Story and images contributed by Heather Maher in Stories from the Field What does it mean to be a Child Ambassador in a world so changed by COVID-19? How can we continue to look for sponsors when people are experiencing so much fear and anxiety about the future? Heather Maher recently returned from a Vision Trip to Cambodia and shares an inspiring perspective and call to action for such a time as this. It’s a beautiful, sunny day here in western Washington. The sun is shining; the birds are singing. If I didn’t know better, today would seem like a normal, early spring day. But it’s not normal. Our whole world has been turned upside-down. Schools are closed. Businesses have shut down. Many people are out of work, and too many others are sick, fighting the COVID-19 virus. There are moments when I feel sorry for myself. This is HARD. Unlike ANYTHING we have ever faced. What is going to happen? What will we do?? Then I remember: this is what so many people around the world deal with EVERY. DAY. The anxiety about their unknown futures; the sadness of losing many of life’s stabilities; fear of a lack of resources; and very, very real threats to their lives. As Child Ambassadors, we are united together in our hearts for the least of these. We became Child Ambassadors because we responded to the nudge God put on our hearts to speak for the needs of children and families around the world. As I reflect on our world’s current situation, I cannot think of a more poignant, powerful time than right now to use our voices to speak up for vulnerable children. Fellow Ambassadors, we must act now to help these children find sponsors. The need is URGENT. I imagine someone ringing a giant bell – calling out our team from our resting places. Each of us shares sponsorship in our own ways. Let us use the gifts and talents we have to share the life-changing stories that we know. Let us boldly ask, with God behind us, for help for the people He has put on our hearts. For HIS people. God’s people. I think about Sun Malin, my new friend and sister in our World Vision Family. Malin works with World Vision Cambodia. One of my favorite things by far about our team’s most recent Vision Trip to Cambodia was watching Malin love and connect to the children in the communities we visited. She looked them kindly in the eye. Put a loving hand on their shoulder. Spoke gently to them. She listened with love to them. As we sat together in the back of the van, I told her how I loved watching her with the children. She responded to me, “Yes, I feel as if they are my own.” Friends, in this crucial time, let us remember the call God has given us to speak for the needs of His children. May we speak for them as if they are our own. Though we may be “socially-distant," let us join our voices together as one mighty voice in the fight to speak for the least of these! "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me." -Matthew 18:5 Do you need to order new Picture Folders? Log on to volunteers.worldvision.org to request new folders! Thank you for continuing to reach out on behalf of children and families around the world!!!
Contributed by Staci Buck in Stories from the Field At our recent Child Ambassador Conference in Seattle, we heard from the Kenya Vision Trip Team who shared their experience in a region hard hit by hunger. Follow along on the blog as CA Staci Buck casts a vision for transformation in Kenya and learn how you can get involved! After visiting several villages where World Vision has worked for 10 years, we traded lush mountains for dry Turkana county. We are the first World Vision team to visit this brand new area development project (ADP), named "Kalapata". All villages there welcomed us with joy as seeing Americans signified that work is truly beginning. It made it real. Joseph, the head of the new ADP, is a big guy. He has a broad, bright smile, and an authoritative presence. The children flock to him and he dances with the men and bends to whisper to the young, cradling their heads in his huge hands. I asked him where he was from, "Turkana," he said. He pointed out the window, "In fact, this was my route to school. Every day I would get up at 5 AM and run when it was cooler and I could move faster. School was 20 km (12.43 miles) away and then 20 km (12.43 miles) back home. I would stop at a relative's hut to rest and pray and cry and..." He sat frozen midsentence, tearing up. We all held our breath feeling the heaviness of the moment. "I'm sorry. Remembering this has made me emotional. We sold a cow for my school fees, yet it wasn't enough and the headmaster would catch me and throw me out. My sisters never went and now we support their eight children." And just like that our hearts were all in with this new staff in Turkana. This is why they are here. They have all lived it. That night Joseph prayed, "Father, as this team steps their feet onto the land of Kalapata, let the land arise." Powerful. I imagined a black and white photo bursting into color. Green trees leafing out, pasture returning, water flowing, hunger receding, and community flourishing. God, let it be so. After spending days with the Turkana people, it is our greatest desire to see this happen. They are experiencing famine and severe drought. Their government is helping and they have chosen World Vision as a primary NGO there. They are hungry, thirsty and sick and in dire need of our support to change the landscape. Malnutrition levels are at 30 percent, their beaded children are marked for early marriage and will not attend school. But World Vision is there teaching about getting the kids into schools instead. They have water projects planned which will change everything. Water is everything. I have thought so much about his prayer. He connected our feet hitting the earth to change. A calling forth of what was dead to life. Isn't that the power of God that we carry within us? Isn't that our responsibility to see life where others see hopelessness and to take steps to ensure it comes to fruition? YES I know I will go back there. We joked about a 10 year reunion, but I'm not joking. I can't wait to see that prayer, that vision come to life. Would you like to learn more about Kalapata ADP and the hunger crisis that ravaged Kenya? Read this powerful story by World Vision storyteller, Kari Costanza.
