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 (name),

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 after Jesus died, He rose back to life 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?

Following Jesus (Easter 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.  

Go-To Letter Writing Topics

Over the last 10 years of child sponsorship, I’ve written to my sponsored children countless different ways.  Sometimes I’ll write a short message of love and encouragement or respond to their letters.  Other times I’ll share about my life to form a more personal connection, such as sharing photos and stories about my family or places I’ve traveled.  Other times, I share messages on specific topics as a way to mentor and disciple.  That last category is what I am focusing on today.  While there are unlimited things to write to your sponsored children about, there are a handful of important topics that I make sure to write to all of my children about at some point during their time in the sponsorship program.  I compiled a list of these things below, along with links to examples and printables.  I will be adding more links soon.

Salvation Letter: A letter focusing on salvation and being a child of God.  Usually using a princess or "child of the King" theme.  Usually sent shortly after I start sponsoring the child.  Read an example of the letter by clicking here.

Repentance & Following Jesus: A letter similar to the salvation message, but shared again in more detail when the child is a little older.  Usually sent to children ages 12+.  For children who I don’t start sponsoring until they’re older, I may go straight to this letter and skip the princess letter.  Read example of a 2-part letter I’ve sent on the topic by clicking here and here.  Or view a 1-part printable version in Spanish here.

Testimony Letter: A letter sharing my testimony of how I became a Christian, along with photos of me visiting the cabin where I first accepted Jesus.  I send this letter to all ages, but with different levels of detail depending on the child's age.  Read an example of the letter by clicking here.

Baptism Letter: A letter explaining the meaning of baptism, sharing photos of my baptism, and asking if they have been baptized.  I usually send this to children around age 12. Read an example of the letter by clicking here.

The Lord's Prayer Letter: A letter breaking down the Lord's prayer line by line and teaching how to pray based on Jesus' example.  Sent to children of any age.  Read the English version here and get a printable Spanish copy here.

Fruits of the Spirit Letter: A letter (or series of letters) explaining the Holy Spirit inside of us and the beautiful things He can grow in our lives, using fruit-themed analogies.  Sent to children of any age.  Read an example of the letter by clicking here.

Gospel Reading Guide: An overview of the four gospels in chronological order.  To access the printable reading plan in Spanish, click here.  To view my post in English that explains an overview of the guide, click here.

Acts & Epistles Reading Guide: COMING SOON

Old Testament Reading Guide: COMING SOON

Book of Revelation Overview:  A letter breaking down the book of revelation and the end times in simple words.  Sent to children ages 12+.  Read an example of the letter by clicking here.

13th Birthday Letter: A coffee-themed letter I send to each of my girls for their 13th birthday sharing a memory from my 13th birthday and commending some of the ways the specific girl is growing up and showing spiritual and emotional maturity.  Read an example of the letter by clicking here.

Relationship/Dating Letter: Around the time of the child’s 15th birthday, I write a letter talking about healthy/safe/Godly relationships and what love looks like in a relationship.  I choose to only send this to ages 15+, because this is the legal age of consent in Honduras.  Check with your specific sponsorship program regarding their guidelines on discussing this topic with your teens.  Read an example of the letter in English by clicking here, and find a Spanish copy to send to your teens by clicking here.

Salvation & Repentance (Christmas 2021)

If you sponsor a child through Manna 4 Lempira, the deadline to send Christmas cards by physical mail was October 5.  However, you may also send email letters which are due by November 5 and should be delivered around the same time. 

Since most of my sponsored children are now teenagers, I decided to go a little deeper into the salvation message this Christmas.  During recent conversations with others in my personal life, I've recognized a great need for sound doctrine when it comes to the gospel.  I talk to my sponsored children about the bible all the time; but I want to take a step back and first be sure they know Him.  I plan to continue this theme of salvation/repentance/following Jesus in my Easter letters.  The younger children will receive a simpler version of the same letter. The coloring pages were all found on Google Images.

Teen Version:

Hello beautiful!  How are you?  I am sending this letter around Christmas 2021.  I pray that your family has a beautiful Christmas together.  

