TXMary2 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Does anyone here sponsor a child through Compasion International? I am 99.9% certain my little guy and I are going to sponsor a child- their website gives lots of information and it sounds like a great organization. I am curious about others experiences. Also, how did you choose? The ones that have been waiting so long break my heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I have. I have sponsored two children through them for years that just graduated out of the program and I have 2 new children now. They are a great organization. I've never heard of any scandals of any kind, the are very transparent with how they spend the money and they have very little administrative costs compared to other similar type organizations and so more money goes to the children. They encourage sponsors to write their children. The children always write back and they even encourage donors to visit their sponsored child if it is possible. All of the children go to school, they get medical care/operations if they need it, they all learn a trade so they can get better paying jobs and help break the poverty cycle. :) As for the choosing, I just asked them to give me a child who has been on the wait list the longest and they did. One of my children was a little girl from Rwanda the other was a little boy from the Dominican Republic. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett_ashley Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I highly recommend them. They have impeccable financial credentials and are experts in poverty alleviation. I loved this blog post last year: http://shaungroves.com/2011/05/a-magic-trick-for-kristen/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We sponsor several through them. Nothing bad to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I have sponsored a girl in Columbia for almost a year now and I have no complaints and haven't heard anything bad about their organization.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauriep Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We've been sponsoring kids through Compassion for over 20 years. We went on a sponsor tour to Bolivia and got to see how the program works and how grateful the families are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We sponsor a child from World Vision and when she graduates from the program will get a new child through Compassion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We used to. We now support Orphan's Tear. They are a division of the Heaven's Family ministry. We know the ministry's founder, David Servant, as well as his family. I highly recommend them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We do. :001_smile: Check out their blog. They have lots of bloggers travel to their sponsored children and write about their experiences. How did we choose? We prayed, went to the part of their site with children who were waiting for a long time and her sweet face just stood out for us. We knew without a doubt that this girl is the one. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinF Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We do and decided today to sponsor another one. A friend posted this blog post today with a link to waiting children. I suggest you go there and search for a child that has been waiting for a sponsor. That is what I am doing. You can even search by birth day if you want to. http://www.bloggingfromtheboonies.com/2012/02/waiting.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilymax Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We sponsor a little girl in Thailand. Definitely a great organization! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom23Boys Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Does anyone here sponsor a child through Compasion International? I am 99.9% certain my little guy and I are going to sponsor a child- their website gives lots of information and it sounds like a great organization. I am curious about others experiences. Also, how did you choose? The ones that have been waiting so long break my heart. We sponsor through Compassion. We picked Ghana because they have a really quick turn around with letters and things. *I* don't really care, but I wanted my kids to be connected to the process and that helps. We also picked Haiti because we started after the earthquake and Haiti was just really on my heart. Haiti has a lot slower response time with letters, which again, is not my motivation for sponsoring, so it doesn't bother me. From there, we picked a boy and girl and then birth years of my two oldest, so they are the same age. My sister and bil have been sponsoring through Compassion for ages (they have at least 9 kids they sponsor) and she told me all the ones waiting are already in the program and getting the benefits. They just need sponsors to help with the costs. My sister/bil traveled last year and met 3 of their kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katiejane Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I know someone who worked for Compassion and she always said the money does really go to the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annabel Lee Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We sponsor a child from World Vision and when she graduates from the program will get a new child through Compassion. I sponsor a little Palestinian girl through World Vision currently. Would you mind sharing what makes you want to switch from WV to Compassion Int. once your sponsored child graduates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We've sponsored a little girl from Burkina Faso for about 3 years. It has been a good experience over all. As far as I can tell, they really get help from your money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom28kds Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 My daughter sponsers a child and my brother has done some training with their leaders over seas. Great organization! