Blessy Perssi Chelumula
Nissy ChelumulaPlease call toll free to sponsor one of us today!
Canada 1-877-375-9673
U.S.A. 1-866-391-5728
Canada 1-877-375-9673
U.S.A. 1-866-391-5728
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Making it Easy to Help
By Jacqui VanMeppelen-Scheppink
Word & Deed’s Child Sponsorship program provides a very simple way to make a difference in the life of a child! Our journey began in May of 2002 with a little girl in Colombia named Diana. We had intentions of starting this program a lot sooner, but life was very busy and the thought of adding another monthly obligation of making sure a check was sent, and occasionally writing a letter, was daunting. It would be another thing on the ‘to do’ list and we wanted to be sure our obligations could be met on time. Once our children began moving out of the house, it was time to ‘adopt’ another one.
God took us on some very unexpected paths in the last few years, and we became even busier! However, keeping up with our sponsor child obligations was not a problem. The monthly contribution gets taken out of our bank account automatically each month and sent to Colombia to support Diana. How much easier can it get? At first it seemed a bit impersonal, but if we had waited for the time to ‘do it right,’ this child would not have received our help and support through six years of her life. Regular letter writing is a challenge for us in our busy schedule, but even sending a picture of ourselves or a card once or twice a year is an exciting event for these children.
It is always fun to receive a note or hand-colored picture from Diana, as well as her photograph. It’s neat to see how much she has grown in the six years we have had her as our adopted daughter. When Rick Postma visited Colombia, he even had ‘our’ little girl on video! Thanks to Word & Deed’s program we are able to make a difference in the life of this young girl in Colombia in spite of our busy schedules.
Jacqui VanMeppelen-Scheppink is a Word & Deed volunteer who attends St. Thomas Free Reformed Church with her husband Jake.
Word & Deed’s Child Sponsorship program provides a very simple way to make a difference in the life of a child! Our journey began in May of 2002 with a little girl in Colombia named Diana. We had intentions of starting this program a lot sooner, but life was very busy and the thought of adding another monthly obligation of making sure a check was sent, and occasionally writing a letter, was daunting. It would be another thing on the ‘to do’ list and we wanted to be sure our obligations could be met on time. Once our children began moving out of the house, it was time to ‘adopt’ another one.
God took us on some very unexpected paths in the last few years, and we became even busier! However, keeping up with our sponsor child obligations was not a problem. The monthly contribution gets taken out of our bank account automatically each month and sent to Colombia to support Diana. How much easier can it get? At first it seemed a bit impersonal, but if we had waited for the time to ‘do it right,’ this child would not have received our help and support through six years of her life. Regular letter writing is a challenge for us in our busy schedule, but even sending a picture of ourselves or a card once or twice a year is an exciting event for these children.
It is always fun to receive a note or hand-colored picture from Diana, as well as her photograph. It’s neat to see how much she has grown in the six years we have had her as our adopted daughter. When Rick Postma visited Colombia, he even had ‘our’ little girl on video! Thanks to Word & Deed’s program we are able to make a difference in the life of this young girl in Colombia in spite of our busy schedules.
Jacqui VanMeppelen-Scheppink is a Word & Deed volunteer who attends St. Thomas Free Reformed Church with her husband Jake.
Child Sponsorship: FAQ
Have you ever wondered if you could make a difference in a child’s life? Well you can! For only $35 (CAD) or $32 (US) you can change a child’s life forever! Read on to find out answers to frequently asked questions about child sponsorship through Word & Deed.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sponsorship
Why should I consider sponsoring a child through Word & Deed?
By sponsoring a child, you have the privilege of fundamentally changing a child’s life. Your donation is placed in a fund for all the children. This fund is then used to provide your sponsor child with the following:
Which countries to the children come from?
A large majority of our sponsor children come from Colombia. We also have schools in India and Guatemala. If we receive a request for a country in which we don’t have any schools, we can sponsor through our sister organization, Woord en Daad, in Holland. They have schools in The Philippines, Haiti, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso, as well as Colombia, Guatemala and India.
How are the children selected?
