Top Ten Tuesday: "How far that little candle throws his beams!"

"How far that little candle throws his beams!

So shines a good deed in a naughty world."

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act V, Scene I

This past week SC had her fifth birthday, which I have briefly mentioned already, but so did our Compassion sponsored child, Oneydi, who lives in El Salvador.  We actually sent her a birthday package two months ago in hope that it would arrive in time for her birthday, but I wanted to highlight some of the things we sent for this weeks Top Ten Tuesday.  I know when we first started sponsoring Oneydi that I wasn't sure what kind of things to send (since they all have to be flat), but especially for her birthday, I found a few neat things that I hope make her feel special and loved.

1. Letter

2. Handmade birthday card

3. Photos of SC

4. Name coloring sheet from here

5. Sticker book with hundreds of reusable stickers and scene pages

6. Alphabet and number stickers (above)//Bible stickers, Christian fish stickers, ocean life stickers (see below)

7. Color by number/letter pages, alphabet worksheets and mazes

Also, I tend to find things that would go great in a package for Oneydi when I am just out and about doing other shopping, so I have a box full of stuff just waiting to be sent.  Compassion has a guideline that the package cannot be more than 1/4 inch thick, which means only about 50-60 sheets of paper (or other flat items) can be sent each time.  So, when we maxed out our 1/4 inch for her birthday, we held on to some of the other things we wanted to send.  Last week we got back our first letter from Oneydi with answers to some of the questions we had asked, plus new information.  This letter was all about Independence Day in El Salvador, so we shared some information about American Independence Day. SC spent time painting both an American flag and the flag of El Salvador to send.  I have previously posted that we sent maps so that Oneydi can see approximately where we are (we also made one for SC that she has hung up in her room), but I think sending flags is also a great way to build cultural understanding.  SC had a wonderful time helping look up the flag of El Salvador and then creating it.

8. Original artwork meant for Oneydi (flag paintings this time)

9. Bilingual coloring book ("Jesus Loves Me") with song lyrics

10. Watercolor books with paint on the paper

I like to send things that are bilingual, as I am honestly not sure if she will be taught English (once she gets to school) or things will only be in Spanish.  Luckily, living in Texas, there are ample items that fit the bill.  Also, I have discovered that scrapbooking stickers (see the alphabet ones above in the 1st picture) are great to send, as they are usually more unique than the "kid" stickers.  Many times "kid" stickers include pictures of items I don't know if Oneydi will recognize, as I am unsure of how rural her home is.  I have also had to be careful when sending pages from many of the workbooks because they are geared toward American children and sometimes include pictures that may be unfamiliar.

I have no idea what we will send in a few years once Oneydi (and SC) start to outgrow the worksheets, coloring pages and stickers.  I think it will also be hard as she gets older to keep up with her development, especially with the time it takes to first send a package and letter, and then ultimately receive a response.  Hopefully when that happens SC will have some ideas for us!

What do you send to your Compassion International (or other group) sponsored child(ren)?  Leave a comment, and then check out other Top Ten Tuesday posts here:

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