An Introduction To The Fruit Of The Spirit (For Younger Kids)

A little while ago, I got the idea to do a "Fruits of the Spirit" series with my younger children. I've had so much fun pulling together each short "lesson" and finding games and activities to go with them!

I want to give a special shoutout to Jill over at Compassion Family, who also did a Fruits of the Spirit series for her Compassion kids! I drew some inspiration from her posts, as well as from DLTK-Bible's lesson "The Fruit Of The Spirit".

As always, you may copy and paste this letter and edit the parts in bold to fit you and your child's needs.

Dear (Name),

Hello my dear friend Name! How are you doing with your family?

Today I want to talk to you about fruit. Do you like fruit? What is your favorite fruit? I like type of fruit best, although they do not grow in our area so we have to buy them at the store. Did you know that the Bible talks about fruit? The Bible talks about special fruits called the Fruit of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit is a very special fruit... it doesn't grow on trees, but in our hearts! Let me explain. The Bible says there are nine fruits of the Spirit. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. When we love God and learn a lot about Him, we will begin to love people, to be patient, to be kind, to be good, and so on. Just like big ripe fruits hanging from a tree for everyone to look at, everyone will see you acting in ways that please God. Just like a fruit tree that is healthy and well cared for will have a lot of yummy fruit on its branches, when we take care of our hearts and minds by praying and learning about Jesus, we will grow "fruit" like gentleness and joy. In my next letters, I will be writing more about each fruit of the Spirit and how we can "grow" it in our lives. If there is anything you don't understand about the Fruit of the Spirit, or if you want to know more about it, you can ask your pastor or one of the leaders at your Compassion center and they will be happy to explain it to you! For now, I have a big question for you... do you think you can memorize all nine of the Fruits of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control! It's a big job but you are a smart girl/boy and I know you can do it! I am sending you a colorful chart to help you remember the different Fruits. Ask a leader at the Compassion center, (maybe the person who is reading you this letter!) to read the names of each of the Fruits to you. Try to learn one new Fruit each day... that way it will be easy! I am also sending you a fun counting activity that I hope you enjoy! You can ask a leader at the Compassion center to help you write down how many of each kind of fruit you can count!

I love you so much (Name), and I look forward to telling you more about the Fruit of the Spirit!

Love, (Sponsor)

With this letter, I included the colorful "Fruits of the Spirit" poster from over at Christian Preschool Printables!

I also included a fun "I Spy: Fruit" printable from over at And Next Comes L. 

If you are hand-writing or typing your letter (as opposed to sending it online) you might enjoy using this VERY bright and cheerful Free Fruit Border from Page Borders

Have fun writing to your kids!

Responses From my Kids:

"I did not know the Bible talks about fruit but I was told from the project and my favorite fruit is oranges. I don't know the fruit of the Holy Spirit but my father will help me to memorize them. I liked the pictures of fruits but I only know bananas." ~Gifty, 7, Uganda

"There is different fruits manufactured in our country. Like Mango, Avocado, Orange, Lemon and the like. This all are grown in everyone's house." ~Kerubel, 17, Ethiopia

A Walk Around My Town: Post Office (For All Ages)

I love learning about my children's communities! Whether it's a picture or map they've drawn, a few sentences about what they like best about their community, or even a photo with a street or part of their town in the background; I always feel a bit closer to my kids if I can imagine where they live!

Many of our kids feel the same way about us... they love it when we give them little glimpses into our surroundings so they can picture us going about our daily routines.

So, I've made an effort to tell my children about my town, and share photos as well!I will be doing a "Walk Around My Town" mini-series on my blog and sharing some ideas for you to write to your sponsored kids about your community!

Since we all love to receive (and send) letters, I thought I'd start with the Post Office first!

Dear (Name),

Today I want to talk about something fun with you… getting letters! Do you like getting letters? I do! I want to tell you about how I receive letters. Here in (My Country), we get our letters at a building called the Post Office. I am sending you a picture of my Post Office… this is the place where I go to get your letters, and also where I go to mail my letters to you! When you first go to the post office, you register your name with the office and they give you a number and a key. Then, whenever you want to see if you have any letters, you go into a room that has walls covered in tiny square doors from top to bottom. Each door has a number on it. You go to the little door that has your number on it, unlock it with your key, and open it to see if there are any letters inside. Some people go to the post office every day, and some people like to go once a week. I usually go two or three times a week. Most times I don’t have any letters, but sometimes there is a letter and then I get very excited! I think working in a post office would be a very fun job to have! A Post Office job means sorting all the letters that are received, and making sure that the letters get into the hands of the right people. It also means packaging up the letters that people want to mail, and selling things like stamps and envelopes.
Now it’s your turn!

1. How do you receive letters from me? Are the letters delivered to your home, or do you get them at the Compassion project?
2. How often is the mail delivered?
3. If you receive letters at the project, does someone call the children's names one-by-one or do you get your letters privately?
4. Do all the children at your project get letters from their sponsors?