Then order picture folders from Kenya or share your personalized link (found on volunteers.worldvision.org). Invite others to be part of the life-changing work God does through sponsorship! Story and photos contributed by Laura Walls in Stories from the Field On July 25-27, Child Ambassadors Linnae and Jonathan Gomez are hosting an immersive art experience, bringing together some of the best artists in the San Francisco Bay area to change the future for children in Uganda who are at risk of child sacrifice. The experience is called Sacred Art and its focus on Uganda is a personal one for me. In 2018, the Child Ambassador team traveled to Uganda to a region where child sacrifice occurs. I'm ashamed to admit it, but this was one place I felt afraid to go. Linnae and I talked recently about my experience in Uganda and she asked if I could write it down, so she could share it with others. It's a story that's taken me over a year to finally put into words and even yet, I think this is just a start. But I hope this small start can be part of the bigger work that God is doing to touch hearts for Uganda. Please keep Linnae and Jonathan, their family, and Sacred Art in your prayers! In many ways, the classroom was similar to those I’ve seen in the United States. Faded but vibrant colored paper in primary hues made eye-catching bulletin board displays for lively posters of fruit, animals, and houses. Spelling words, all printed in the careful, rounded form of elementary handwriting, were made into festive flags and draped cheerily across the room. To complete the classroom, a chalkboard was painted on the clay walls with charts labeled “Our Shapes” and “Our Calendar” on one side and “Our Vowels” and “Our Helpers” on the other. It was a friendly, pleasant space and the teacher who greeted us as we entered the room did so with loving pride of ownership. The students, dressed in bubblegum pink uniforms, did the usual stuff kids do when strangers come to visit a classroom - they wiggled with nervous excitement on their benches and fidgeted behind their wooden tables. The outgoing students smiled and waved at us, their friends giggling at their boldness. I came to this classroom in southern Uganda accompanied by my team of fellow Child Ambassadors with World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization working to make life healthier, safer, and more hopeful for these kids. The children growing up in this part of Uganda are at-risk, not just from poverty that threatens malnutrition, education, and future opportunities, but also from a cultural practice known as ritual child sacrifice. It involves the abduction of children for their body parts, tissue, and blood while the child is still alive with the belief that mixing these body parts in the traditional concoctions of witch doctors could bring success in business or love. It’s so dark, it sounds implausible - like something from the realm of Hansel and Gretel and bread crumb trails in the woods; folklore where symbolic cruel villains threaten children and mix up evil potions. It couldn’t be the stuff of real life. But in Uganda’s Buikwe district between 2013 and 2014, 29 children were abducted, 64 were reported missing, and 20 were ritualistically murdered. Children like Jimmy. Jimmy’s grandmother came home one afternoon and discovered her grandson missing. She was instantly afraid. “My heart was very disturbed. Right away I felt pain in my stomach. I rushed into the house but I couldn’t find him. People who had gathered helped me look for him but all in vain.” Jimmy was missing for over a week before his younger brother discovered his body. For his grieving grandmother, life would never be the same. She lives in fear for herself and for her grandchildren.* Raising their Voices We sat on our chairs at the front of the classroom and listened as the children’s teacher explained her work with the students. Her long skirt and blouse almost had the nostalgic appearance of a teacher in a Little House on the Prairie episode. With pride, she called on a girl to recite a speech for us and then requested a group of students come forward. The next performance would be one the children created themselves. We smiled at the kids and then at one another, admiring how sweet they all looked as they stood, ready to begin. Taking their places, the students in the front rows kneeled, their expressions suddenly changing from bright-eyed to haunted and anguished. “Child sacrifice. Child sacrifice.” They chanted. “You killed my brother. You killed my sister.” Crying out in unison, their voices raised in an accusing, grieving lament. Those in front rhythmically beat the ground with their fists. “Child sacrifice. Child sacrifice. WHYYY?!!!” With