As the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the whole world, you might be wondering about the safety and health of the child you sponsor. Maybe you’re longing to communicate with him or her about —how they are doing, and to say you’re praying for them. These are great questions that reveal your heart for children in poverty. That’s why we’d like to give you a few tips on writing letters to your sponsored child during a crisis!
Writing to your sponsored child during a crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, requires a little extra thoughtfulness and sensitivity. This pandemic is a brand-new challenge for our world, but crises are not.
In this post, I’ll give you some tips on how to ask your sponsored child-appropriate questions about a crisis, how to be sensitive to the situation, how to encourage him or her and how to pray through the season.
But before we get into the nitty-gritty, we want to answer some questions that you might be thinking of right now.
Will My Letters Be Delayed?
With the constant changes across the globe due to Covid-19, letters to and from your sponsored children will likely be delayed. However, we ask that you please continue to encourage children you sponsor. Letters are a HUGE gift once your child can receive them. We typically recommend that a sponsor sends at least two to three letters per year, so if you haven’t sent one in a few months, consider sending a letter today!
Will My Child Receive Gifts I Send?
Due to the temporary closures of many of Compassion’s global offices, the delivery of gifts to your child and their family will be delayed. However, we encourage you to continue sending birthday and other monetary gifts to your child during this time, if you are able. The gifts will likely be VITAL to the families after a long time in lockdown.
Letter Writing Tips for Health Crises
During a health crisis, it’s important to know how to communicate with your sponsored children.
Ask. To protect the privacy of the child and their family, keep all health-related questions high level. Don’t ask for specifics. If your child is facing a health crisis, here are a few questions you could ask:
- How has your family been doing lately?
- Have you been learning hand-washing tips at your centre? What has that been like?
- Have there been any recent changes in your community?
Be sensitive. There’s no need to be afraid to write about a health crisis like COVID-19 in your letters, but it is incredibly important to know how to talk about it appropriately. Child protection and privacy are incredibly important, so we suggest that you do not ask directly about the ways your child or their family have been affected. However, there are a few ways you can sensitively write about a health crisis:
- With a health crisis that you can understand or relate to, like COVID-19, feel free to share about your experience. How has your family been doing? How are you feeling? This might make your child feel safe enough to share more openly about his or her experience.
- Remind your sponsored child that you are praying for him or her during this health crisis. Write out your specific prayers for your child’s health and safety.
- If your sponsored child chooses to share openly about illness or loss, then it is appropriate to address the issue and its effect on him or her directly.
Encourage. If your sponsored child shares about an illness or health crises, share a story about a time you were sick and recovered. Remind him or her that God is the Great Physician. Infuse your letters with hope!
Pray. Tell your sponsored child that you are praying for their healing or their family’s healing. Remind him or her that you regularly pray for them, especially throughout this crisis.
These letter writing tips can be applied directly to the global COVID-19 crisis our world is facing right now. These are hard days. Please know that we are praying for child sponsors like you and your family. Crises like these are no surprise to God—let us find comfort in this truth!
We all need a little extra encouragement these days, so send some to your sponsored child today!
Written by Katy Bennett for Compassion International
Write to Your Sponsored Child