Can you imagine the joy of getting a personal letter or video from someone in another country who loves you? Letter Days are so exciting for the students at Maisha Mapya. And you have the amazing opportunity to create hope, joy, and confidence in your child when you write a note or send a video!
You’ll use the Give Clarity Sponsorship Portal to send and receive letters and videos between you and your sponsored child. If you need help getting started, check out this blog. And if you want tips for sending a video, check out this blog.
Write to your sponsored child as you might write to your children, grandchildren, nieces/nephews, or other kiddos in your life. Be positive and encouraging. And don’t worry about writing long letters. Short and simple always works!
You’re always welcome to share photos with your child. It’s particularly fun for them to see you holding or displaying a framed photo of them, knowing they are seen, prayed for, and thought of often in your home.
General tips
- Ask open-ended questions to glimpse your child’s thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams.
- Respond to the questions they ask.
- Be sensitive to your child’s living conditions.
- Ask them specific things about their country and culture.
- Show interest in their education and what they are learning.
Suggested topics
Help your sponsored child get to know by sharing about your life and experiences:
- Introduce your family and friends
- Share about your pets
- Describe your hobbies
- Talk about the work you do at home or at the office
- Tell about your church and faith
- Explain holidays you celebrate
- Describe games you like to play
- Share about your favorite foods
- Talk about what school was/is like for you
- Encourage them with a favorite Scripture or Bible story
- Give encouragement for their daily life
- Describe interesting things about where you live and your culture
Topics that are better to avoid
You can show your child kindness and sensitivity by avoiding these topics:
- References of material wealth due to cultural differences
- Asking or suggesting your child visit you
- Asking the child what kind of gifts he/she would like
- Slang or colloquialisms that would be difficult for the child to understand
- Questions about sensitive or difficult life situations of the child
- Pressure of any kind to believe or do something
If you ever have questions about the Sponsorship Portal or need help with a letter, please contact Scott Hatfield at scott@livingstoneglobal.org at any time.