So you’ve decided to sponsor a child. Congratulations! This is an amazing step in the journey of a lifetime. You’re about to change a child’s life for the better forever.
Maybe you’ve been scrolling through the pictures of kids online, but there are too many to choose from. How are you supposed to decide which child to sponsor?
Here are a few ideas to help you narrow down the options and choose the child meant for you:
1. Think about important dates
All of us have at least a few important dates in our lives — birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations. You can use these dates to narrow down which child you sponsor.
As your scrolling through children’s photos on worldhelp.net/sponsor or searching by age, gender, and country, notice the “Meet Me” button under each photo. When you click that, you’ll see more information about the child … including his or her birthday!
Choose a child whose birthday is around the same time as your special date.
For example, if you were married in October 2010 and you are about to celebrate your tenth anniversary, you might choose to sponsor Abraham (Child ID: GTMPGL050) from Guatemala. He was born in October 2010 and desperately needs a sponsor.
Or perhaps you want to honor a loved one who has passed away. For me, I could sponsor Ashu (INDNLH007) from India. He was born in November 2011, the same month my Papaw was born and the year he passed away. I can honor my grandfather’s life by investing in the life of someone else who came into the world just as he was leaving it for his eternal home.
2. Pick based on a country
If you don’t want to pick a child based on a date, you can always choose based on a country that’s close to your heart.
Maybe you’re traveled to Uganda or Mexico on a missions trip and now you feel a special bond with that country. Why not sponsor a child who lives there? There are 15 different countries you can choose from online, all with boys and girls who would love to become your sponsored child.
3. Pick based on a cause
Do you love helping kids with special needs? One sponsorship program in Guatemala focuses specifically on providing care for children with physical and developmental disabilities. You can sponsor one of these kids, like 8-year-old Telma (GTMKLH011) by contacting us and letting us know you’re interested in supporting a child at Kelly’s House.
If sexual abuse or human trafficking is an issue you’re passionate about, you can sponsor a child affected by the global sex industry. You can sponsor a girl like Saloni (INDYNM107) from India or Mitata (THAMON003) who lives in Thailand. Visit worldhelp.net/rescuesponsor to learn more about this specialized need and to find a child who could use your help.
4. Get your kids involved
Sponsorship is an activity that can bring the whole family together. So why not get your kids or grandkids involved from the beginning?
Use the search options online to limit your searches to kids who are the same gender and age as your child or grandchild. Then, they’ll be able to easily relate and will probably be more eager to write letters to the child you sponsor.
If your child is older, don’t worry — teenagers need sponsors, too.
Once you’ve narrowed it down by gender and age, why not hand over your laptop or phone to your child and let them choose which kid to sponsor.
5. Let us choose for you
You can always let us choose if you’re still having trouble picking a child.
Just call 800-541-6691, and one of our donor support representatives will be more than happy to select a child for you. They’ll be able to choose a boy or girl with the most urgent needs and someone who will be a good fit for you.
You’re not leaving it up to chance when you go this route. You’re leaving it up to God to choose the best possible match for you and your future sponsored child.
BONUS: Sponsor one of the kids featured in this blog
As you’ve been reading, you’ve probably noticed the child ID numbers listed after each specific boy or girl mentioned in this blog. Maybe you’ve been wondering “What are those jumbles of letters and numbers all about?”
Each of the thousands of kids in the World Help’s child sponsorship program has a unique code so we can quickly and easily locate their information in our database. That means that if you were touched by hearing about Abraham from Guatemala or seeing the picture of Saloni from India, all you need to do is contact us and mention the ID number of the child you are interested in sponsoring.
One of our staff members will be able to quickly locate that child in the system and connect them with you!
If you’re still worried about choosing the right child, pray about it. All you have to do is ask God to point you to the special child He wants you to help rescue. And, when the time is right, He’ll lay on your heart who you should choose.
No matter how you choose a child, you will perform a miracle through sponsorship. For just over a dollar a day, you will provide essentials like food, clean water, clothing, educational assistance, and the opportunity to hear about Christ.
You will help rescue a child from poverty.
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