agonized clarity, their cries broke the air and splintered our hearts. Truth be told, I’d been afraid to come to Uganda. I’d heard stories about child sacrifice and it’s existence so repulsed and scared me that I wanted to avoid it. My fear was so great, I even talked to a friend about not going. “I don’t think I can handle it. It’s the one place on earth I don’t really have a desire to see.” Now I sat in the very place I feared was hopeless, listening to young children chanting a dirge in the center of their cheerful elementary classroom. “Child sacrifice. Child sacrifice. WHY?!!!!” Life shouldn’t be this way for anyone - especially children. The Vandalism of Shalom There’s a concept in the Bible that’s used to describe a key attribute of God known as “shalom.” In English, the term is translated as “peace” and generally thought of as the absence of war but in Hebrew, the term signifies something much greater. A more complete translation of “shalom” would include concepts like wholeness, harmony, flourishing, fullness, and a fulfillment that extends into every aspect of life. Shalom is who God is and what He created the world to be and experience as a reflection of its Creator. But that shalom was broken with the entrance of sin. The author, Neil Plantinga, uses a thoughtful phrase to describe sin. He calls it the “vandalism of shalom.” Sin fractures God’s shalom - it destroys the way things were intended to be. In place of wholeness, harmony, and flourishing, there is brokenness, harm, and poverty. The children in this small classroom in Uganda were giving voice to the impact of this vandalism on their lives. God didn’t intend their lives to be this way. As Jesus says in John 10:10, “A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” Throughout Jesus’ time on earth, he set about to restore fullness of life to those around him, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and bringing justice and peace to the broken. And he charged his followers to do likewise. “Blessed are the shalom makers, for they will be called children of God.” This blessing to restore shalom is what’s later a calling to a “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18-20) - setting things right between people and God so that they can experience fullness and harmony in every part of their lives. God’s mission is the redemption of all things that are broken - broken lives, broken systems, and broken relationships. His heart is for the children of Uganda to experience healing, hope, and fullness of life. Transformation In Uganda in 2013, World Vision began implementing the Community Amber Alert Against Child Sacrifice Project (CAAACS) focused on ending the practice of ritual child sacrifice by reversing demand for children’s body parts and sensitizing communities to change their beliefs. This program also employs a unique, localized Amber Alert System, adapted to fit the context of the region. In response to a cry for help, indigenous drumming triggers an early warning, quickly followed with more modern technology like megaphones, radio, and cell phones to prompt the community to action. Roads are quickly blocked and the police, notified. As a result of this system, 18 lives were saved in 2016. Stopping the abduction of children is only one part of the battle, however. Eliminating the demand for the children’s body parts is another. When the CAAACS Project started in 2013, it needed to confront the belief system that created this demand. To this end, World Vision adopted a social norms change approach, starting multi-phased workshops to guide affected communities to acknowledge this reality. These workshops lead to the admission that child sacrifice exists and impacts the community and the understanding that each individual needs to assess their own beliefs and mindset to bring about change. In addition, World Vision also works with leaders from different faith traditions to protect children, bringing the interfaith community together to speak out against child sacrifice, early marriage, and gender-based violence. Children, too, play a key role in this transformation. Through the children’s Spiritual Nurture Club, children are empowered to use their voices and become agents of change in their community. And it’s working. Through this multipronged approach, lives are being saved but the practice of child sacrifice still remains. Drums The children finished their performance and went outside to the fenced playground area behind the school. We followed behind them and then heard drumming. Was this a warning? Had a child been abducted? The drumming grew louder as we entered the playground area but this was no alarm. Instead, the children smiled and reached for our hands, pulling us to join them in an indigenous dance that was something like a hip-wiggling conga line. My American hips aren’t exactly used to this, so I wiggled along with the rest of them and was pleasantly surprised when I swiftly received a fabric belt tied sweetly around my waist by a smiling little girl. At first I thought this belt was a sign I was doing well, like “Congratulations, you’re looking good!” But rather than being a sign of impressive dance mastery, it turned out to be a remedial effort to help me focus my movements. (Less hand waving, more hips!) We danced until exhausted and laughed together, hearts full. The Whole Story
