Meet Tamara Vazquez!
She enjoys crocheting, reading, cooking, being outdoors, photography and volunteering in her community. She was born and raised in Oregon. She lives there still with her 12 year-old son, Alex. She really enjoys being a mom. She and her family live close by to each other and help each other out whenever needed. Tamara, can you tell us about what made you become a CA? I had been sponsoring a girl through WV since Alex was 3 years old. Then, while I went back to college I remember really wanting to sponsor another child but I just couldn't at the time. I have always loved the work WV is doing so I prayed for other opportunities to get involved. I started looking through the WV website under Get Involved. It was there I learned about Child Ambassadors and I watched the videos from the Child Ambassador team...and then shortly after that a postcard came. It asked, Would you like to become a Child Ambassador? And so I signed up! Can you tell us about a favorite sponsorship story? My longtime friend/mentor sponsored a girl through a private facebook message I sent to her directly. She was my very first sponsorship "yes" and that was so special. It really gave me the encouragement to keep asking, and to keep it simple. I also love volunteering at events and seeing the joy of new sponsors connecting to a child on a picture folder. I always love hearing when people share what drew them to choose that particular child. Can you give some encouragement to new CAs? 1. Stay in prayer. 2. Invest in a great connection with your own sponsored child(ren) because you will know first-hand what an impact sponsorship has not only on the sponsored child and their community, but in your own life as well. Be a part of their story and you will have more to naturally share with others. 3. Always carry at least child folder with you at all times because you just never know! I "missed" an opportunity once because I didn't have any on me while camping. Do you have a favorite quote/scripture for your ministry? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. - 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 You can reach Tamara at: [email protected]
Melodee, can you tell us about what made you become a CA? I had been sponsoring for about 7 years when a postcard came in the mail asking if I wanted to join the CA team. It was an answer to my prayer of wanting to do something more missional while being a stay-at-home mom. It was as if the heavens had parted and an angel chorus sang when I received that postcard. I haven’t had very many moments like that in my life. It was thrilling!
Can you tell us about your favorite sponsorship story? I have to pick just one? That’s hard! I recently ran a half marathon (by the way, I have never been a runner)! It was something I felt I needed to do for myself, but at the same time didn’t want it to only be about me. So I decided to see if I could get 13 children sponsored (one for each mile) plus a Refugee Responder (as a cherry on top for the 0.1 mile). I put it out there on Facebook and the response was incredible! 15 kids were sponsored and 3 people signed up as Refugee Responders! It was so wonderful to run that half marathon knowing that all those lives (both the sponsors and children sponsored) were changed because of it! Is there a bit of encouragement you would give to new CAs? Your ministry will take time to build up and it won’t look the same as other members on the team. You’ll figure out what works for you. Since I’m a stay at home mom, a lot of my sponsors have been through one-on-one conversations with other parents and through social media. Some CAs focus on doing big church events. Others connect children with sponsors through their places of work. There’s no one right way to go about this ministry. That’s one of the beauties of it! Pray, pray, pray for God’s direction and be obedient in planting seeds wherever He has you. You’ll probably get a lot of “no’s” in the beginning (and throughout your entire ministry) but continue to get to back up and keep on going. God will reward your faithfulness and you will see fruit. Do you have favorite scripture or quote for the ministry? Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of the heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- He remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord. Psalm 146:5-10 You can reach Melodee at: [email protected]
Carmen, can you tell us about how you became a CA? After visiting my first sponsored child in Zambia in December 2015, I was deeply moved by the experience and decided to become a CA to help other children in Zambia become sponsored.
Could you tell us about your favorite sponsorship story? My favorite event was the Matthew 25 Sunday in mid-July 2017 at Friends Church in Fairbanks. Over 80 children were sponsored that day after World Vision journalist, Kari Costanza, shared her story about the tragedy of the East Africa hunger crisis. God moved in a mighty way in touching the hearts of the congregation. It was a beautiful testament to God’s faithfulness. What is one piece of advice you'd give to new CAs? I would encourage them that this is God’s work so do not be discouraged if people do not always appear to be very interested. Everything we do is in God’s sovereign control. Apart from God we can do nothing. Do you have a favorite scripture for the ministry? And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:10-11 You can contact Carmen at: [email protected] |
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