September Letter Writing Topics

Don't forget to write to your sponsor kids at least once this month! Here are some ideas to get you started!

1. Local holidays. There are plenty of big holidays in Compassion countries this month. Brazil's independence day and Mexico's independence day are both in September. Check out your local library or an online encyclopedia to see what's happening in your child's country this month. 
2. Teachers. Teacher's Day in India is this month. Even if you don't sponsor a child in India, it would still be fun to write about teachers! Ask your child what her teacher's name is. Ask him what his favorite thing about his teacher is. Tell her that you'll be praying for her teacher. Explain to your child how teachers are honored in the United States (for example, bringing them small gifts in the springtime, or the traditional gift of an apple.) Who was your favorite teacher in school? Why were they your favorite? What are some important lessons you learned from your teachers that had nothing to do with academics? For example, one of my high school English teachers was a very kind man who, through his gentleness and good-nature, got respect from all the students without ever having to raise his voice. We didn't want to disappoint him, so we all behaved. I also had another English teacher who was a very good friend to me, and I came back to visit her several times after I graduated, before she moved to another state. When I was upset or stressed about something, I would often go to her classroom, even if I didn't have her classes anymore. Remind your child that teachers work very hard, and it's important to show respect and be grateful for all that they do. 
3. Cousins. My little cousin Deborah is not so little anymore. This month she will turn 15- which makes me feel extremely old. She lives in Georgia. I remember the night of her due date, I was spending the night at a friend's house (I was still in elementary school, maybe 5th grade) and I kept calling my mom to see if she had heard anything about the baby yet. She was born three days later! When she was a few months old, my grandparents and I took a trip to Georgia for a week to visit her and her parents. I had the best time! I have always enjoyed spending time with Deborah, even though I don't get to see her very often anymore. She has grown into a beautiful young lady who has a heart of gold, loves to play soccer, and loves Star Wars (which is awesome.) I'm glad that I grew up so close to my cousins. In many other cultures, cousins are as close as immediate family- cousins are often called "brother" or "sister." This may very well be the case where your sponsor child lives. Ask your sponsor child if he or she has any cousins. What are their names? Do they get to play together? Do they get to spend a lot of time together? Were you raised close to your cousins, if you have any? What did you like to do when you were your sponsor child's age? I spent a lot of time with my cousin Melissa when I was growing up, and have sent pictures of us when we were little to my sponsor kids. Our kids love learning about our families!
4. Harvest. Now that the weather is getting cooler and the year is coming to a close, harvest time is coming. This is the first year that my family has had a proper garden, and I am looking forward to writing about its successes to our sponsor kids. Ask your sponsor child if her family grows any fruits or vegetables. Many of my kids have written to me and described the foods that their families grow, often saying that they grow their own food and take the rest to sell in the market. Said visits his grandmother in Kilosa every year to help her bring in the crops and get things ready for the next planting season. Even if you don't have a  garden of your own, you could still write about nature's bounty, telling your child about your favorite fruits and vegetables, and telling him that it's important to eat healthy foods like these, so he can grow up healthy and strong. In the past, I have even sent fun stickers of fruits and veggies to some of my younger kids, and I write down the names of the produce in English next to the pictures. You can print out coloring pages to send, too. Be sure to mention how thankful you are to God, who planted the original garden in Eden, for the food that comes from the earth.
5. Autumn. Many of our sponsor kids live in areas that don't have the same seasons that we do. The first day of autumn is September 22, and this would be a great time to write to your child about the change in seasons. One of the best things about this season, of course, is the way the trees change colors. Send some photos of the stunningly beautiful orange, red, and yellow trees that are found around the US this time of year. You can find coloring pages on autumn, and I have a ton of fall leaf stickers- some with little happy faces on them! I have never tried to send pressed flowers or the like to my sponsor kids before, but I have thought about laminating a pretty fall leaf (or covering it on both sides with clear tape) and sticking it on some construction paper to send. There are also tons of fall-themed crafts you can find online, which can be especially fun if you yourself have kids. You can do leaf rubbings with crayons or fall leaf pictures with paper, like this one.