A letter filled with hugs

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Thessalonians 5:11

“I’ve eaten hamburgers twice in my life, both times at the [Compassion] project and I’ve also tried pizza on my birthday celebrations. I like that I get to celebrate my birthday there [at the Compassion project], because I also know that I will receive a letter from my sponsors congratulating me. They love me very much,” says Leonel.

For this 13-year-old Leonel, receiving loving words has particular significance. Leonel’s father is absent and his mother has passed away, therefore knowing his sponsors include him in their own family fills him with hope. Even though they are on the other side of the world, every time he receives a letter it’s like receiving a big hug.

“Leonel waits desperately for new letters from his sponsors, he gets truly excited when he gets one. In the letters, he reads loving and encouraging words that make him smile and feel so loved. He likes to tell his sponsors all the things he is learning at the project. He was very excited about starting a computer workshop and also told them that he had the desire to learn to play guitar,” says Leonel’s tutor, Karla.

Leonel explains, “My sponsors are very special to me. I pray for them to have a great life and that God will multiply blessings for them. They are very important in my life.”

Action: It’s easy to put off writing to your sponsored child but as Leonel shows us, even the simplest words like, ‘you matter’, or ‘I love you’, go a long way. If you sponsor a child, why not set aside some time to write to them today.