The sponsorship schools are usually built in the slums of large cities. Because almost all the residents live in poverty, nearly all children are eligible for the school. Parents apply to the school for help for their children and school staff select the children giving the poorest families priority.
Why does Word & Deed work mostly through schools?
Schools provide an effective way of providing aid to the children. Education equips children with the knowledge and life skills they need to escape the impoverished and often abusive conditions they are living in. But most importantly, an education centered on God’s Word provides many opportunities to share the Gospel and teach family values from a biblical perspective.
What happens if I stop contributing or miss payments?
As mentioned in the first answer above, you contribute to a sponsorship fund. This fund, along with an operating fund, ensures all the children in the schools are take care of, even if they don’t have sponsors or if their sponsor is behind on their contributions. If you do fall behind on your contributions we will send you a friendly reminder notice. Do I have to renew my sponsorship? No, this is not necessary. We assume until we hear otherwise that you are willing and able to continue sponsoring your child.
How long are the children in the program?
Normally, the children are in the program until they graduate from school. However, occasionally a child leaves the sponsorship program due to relocation or some other reason. If that happens, we notify you and replace that child with another sponsor child.
How do I correspond with my sponsor child(ren)?
It’s very simple – just decide what you want to send, and send it to one of our offices or, if an address is provided, directly to the country. Some helpful hints for sending mail:
Heather VanMeppelen-Scheppink is Word & Deed’s administrative assistant.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sponsorship
Why should I consider sponsoring a child through Word & Deed?
By sponsoring a child, you have the privilege of fundamentally changing a child’s life. Your donation is placed in a fund for all the children. This fund is then used to provide your sponsor child with the following:
- A school uniforms.
- Basic medical care when needed.
- A Christian education.
- A nutritious meal each school day.
- Basic instruction and counselling for the parent(s).
Which countries to the children come from?
A large majority of our sponsor children come from Colombia. We also have schools in India and Guatemala. If we receive a request for a country in which we don’t have any schools, we can sponsor through our sister organization, Woord en Daad, in Holland. They have schools in The Philippines, Haiti, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso, as well as Colombia, Guatemala and India.
How are the children selected?
The sponsorship schools are usually built in the slums of large cities. Because almost all the residents live in poverty, nearly all children are eligible for the school. Parents apply to the school for help for their children and school staff select the children giving the poorest families priority.
Why does Word & Deed work mostly through schools?
Schools provide an effective way of providing aid to the children. Education equips children with the knowledge and life skills they need to escape the impoverished and often abusive conditions they are living in. But most importantly, an education centered on God’s Word provides many opportunities to share the Gospel and teach family values from a biblical perspective.
What happens if I stop contributing or miss payments?
As mentioned in the first answer above, you contribute to a sponsorship fund. This fund, along with an operating fund, ensures all the children in the schools are take care of, even if they don’t have sponsors or if their sponsor is behind on their contributions. If you do fall behind on your contributions we will send you a friendly reminder notice. Do I have to renew my sponsorship? No, this is not necessary. We assume until we hear otherwise that you are willing and able to continue sponsoring your child.
How long are the children in the program?
Normally, the children are in the program until they graduate from school. However, occasionally a child leaves the sponsorship program due to relocation or some other reason. If that happens, we notify you and replace that child with another sponsor child.
How do I correspond with my sponsor child(ren)?
It’s very simple – just decide what you want to send, and send it to one of our offices or, if an address is provided, directly to the country. Some helpful hints for sending mail:
- Remember to include the name and registration number of your child(ren).
- Ensure your address isn’t in the correspondence to your child in order to avoid receiving “beg” mail from people who may pick up the address.
- Send small gifts, such as hair accessories, stickers, or notepads, that won’t stand out and make the child a target for theft. Large, bulky or expensive gifts are costly in terms of postage and import duties and may attract the attention of thieves in foreign countries.
- Children love to receive pictures of you and your family.
Heather VanMeppelen-Scheppink is Word & Deed’s administrative assistant.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Make a Difference and Sponsor a Child
Please call toll free to sponsor one of us today!