I look forward to hearing from you again!

You can include a photo of your post office with this letter. If you're not comfortable taking a photo of your post office, or you don't have a camera, you can often get a good photo by using the Google Streetview of your town, or doing a web search for places in your community. You can also do as I've done here, and use WikiMedia Commons to find free-to-use photos of the inside of a generic post office!

Wikimedia Commons Image

Have a friend or family members who works in a post office or as a mail carrier? Why not grab a photo with them, or do an interview with them about their job and what they enjoy about it?

You can also include a fun Coloring Page of a post office!

Have fun writing to your kids!

Five-year-old Williams from Bolivia needs a sponsor! This is the street where his project is located!

Click Here to learn more about Williams!

The Father's Love Letter (For All Ages)

One thing that has really impacted me, is the number of children I have without fathers in their lives. Some fathers are absent, some have passed away, and one is in prison. I strive to teach all of my children, but particularly those without fathers in their lives, that God is their Father, and they can depend on Him just as they would on their earthly father.

Are you familiar with The Father's Love Letter? If not, will you take a moment to watch the video below?

This short video changed my life the first time I saw it. Every line is taken directly from Scripture. I don't think I have come across another resource that so accurately portrays the "Father Heart" of God.  

I am so thankful for the wonderful people behind "The Father's Love Letter", and their diligence in providing people with the ability to experience the Father Heart of God through so many formats... letters, videos, audio, and even a cartoon. Plus, The Father's Love Letter is currently available in 115 different languages!

I hope you will consider sending "The Father's Love Letter" to your sponsored children. You may print the letter and send it through the mail, or if you have the ability to send letters online, you can copy and paste it or upload it as a full-sized image.

VISIT "THE FATHER'S LOVE LETTER" WEBSITE NOW.

Here are quick links to some of the most common languages that I've seen sponsored children speak. Keep in mind these are just a few of the main ones, and there are many more available on the website! Also keep in mind that even if you send the Letter in English, it will be translated. However, I always enjoy sending things in my children's original languages!

AMHARIC
FRENCH
HAITIAN CREOLE
HINDI
INDONESIAN
PORTUGUESE
PUNJABI
ROMANIAN
SPANISH
SWAHILI
TAGALOG
TAMIL
THAI
ZULU

If you have younger kids, or even older ones that enjoy colorful cartoons, I encourage you to check out "The Story of Billy and the Biggest, Best Dad in the Universe!" It's a colorful cartoon that comes in two full pages that you can upload and send as an image, or you can print it on high-quality paper and send it in the mail!

FATHER'S LOVE LETTER CARTOON

Noah's Ark And Rainbows (For Younger Kids)

Not sure what to write in your next letter? How about a favorite Bible story? You can use the story of Noah's Ark on its own, or you can tie it together with a fun rainbow theme... after all, everybody loves rainbows!

I wrote this letter with my "littles" (3-9) in mind, but you can always adjust the text for an older child!

Dear (Name),

Today I want to share with you a Bible story that I really love. Have you learned the story of Noah yet? Today I am going to tell it to you.
A long, long time ago, there was a man named Noah. He was a very good man and prayed to God every day. One day, God was looking down from Heaven, and He was very sad because people were doing so many bad things: stealing, fighting, hurting each other, telling lies, and all kinds of bad things. God said, "Are there any good people left on earth?" Then He saw Noah, who was very kind and good even though people around him were all bad. God spoke to Noah with a loud voice and said, "Noah!"
Noah said, "Yes Lord?"
God said, "I am going to send a flood to the earth. I am going to wash away all the bad people and everything bad on the earth, and make it fresh and clean again. I want you to build a huge boat, so you and your family can be safe. I also want you to take two of every kind of animal, to keep them safe."
So Noah, his wife, his three sons, and his sons' wives, built a huge boat called an ark. They also collected enough food for themselves and all the animals. Then, they got into the ark with the animals, and God Himself closed the door. And THEN, it started to rain. And it rained, and it rained, and it rained! And it didn't stop raining for forty whole days and nights, until even the highest mountain on earth was underwater. But Noah and his family and all the animals... the lions, the elephants and giraffes, the goats and donkeys and chickens and all the others, were floating safely in the boat. Then, when God saw that all the earth was washed clean and all the bad people and things had been washed away, He made the water dry up. The ark landed safely on top of a mountain called Mount Ararat. Noah and his family got off the boat and set all the animals free. And the first thing Noah did, was to kneel down and thank God for keeping them safe. God was very happy that Noah remembered to pray and say thank you, so he put a special sign in the clouds... a Rainbow! The rainbow is God's promise to us that He will never again send a big flood to cover the whole world, and also that He will always keep us safe. When you get a little older, you can read this story for yourself in Genesis chapters 6-9.
Have you ever seen a rainbow? Look up at the sky after a rainstorm and you may just see one!
I will write to you again soon!

