Today's kids are missing out on so many of the things we grew up with.  Like the excitement of going to the mailbox and looking for that envelope addressed specifically to you.  You know the one.  The one you'd waited days and weeks to arrive!  I can remember checking the mail twice and three times a day when I was expecting a letter.  As a young girl, I had lots of pen pals.  I wrote back and forth with a girl I met from church camp for years, as well as a friend I'd met while vacationing in Orlando who lived in Spain and a pal I was paired up with from the Navy during the Gulf War.  I still have many of those letters!Back in 2009, I started an Orthodox Kid's Pen Pal program here on Adventures of an Orthodox Mom.  I was still sort of a new blogger and had so many fun ideas that I wanted to implement, still do, but that was also the year my first book, A Pocketful of Seeds, was published and things quickly got too busy for me to keep up with.  I tried looking back in my notes to find the exact number of kids we had participating and while I couldn't find the exact number, I did have a note that we were closing in on 500!  We had children from all over the States, Canada, Greece, China and Romania.  There was A LOT of interest in that program which is why I'm bringing it back!I really want to create a way for Orthodox kids to connect. And by connect I mean something that does not require a charge.  No iThings or emails (do kinds nowadays even email or is it all texts and social media?), I want them to learn to both write and appreciate the uniqueness of a real life letter.  My kids laugh at stories I tell them of when I grew up, they can't fathom the fact that there were no text messages and if you wanted to talk to your friends during class you had to actually write a note!  Our generation even had to be patient with technology.  Do you remember when AOL first came out?  You had to dial up and you'd hear the line connecting and you'd pray it wasn't busy?  Even our internet required patience and long-suffering! ;)   I hate that so much of their lives is instant.  There's a lot to be said for moments of waiting, it makes room for thought and gratitude.  I tried to create an online submission form but alas, after a decade of blogging, I am still technologically challenged.  Sooo, we're going to do this the old school way.  If you'd like for your children to join the program please copy and paste the following into an email and send to penpals@orthodoxmom.com with "Pen Pal Program" in the subject line. There isn't an age requirement per se, but your child should be able to write the letter, with or without help from an adult.  International families are welcome to sign up as long as they are okay with posting letters to the States and we can find them a family that doesn't mind mailing letters abroad.PLEASE make sure you send me everything requested!  Last time, I was bombarded with emails that had missing info and it takes a really long time to send messages to everyone who forgot something and then wait for them to respond before I can partner them up!

1. Name and Age
2. Patron Saint and Nameday
3. Address
4. Likes/Dislikes
5. Birthday
6. Parish Name and Address (this is to protect the kids and make sure everyone signing up is legit.)
7. Please note if you are willing to have an International Pal or if you prefer to keep it domestic.  Please consider shipping costs when deciding.

Here are some basic rules that I ask you all to please keep in mind:

It is your responsibility to keep an eye on your child’s letters. I cannot be responsible for the content of these letters. It is each parent’s responsibility to ensure the letter’s content is appropriate before it is sent off to their pal.Letters are due on the 15th of each month. Please be prompt.If for some reason you decide that you want your child’s partner changed or you simply are unable to continue participating, please let me know immediately so I can place the other child on the waiting list for another partner.

On the same note, if there are any problems with your child’s partner please notify me and I will contact the parents. Though I will make every attempt to resolve issues, I will again repeat that I am not responsible for anything that goes on between partners. I'm setting this program up and will organize it and try to make it as fun as possible but it is your job as their parent to make sure your child's conduct is appropriate. I was never notified of any problems the last time this program was active and don't anticipate any this time, but nonetheless want to make it clear ahead of time.I will be pairing kids up quarterly, beginning with this one in March.  The deadline to get a partner in this round is March 15.  That gives me two weeks to pair everyone up and get partner emails sent out by March 31.  That will also give the kids two weeks to get their first letter written and sent.First letters should include a photo of each child and maybe some fun stickers, paper icons, etc.  This initial letter will be their introduction to their pal!  <3If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  Looking forward to introducing your kids to an Orthodox buddy!