Tips & Guidelines

Writing Letters That Bring Healing

Letters are an opportunity to pour into, encourage, and be a part of healing in the life of the child or family you sponsor. You have the opportunity to help shape their belief system regarding what they believe about others, themselves, and God. Your letter communicates they are valued, important, unique, and not forgotten.

  • Consider reminding them about his or her true identity in Christ. Share a testimony or favorite Bible passage and why it is important to you.
  • Share how important he or she is to your family (i.e. our family remembers you in our prayers).
  • Remind them of all the good you’ve seen displayed in their character (i.e. you are smart, you are helpful, you are a hard worker, you care about your siblings, you are brave).
  • Consider sharing what you’ve learned about how to have a strong marriage and/or strong friendships. Send a photo of your family, friends, of you at your job, or a picture of your family pet—they love to see different aspects of your life.
  • Consider sharing about your job, what your favorite aspect of your job is, how you decided to pursue your job. Share about the positive activities you’re involved in, and ways you serve your church and community.
  • Encourage their studies by asking them how school is going. This communicates you care about their education.
  • Be patient and give them time to develop the skill of letter writing. They may share the same information multiple times.

Topics to Avoid

Please avoid:

  • Inviting or talking about a child or family member coming to America.
  • Asking questions about their past. Many of the children we work with have some sort of trauma or abuse in their past. Instead, focus on their present and future.
  • Going into detail about material possessions.
  • Asking if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend. We do not want to encourage the need for a romantic relationship.
  • Calling the child you sponsor “son” or “daughter.” These terms have different meanings in different cultures, and it is important to keep healthy boundaries in place.
  • Making promises you are not certain you can keep, such as plans to visit them. It is better to not make promises, in case things do not work out.
  • Asking them what they would like as a gift from you. We want to encourage healthy relationships between sponsors and children, and do not want the children to be tempted to look to you for material possessions and gifts.

Letter Guidelines

  • You are welcome to use the Back2Back Sponsorship Letter template to write, but it is not required.
  • If a group of people sponsors a child or family, it is best if one person writes, to cut down on any potential confusion.
  • Please keep letters to an appropriate length, being mindful a staff person will translate for you.
  • You may send your letter by clicking the “Write a Letter Now” button below.

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