Tag Archives: reflections

From baby refugee to mother, wife, and World Vision staffer

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Cat-Dan Lai-Smith in Advocacy, Stories

Every woman has a story. And, like all stories, if you change one page, one paragraph, or even one word, you could change her story. This is my story. I was born a girl into a culture that still prefers and elevates boys. I was born into a war-torn country whose new government had stripped its citizens of all their rights and freedoms. Significantly, I was born to parents who were determined to not let these dismal factors prevent their daughter from experiencing the very best that life could offer — even if that meant risking their lives, leaving their friends and family, and fleeing from the only home they had ever known. Thus, at the age of 3 months,...

Why my Grandma may be wrong: Living a life of sacrifice

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Samantha Bender in Christian Witness

Living a life of sacrifice | World Vision Blog

“Sacrifice” is a funny little word. It conjures up images of pain, hurt, and unfinished to-do lists. This word especially takes on a warped meaning when combined with the word “Lent.” Growing up, Lent was always a little bit of a joke. We teased each other for the excuses we all made for giving into the things we had given up. My Grandma always had the best excuse. She said that Lent is technically only 40 days if you exclude Sundays, and that on Sunday, she could “break the rules.” I’m almost positive she somehow found biblical support for this, and I wasn’t going to argue if it meant my Sabbath was filled with Thin Mints. That’s how sacrifice is...

Freedom from poverty: The key to life in all its fullness

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Peter Warski in Child Sponsorship, Stories

This past August, I had the honor, for the first time, of visiting World Vision’s field programs in Guatemala. This Latin American country is a gorgeous place — a lush, beautiful landscape, and equally beautiful people. In stark contrast to such beauty, however, is the presence of poverty across much of the country. Malnutrition is a major problem here — 45 percent of Guatemala’s population is stunted. Particularly in rural areas, families struggle with limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. But poverty does not define the people of Guatemala. Nor, as I discovered, does it undermine their ability to find joy and hope. And World Vision is working to help families and communities overcome it — for good....

A cup of coffee? Or water for a village?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Guest blogger in Partnerships, Stories

Kathy Williams dancing with villagers in Swaziland

In 2010, World Vision magazine published a story about Kathy Williams, a manager at Family Christian store in Killeen, Texas. Through a bottle of dirty water, she struck up conversations with customers — conversations that resulted in hundreds of child sponsorships. Because of Kathy’s voice of change in her community, she was invited to visit World Vision projects in Swaziland with Austin, Texas area pastors and community leaders. After witnessing World Vision’s work in Swaziland, she wrote the following reflection....