Christmas is when we celebrate that Jesus was born to rescue us from sin and allow us to become children of God.  He was born to die to take the punishment for our sins and rise again to defeat them.  Only He could do this, because only He was without sin.  Sin in the world is the reason no one lives forever on Earth, but the coming of Jesus to save us is the reason we can live forever in Heaven as children of God when our lives on Earth are finished.  To become God's children, we just need to believe this and turn to Him in repentance.  The word "repentance" means "change of mind".  It means letting go of our own ways and sins, and turning to follow Jesus.  When this happens, we are born again, which means our souls are born into the family of God.  When we make the decision to follow Jesus and be born again, we are His children forever, even if we make a mistake in the future.

Our Christmas decorations and celebrations are a time to remember this great gift of God.  It is a hope that no one can take away from us, which helps us to celebrate it no matter what is happening.  I pray that you and your family will experience the joy of Christ this Christmas.  How do you plan to celebrate this year?  I plan to decorate my house and give little gifts to my family to celebrate God's gift of love.  Here is a picture of my mom and I with our Christmas tree last year, and a Christmas decoration for you to color.

Child version: 

Hello beautiful!  How are you?  I am sending this letter around Christmas 2021.  I pray that your family has a beautiful Christmas together.

Christmas is when we celebrate that Jesus was born to rescue us from sin and allow us to become children of God.  This is a hope no one can take away from us, which helps us to celebrate it no matter what is happening.

How do you plan to celebrate Christmas this year?  I plan to decorate my home and give little gifts to my family to celebrate God's great gift of love.

Here is a picture you can color.  It is a drawing of Baby Jesus when he was born, with his parents.

Thirteenth Birthday Letters

When my sponsored girls turn 13 years old, I send them each a special themed letter.  It celebrates becoming a teenager while also sharing a memory of myself at their age.  Here is a letter I wrote to one of my girls who will be turning 13 next month.

Hello beautiful!  How are you?  I am sending this letter around your birthday, in November 2021.  This year, you are turning 13 years old!  I can't believe how much you've grown!  I recently saw some photos of you at the youth conference you attended with your church.  I am very proud of you for being so involved with your church.  Youth groups are a great way to grow in Christ with others your age.  Did you have fun at the event?  What was your favorite part?

Since you are turning 13 this year, I want to share a special memory with you.  Many years ago, on my 13th birthday, I felt very mature because I was finally a teenager.  So, I wanted to try coffee for the first time.  Where I live, children don't usually drink coffee until they are older (Note: I added this because children in Honduras often drink it from a young age.)  So, on my 13th birthday, my mother took me to a café called Starbucks and bought me a coffee and a cookie.  I decided the coffee was too strong, so I only ate the cookie.  I learned to like coffee later, when I was a little older.  

Do you like coffee?  Do you like it black, or with cream, sugar, and flavors?  I usually drink it with just a little sugar, but sometimes it's fun to add extra flavors.  In The United States at this time of year, we sometimes add pumpkin flavoring to our coffee, because pumpkins grow so abundantly here at this time of year; from September to November.   (Note: I write about a different type of coffee drink or flavor depending on the time of year.)  I wish I could be there for your birthday, to have a coffee with you to celebrate.  I hope to come soon, but until then, here is a picture of coffee that you can color.

When I'm sending the letter by physical mail, I include coffee-themed stickers.  I'm a huge fan of Shine Sticker Studio and their adorable coffee-themed sticker options.  I love that you can choose the skin tone of the characters and that they're so fun and girly.  Click the photos to enlarge.

When I'm sending the letter by email to be printed for the child in-country, I attach a coffee-themed coloring page from Google Images instead of the stickers.  They have many beautiful options.

On the rare occasion that I'm visiting around the time of one of the girls' 13th birthdays, I will bring a coffee-themed gift or take her to a café for the celebration.  These Starbucks instant latte packets, which I brought for my Estefani's 13th birthday, are fun because we get to share the exact brand of coffee I first tried at their age.