I came to Uganda fearful that I would leave hopeless - thinking I could never fall in love with a place where child sacrifice exists. But while I did see the evil, brokenness, and pain I so badly wanted to avoid, I also experienced a beauty, joy, and loving hospitality that overwhelmed me and washed into my heart like a flood. I bore witness to the vandalism of shalom but I also saw the shining beauty of life as it’s reclaimed and redeemed by the God of love. Uganda is now forever etched on my heart in the imprint of our sponsored child, Elvis, too. He and his family are among the most generous and loving people I’ve ever met. In a profound but simple way, sponsoring Elvis enables me to be part of World Vision’s work restoring fullness of life (shalom) for all children. A World Vision staff member, Obed, from the Buikwe district explained the impact of sponsorship, “The little that our donors give... is very significant. That’s what I would tell our donors - that whatever support you give, you don’t know how much it is going to do. It changes the whole world around.” Then Obed surprised us with a charge. “The children and families of Uganda cannot write the people of the U.S. a letter but you… you can go back and tell their story for them.” I’ve puzzled for more than a year now over how to tell this story - balancing the need to tell others about child sacrifice so they can help, with the fear that they will be repulsed and turn away from Uganda, as I once did. But child sacrifice doesn’t define Uganda, it’s just a manifestation of the terrible brokenness of this world. Child sacrifice in Uganda is just one part of a much bigger story. The whole story is one we are part of and it includes the redemption and restoration of a broken world. We are all called to be part of this bigger story, changing “the whole world around,” one child at a time. *Jimmy’s story is from the book, Testimonies of Change: in memory of all survivors and victims of child sacrifice. World Vision Uganda, October, 2015. Contributed by Staci Buck in Stories from the Field When I met our sponsored child, Sharon, she turned my hand over and touched my palm. Back and forth she turned my hand, running her fingers up my forearm. She even touched my ears, laughing. I asked the translator to tell her, "We are the same." She nodded and we laughed. There are roughly 3 million orphans in Kenya. After spending time in the north where we saw child marriage and orphans, I began to think about the impact sponsorship has had on Sharon's family. You see, Sharon is the baby of nine children. Child marriage or abandonment could have been a way out for them. Lack of healthcare could have left those nine without parents. But instead of a hand out, World Vision has given her family tools to provide for themselves. A new water kiosk is less than 1 km from her home. So, they now have a small farm- enough of an income to get their kids in school and not rely on food aid. Sharon's mother was so, so thankful for this. This education will break the cycle of extreme poverty, as she confessed she didn't complete 3rd grade and married very young. A health care clinic is also close by for emergencies. These hands. They represent so much. A joining of two families. An exchange of hope and wonder. A breaking of borders and cultural barriers. Family preservation and orphan prevention. Not a hand out, but instead a partnership. Because, "We are the same" - we were just born here with food, jobs, and resources, and they were born in a place that needs those things. As Child Ambassadors, we are partnering with families around the world by connecting children with sponsors. This work is transformational in children's lives and communities - and transforms the sponsor's life, as well! Thank you so much for every time you've shared about sponsorship! You're making a difference! Keep pressing in and boldly sharing so others know they, too, can change a child's life and community. (Need to order some new picture folders? Place your order at wvchildambassadors.org)