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We sponsor two boys through Compassion, from Thailand and Tanzania. It seems to be a high quality organization. Our sponsored child from Tanzania writes to us regularly, the other less often. We occasionally get photos from Tanzania showing our child with the items bought with the birthday gift money we sent. It is a good lesson to my own children to see what ranks as a splurge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We sponsor through Compassion, as well. We receive letters frequently from our child in Africa and enjoy responding to them. I highly endorse the organization. I have also read the founder's book: Too Small to Ignore by Dr. Wess Stafford. It is a tear-jerker and eye-opener. Someday, I would love to volunteer for their organization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle l Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We sponsor through Compassion. I got really bogged down trying to figure out which organization to sponsor through. My oldest came home from an even with a card from Compassion and we signed up. I think they do fabulous things for families.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Does anyone here sponsor a child through Compasion International? I am 99.9% certain my little guy and I are going to sponsor a child- their website gives lots of information and it sounds like a great organization. I am curious about others experiences. Also, how did you choose? The ones that have been waiting so long break my heart. We have sponsored children through them since 1995. I think they're a great organization and it's been a wonderful experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 We've sponsored through Compassion since about 2006 or so. We started with a little boy from Honduras who had the same birthdate as my DS, and sponsored him for several years until his parents decided to take him out of the program. Now we sponsor a boy from Nicaragua whose birthday is a few days after my DS's birthday, and a girl from Honduras whose birthday is a few days after my DD's. We intentionally picked children whose birthdays and genders matched our own children, so our kids could relate to them. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Compassion. We've had wonderful experiences. We write once a month, and send baseball cards, stickers, coloring pages, bandaids, and magazines along with our letters. My kids usually write a letter along with the one I write from our whole family. Our sponsored kids write letters to us 3-4 times per year. One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned here is that you have the opportunity to send an extra gift each year for Christmas and your child's birthday. The Christmas gift goes to the child's center and is divided up among all of the children there, so everyone gets something, but the birthday gift goes directly to the child. Every year, our children write and tell us what they were able to purchase with that extra money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned here is that you have the opportunity to send an extra gift each year for Christmas and your child's birthday. The Christmas gift goes to the child's center and is divided up among all of the children there, so everyone gets something, but the birthday gift goes directly to the child. Every year, our children write and tell us what they were able to purchase with that extra money. They also allow "family" gifts and other gifts (like when the child is graduating out of the program) and these can be quite a bit more than the Christmas or birthday gift amounts. Our first child's father died while she was in the program and we were able to give a family gift to help out that enabled them to buy a small parcel of land and then we were able to give her a gift as she was approaching the end of her sponsorship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudboots Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 We do! DH & I started sponsoring a kid as soon as we got married. That one grew up and graduated from the program. I wish I could get an update on him. We sponsor other kids now. DH chooses them from various countries. On the Compassion web site, you can type letters to your sponsored kids and upload photos. (I just did that this morning!) I love getting updates and photos from them, too. I have to admit, I don't write nearly as often as I think I should. This reminds me to make a better goal - like to write to them on the first of every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 We do. We picked a girl close in age to my kids. Before that we had a different girl. It is fun. I would love to be able to afford to go visit our girl now - but the trip to Thailand last time was something like 3000...:svengo: So...yeah. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I currently am sponsoring 3 children thru Compassion International. I started with 1 about 2 years ago and as we have written back and forth and watched her growing up I felt led to sponsor another child this Christmas. Almost immediately after adding #2 I went ahead and added 1 more so that I could add a child who had been waiting the longest. My children participate when we receive letters, when we pray and they have suggestions when I write but Compassion has made it clear that it's easier for the sponsored child if he/she has one regular adult correspondent. I have enjoyed working with Compassion International and have shared our positive experiences with many others. