlights of my summer, upcoming fall festivities, and what I'm learning about God.  Basically, a life update.  Feel free to use any or all of these themes for sharing new parts of your life with your sponsored children.  They love to learn about you!  For Manna 4 Lempira sponsors, September letters will be delivered in the fall and November letters will be delivered around Christmas.

Hello again, sweet girl!  How are you?  I am very well.   I always think about the time that we spent together and pray that I can return to visit again soon!  Until then, God is always with you.  He left His Holy Spirit with us on the Earth to be a comfort to His children all the time.  He is a good Father who loves you so much.

What is new in your life since I saw you in June?  In my life, many things are new.  I am helping the ministry to pack backpacks for children.  We will be sending them to Honduras in December or January.  I packed backpacks for you and (names of my other sponsored children in their community) and chose special things for each of you.  I am also helping the group to pack some for children who don’t have sponsors.  This project is a huge blessing to me, because every time I look around my house and see all of the backpacks sitting there, which God has provided for His children, it’s like having the presence of God all around me.  I pray that you feel His presence when you receive your backpack.

Another new thing in my life is that next week, I plan to travel to the beach for a vacation with my family.  The ocean is one of my favorite places in the world.  I love swimming in the water and exploring the little shops along the boardwalk. I love sitting on the boardwalk outside of the hotel in the mornings, because it has 3 of my favorite things- flowers, coffee, and a view of the ocean.  I love to remember that God created the whole Earth just for His children to live on and enjoy.  I love to explore new parts of the world, like the ocean, and see some of those beautiful things that God made for me.  Where is a beautiful place that you like to visit?  

Recently, I became a teacher at my church for children ages 10-14.  I am very excited to teach them about God’s love for them.  

As I am sending this letter in September, it is almost the season of autumn in my country.  In autumn, the weather becomes cold and the leaves on the trees turn beautiful colors like orange and red.  In autumn, we harvest crops like pumpkin.  We make many foods that are flavored with pumpkin like pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, and even pumpkin coffee!  We drink a lot of coffee during autumn and winter, because it keeps us warm.  Where I live, pumpkins are a symbol of God’s bountiful blessings, because He blesses us with an abundance of crops during this season.  In November, we have a holiday called Thanksgiving.  On this holiday, we have a special dinner with our families, including pumpkin pie, and thank God for all of our blessings.  In the bible, Psalm 118:1 says, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His loving kindness is everlasting.”

With this letter, I am sending you some pictures from the last time that I went to the beach and some stickers of pumpkins.  I hope you like them!  I love you very much and I will write to you again very soon.

Bible Marking Kits

These are the contents of the bible marking kits that I made for my Manna 4 Lempira sponsored children for their backpacks this year.  Each one contains 7 colored pens and an instruction page.  I have a friend who is a missionary in Mexico and is using this method for her entire children's ministry.  The idea is based off of the book The Old Testament Template: Rediscovering God's Principles for Discipling Nations.  The book talks about something that I have seen a lot while traveling for missions- people believing the Word, but not being transformed by it.  It color codes 7 of the ways in the Old Testament where God showed us how He can transform our lives.  The idea is to encourage the children to mark in their bibles where they see the different areas of God's transformation.  

“Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” –James 2:5

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your selves.” –James 1:22

God desires for His Word to transform us.  This transformation is available to anyone who chooses to become His child.  In the bible, God didn’t just change people’s beliefs; He changed their whole lives.  Here are some areas that the bible says God can transform our lives.  I labeled each one in a different color, and gave you pens in these colors.  In your bible, when you see an area that God can transform your life, mark it with the correct color.

Family: God says we can raise Godly families, even if we weren’t born into one.  He teaches us how to be Godly daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers- even if we didn’t have them ourselves.  Being a child of God means being a beloved member of His family.

Finances: When you have a personal relationship with God, you have a personal relationship with the Provider.  No matter what financial background you come from, being a child of God means having access to His opportunities.  Proverbs 22:2 says the rich and the poor have a common bond, because God made all of us.  It means we can have opportunity to do things like attend school and have a good job, because God is the one directing our paths.  Sometimes, God will do this by directly handing you something or teaching you to work for something.  Other times, He will use other people are resources, like sponsorship, to provide what you need.  He is a good Father who provides for His children.

Education: Similar to finances, when we have God as our Provider, He will give us the opportunity to be educated.  The bible says we have the mind of Christ, which means we have access to incredible wisdom.  And like we already talked about, He will provide financially for things such as schooling.  He will also provide us with churches to teach us about Him.

Science & Technology: When we have the wisdom of God, it can give us opportunity to learn, create, and discover things.  Our prayers can also impact science.  For example, when we are sick, prayer can bring God’s healing to our bodies. 

Government: When we hear the word government, we usually think of the politics in our countries and our presidents and leaders.  This is one example of government.  We can see God’s transformation in our government by praying for our leaders and obeying the laws.  However, the word “government” can also mean governing yourself, or having self-control.  The bible says that when God fills us with His Holy Spirit, He gives us the ability to control ourselves, so we never have to sin if we don’t choose to.  That is self-control, or self-government.

Communication: When you are a child of God, He is always with you, so you always have someone to talk to.  You can be open and honest with Him about anything.  He wants you to tell Him exactly how you feel, even when your feelings aren’t good.  Also, when we obey God by fellowshipping with other Christians (in church and small groups), He has the opportunity to use us in each other’s lives, to encourage each other.  In the book of Genesis in the bible, God says it is not good for people to be alone.  Because of this, He always provides people in our lives to listen to us, so we will always be heard and loved.  He also teaches us the proper ways to communicate with those people.

