• Love Never Fails International PO BOX 221 Metuchen, NJ 08840
  • 732-476-0523
  • info@lovenfi.org
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FAQs – For Current Sponsors

MY SPONSORED CHILD

We’ll let your sponsored child know they’re sponsored as soon as possible. You should receive an introductory letter from your sponsored child within three or four months of signing up to sponsor. Keep in mind that although your sponsored child will now know they’re sponsored, they won’t know anything about you until you begin to write to them.

When our staff take photos of the children they do encourage them to smile. However, in some cultures, smiling for the photograph is not the norm. In other cases, the children may have never seen a camera or have rarely been photographed. They tend to take the practice very seriously.

Although it may seem your sponsored child is at an age when they should be able to write, many children have not had the necessary education to write well or write an entire letter in English. The education standard in rural areas is not as advanced compared to those in urban areas where children start school earlier. A disadvantage to living in rural areas is that children need to be fully grown in order to walk the distance to school, many of which are a far walk from home. Because children in rural areas generally start school late, their ability to read and write is limited. This is one reason why letters are sometimes written by a family member or helper on behalf of the child.

Oftentimes, listing your questions instead of writing them in a paragraph can make it easier for our staff and volunteers to translate and get answers.

Many of our children struggle with the concept of writing a letter. You are probably the only person your child will ever write a letter to, and sometimes children have trouble grasping the concept of having a “conversation” by mail. When children receive their letters, they often take them home and put them in a special place, many times on their wall next to our picture. When it is letter writing day at their project, they may forget to bring your letter back and may not have any references to your letter’s content. If only necessary, the staff will write a list of suggestions or letter samples on the board to help the children in their letter writing. This is one reason letters can sound scripted or unoriginal; out of a deep desire to communicate with their sponsors, children will copy the samples or follow the list word for word.

I hope this helps clarify a little more about the letter process, but please let us know if you have any questions. Feel free to send us an email at info@loveneverfailsindia.com We would be happy to help you with any questions you may have!

There could be a variety of factors that contribute to this. A few to consider are:

– Your child lacks motor skills to draw

– Your child doesn’t know how or what to draw

– Your child was interrupted from play or chores at the time

– Your child wasn’t feeling well at the time (hungry, ill, etc.)

– Your child wasn’t feeling artistic at the time.

Each year, we’ll send you a progress report in the mail updating you about your child’s health and educational status. This report will also include a new photo, so you can watch your child grow up.

If it’s been more than a year since you last received a progress report, we will be glad to communicate with the national office for you. Please give us a call at 1-800-783-4157.

We understand circumstances arise that make it difficult to continue sponsorship. We would love to work with you to make adjustments to your account so you can continue your relationship with your sponsored child if you would like to. Give us a call at 1-800-783-4157. and we can let you know about options such as a temporary reduced rate or putting your sponsorship on hold. And if you would like to cancel your sponsorship we are happy to assist you with that.

COMMUNICATING WITH MY CHILD

Yes! Being a child sponsor is also about building a wonderful friendship. Exchanging letters, cards, or sending emails is a great way to connect with your sponsored child. Be sure to ask your child some questions to get the conversation started!

Note: For the protection of the children, sponsors, and our staff, we read letters that are exchanged between sponsors and their sponsored children. The letters are reviewed to ensure people do not threaten children, put their lives in danger, or try to develop inappropriate relationships. We monitor the letters to make sure nothing written could endanger the child or family. We also review letters to our sponsors to ensure they do not receive inappropriate solicitation of funds from children’s families.

When writing your letter, it’s important to consider your sponsored child’s environment and culture. For example, it’s best not to write about the things you own since your child might have very few possessions. But do write about yourself, your family, and friends.

Yes, this is your opportunity to encourage your child in the things of the Lord. Please feel free to share your faith and spiritual encouragement with your child. This is one of the things that makes LNFI's Child Sponsorship Program unique.

Yes, all letters must be written in English. Please write in print and not cursive.

Because your sponsored child may live in a remote location, delivering and receiving a reply to your letter may take three to four months. But the joy of hearing from your child is well worth the wait!

We work in communities that are impoverished and often are located in areas difficult to get to—far from the highways or any other forms of rapid communication with the outside world. Many rural areas don’t have phones, internet or, sometimes, even a postal service.

There are other reasons why it takes time to deliver and receive letters:
Only a handful of project workers and staff members supervise the writing and delivery of these letters—in addition to all of their other responsibilities for providing services to the children in the community.
Most sponsored children have never written a letter, and they need assistance writing to their sponsors. If your sponsored child is unable to read or write, someone must help them read your letter and write out the response, which takes time. This person may be a school teacher, a family member, or a Love Never Fails staff member. If your child has received assistance with writing, there’ll be a special note on the letter.

– Once the letter is written, it must be delivered to Love Never Fails’s National Office in your sponsored child’s country, then translated to English. In many developing countries, transportation can be a challenge and travel may be interrupted or impossible during certain times of year due to heavy rains and flooding. Also, often the child’s village is remote and can require LNFI's staff to travel by foot to deliver or collect a letter. All of this can take a substantial amount of time.
We hope this helps to explain why communication between you and your sponsored child may require some patience and time. However, if you don’t receive a reply from your child within four months after you have written, please let us know by giving us a call at 1-800-783-4157. We’ll check for you with the National Office in your sponsored child’s country.

Yes! You can join a Love Never Fails mission trip to India and visit your child. You can contact the office for more information. info@loveneverfailsindia.com

No. It’s against our Child Protection Policy to agree to ongoing communication between a sponsor and their child after the child leaves our program. All communication must be overseen by Love Never Fails to ensure the protection of the child, their family, community, and for our sponsors best interest as well.

GIVING GIFTS TO MY SPONSORED CHILD

If you’d like to help your child and their family meet extra needs in their lives, you can provide a Special Gift in monetary form for them. The funds you send could buy clothing, school supplies, bicycle, mattress, water filter, toy, game or another much-needed item.
You can go online and make a donation with your child's name in the message box. We'll notify you once received and get back to you with pics of the gift (minimum $50 gift will receive pics). Donate

No, but here's what you can do. You can send a monetary gift of $20 or more. Our staff will buy your child a gift of their choosing and send you pictures (minimum $50 gift to receive pics). You can go online and make a donation with your child's name in the message box. We'll notify you once received. Donate

Yes, just contact us and we'll get you the information needed.
Mon-Fri 9am-4pm 1-800-783-4157 or info@loveneverfailsindia.com

VISITING MY CHILD

Yes! Meeting your sponsored child face-to-face can be an exciting and moving event for both of you. Be sure to contact our U.S. office at least two months in advance of your trip, if you are not traveling as part of a LNFI mission trip. info@loveneverfailsindia.com

While we encourage sponsors to meet their child face-to-face with an in-person visit, unfortunately, bringing your sponsored child to the U.S. for a visit is not permitted for several reasons, including:

  • The safety and well-being of your child.
  • The culture shock experienced by your child.
  • Your child’s readjustment to his or her own lifestyle can be difficult.

SHARE SPONSORSHIP WITH OTHERS

Become a Child Evangelist and be a voice for orphaned and vulnerable children by initiating opportunities to share child sponsorship with others in your own community. Through one-on-one conversations, working with your church, local businesses, or civic organizations, or hosting a booth at an event, there are so many ways to get involved. Experience Love Never Fails' work in person on an international trip, connect with other Child Evangelists for encouragement, and learn about global issues that help you grow in your faith, compassion and abilities.