Canada 1-877-375-9673
U.S.A. 1-866-391-5728
Katerin Gamboa
Canada 1-877-375-9673
U.S.A. 1-866-391-5728
Katerin Gamboa
Maria Gomez
Seiry Bossa
Abigail Morales
Carlos Diaz
Daniel Vega
Edison Tolosa
Jonier Padilla
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Testimonial
I first started sponsoring a child through Word & Deed USA in the spring of 2003, shortly after learning about its mission work. I soon came to realize how easily—and cheaply, in my opinion—I could help. It was not long before I added two more children to my growing “family,” one that summer and another the following year.
For me it wasn’t quite as simply as it seems—pay support money, get a profile and picture of a child and maybe receive occasional correspondence. I wasn’t satisfied with this. They were my “kids” and I wanted to do whatever I could for them. I’m sure it’s not the same as having your own child, but even through pictures and brief messages, a bond is developed.
Due to the distance, correspondence doesn’t come nearly as frequently as I’d like, but I eagerly rip open every envelope from Word & Deed, looking for something. (Unfortunately, not every letter contains new about my “kids.”) My favorite items are the homemade cards the children typically send around Christmas. Due to the mail delays, I get my own “Christmas in July” when the cards arrive! And I can enjoy them more then, since there’s no holiday rush to distract me or detract from the specialness.
I purposely picked three different locations for sponsoring to give me an idea of similarities and differences between the children, their families, and their living conditions. I sponsor an 8-year-old Christian boy from Colombia, a 10-year-old Muslim girl in Burkina Faso and a 10-year-old Hindu boy in India. Aside from sending the sponsor money to keep them clothed, fed, and educated and to purchase an occasional small gift, the only thing my husband and I can do for them is pray. But it’s hard, because we often don’t really know what to pray for-how can I (here in the U.S., safe and sound, happy and well-fed) really know what they need?
I found it especially rewarding to send a personal package to my boy in Colombia when a group from my church went there on a mission trip two years ago. It was fun putting the packet together, trying to pick things he’d like based on note I’d received from him. But the best part was hearing the stories from the group members, getting a picture from them, and receiving a thank-you note from him. (In his note, he specifically listed every item I had sent!)
It amazes me every time I write my child sponsor check to Word & Deed just how much I can do for so little. My husband and I feel truly blessed that we can contribute to the spread of the Word in this way.
Laura DeJong is a mechanical engineer for a plastics company and a member of First Free Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For me it wasn’t quite as simply as it seems—pay support money, get a profile and picture of a child and maybe receive occasional correspondence. I wasn’t satisfied with this. They were my “kids” and I wanted to do whatever I could for them. I’m sure it’s not the same as having your own child, but even through pictures and brief messages, a bond is developed.
Due to the distance, correspondence doesn’t come nearly as frequently as I’d like, but I eagerly rip open every envelope from Word & Deed, looking for something. (Unfortunately, not every letter contains new about my “kids.”) My favorite items are the homemade cards the children typically send around Christmas. Due to the mail delays, I get my own “Christmas in July” when the cards arrive! And I can enjoy them more then, since there’s no holiday rush to distract me or detract from the specialness.
I purposely picked three different locations for sponsoring to give me an idea of similarities and differences between the children, their families, and their living conditions. I sponsor an 8-year-old Christian boy from Colombia, a 10-year-old Muslim girl in Burkina Faso and a 10-year-old Hindu boy in India. Aside from sending the sponsor money to keep them clothed, fed, and educated and to purchase an occasional small gift, the only thing my husband and I can do for them is pray. But it’s hard, because we often don’t really know what to pray for-how can I (here in the U.S., safe and sound, happy and well-fed) really know what they need?
I found it especially rewarding to send a personal package to my boy in Colombia when a group from my church went there on a mission trip two years ago. It was fun putting the packet together, trying to pick things he’d like based on note I’d received from him. But the best part was hearing the stories from the group members, getting a picture from them, and receiving a thank-you note from him. (In his note, he specifically listed every item I had sent!)
It amazes me every time I write my child sponsor check to Word & Deed just how much I can do for so little. My husband and I feel truly blessed that we can contribute to the spread of the Word in this way.
Laura DeJong is a mechanical engineer for a plastics company and a member of First Free Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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