Beyond the Envelope: A Peek Into Our Letter Days with Compassion

To us, writing and receiving letters in the mail is a commonplace. In some cases, it’s a chore that we need to take care of before the envelopes sitting in the mailbox grow out of hand. But for the sponsored children across the world that we write to, it could be a rare occurrence. 

And so, to many of the children, exchanging letters physically or digitally with sponsors is the only method of communication accessible; it’s an opportunity to share thoughts and encouragement, to support and uplift one another while exemplifying God’s love. 

“I am very nervous about entering high school,” is something one of our sponsored children from Mexico shared in her latest letter to us in August. Like any other teenage girl, she’s proud to have graduated middle school, excited that she has a vacation, and nervous about starting high school with new teachers and new friends. She is bright and curious to ask questions and not hesitant to ask for prayers for the safety of her and her family.  

For her, and many other children across the world, this letter writing program that is available through Compassion is so important because it brings reassurance not through a grand gesture, but through the simple sincerity of one person. 

And letter writing is not something to be taken lightly. Did you know that within Compassion’s letter writing system specifically, writing letters to sponsored children requires translations, checks, and screenings in order to be safely delivered to where they need to go? It is a responsibility taken very seriously in order to protect the child’s security. Compassion staff pay careful attention to flag any instances of accidental over-communication between child and sponsor or any instances of inadvertently writing something inappropriate or offensive to the child. 

Consistently writing and exchanging letters, physically or digitally, provides an opportunity for a child and a sponsor to connect and interact with each other. More importantly, it allows the child receiving the letter to feel supported knowing that someone is advocating for them, hoping just as much as them for their dreams and aspirations. And as a plus, writing letters is beneficial for the child’s learning and development. It teaches the child how to form handwritten letters, how to properly structure sentences in their native language, and it builds valuable communication skills. 

In the end, sending and receiving letters between child and sponsor is a beautiful opportunity to form connections. It’s not just about financial support, but it’s about letting them know that they are seen, valued, and cheered on from across the globe. With the help of many people’s time and passion for spreading the love of God, a program like this exists. The Joom Foundation hopes to continue to send letters to sponsored children and expand our reach, and we hope that you might consider sending a letter too!