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 Contributed by Emily Smith in Stories from the Field. Photos contributed by Linnae Gomez. Throughout the Vision Trip to Guatemala, our team met parents, young adults, and leaders who are fighting for a future. They believe that someday, in their communities, there will be joy, plenty, and fullness of life. On the final day of the Vision Trip, we saw that future. Expectation and excitement whirred through the air with the sound of instruments. The buildings’ yard swirled with families, some chatting in groups, some hurrying their children to the right classroom. I walked up the slope toward the buildings, following Ana, a leader in World Vision Guatemala. As we neared them, Ana turned and smiled. “This is our jewel,” she said. That bright Saturday, we were visiting El Centro de Desarrollo Artístico Integral (The Integral Artistic Development Center), or CDAI for short. Families from surrounding communities gather there every weekend for its world-renowned children’s music program. The program was the brainchild of a World Vision Guatemala employee and is now a transformational approach to music education. The concept involves complete harmony among World Vision, the community, and its families. World Vision provides a “library” of instruments that children can check out year by year. Community musicians and teachers volunteer their time on the weekends to lead classes, from music stimulation for infants all the way to an acclaimed orchestra for teenagers. Children practice relentlessly throughout the week for their weekend sessions. And parents attend classes with them so that they can assist their children at home. The center serves 350 families, and while the Child Ambassador team visited, we got to meet one of those families — a mom Bianca, and her two children, Natalie and Samuel. Living Music
On the weekends they receive coaching on how to play the notes, and they take home their instruments to practice. Natalie’s incessant practice has made her a confident, skilled performer, and she dreams of one day pursuing a music career.
Behind Natalie and Samuel’s love of music is their mother, Bianca. This dedicated mom not only brings her kids to classes faithfully, but she has also undertaken to learn both the piano and the violin. And she is learning them both at a higher level than her children so that she’ll be able to help them pursue their passions. When asked what her dreams were for her children, she said that she didn’t want them to live her dreams, she wanted them to live theirs. Dreaming Together Bianca’s story is reflected in the rest of the 350 families served by CDAI; every single one has a parent or guardian involved. Parents learn instruments with their children, and when their children graduate into the teenage orchestra, they attend performances and provide encouragement. Bianca says that the program has made her family more united, and CDAI staff said she is not alone. They said that as parents and children participate in the program together, their relationships visibly grow. As we met families and observed classes, we could see it, too. Children were confident and happy and secure. Parents were immersed in the beautiful moments they were sharing with their children. The benefits extend even beyond the family. The community itself is growing closer as families get to know one another through the program. Children strive to do well in school so that they can meet the academic requirement to participate. Some young adults who graduate from the program give back by becoming CDAI instructors themselves. One such instructor, a young woman named Ysabel, is pioneering a new CDAI branch in another community so that even more students can benefit.
Seeing On the bus that day, as I reviewed my notes to write this series, I asked our World Vision host, Rodrigo, if he had anything that he wanted included in the articles. Our team had the privilege that week of spending each day with Rodrigo, seeing his gentle kindness and his true valuing of each person he encountered.
The hope of CDAI and the lives of the many people we met throughout this trip illustrated Rodrigo’s words. From Maximiliana’s fortitude to Fabiola’s courage, from Don Pedro’s brilliance to Bianca’s dedication — these people’s lives are the beauty of their country. Friends, as I close out this series, I ask you walk forward seeing through their eyes, through the eyes of the people creating Guatemala’s future. Let your heart be captivated by their heritage, amazed by their perseverance, and inspired to join their mission. Wherever you are, help others see their beauty and invite people to join their cause — until one day, all of Guatemala reaches fullness of life, and the sound of its living music echoes throughout the world.