While this tradition is fairly specific to me and my girls, I hope it encourages you to use your own childhood birthday memories to celebrate your sponsored children.  Another example I've used was sending American Girl paper dolls for Christmas, and writing about how my American Girl doll was my favorite Christmas gift as a child.  You can also tie in the tradition of gift giving, and how it reminds us of God's great gift of love when He sent Jesus to save us.  Sending this type of gift for a holiday rather than a holiday-themed gift (such as Christmas stickers) is also a great way to be sure the gift is still useful if it arrives late.

Manna 4 Lempira Backpacks 2021

Sponsoring a child with Manna 4 Lempira means getting the chance to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts every year to encourage your sponsor child's God-given potential through education and the simple joys of childhood.  I hope this overview of the backpacks I packed for my sponsored children this year will help you as you pack!  This year, I packed for 11 girls: ten tweens/teens and one toddler.  Click on the photos to enlarge.

For starters, here is the required list of items 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.  The required school supplies are: 8 notebooks, 20 pencils, a pencil sharpener, 2 boxes of 24 crayons (younger children) or 2 boxes of 12 colored pencils (older children), 2 large erasers, pens (2 red/2 blue/6 black), a ruler, scissors, and glue or glue sticks.

I also picked up some extra school supplies based on things my sponsored children told me their schools required in the past.  These items are: a scientific calculator, a grid notebook for math, a sketch pad, a pencil bag, a miniature dry erase board with markers, blank flash cards, and a folder.  For a few of my older girls whose schools offer drawing classes as an elective, I also including sketch sets with special drawing tools.  I also highly recommend sending a Spanish (not Spanish-English) dictionary at least once.  I already sent them last year, so will not be including them this time.  I recommend this one.   For the most part, I shopped based on cost and quality.  However, I also made sure each child had a couple of fun designed notebooks and/or pencils in addition to the plain ones, to help get them excited about school.

My littlest girl, Floridalma, will have a few less supplies than the others since she is only 4 and doesn't need things like a scientific calculator.

All supplies for 1 child

Just the extra items for 1 child

Sketch sets for the older girls

Some of the fun pencils to split between the girls

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, and a comb or hairbrush.  I also chose to add dental floss and hand sanitizer.

The ministry also makes sure every backpack has a few fun items.  They recommend dolls with hair accessories for girls, and soccer balls with matchbox cars and baseball caps for boys; but you can choose to substitute these items.  I've already sent dolls and soccer balls to my girls multiple times.  So, as they are getting older, I chose to switch it up a little.

The special gift I wanted to send my older girls this year was a pretty faux leather diary with a lock.  One of them specifically asked for a diary, and I thought it was a great idea for everyone.  I also found these lock-and-key bracelets to match!  They're each getting a glittery pen too, but I couldn't get a good photo because my camera kept reflecting the glitter.  You can find them in bulk here, or individually at Dollar Tree.

After diaries, my favorite gifts for the older girls this year are the craft supplies.  I chose this bead kit for ages 14+ and these fashion design coloring books with extra colored pencils for ages 11-15.  

As their bigger gift, each girl is getting one of these scented stuffed bears!  The older girls are each getting one of the purple bears, which are lavender-scented.  The pink bear is for little Floridalma.

Next, I added as many smaller toys, accessories, and books as I could fit.  These items include pink toy cars, LOL Surprise toys, balls, Uno games, BFF necklaces, hair scrunchies, Christian books, and preschool workbooks/coloring books for Floridalma.

Undaunted for Wendi (17)

Last, I made sure each girl had some clothing in her bag.  They seemed so excited about receiving clothing last year, and it's a necessity as well as a fun gift.  Plus, it's the one gift we may get to see photos of them using throughout the year.  Each girl is getting at least 2 outfits, but I only took photos of my favorites- mostly the toddler clothing, because it's so fun to shop for.

Toddler dresses

Matching dresses for sisters Yessenia and Floridalma

Floral dress for Saudy (12)

I also included handwritten cards in their bags, wishing them a great school year and talking about why I chose certain gifts with them in mind.