Recreation: The bible says that God likes to give us time to rest.  It also says that He speaks to each of us differently.  It is amazing to see how He uses each of us and gives us unique desires. 

Manna 4 Lempira Backpacks 2018

Sponsoring a child with Manna 4 Lempira means not only sending letters and financial support to be a tangible reminder of the love of God in a child's life, but also getting the chance to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts every year to encourage their God-given potential through education and the simple joys of childhood.  I love watching my sponsored children learn of the possibilities that they have as children of the King.

I intended to make a full backpack packing guide showing every single item for each of my 11 backpacks like last year.  I really did.  The lighting in my house wasn't cooperating, I kept changing my mind about which items went to who; and honestly, my heart was just more excited about choosing and praying over the gifts than I was about photographing them this time around.  More than anything, I want to glorify God.  So, I followed this prompting.  I did still want to share my excitement and share ideas with others who are packing; so I took a few pictures of my favorite items grouped together and wrote out the best tips that I've learned over the past year.  Feel free to contact me if you would like to know where to purchase anything in this post.

For starters, each of my backpacks contain the required items: 8 one-subject notebooks (I did 2 composition and 6 spiral; but any combination is allowed), 20 pencils, 10 pens (only required for older children), 2 packs of crayons or colored pencils, 1 sharpener, 1 ruler, 1 pair of scissors, 2 glue sticks, extra erasers, 2 tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, a wash cloth, a hair brush or comb, and deodorant (only required for older children.)  I also chose to include knee socks and under shirts for their school uniforms, photos from our last visit, and a bible marking kit in each backpack.  You can view the contents of the bible marking kits here.

Aside from the items that go in every bag, my goal was to be sure each child got at least one toy, one craft, and one book or learn-to-read activity.  Most of them ended up with more than this.

Out of all of the gifts in my backpacks this year, I was most excited about the bibles.  Two of my 12 year old girls, Wendy and Estefani, recently expressed desires to have their own bibles.  Estefani has been borrowing one from a friend and loves to read it with her family.  Wendy shares a bible with her sister and often uses it to preach in the children's services at church.  I am sending them each a pretty pink leather bound bible, as well as a bible for Estefani's brother, Marcio.  Manna 4 Lempira does provide each child with a paperback bible.  However, Wendy joined the program after the most recent distribution.  Estefani and Marcio are not part of the program.  I previously sponsored Estefani through another organization that shut down; and we now keep in touch independently.  The Manna 4 Lempira team lives close enough to deliver things to her.

Aside from the bibles, the books I chose were primarily engineering themed.  I love to get the kids excited about different career opportunities for the future and show them all the things they can do.  For this reason, most of my older girls are getting the new American Girl book about a little girl who dreams of being an astronaut.  My boys, Marcio and Marcos, are getting books about the history of engineering and technology.  I'm also sending some career and futuristic themed gifts- including an engineering Lego set, a plane building kit, plastic glow stars to hang in their bedrooms, and lip balm shaped like robots.

The other books I'm sending are A Young Woman After God's Own Heart for some of my teen girls (which has journaling questions at the end of each chapter), A Young Woman's Guide to Discovering Her Bible for my girls who are getting new bibles, The Jesus Storybook Bible for 8 year old Amy, and What Happens When I Talk to God? for 10 year old Ashley.  Amy is also getting some bilingual puzzles and a word search of her favorite cartoon character.  During our recent visit, Amy asked me to teach her English words.  The word search is in English- and I wrote the Spanish words below.  The few children who cannot read are getting Spanish flash cards.  I also highly recommend this Spanish picture dictionary that teaches how each letter sounds by showing words that start with that letter.  I sent these last year.  The few other books shown here (Kira-Kira and Peter Pan) didn't make it in due to space and will be saved for next year.

For toys, my newest girls, Wendy and Ashley, will be receiving their very first dolls.  I found this Hearts 4 Hearts doll on clearance at Target for Wendy, and it is the perfect size for a backpack.  Ashley's doll isn't shown here because I sponsored her after taking the picture, but it is the same size.  Amy, who has already received a bigger doll, is getting a plush mermaid doll that matches her backpack.  All of my other children, ranging from ages 8-16, have already gotten dolls and stuffed animals in previous years.  This year, they will be getting outdoor toys such as jump ropes, jacks, soccer balls, and footballs.  For crafts, I chose coloring books for most of the kids.  You can find regular coloring books at most dollar stores.  I also found some more challenging Lisa Frank coloring books for my older girls, and fashion design books for a few.  This one even matches Ashley's doll.  I added some scented markers and gel pens for my Carmen, who loves to decorate her letters.  The kids who are getting smaller toys are getting bigger craft kits- beads, nail design sets, and Fashion Plates.  My hope is that these gifts will both keep them entertained long term and teach them new skills.

Some necessities I packed as needed include water bottles, cups, utensils, solar lanterns, clothing, and shoes.   The water bottle and lantern were important for me to pack for my Carmen after seeing the crazy long hike to her house, which seems like it would be near impossible in the dark.  Cups and utensils were also something she listed as a need in her household.  Plastic shoes like Crocs or jelly shoes are helpful for wet weather and crossing streams.  And clothing just seems like a constant need.  My 14 year old told me that her favorite gift in last year's backpack was a dress.  The tennis shoes shown here didn't end up making it into the bag due to space, so they were donated to be used for a child who doesn't have a sponsor.  I have had a few children tell me they need tennis shoes to be able to play with their soccer balls.

My favorite part by far was praying over each item and how it would impact each specific child as I packed.  I still plan to add some charm bracelets and hair accessories that I pick up at the beach this summer; but everything else is complete.  Comment below and share what you are packing!