For those of you who don’t know, I’m a recovering “Lame Sponsor” with Compassion International. I have a checkered past when it comes to keeping up regular correspondence with the two boys we sponsor. To date, a five year old in Ghana has been out-writing me!
That all changed after I traveled with Compassion International to Guatemala this past September. And I got asked the same question over and over again in a language I couldn’t understand by faces I could read as easily as those of my own two sons, “Do you know my sponsor? Will you ask them to write to me?”
My heart cracked into all kinds of tiny pieces on that trip – each one determined to take home the message they’d entrusted me with, “Please ask them to write to us.”
Sponsor or no sponsor, turns out what every kid really wants is a letter.
A letter to tell them they are special and loved and beautiful and necessary and that they matter much, much more than their circumstances may tell them. When you’ve stood in a corrugated iron shack that houses a family of five who barely escaped a mud slide and watched them pull an envelope of letters that stretch back for years out from under the mattress pad you know you’re in the presence of something special.
Paper and ink can be an anchor in the storm.
Often our words are more important than our money.
And we’d like to make a way to send hundreds and thousands of words of encouragement to kids who really need them in this season of Thanksgiving.
That’s where YOU come in!
Well you, DaySpring, and Compassion International. From now through November 29th
(the Monday after Thanksgiving) Studio DaySpring will be hosting a Christmas Card Drive for the children of Ecuador.
You design the card, Compassion will translate it, DaySpring will print it, and a team from both organizations will travel to Ecuador to deliver it in person in time for Christmas!
Four student projects with over 100 unsponsored kids are looking forward to hearing from YOU!
Did your tummy just do the happy flip? Mine sure did!
Here’s how it works:
- Click here to go to the Studio DaySpring Christmas Card Drive page.
- Design a card for a super special kid in Ecuador just dying to hear from YOU (for as little as $1.99).
- Tell them what makes them so worth celebrating this Christmas season.
- Include a photo of you and your family and a little bit about you so they know who the card’s coming from – kids LOVE photos!
- Bear in mind we’ll need some room on the card to translate your message into Spanish.
- Add to Cart and Voila – you’ve just created a Christmas message that will be hand delivered from you to a child in Ecuador. Our team will be there December 11-16.
- Oh and we’ve got a blog button to help spread the word – you can grab it off our side bar.
Kind words are like honey – sweet to the taste and good for your health. Proverbs 16:24.
Your words will nourish no matter whose hands your card finds its way home to. You don’t have to know a child to impact their life. You only have to know the Jesus you both have in common.
And we can’t wait to report back – with words and photos – how your cards were received.
We’ve got a feeling it’s gonna be nothing short of Christmas-tacular!
By Lisa-Jo, Community Manager for (in)courage
Leave a Comment
Robin ~ PENSIEVE says
Lisa-Jo,
🙂 A simple gesture with potentially eternal reach! Showing the love of Christ in words (and pictures) MEANS something to these babies. Just when I thought I couldn’t love incourage/DaySpring more…….I do.
Thank you!!
xo
Dona Clark says
Lisa-Jo, When my church does Compassion
Sunday each year one of the things I tell the new sponsors is this is a way to be the heart of Jesus to love these little children for Him. I tell my two little ones, one in Ecuador and one in Haiti, that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their lives. I’m so happy and grateful that Compassion International was part of His plan for my life. To love these little ones for Him and to tell them how much He loves them is one of the greatest joys in my life. I thank God every day for our founder that knew little children needed more than a cup of soup and a warm blanket, they needed the love of Jesus.
Nickie says
I am so happy to be able to take part in this!! Thank you so much for doing this… I know these kids are going to be so happy and feel so special, which is what it’s all about!
Ann Voskamp@Holy Experience says
Walfred!
That’s a photo of Walfred and his sponsor!
Oh, I’m back in Guatemala…
Sign. me. up.
Thank you, DaySpring, Compassion, for giving us a way to be the hands of Jesus this Christmas….
Lisa-Jo @thegypsymama says
Insert BIG FAT GRIN here.
Melissa @ the inspired room says
I LOVE this. Heart.
Christmas Cards for Ecuador « Murray's Musings says
[…] to the ”incourage.me” website at https://aws.incourage.me/2010/11/a-christmas-card-drive-of-epic-proportions.html or directly to the DaySpring site at […]
April says
I love this…doing this….and also sending a few letters to my sponsored child in Brazil…like you, I have a checkered past when it comes to writing to her! Thank you for this inspiration!!
Kristen@Moms Sharpening Moms says
There is no simpler, better Christmas gift than this! Love, love, love! CHRISTmas-tacular, indeed!
Anne says
My heart did do a flip… I love this idea. What a blessing to the kids and a blessing to us to be a part of it. Thank you for organizing this.
Michelle ~ Blogging from the Boonies says
With 7 Compassion kids to support and 3 of our own daughters and one income, we wouldn’t be able to send many Dayspring cards on our budget. I do hope that many take part in this and shower those kids for love.
