July Letter Writing Topics

Here are some letter ideas for July!

1. Independence Day. Not only does the United States celebrate Independence Day in July, but Colombia and Peru do, too! What does your family do for Independence Day? Do you go on a picnic? Do you have a meal with your family? You could tell your sponsor child that many families cook their meals outside on a grill for this holiday (cooking inside is not a foreign concept to other countries.) Write about fireworks! Do you set off any fireworks of your own? Do you go to a fireworks show? Tell your sponsor child how many people decorate with red, white, and blue decorations for this holiday, as they are the colors of our flag. Ask your child about independence day celebrations in his country. Even if it isn't celebrated in July, I believe that all the countries Compassion works in have an independence day holiday. 
2. Staying cool. I'm not a huge fan of July because it's usually nasty hot outside. Chances are, your sponsor child lives in an area where warm weather is a regular occurrence. How do you stay cool in the heat? Do you go swimming? Several of my sponsor kids like to swim! Ask your sponsor child how she cools off when it's hot outside. 
3. Halfway Point. Now that it's July, 2013 is halfway behind us! This would be a good opportunity to provide your sponsor child with an update on how your year has gone so far. Did you tell your child about New Year's resolutions? How are those going? What do you hope to accomplish before the year's end?
4. Vacation. Sponsor kids sometimes go on vacation. Many of them do not, but they still like to hear about the trips we may take. Are you taking a vacation this year? You can tell your sponsor child about it! For sensitivity reasons, it's a good idea to keep things vague. For example, instead of saying "we are flying to Orlando, Florida, so we can visit Disney World and all the theme parks there, and we are staying in a lovely hotel", you could say "this summer our family is taking a trip to another state. The state is called Florida. Florida is in the southern United States, and it has many beaches and natural habitats for lots of animals. I hope it's fun!" Don't forget to pick up a postcard or two for your sponsor child while you're on your trip!
5. VBS. Many sponsor children have the opportunity to attend Vacation Bible School activities. It would probably be a good idea to explain what VBS is just in case. You could say that during the summer break, when children are out of school, many churches have activities for children to learn about Jesus and have fun. They have snacks and make crafts, read Bible stories, and sing songs. If you have a Christian bookstore in your area (or a Christian owned store like Hobby Lobby), you can even check out VBS materials that might be good to send to your sponsor child, such as activity booklets, coloring sheets, and other flat, paper crafts.