Preparing for Ecuador Part 3: Sponsored Child Gifts

Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing a series of posts as I gear up to return to Ecuador in April. This is the third in that series.

One of the things I always wonder, and end up Googling, is what other Sponsors take to their sponsored children when they meet. So, I thought it might be fun to share a general overview of what I’m taking to Emily, Josué, and Valeria in less than 3 weeks. Fair warning, I’m probably taking too much – and this is totally the reason my bags are busting at the seams and bordering on being overweight. But hey, that’s to be expected, right?

What I’m taking to Emily (age 10):

Highlights include: lots of clothes (several complete outfits, swimsuit, swim shorts, terrycloth coverup, socks, and underwear), hair bows/ties/bands, school supplies (backpack, colored pencils, markers, highlighters, crayons, sketchpad, binder, ruler, & pencil sharpener), “Guess How Much I Love You” in Spanish, flip flops, doll, filtered water bottle, Bible, duffel bag, washcloths, shower gel, shampoo, loofa, digital camera, makeup/pencil bags for mom & sisters, and quilt.

What I’m taking to Josué (age 16): 

Highlights: clothes (red hoodie, swim shorts, tank-tops, t-shirts, light-sweaters, and gym shorts), batting gloves, school supplies (backpack, pencils, colored pencils, highlighters, markers, crayons, sketch pad, notebook, baseball themed ribbon and fabric, toothbrushes, filtered water bottle, Bible, baseball post-it notes, portable baseball bases, flip flops, quilt (unfinished), duffel bag (not pictured), “Guess How Much I Love You” in Spanish, washcloths, duct tape, makeup/pencil bags for mom & sister, and engraved baseball & bat (better photo below).

What I’m taking to Valeria (age 10): 

Hightlights include: clothing(coat, sweatshirts, sweatpants, track suit, bathing suit, swim shorts, terrycloth coverup, tshirts, socks, and underwear), school supplies (pencils, crayons, colored pencils, binder, ruler, pencil sharpener, backpack, and water colors), toothbrushes, shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, flip flops, digital camera, hair bows/ties/bands, duffel bag, quilt, doll, filtered water bottle, “Guess How Much I Love You” in Spanish, washcloths, and Bible.

Of course once I took these photos I found a few items that I’d inadvertently left out including the small birds my Mom cross-stitched for each of the girls, the necklaces we got for the girls, and the hand-trainers I got for Josué. My mom also cross stitched a tea towel for Valeria’s family (all not pictured).

And I think that’s everything – I’m taking several gallon-bags of gifts from other sponsors, and a few things for the child development centers. But, most of my room goes to the gifts I’m taking to my kids – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

How about you, what did you take or would you take to your sponsored kid(s)?