Write Letters

Letters of Love...

Global Aid Network does all they can to make their impact for Christ around the world both personal and ongoing. One way they do this is by accompanying their gifts to the children with letters and pictures from individuals in the U.S. This is a powerful means of portraying the love of God to kids who feel so alone. Unfortunately there are not enough letters to go around!

Our family has delivered CarePacks of school supplies and other fun gifts to kids in orphanages and schools on GAIN missions. Many had never received a gift like that in their lives! Still I wish you could see them bypass the paints and pens and eagerly pull out the letter from a caring person. When they see someone with a colored picture, they hunt for their own “photographia.” These letters and photos will be treasured for years to come.

Would you write to these kids? Would you tell others of the need? I know some of you have joined this letter writing campaign in the past. Thank you so very much! Now would you be willing to write more?

Letter Writing Details
Letter stories and photos

Sending multiples of the same letter is encouraged (that’s what we do), but I would ask you to make them as personal as possible--maybe even writing each out by hand! Multiples of the same picture are fine as well, but do your best to send quality photos. It means so much for these rejected and lonely children to know that someone took time for them. It affirms their value and opens them to the love of Christ.

How Are We Doing?

It encourages us all so much to see what others are doing to accomplish our goal of thousands of letters. Let me know what your part is, and I'll post it here!

October, 2010

- Maren got a letter from a woman pastor in Kenya! This woman's church runs a children's center with about 120 children, and a couple of them received Maren's letters. She writes to Maren that they are sisters in Christ, and she could also be her "mum."

April, 2010

- One of Maren's students has been recruiting friends to write letters that will be processed at the June GAiN Packing Project! Her goal is 5 of her own this week. "I have so many pictures of myself to use, that I may as well write!" Maybe you also have an excess of photos and would like to use them in this way!

-Back in September of 2008 Crystal Payne of the Money Saving Mom web page shared this letter writing project. We just received an inquiry from a woman wanting to get her family involved now. It's so neat to see the way God works!

January, 2010

- The letter project is still alive and looking for volunteers! Several of Maren's students and their friends enthusiastically helped get together a package of letters that were delivered to individuals in Russia at the end of January and beginning of February. We had to scurry to make the deadline!

October 9, 2008

- It's time to play catch-up with letter reports:

-Hannah found a way to multiply her letters more quickly than writing them by hand. She hand wrote her letter on a plain piece of copy paper using a blue pen. Then she made color copies of that letter on to decorative paper with a background before stapling on her picture. They look like the real, handwritten thing! Maybe you will want to do the same.

-A friend shared the letter writing project with a Christian school in Fargo, ND, where she works. Students and parents have been writing! I have some in hand (13), and more will be coming still. So many people are getting involved!

-We received word that one of our Bright Lights girls sent letters to the warehouse almost as soon as she got the info! A couple others brought the details home and recruited a sister and a mom. These letters will be treasured by the recipients!

-Some of Maren's students are writing letters to send. They really wish they knew who will be receiving their letters... They are inviting the recipients to write back with their questions about God. Hopefully they will have the opportunity to share more.

-At the time of this update, 157 letters sit in the stack we have to deliver to the warehouse. Also we have a letter emailed from over seas waiting to be printed at the warehouse. Praise God for each one and the opportunity that they will have to impact lives with the love of Christ! I wonder how many are being sent to the warehouse directly? I pray that it is hundreds and thousands! I am going to write more on the drive there!

September 29, 2008

- Lots has been going on in the letter realm. Among the excitement is the fact that people from 3 different continents (in addition to North America) heard about the letter project through Biblical Womanhood and are joining the writing forces! Europe, Asia, and Australia!

September 14, 2008

- Hannah again! This time she did some letter writing of her own. She has 7 letters ready to go! Her bright, fun stationary inspired me (Maren) to write some also. I have 5 written for a total between us of 12. We are using up some old pictures that had been ordered for this project. We haven't changed too much in 3 years...

September 4, 2008

- Hannah came home from teaching piano today with 9 letters that one of her students (also one of our Bright Lights girls!) had written. We will get them to the warehouse, and then they will be on their way oversees! Anyone have any to add to the stack? I wait to see it grow. :-)

August 30, 2008

- Help! Hannah was at the GAiN warehouse when the announcement was made for CarePack letters this fall. Are you sitting down? They need 22,000 (yes, twenty-two thousand) letters! They will be included when that same number of CarePacks are assembled to be delivered to children around the world. Whew! This is a God sized task, but wasn't He the one who multiplied the loaves and fish? Will you give what you can? The packing project will be held October 13-22, 2008.

