Dear Friends, Family,
Love Letters began at a lunch meeting connecting four women in various ways. When a school administrator from overseas commented that her husband calls the country "literate with nothing to read," an author's wife offered to have books translated and sent over. A preschool teacher realized that those books, if simply translated from American children's books, would not necessarily be culturally relevant. So a mom who writes children's books for fun offered to author a few.
The idea grew as we decided to gather artists and translators and other authors, even to reach other countries. Wherever we live, we know there are others who have less than we do. We have heard of children who hardly have books in their schools; those who grow up sleeping, playing, eating, and working in trash dumps; orphans abandoned because of AIDS; expectant mothers who have had no prenatal education, and those being trafficked. As we collect more of these broken fragments, we can continue to fit them together into something beautiful.
We recognize the Bible as God's love letter to us. Let us tell them, "you are our letter, written in our hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:2). We can get the message to these cultures that they are loved completely by the God Who created them to be complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). While these books are not expected to be a direct message of this, they will show these children that there is someone somewhere who cares. We can empower them to dream of something more.
Your talent is a gift from God to enjoy giving to others! Visual artists, writers, musicians, and translators, we need your art and skill to create books to send to other countries as "love letters". This is a prompt rather than an assignment; there is no limit to the creativity we are requesting. Let us know where you have been and the people in whose hands you would like to have us give books. This project is ongoing and can be taken as far as you run with it (Habakkuk 2:2).
Please send me your manuscript, donate your art, indicate your interest, and ask me questions at DeimagoLoveLetters@gmail.com.
Love,
Imago Dei Care