I Sponsored a Child - Now What?

When I sponsored a child in Bubago, I didn't realize how impactful it would be on my own life. When teams come twice a year we pack a “goodie” bag of items (ex: clothes, books, toys, personal hygiene) that was bought using the sponsorship money. I helped pack items that to me are givens in my day to day life, but that these kids had none of.

During this process, one of the ways I helped was through matching the letters from sponsors to the kid’s bag. Midway through I realized that there were a few kids that didn’t have a letter from their sponsor. The thought struck me of “how easy would it be for me to get caught up in the busyness of life in the US and just tell myself that it's okay I missed this cycle. My kid will just get the letter the next time.” 

I mean, wow. How incredibly selfish of me to think that, but at the same time I started to realize all the what if’s of the situation. What if I hadn’t had the experience of packing these bags. What if I hadn’t had the experience of seeing the kids without a letter or picture looking at everyone else and wondering, “hey, I think somethings missing”. What if I hadn’t seen how much they treasure every gift given to them. Without real life experience, how easy is it for me to let my own life get in the way of sending them a letter and picture twice a year. 

I consider myself one of the lucky ones. Not only have I sponsored a child, but I got to meet him and his family. I’ve seen his daily struggles, and I've gotten to learn his personality. Even if this was my only trip to Africa, I know that my donation and prayers are truly changing a life.

Not everyone who sponsors a child will get to meet them. And that is okay! Because these kids value every single thing that comes from their sponsors whether they know them personally or not. Every uniform, every day in school, every book, every letter, every picture of your family. All of it is appreciated and treasured in a way most of us can’t even fathom.

But if you do ever get to meet your child, who knows, you might even end up receiving a chicken as a gift.