Christmas Gift Details:

It's time to start getting ready for the Christmas Gift Deadline for your sponsored children in Haiti and/or Honduras!

Since arriving here in Haiti last week we've distributed gifts to over 600 children from their sponsors and taken that many photos! As the children come through it is very easy to spot "the poorest of poor". Signs of malnutrition jump right out at you...red hair, sunken eyes, skinny little bodies, and no smiles. And these are the kiddies getting food once a day in our schools! Times are tough here; prices continue to sky rocket and the eating of mud pies is not an urban legend!

So as we talk about the Christmas gift deadline which is the month of July, please, please consider sending money for your children for Christmas, and then send vitamins, canned meats, peanut butter, and nutritious snacks. Also dried beans (red beans are a favorite), rice, and powdered milk should be added to your list if you are buying gifts too.

Please know that we do not require gifts at all. Your commitment to sponsor a child is the most important thing that you can do, but if you are blessed and want to share those blessings with these needy children in Haiti and Honduras then give them what goes the farthest and what makes the biggest difference and that is money or purchasing rice through Lifeline.

JULY IS CHRISTMAS GIFT MONTH:

• Deadlines are absolute this year since we are now shipping all gifts to both Haiti and Honduras via container and there is a minimum 2 month processing time as well as a 1 to 2 month shipping/delivery time.

• Deadline is July for all Christmas gifts, cash, letters, cards and orders of items through Lifeline such as basic baskets, rice, beds, Bibles, 101 story books and sewing machines.

• You must include a $5.00 per package fee to cover the shipping and that will provide for gifts that will fit in a shoe box (measuring guideline); if you send more than one shoe-box sized package, increase the shipping fee proportionately. There is no limit on number of packages per child so long as the shipping fee contribution is enclosed.

• Although the gifts to Haiti and Honduras are not distributed at the same time, we "close" the Christmas gift deadline in time to get everything packaged, boxed, labeled and shipped for Christmas. Our U.S. staff typically spend about 100 extra man hours of work in preparing for this special gift distribution.

• The Honduras gifts will be distributed the first part of October; Haiti gifts the first week in January but the container will ship in October.

• If you need help in remembering what you may have already sent for your child, contact Erma at Lovelink@Lifeline.org and she can look up in your child's gift records what items you may have purchased through Lifeline in the past.

• Remember that we need time to actually make beds in Haiti, purchase food baskets, mattresses, Bibles, etc. so it's important to do your best in getting your gifts and orders to us in July.

• Since there is another gift deadline approaching which is the October quarterly deadline, we will cut off the Christmas deadline the end of August so we can guarantee your child's Christmas gifts get there for Christmas please honor these deadlines.

• Would you consider sending extra cash for a not-sponsored child?  If you do this, we give that child donated pantry gifts and the money you send. 

• Lifeline accepts all major credit cards and 3% service fee applies. 

• Lastly, we want to thank you again for your faithful support of these needy children. Please prayerfully consider some others way you can help your child if you want to do more than just provide the sponsorship for those life-changing blessings provided through Lifeline:

  • Pray daily for Christ's blessings and for them to remain healthy and safe.

  • Send extra money quarterly for your child and their family.

  • Provide the money for your child's school books ($45.00 per year; distribution is August each year).

  • Beds, Bibles 101 story books, rice, food baskets, etc.

  • Build them a home (Haiti only).

If you have questions don't hesitate to email Lovelink@Lifeline.org or phone 614-794-0108.

General Gift Information:

• Gifts may be sent quarterly: January, April, July (Christmas gift deadline) and October.  You have the entire month to send your gifts. 

• Please include $5.00 in your contribution envelope to cover the cost of processing EACH shoe box size package you send.

• Gift giving is not an obligation, but an opportunity for you.
• Because of the amount of time it takes to process the large number of in-coming gifts, and the time frame associated with shipping or getting gifts to the mission field, we absolutely must ask for your cooperation in this deadline.
• For more information on items and prices you can purchase for your children through Lifeline, as well as gift suggestions, packing instructions and more, please refer to your Lovelink Child Sponsorship Packet or contact Lovelink@Lifeline.org.