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 We've been sponsoring little boy in Mexico four about 5 years. Now we can even write to him through cyberspace :001_smile: www.compassion.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Compassion. We've had wonderful experiences. We write once a month, and send baseball cards, stickers, coloring pages, bandaids, and magazines along with our letters. I appreciate these ideas! One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned here is that you have the opportunity to send an extra gift each year for Christmas and your child's birthday. The Christmas gift goes to the child's center and is divided up among all of the children there, so everyone gets something, but the birthday gift goes directly to the child. Every year, our children write and tell us what they were able to purchase with that extra money. Do you ever designate a particular gift? I thought one was able to do this, but when I called yesterday, the representative told me that I could request, but it wouldn't necessarily be honored. This was different from what I had previously heard. I sent money for my child's birthday, but I wanted it to include a book, and the rest could be used for anything. I was a little disappointed, and I'm not sure if the rep I spoke with was correct. I guess I would like my child to have a gift that was something I selected, not just money that can be used for anything. I don't like to give money gifts, even to my nieces and nephew in this country. Also, one more question -- do you get an actual receipt for what was spent? Again, a friend told me she did, but I'm not sure this is still true, or perhaps it varies by country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 We've been sponsoring little boy in Mexico four about 5 years. Now we can even write to him through cyberspace :001_smile: www.compassion.com I was so happy when they started allowing us to send pictures online as well! I loved the ease of writing her online, but I had to snail mail in order to send any pics. :) I literally got so excited when they changed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Do you ever designate a particular gift? I thought one was able to do this, but when I called yesterday, the representative told me that I could request, but it wouldn't necessarily be honored. This was different from what I had previously heard. I sent money for my child's birthday, but I wanted it to include a book, and the rest could be used for anything. I was a little disappointed, and I'm not sure if the rep I spoke with was correct. I guess I would like my child to have a gift that was something I selected, not just money that can be used for anything. I don't like to give money gifts, even to my nieces and nephew in this country. Also, one more question -- do you get an actual receipt for what was spent? Again, a friend told me she did, but I'm not sure this is still true, or perhaps it varies by country. I don't think you can designate what the money is spent for. From what I understand, an adult at the local project will help them spend it on something they need or will be useful. For example, when we sent one of our family gifts, she and her family were able to buy a parcel of land, which I had no idea would even be possible, and didn't know that was most useful/helpful to them. I think I've always gotten a letter in response to a monetary gift, outlining what the child bought (sometimes including the amount spent on each thing, which didn't mean much since I am not familiar with the local currency), but no official receipt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeshi Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Our family is blessed with ten beautiful children through Compassion International. We first became sponsors in 2009 and our lives have been completely changed since we first took that leap of faith and chose Precious from Ghana. Compassion has become a passion of mine. They are a fantastic organization that has a high level of integrity. I have a blog which focuses on our involvement with CI. You're welcome to check it out. http://www.bloggingfromtheboonies.com I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the organization. It is truly a blessing to be involved and we just love our international family!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeshi Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I don't think you can designate what the money is spent for. From what I understand, an adult at the local project will help them spend it on something they need or will be useful. For example, when we sent one of our family gifts, she and her family were able to buy a parcel of land, which I had no idea would even be possible, and didn't know that was most useful/helpful to them. I think I've always gotten a letter in response to a monetary gift, outlining what the child bought (sometimes including the amount spent on each thing, which didn't mean much since I am not familiar with the local currency), but no official receipt. You *can* designate, but that could lead to problems. If you suggest something that the family doesn't need, it may mean they're not able to use the funds for something that truly do need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I was so happy when they started allowing us to send pictures online as well! I loved the ease of writing her online, but I had to snail mail in order to send any pics. :) I literally got so excited when they changed it. Wow! Where have I been? I didn't know they changed that! I think I need to go write a letter with a picture :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeshi Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I appreciate these ideas! Do you ever designate a particular gift? I thought one was able to do this, but when I called yesterday, the representative