For those looking for a more economical way to spread cheer to unsponsored children, you can buy a box of Christmas cards at the Dollar Store and send them, too. You could even make some out of construction paper! Here’s how and where to send them! http://meeshimama.blogspot.com/2010/10/christmas-cards-for-unsponsored.html
Where our budget would only allow us to send a couple of the Dayspring cards, we can send dozens of cheaper ones! Hopefully this will help those who are on a tight budget like us!
Lydia says
I love cards! I love Compassion International! I love Ecuador! I LOVE THIS IDEA!!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing with us this opportunity to show Christ’s love.
encourage someone. « Kimberly Renee says
[…] International. For just 1.99 you can send a card to an un-sponsered child in Ecuador. I Check out the post about it here. UM. Can we say […]
Roberta says
Well I just finished designing and ordering my card and I hope I did it right? Not sure because my order showed my shipping address? I put a note on my order page that they were for the Compassion Card Drive and ordered a box of 25. Also if you put in the discount code COMPASSION you get a huge discount and free shippping with a box of 25. Now I’m off to post on my blog about this. We sponsor two kids in Africa through Compassion and I have also been very bad about writing on a regular basis these past few months. Now I’m motivated to get back to it. Thanks for the inspiration.
Fondly, Roberta
Dawn Camp says
Okay, so how cool is that that Ann recognized one of these sweet faces! 🙂
deidra says
Yes! I can write a card! Thanks for giving us this simple way to bless so big!
Nina says
This is such a great idea. I have already bought cards to send to unsponsored children but will send a few through DaySpring as well. Thinking of all the happy faces of those children when they receive a card *of their very own*!
Genevieve Thul says
Done! What an easy way to love on these little ones God made!! Do you guys have a hashtag set up? I tweeted it but didn’t know what hashtag to use. Also will post on my blog later today and give link here and on Twitter/FB when done.
Leah says
Thank you for telling us about Christmas Card Drive. I love this idea and will participate. I will tell others about it on my blog. I hope it’s ok that I copied and pasted the Christmas Card button onto my blog. If it is not ok, then please email me and I will take if off immediately. Thank you.
Jan J. says
This is wonderful! We will be doing as much as we can! Thanks for providing the means to participate in something like this.
Sara says
I just started sponsoring our first child a couple of months ago. Even though I don’t receive letters from her (just the first intro letter) I still write at least once per month because I remember how receiving mail made me feel as a child. A letter in the mail is like a great big hug!
This is an excellent endeavor and so important ->wish we could do this epic card/letter campaign on a monthly basis.
Send A Card This Christmas « Another Turn Of The Page says
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[…] can send a Christmas card to a Compassion child who doesn’t have a sponsor yet! How easy and cheap to brighten a little child’s day and […]
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[…] clicked on a link over at Simple Mom and landed on a post over at (in)courage. I read the story of the importance of correspondence to the children and I was moved to […]
Starlett says
I think giving the children cards is a wonderful idea! I’m a stampaholic that makes greeting cards as a hobby. There are thousands of us (if not hundreds of thousands) around the world. If we wanted to hand make some cards (and not have them printed) is there a place we can send them to so that they can also be hand delivered? I’m not ready to sponsor a child at this time, but I would like to send a few cards. Thanks!
Lisa-Jo @thegypsymama says
Hi there Starlett –
Thank you for wanting to share your creativity with Compassion Kids! Although, we do allow people to write their own letters for unsponsored children for Christmas, those particular cards will be distributed to many of the countries we work in. Here is something Compassion posted above that gives more information:
To send handmade Christmas cards (or cards you buy) to unsponsored children, just send the cards here:
ATTN: LaVerne B., Sponsor Correspondence Team
Compassion International
12290 Voyager Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80921-3668
Please include a cover letter explaining the letters are for unsponsored children.
Thanks for writing! And I hope that helps!
Starlett says
Thank you Lisa-Jo…this is just what I was looking for! Starlett
Handmade Cards: Impress Your Sponsored Kids | ImpressYourKids says
[…] you about a special UN-sponsored child project. (in)Courage and DaySpring have partnered to do a Christmas Card drive. They want to send Christmas cards to unsponsored kids in Ecuador. You design a card on […]
30 Days of Giving Challenge – Week #2 « Newlywed Nomads says
[…] and InCourage’s Christmas Card Drive of Epic Proportions – such a fun thing to do with your […]
patty says
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for making this possible!! I have desired to sponsor a child for years now, but finances have not allowed it. as i designed my cards today, my heart just swelled with joy to know that my family and i are being given the opportunity to bless these precious children in this way!!
patty
Can you write a letter? « Angel Effect says
[…] I know I’m not giving a lot of detail but I have a place for you to go for the detail : ) This post will give you all the information you need. They have to be completed by the Monday after […]
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A Sweet Opportunity to Share Some Love says
[…] can find out more about this delightful project where it is well explained over at (in)courage, or you can head straight over to the DaySpring Studio and get started! (I highly recommend […]
Rachel says
I have just finished making my second card. Thank you so much for the opportunity to make and send cards to bless these precious children!
Rachel
Sue Avery says
No matter which way I try, I cannot get any text into the box to create a card for Ecuador!
So after numerous attempts I’ve had to give up!! Is it because I’m in the UK ?