Writing letters to your sponsored child forges a powerful bond that can change your life and your child’s life. One sponsor felt that bond when she visited her child in the Dominican Republic.
Kathy shows some of the letters she’s received from her sponsored child, Santa, in the Dominican Republic.
Sponsorship creates a bond between a child and a sponsor that transcends location and language barriers. Children from different parts of the world are connected to those who faithfully support them through letters.
Kids and sponsors have the opportunity to be constantly in communication through them, and they have the chance to be part of each other’s lives, even though they may be thousands of miles apart.
We believe in the power of a letter — for us, a letter is more than just an old-fashioned communication. A letter can change the life of a child and his or her sponsor.
This is the story of two hearts that physically beat in different parts of the planet but constantly have the opportunity to be close through letters.
Kathy lives in Ohio in the United States while Santa, her sponsored child, lives in the Dominican Republic. A couple of years ago Kathy heard about OneChild while visiting her church in Ohio.
“I decided to sponsor a child, and I have been doing it for a year-and-a-half now,” she says. “Her name is Santa, she is 7 years old and lives in Dajabon, Dominican Republic. Santa is part of my family now, and God has chosen me to help care for her. Her health, education, and well-being are important to me. I have the opportunity to make an incredible difference in a child’s life.
Children at the Hope Center warmly greet Kathy during her visit.
“I had the opportunity to visit Dajabon in the Dominican Republic on a mission trip, and I met Santa and her family. Meeting Santa was like reuniting with a member of my family because we were always connected through letters. We hugged one another and rejoiced in the opportunity that God had brought us to be in each other’s lives.’’
Kathy and Santa had the chance to spend some time together, and now they continue to keep in touch through letters.
“I think that writing and sending letters to Santa is really important,” Kathy says. “We send letters to one another, which include colored pictures, photos, and other mailable items. Santa has photos of me and letters. I write to remind her that someone across the world loves her and is praying for her. I’m real, and she’s special and matters to me very much. I get so excited every time I see a letter in my mailbox! Also, I keep regular tabs on her via the OneChild website. I’m watching Santa grow and develop through these letters. My refrigerator [door] is filled with pictures she colors me. It brings my heart joy!”
Kathy poses with Santa (in pink) and her family.
If you have a sponsored child, we encourage you to continue writing letters. If you haven’t written, this is a great time to start.
We value your monthly support. We value the sacrifices you make to faithfully continue supporting the development of a child in need.
But each child needs to know who is supporting them, why you are supporting them, how much you love them, and how much you care about them and their future.
Your words of encouragement, affirmations, and love bring joy and hope and change the life of your child.
A hug is so powerful when it comes from your sponsored child.
“Please write to your sponsored children,” Kathy urges. “You have no idea how much they look forward to those letters! When I visited Santa last year, she had the letters I wrote her and the photos that I sent her nearby. She keeps them, looks at them, and is reminded of how loved she truly is.
“These letters are so meaningful to these children. Please take the time to write to your sponsored child. The smile they get on their face after receiving a letter from you is so worth the few minutes it takes to write it.”
Being a sponsor has made Kathy more sensitive to the needs of children around the world.
“These children need us, and God has called us to help them,” she says. “God is using me to show this little girl love. What an opportunity! Why would anyone decline such an opportunity?’’
If you’d like to bring hope and joy to a child in need, sponsor a boy or girl through OneChild.
If this meeting between Wanda and her sponsored boy in Zimbabwe doesn’t move you to tears, nothing will! Watch, and be inspired:
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Our accountability to our donors is one of our highest priorities. Our goal is to use the funds entrusted to us as wise stewards. To do this requires continued monitoring of our fund distribution. OneChild is also a member in good standing with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)
