Corresponding With Your Sister

Getting to know your sister can be one of the greatest rewards of sponsorship. Letters are an excellent source of support and inspiration for your sister. Do not underestimate the power and importance of your letters. They do make a difference. Stonecroft provides excellent Leadership material and part of the Women’s Empowerment Sponsorship Program will be to assist with the translation so that your sister can obtain this material.

On average, it should three months for your letters to reach your sister and for her letters to reach you. So we highly recommend email. Your emails or letters are translated by staff members in the field offices and given to your sister. If your sister is not literate, the letters will be read to her, and she can dictate a letter to you.

What to Write About

Letter writing can be fun and easy. Here are some topics you can write about to help you begin to forge a relationship with your sister:
• Your life: family, work, friends, hobbies, interests, where you live
• Everyday events: birthday celebrations, taking a new job, holidays
• What compelled you to become a sponsor
You can like to inquire about:
• Her community and everyday life and the cultural events and holidays that are specific to her nation and/or region
• How becoming involved in Stonecroft Women’s Empowerment Sponsorship Program has impacted your life
• How Jesus changed your life and how He can do the same for your new 'sister'

Sending Your Letters

To ensure that your letters can be delivered to your sister, we ask that you include the following information at the top of each letter:
• Your sister’s full name
• The name of your sister’s woman group
• Your sister’s country
• Your sponsor ID number
• Your full name
Please also keep the following in mind:
• To protect your privacy, do not include your address, phone number in your letters.
• In an effort to help our translators, please send only one letter per month.

Email is an acceptable way to write to your sister. If you choose to email your letters, please include the required information listed above somewhere in the body of your letter. Emailed letters can be sent as attachments or in the body of the email. Digital photos are acceptable as well.

Sending Gifts

We understand that many sponsors want to share more than just sponsorship funds and letters with their sisters. However, due to customs duties and the high cost of overseas shipping, there is a limit to what you can send to your sister. Feel free to send any of the following flat, paper items:

• Photos: Send your sister photos of you and your family, your house, your town, a holiday tradition, or another special moment in your life. Please limit your photos to two per letter. - Postcards: A postcard from a recent vacation or even your hometown can give your sister a great idea of where you live.
• Greeting cards: You can send a greeting card to your sister in place of a letter to convey your sentiments.
• Drawings: Share your children's creativity and get them involved too! One 8 by 11 inch or smaller picture per letter please.
• Maps: An 8 by 11 inch or smaller map of your hometown, state, or country. Please check to make sure your address is not on the map.
• Stationery: Send 5-10 sheets of small stationary or note cards that your sister can use to write you. You may want to personalize the stationery with your sister’s name for an extra added touch.

If you do send any of the above items, please label them with your sister’s full name, woman group and country to ensure delivery to her.