told me that I could request, but it wouldn't necessarily be honored. This was different from what I had previously heard. I sent money for my child's birthday, but I wanted it to include a book, and the rest could be used for anything. I was a little disappointed, and I'm not sure if the rep I spoke with was correct. I guess I would like my child to have a gift that was something I selected, not just money that can be used for anything. I don't like to give money gifts, even to my nieces and nephew in this country. Also, one more question -- do you get an actual receipt for what was spent? Again, a friend told me she did, but I'm not sure this is still true, or perhaps it varies by country. Hi there, we have never gotten a receipt for a gift, but we sometimes do get photos. I can assure you that 100% of the money you send as a gift goes to the child/family. You are able to send thin, flexible books to your child with your letters if you wish. The issue with designating funds is that, perhaps you want the child to buy a book, but the child also needs underwear or new shoes. Buying a book might be nice but the child may have a more pressing need. With our gift money, our children have bought a variety of gifts like a goat, a mattress, flashlight, food, bicycle, clothing and so on. Depending on where you child lives and their language, you may be able to find a nice book to send. (You can see examples of books we send in this post: http://www.bloggingfromtheboonies.com/2011/03/spring-inspiration.html ) I have bought some books in Spanish to send to our child in Bolivia. One other thing worth mentioning... I am a part of a website of Compassion sponsors called OurCompassion. I have met friends there who have traveled to different countries and brought gifts to my sponsored children. This is another great way to send gifts! Here is one post from a friend who went to visit our Precious in Ghana: http://compassioncan.blogspot.com/2011/11/ghana-day-4-precious.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemywhirlygirls Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I appreciate these ideas! Do you ever designate a particular gift? I thought one was able to do this, but when I called yesterday, the representative told me that I could request, but it wouldn't necessarily be honored. This was different from what I had previously heard. I sent money for my child's birthday, but I wanted it to include a book, and the rest could be used for anything. I was a little disappointed, and I'm not sure if the rep I spoke with was correct. I guess I would like my child to have a gift that was something I selected, not just money that can be used for anything. I don't like to give money gifts, even to my nieces and nephew in this country. Compassion will take your requests into consideration, BUT the local project director and the family will make the best decision for what the family's needs are at the time of the receipt of the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daysaregifts Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 What a complete blessing to see all these glowing reports about Compassion, and how wonderful to see so many children sponsored through the hive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemywhirlygirls Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I have sponsored kids through Compassion for over 20 years. I have friends who have worked for Compassion longer than that. I have also had the extreme privilege of visiting my child multiple times. I have been very impressed by all sides of Compassion that I have seen. The center director where our child participates has been very open with us when we visit. He happily showed us our child's folder, which contains records of the money we have sent for gifts and how that money was spent (receipts and everything). It also contained info about how the child has done in school, medical and dentist updates, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I don't think you can designate what the money is spent for. From what I understand, an adult at the local project will help them spend it on something they need or will be useful. For example, when we sent one of our family gifts, she and her family were able to buy a parcel of land, which I had no idea would even be possible, and didn't know that was most useful/helpful to them. I think I've always gotten a letter in response to a monetary gift, outlining what the child bought (sometimes including the amount spent on each thing, which didn't mean much since I am not familiar with the local currency), but no official receipt. Thanks for your response. I sent a family gift back in early November, and I haven't heard anything yet. I'm not too worried or anything, it's not been that long in Compassion's timeline. I am disappointed, however, that it is so hard to designate something special for your child. It doesn't seem like a book should be such a hard thing, you know? And I know this child likes school and learning so a book would be a good thing. And that would leave plenty of money for whatever else. I understand the reasons why not, but it would really be nice if sponsors were occasionally able to send something direct, something of their choosing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeshi Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Thanks for your response. I sent a family gift back in early November, and I haven't heard anything yet. I'm not too worried or anything, it's not been that long in Compassion's timeline. I am disappointed, however, that it is so hard to designate something special for your child. It doesn't seem like a book should be such a hard thing, you know? And I know this child likes school and learning so a book would be a good thing. And that would leave plenty of money