Our shopping list for Christmas is a long one. What do you get almost 40,000 children for Christmas? We believe that each child deserves to receive something at Christmas as a reminder of what we all received when Jesus came to earth. So here’s how we go about finding gifts for all of them:

1.  We start by asking for your help. Your donation to the Christmas Gift Fund is hugely important.

2.  We pool all the money received and divide it equally among projects. This allows us to purchase gifts for all the children registered in our projects, including those who recently enrolled – almost 6,000 of them in the last 6 months – who do not have sponsors. A child’s sponsorship status should not dictate whether or not they experience the joy of Christmas.

3.  Our project managers go shopping for a special gift. The funds go further when gifts are purchased locally, and the project managers know what the children need most, be it a new backpack, sturdy shoes, or a warm jacket.

4.  As Christmas approaches, the project staff plans a Christmas celebration. This usually includes a special meal for the children. Often a Christmas play or pageant for parents and the local community is also performed.

5.  Christmas gifts are presented at this celebration. Sponsored children are told it is a gift from their sponsor, and children without sponsors see that they are equally valued when they too receive a gift.

It is a simple process with what we may consider simple gifts, but the impact is astonishing. It’s another similarity shared around the world: children love presents, and their joy at receiving one is contagious. A new pretty dress or a new shirt or shorts is such a blessing.

Sponsors often ask if they can send a larger gift for their sponsored child, or if they can designate that a specific gift be purchased. At this time the answer is no. Shipping rates are too expensive to ship large gifts, which often don't make it through International Customs. (If you'd like to send something special, we recommend a Christmas letter or card with light, flat gifts.)

More important than shipping fees and regulations, we believe each child should receive a present; pooling the funds we receive allows us to provide for every child in a Mission of Mercy program. Christ came for all, and we want to ensure that all Mission of Mercy children receive a gift in this same spirit.

But we can't put a smile on these sweet children's faces without you. Will you help us spread the joy of Christmas?