Cricut & Silhouette Machines: Impress Your SPONSORED Kids

This week we got a letter from our Compassion daughter, Alizeta. She’s our very first little girl and I feel like she really *is* our daughter at times. Well, as much as she can be from the other side of the world. This letter was a thank you for a monetary gift we gave her family.

I was so excited to see that there was a bike in this picture–we got her a bike! Also, a bag of corn, a dress and some shoes. As I looked at the picture I was just overwhelmed at the connectedness I felt with her. I now have several pictures of her family and—wait a minute. Her family looked different! I couldn’t put my finger on it until I read the letter…her little sister was missing from the picture. Her little sister, Sadiatou was a toddler and we talked about her several times with Alizeta because Lydia and Alizeta are both big sisters. Sadiatou had braces on her legs and had been sickly. And the reason she wasn’t in the picture is because Sadiatou died on August 25.

I literally got sick to my stomach and even as I type this now have tears in my eyes. I don’t know what was wrong with her–it could have been completely life-threatening. But it may have been something that’s easily treatable. It may have been something that I could have picked up meds for at one of five pharmacies within a 3 mile radius of our house. Oh, it just breaks my heart!

Lydia and I sat down on the kitchen floor when we got the letter and prayed for Alizeta’s family. And I’m praying that our small gift of a bike, corn, shoes and dress will somehow be a buoy of hope and peace in their lives. And that our $38 a month will be a rock for them—to protect them for more death and tragedy. Not because *I* have given them so much from my American pocket–but because God will use it to strengthen them and support their family.

If you sponsor a child, please check on how you can send your child a monetary gift. You never know what it might do for a family–and what that family is going through. If you don’t sponsor a child, you can still send gifts to help sick children. Who knows, it could have saved Sadiatou.

This week, we decided to make just a little something for our sponsored kids. I’ve seen the blog posts around about the Silhouettes and Cricut machines–the personal cutting machines. They are the coolest things ever but I just couldn’t imagine paying $200 plus to cut out letters. And honestly, I didn’t really understand how they worked.

Then someone gave one to my mom! And IT IS SO COOL. So, Lydia and I have been cutting out everything we can imagine! Today we cut out our sponsored kids’ names, some fun shapes from patterned card stock. I honestly don’t know what they’ll do with the letters—but I have a thing about names and I just love having stuff with my name on it. So, I’m hoping they’ll like it. Even if they just stack them up and lay them out like cards!

I have some sticker paper—like full sheets of stickers for the printer. But I can’t get it to work with the Cricut. Anyone have one and know if it’s possible? I thought it would be cool to have stickers of their names!

So, as we write a heart-felt sympathy letter to our sweet Alizeta, we’ll be enclosing these letters and shapes. But I know our letters to all our kids will be more probing, more serious and be full of more questions. I want to know our kids and share in their lives—even in the smallest way we can.

What have you done for your sponsored child lately? I know it’s Christmas and your life is full and busy. But can you take a few minutes and write to your child? Cut out a few shapes, find an old Christmas card, or have your kids color a picture? Just let them know you’re praying for them and love them. It may be the bright spot in their day–their week or even their month.

If you have a post (even not specifically for your sponsored kid—as long as it is a flat, easy craft that would be appropriate) please link up below! And please link back to this post so others can get involved!

Still not sponsoring a child? Look through the faces of children at Compassion or World Vision‘s websites and change a life now! And check out more resources for giving gifts to needy kids and families!