August 27, 2008

- It has been on my mind for several days that I must tell you about the current need for letters. Imagine my excitement upon visiting my Facebook account and finding a message from a friend about the very thing! She wants to have her Sunday school class write letters. Now that's a good idea! God laid the project on her heart even before she knew was was needed.

June 14, 2008

- A new letter blitz is underway! The time is short-- we only have until 12 noon on Monday, June 16, 2008. The letters will be packed with 5,000 CarePacks bound for the devastated country of Myanmar. But we don't need to write 5,000 letters this time. Instead, write a letter (not mentioning the country) that includes a picture of yourself in the Word, PDF, or Publisher file. Send the attachment on to us, and we will make sure it makes it to GAiN's Pennsylvania Warehouse to be printed and packed!

June 13, 2008

- A missionary friend who lives in North Carolina was here for supper. He brought the news that they had received a letter from Belarus in response to one of the letters his wife wrote! Their outreach touches countless countries and people groups around the world.

April 30, 2008

- Yet another writer has gotten a letter back. This one was in English, and there was an email address attached! It's neat to see how the ministry can continue long-distance.

April 16, 2008

- A couple more of the letter writers have received responses and now have the opportunity to continue corresponding!

March 27, 2008

- The 266 letters were delivered, and at least one letter has already brought a response! One of our Bright Lights girls got a letter back complete with a picture!

Dad carried all of the letters in his carry-on to be sure they got there, and Elsa and Kristi divided them up for two of the sites. In one of the classrooms they visited, there were not enough letters to go around. A quick thinking interpreter saved the day by asking who wanted to have a pen-pal in the US. Those that really wanted a letter got one! A girl who received a letter of Kristi's knew some English. She sat down and read it out loud, and they were able to visit with her a long time.

February 23, 2008

- Six more letters came in the mail bringing the number up to 266 just in time! Today the letters leave New York City for their destination oversees. Thank you Bright Lights girls for getting your families involved!

February 20, 2008

- Wow! A mom and her two daughters went all out in their letter writing. That brings our letter count up to 260! Yesterday we were wishing that some how we could make at least 200. God likes to give us more than we ask or imagine, doesn't He? Now we are praying for the children (and adults too?) that will be getting the letters. They may be in their hands as soon as next week!

February 19, 2008

- As of this minute, we have 185 letters! It has been neat to see the enthusiasm for this project from people who don't normally write, those we have never met, and the young and old. The letters are wonderful, personal accounts of real lives each with the individual's own testimony of the God whom they serve. Look back for more reports! The letters in hand were organized and packed last night, but we are still collecting!

February 8, 2008

- A friend (who will be among those handing out the letters overseas!) has 72 letters! One year she and I (Maren) set a goal of writing at least one letter every week. That's where they came from. Add to that 1 letter that came in the mail today from a Bright Lights girl, 5 of our own letters written recently, and we are up to 129 letters! That's only a drop in the bucket compared to the 3,000 that could be delivered, but this is a great start.

February 6, 2008

- We have been introducing the letter writing project to our Bright Lights girls. Several have seemed interested, and one turned a letter in already! In Rothsay we have been focusing on developing a personal ministry. Here we go!

- Letters are coming in! Eleven came from one woman in Texas, and ten from a friend in Idaho. You have no idea how excited we get about these packages. They took time and energy, but God will use them for His glory.

February 4, 2008

- Maren has a new contact in Russia! A letter just came in response to one of the "letters of love" she sent with a previous team. This is an incentive to keep writing especially as we receive word of closing doors.

January 28, 2008

-A package came in the mail today with 11 letters! They were from the couple that we stay with in Pennsylvania when we work at the GAiN Warehouse. Special friends! They wrote about their grandchildren and included pictures of them. Neat idea!

- A couple of Maren's students worked on writing letters today!

January 27, 2008

- A friend in North Carolina has joined the letter writing team! How exciting it will be to get these packages-- even if the letters aren't for us. :-)

January 20, 2008

- A couple in Pennsylvania and another friend in Texas have promised letters! Maren sat down and started writing yesterday. Cold and winter... They should be able to relate, don't you think?

January 4, 2008

- Hannah wrote the first letters! Those three make a nice start. Now if they would multiply by a thousand...

Ongoing Need

I wish you could look at the emails going between us who have seen the impact your letters have made in the past. We want each child on these missions to receive a personal letter, but we have no idea how it is possible-- humanly that is! Thousands of letters are needed each year. Would you pray about becoming involved? We need your help... and the help of your friends... and their friends...and their friends... You get the idea!