for whatever else. I understand the reasons why not, but it would really be nice if sponsors were occasionally able to send something direct, something of their choosing. Hi Serenade! Did you happen to read my above reply to you? I shared a few different ways to send items directly to your child. I do hope that they help! Where does your child live? We've sent books, workbooks, folders and other things to our children through the mail. I would love to help you if I can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeshi Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Not sure if I should add to the discussion here or start a new one, but what about homeschooling with Compassion International? Speaking for our family, my girls discovered a love of Geography once they had friends living in other countries! Writing letters to our sponsored children is an **essential** part of the program and my girls love to get in on the action and write or send drawings to our ten CI kids. My friend Jill has a great blog which is full of info about the different Compassion assisted countries. You can see her blog here: http://compassionfamily.blogspot.com Compassion also has developed some neat lesson plans: http://www.compassion.com/christian-home-school.htm How has your family used your Compassion ministry as a learning opportunity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Thanks everyone and thanks for the blog links!! Iam confident now about participating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Wow! Where have I been? I didn't know they changed that! I think I need to go write a letter with a picture :auto: I thought I'd read something about a year ago (not here, but somewhere else online) that it's nicer to send things through the regular mail because it's more personal and you can send pictures, etc. etc. So I hadn't tried writing an online letter since then. Wowza, pretty papers to choose from! Picture uploads! It's so much fun, I sorta want to write another one right away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeshi Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Hmm, I posted a reply here with links to some other blogs, but I got a message that it was awaiting moderation. I haven't posted enough here to know if I've done something to flag myself? Anyway, I was wondering if anyone wanted to discuss homeschooling with Compassion International. Our family has really enjoyed geography a lot more since we started sponsoring. Knowing that the letters we write are a crucial part of the program, I get my girls involved in writing and sending pictures. My friend Jill has a great blog where she shares info about Compasison and the countries that they serve. http://compassionfamily.blogspot.com Also, Compassion has some lesson plans on their website: http://www.compassion.com/christian-home-school/homeschool-lesson-plans.htm I also share a lot of infomation on my blog, too. Link in my sig. How do you incorporate CI in your homeschooling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Hi there, we have never gotten a receipt for a gift, but we sometimes do get photos. I can assure you that 100% of the money you send as a gift goes to the child/family. You are able to send thin, flexible books to your child with your letters if you wish. The issue with designating funds is that, perhaps you want the child to buy a book, but the child also needs underwear or new shoes. Buying a book might be nice but the child may have a more pressing need. See, I didn't even know that you could send thin, flexible books, so that is good to know. And I do appreciate that the child may have other needs; in that case, I would rather just send an extra $5 for a book, if it would be mentioned. With our gift money, our children have bought a variety of gifts like a goat, a mattress, flashlight, food, bicycle, clothing and so on. That is good to know. I have only recently started sending gifts, so I'm sure over time I will learn more about what the child/family needs. Depending on where you child lives and their language, you may be able to find a nice book to send. (You can see examples of books we send in this post: http://www.bloggingfromtheboonies.com/2011/03/spring-inspiration.html ) I have bought some books in Spanish to send to our child in Bolivia. I will take a look! Thanks for the link. One other thing worth mentioning... I am a part of a website of Compassion sponsors called OurCompassion. I have met friends there who have traveled to different countries and brought gifts to my sponsored children. This is another great way to send gifts! Here is one post from a friend who went to visit our Precious in Ghana: http://compassioncan.blogspot.com/2011/11/ghana-day-4-precious.html I have heard of people doing that so it is nice to read about. I have been admittedly "slack" with my child because we went through a rough year/year and a half after we chose to sponsor. (We were building a house, and oh, the stress). But, I want to change that now. Hi Serenade! Did you happen to read my above reply to you? I shared a few different ways to send items directly to your child. I do hope that they help! I didn't see it previously, so I'm glad you posted again! Thank you. Where does your child live? We've sent books, workbooks, folders and other things to our children through the mail. Can you still send things like this? See, I thought that Compassion had changed a lot of their rules, and only very small things like bookmarks and such were allowed. My child is in Honduras. He is a good student in school, and I guess I want to encourage that. I would love to help you if I can! You've been very kind to type all of this up, and I really appreciate it. I appreciate this whole thread to give me a little kick to get myself in gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeshi Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Hi Serenade, Yes, you can still send things like that to your child. We cannot send plastic, but things that are paper/cardstock and could be considered "documents" while in customs are able to be sent. We send our packages in manila envelopes and that opens the door to much larger items. I like to get creative and send lots of goodies that the children might enjoy. If you saw my blog, you probably saw this post with ideas but I will share a direct link: http://www.bloggingfromtheboonies.com/2010/05/sending-goodies-to-compassion.html Lots of ideas listed here! I do hope that your rough year is a bit smoother now. Your child will be blessed to hear from you more often I am sure! Again, if you have any questions, please let me know. There's a contact form on my blog that might be a quicker/easier way to get in touch. That, or the Blogging From the Boonies Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BloggingFromTheBoonies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Do you ever designate a particular gift? I thought one was able to do this, but when I called yesterday, the representative told me that I could request, but it wouldn't necessarily be honored. This was different from what I had previously heard. I sent money for my child's birthday, but I wanted it to include a book, and the rest could be used for anything. I was a little disappointed, and I'm not sure if the rep I spoke with was correct. I guess I would like my child to have a gift that was something I selected, not just money that can be used for anything. I don't like to give money gifts, even to my nieces and nephew in this country. Also, one more question -- do you get an actual receipt for what was spent? Again, a friend told me she did, but I'm not sure this is still true, or perhaps it varies by country. This is an example of what we've gotten back, in a letter written by the mom of the girl we sponsor in Honduras after we sent a $20 birthday gift last year: "Jessica and I are very grateful for the money you sent. We received 379.57 lempiras and with that money Jessica asked if they could buy her some underwear, a blouse, some slacks, and a dress, and Jessica says that she's very happy with what they bought for her." When I googled a currency calculator, today $20 is worth 381.18 Honduran lempiras. We don't always get a report from the child with those exact figures, but we always get some kind of acknowledgment of the gift. Sometimes our letters (from one child in Honduras and one child in Nicaragua) take 8-12 weeks to get to us, but we usually get letters about 4-5 weeks after they are written. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Yes, we have been sponsoring a girl for many years in Ecuador. Before that, we sponsored a girl in Haiti for a few years but the program ran into some difficulties so they switched us to the girl in Ecuador. The first girl was around the age of my one daughter and the second is almost the same age as my youngest. She is now in hair styling school and will soon be graduating with a degree and will be able to help her family more. I am just very happy that she learned to the basics before she had to go to learn to work. Also, as a beautician, she will be better educated than her own parents so have more opportunities to make money. I strongly support the program. It really does help the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Hi Serenade, Yes, you can still send things like that to your child. We cannot send plastic, but things that are paper/cardstock and could be considered "documents" while in customs are able to be sent. We send our packages in manila envelopes and that opens the door to much larger items. I like to get creative and send lots of goodies that the children might enjoy. If you saw my blog, you probably saw this post with ideas but I will share a direct link: http://www.bloggingfromtheboonies.com/2010/05/sending-goodies-to-compassion.html Lots of ideas listed here! That page is great -- definitely book-mark worthy! You've given me some great ideas. I do hope that your rough year is a bit smoother now. Your child will be blessed to hear from you more often I am sure! Again, if you have any questions, please let me know. There's a contact form on my blog that might be a quicker/easier way to get in touch. That, or the Blogging From the Boonies Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BloggingFromTheBoonies I really appreciate your willingness to share so much information. I've been inspired by your posts and your blog, and I will be sure to contact you if I have any other questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 This is an example of what we've gotten back, in a letter written by the mom of the girl we sponsor in Honduras after we sent a $20 birthday gift last year: "Jessica and I are very grateful for the money you sent. We received 379.57 lempiras and with that money Jessica asked if they could buy her some underwear, a blouse, some slacks, and a dress, and Jessica says that she's very happy with what they bought for her." When I googled a currency calculator, today $20 is worth 381.18 Honduran lempiras. We don't always get a report from the child with those exact figures, but we always get some kind of acknowledgment of the gift. Sometimes our letters (from one child in Honduras and one child in Nicaragua) take 8-12 weeks to get to us, but we usually get letters about 4-5 weeks after they are written. Thank you so much for sharing this. I was kind of wondering what one could get for $20-$25 in Honduras, and this helps greatly. It's nice to know that a child can get some nice gifts for that amount of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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