Child sponsorship – thoughts as we prepare
Our church is getting ready to sponsor children at the Bethel Child Development Center in Rancho Arriba, Dominican Republic. It’s exciting to see the level of enthusiasm in our community around this opportunity.
Our family sponsors a young girl in Africa and that has made a huge impact on our family. It’s incredible to hear my three year old talk about issues around extreme poverty because she knows how we are able to impact our sponsored child’s life.
For those considering whether to request a child for sponsorship, listen to this young woman’s amazing story:
If you do end up sponsoring a child, some of the larger organizations have suggestions on writing to your child (World Vision, Compassion International). Nazarene Compassionate Ministries has a child sponsorship brochure with frequently asked questions.
Since our sponsored child is young, we focus on asking simple questions about what she likes to do, and we send pictures, tell her about how we like to have fun, and my kids enjoy drawing her pictures.
Do you have sponsorship stories? Please share them in the comments.
Be The Church 
I was actually at a conference where she shared her story. It was amazing and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. Cool stuff.
I recently sponsored a child through Children International. It was a great experience. I really love helping children in need. If you are interested in sponsoring a child in need, you should check out Children International’s child sponsorship programs: http://www.children.org