Love, (Your Name)

To accompany the letter, I made up a neat rainbow-themed poster with my children's photos, using PiZap!

Click Here to visit PiZap Now!

I also included some photos of rainbows. Haven't got any good rainbow photos? Why not check out Wikimedia Commons... they have dozens of great rainbow photos and they're free to use!

Click Here to visit Wikimedia Commons page "Rainbow".

Coloring pages always add an element of fun to a lesson! I found a great Noah's Ark coloring page from Mom Junction!

Click Here to discover a "Noah's Ark" coloring page from Mom Junction!

And Christian Preschool Printables has a great variety of Noah's Ark activities including puzzles, coloring pages, and crafts! You can print them, or download to your computer and send them online!

Click Here to visit Christian Preschool Printables' "Noah's Ark" page!

In addition, DLTK-Bible has some great printable Noah's Ark worksheets, including mazes and crossword puzzles!

Click Here to visit DLTK-Bible's "Noah's Ark" page!

But wait! If you're sending a handwritten letter, what could be cooler than rainbow stationery?! This page border is FREE to download with a watermark, scroll down the page to find out how.

Click Here to discover "Rainbow Border" from Page Borders

And if you're like me and you have messy or crooked handwriting, you may prefer this cute Rainbow Lined Stationery! This stationery is FREE to download with a watermark, scroll down the page to find out how.

Click Here to discover "Rainbow Lined Paper" from Stationery Tree!

Have fun writing to your kids!

Letters Mean Love: An Introduction

Five years ago, my life changed in ways I could never have imagined. One small step turned into another, and then another, and yet another, and before I knew it I was running against the wind in giant strides.

Five years ago, I sat down at my desk and created a small lapbook. Made of folded scrapbook paper, I added tiny coloring pages, stickers, and a short note that said "Isimbi, have a nice day. I love you. Hannah."

Then I slipped it in the mail. Its destination? Rwanda, a tiny country located in the heart of Africa. The recipient? A little girl dressed all in orange, with a sweet, serious face. My precious Isimbi.

And I waited.

And like many sponsors, I wondered. I wondered if she would actually get my letter, if it actually meant anything to her, if she would actually write back.

She did.

A couple of months later, I held her very first letter in my hands. A thumbed, slightly crumpled letter that had made it through the hands of office staff, translators, mailroom staff, and finally to me, from all the way on the other side of the world.

"Thank you so much for the letter you sent me and the card of colors. It pleased me. Thank you for wishing me a happy Easter. I liked your letter. Thank you so much. Me and my family love you so much."

And I cried.

That was five years ago. Since that day, I have written over three hundred and fifty letters to ten children. That sounds like an insane amount, but really it's not. It's just a product of a commitment to write to each of my children at least once a month.

Why? Why are letters so important?

To many people, child sponsorship is simple... a monthly deduction from your bank account, and a little face on your fridge. But to the child you sponsor, your support is literally life changing.

I want to invite you to take a few minutes, eight minutes and thirty-three seconds to be exact, and watch this short video. The story of Jimmy Wambua, a young man from Kenya who was sponsored as a child by a young college student from America named Mark Hale. Please do have a few tissues handy.

There's something you may notice about the above video, and that is simply that there is not much mention of the monetary aspect of sponsorship. It's all about the words.

Words are powerful. They are reminders to a child living in poverty that they matter. That someone cares. That someone loves them. That they are not alone. That they can make it. Words that children who live in poverty simply don't hear.

I've heard it said time and time again.... sponsored children equate letters with love. When they have been sponsored for ten years but never received a letter, they wonder if something is wrong with them. Am I not good enough? Are my letters not good enough? Is it because of my grades? Why doesn't my sponsor write? Don't they love me?

And that's what this blog is all about. Sometimes it's hard to know exactly what to say... what to write. What not to write. For me, writing to my children is serious business... I have the awesome responsibility and opportunity to speak into these young lives and combat the lies that poverty tells them: It's hopeless. You're alone. You will always be poor. You're insignificant. No one sees you. No one even cares.

I invite you to join me here as I share the letters, photos, coloring pages, games, puzzles, and stories that I send to my sponsored children around the world. I sponsor primarily through Compassion International, but whatever organization you sponsor with, you are welcome to find inspiration from the resources that I will share here at Letters Mean Love. I hope and pray that you will find yourself encouraged to pick up a pen, or reach for your computer or tablet to jot off a quick note to your sponsored child today.

Note: Compassion International offers a wonderful opportunity... for those who can't afford to sponsor a child financially, or even for those who do sponsor but want to do a little bit more, they offer the chance to be a correspondent sponsor, a "word sponsor." A chance to write to and build a relationship with a precious child, totally free of charge. To find out more about the Correspondent Program or to sponsor a child, you can contact:

Compassion International (U.S. Office)
Compassion Canada

Compassion U.K.

Compassion Australia