Aug 21, 2026

Corinne & Marcie Share Tips for Communicating with your Sponsored Student

It is hard to overestimate the importance of sponsorship in the life of the student you have committed to sponsor. You are a big deal to them!

They know you by name, pray for you and are proud and grateful that they have been chosen by you to receive this great gift. From the sponsor’s point of view, it likely feels good to know you are doing something that makes a real difference in another’s life.  

A student at Siloam Boarding Home proudly shows a photo of her sponsors.

But it can also feel like there are emotional expectations that are hard to meet. Contact with your student is one of those expectations which is difficult for many sponsors. We get it!

Writing to someone from a different generation and a different culture while trying not to highlight in any way the differences in lifestyle is not an easy task.  

We are hoping that we can simplify this task by clarifying expectations and providing some resources. Consider the following: 

  • Know that you are not expected to become a pen pal when you sign up for sponsorship, nor should you expect to deeply know your student like you might know a similarly-aged person in your family.

  • That is not the expectation or the reality of communication no matter how often you write.The expectation is simply to communicate so that they know you care about them and that they are valued. 

  • Once or twice a year is our goal for each student to receive something from their sponsor. 

  • Communication can be as simple as a picture and/or a sentence or two. In this situation, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. The students love to get them and share them with their friends. A photo of you is their greatest gift.  

  • It is quick and easy to send those few words and pictures via the LPGM website. All you need is your student’s ID number when you sit down to send something. 

Write to your student

  • Since it is easier to write those few sentences when you have a purpose, LPGM will alert you via email newsletter and/or social media posts in advance of a few milestones the students experience during that year. 

  • It is pretty easy to find something to say at the following times: the student’s birthday, the beginning of the school year, final exam time, and when the students are leaving for Christmas. 

  • Pick one or two of these times during the year to remember and encourage your sponsor student. 

Students at Siloam Boarding Home pose with photos from their sponsors.

Perhaps you are meeting or even exceeding these expectations. Well done! Perhaps you are one of those who has sponsored for a while, maybe even a long while, without ever writing. Know that you are not alone, and it isn’t too late.  

Blessings to you as you continue to bless the lives of these students and enjoy the blessing they are in your life. 

Corinne Engstrand is a current sponsor and former LPGM Board Member, Executive Committee Member, and Sponsorship Engagement Committee Member. She has traveled to India with LPGM.

Marcie Flasch is a former sponsor and currently serves on the LPGM Board and is a member of the Congregational Engagement Committee.