Don Pedro is an entrepreneur, a leader of a production and distribution cooperative that creates jobs in his community. His children are thriving in business and education. He is sought after to share his experiences and successes. On a sunny day in Sololá, Guatemala, he described his journey to fullness of life to the visiting Child Ambassadors. The following is his story. Don Pedro’s home was set on a path branching off of the mountain road. He, his wife, and their children live in a spacious house, with the bustle of business in the workspaces around them. On that day, he and his daughter Olga welcomed our visiting Child Ambassador team into their courtyard. As we stood around pleasantly chatting, his son Celso, age seven, darted across the space. Don Pedro smiled and shared that Celso was doing so well in school that he had skipped a whole grade. Celso flitted in and out of the group; he paused near me for a moment, and I asked him what his favorite subject was. He thought, then said he loved letters; he flitted away again, singing a song about vowel sounds as he went. This family was an image of vibrant life. Sparking Change
Sparking Growth He approached World Vision's local team, and they said that if he created a working pilot program, they would help him scale his business. Don Pedro started making batches of ten candles at a time in a small metal box, producing a total of 200-300 per day. He carried his product on his back to local stores, selling candles as he went. World Vision saw his determined initiative and agreed to help him scale the business. Don Pedro already had an idea of what to do. He envisioned a working machine that would dip up to eighty candles at a time, increasing his productivity eight fold. He said that he could build the machine; all he needed was a stove and some large pots to heat the wax. WV invested in those items and also connected him with some business classes. With the equipment from World Vision and his own efficient invention, he soon began to produce 3,000 candles a day.
Sharing Success Now Don Pedro’s work is expanding to encompass success for the people around him. He’s been able to build a house for his family, a warehouse, and several workspaces. He founded a group — Grupo Candelario — to include people from nine other families in the business, and he has outsourced the production of candles so that he can focus on distribution. He was especially proud that the people on his team can work close to home and thus enjoy spending more time with their children. His own daughter Olga, age twenty-five, has joined her father in business. She’s a talented artist and is turning her skills into a successful market for custom embroidered fabrics. When asked what he wanted next, what his next big dream would be, Don Pedro said simply that his dream was for his children. He says he hopes that one day his children will have their own homes and lands and that his grandchildren will have the opportunity to get the education he couldn’t have. More than anything, he wants them to have a childhood marked by joy and an adulthood marked by productive success.
Carrying the Light
Like the light of Don Pedro’s candles, hope is spreading across Guatemala. Residing in that country are people with dreams that can change generations. When they, like Don Pedro, achieve success, they can diffuse it across their communities. And when you invite someone to sponsor a child in Guatemala, you’re helping get the right tools in the hands of people with dreams. Don Pedro took a stove and wax pots and built a business legacy. As you advocate for the children on the sponsorship website or on your picture folders, imagine what the future would be like if their families were also empowered to reach their dreams. Let’s keep working in partnership with them until they, too, are surrounded by the growing light. Contributed by Emily Smith in Stories from the Field. Photos by Linnae Asiel. In last week’s post, I had the pleasure of introducing you to Maritza, my three-year-old sponsored child in Guatemala. You heard about her family’s strength and struggles and about their belief in the change that comes over time. This week, I’d like to introduce you to another family. They live only a short distance from Maritza’s community. They share similar struggles and similar faith. But for this family, change was coming too slowly. The dimly lit building hummed with people. Families, World Vision staff, and Child Ambassadors chatted and exchanged stories around a long table. Children were sprinkled throughout the group, drawing, giggling, the smaller ones being handed from adult to adult. In the midst of the pleasant bustle, a young woman walked to the front of the room. Conversations dropped off one by one as she introduced herself. Her name was Fabiola, and she had a story to tell. Fabiola had traveled to Chiantla that day to share with the visiting Child Ambassador team, for she, too, was passionate about the future of her community’s children. As she shared about her volunteer work in a World Vision-supported children’s center, we could see the energy radiating from her. She’s one of those exceptional people whom I could never imagine sitting still for long. She has a mission, and she is a woman of action. Just twelve months earlier, at age seventeen, Fabiola’s passion for the future had driven her to act decisively. She had grown worried for her two younger brothers and her sister. Across northern Guatemala, where Fabiola lives, small children die of preventable diseases; older children drop out of school to work family farms. Parents strive to change the cycle, but the remoteness of the region limits their access to opportunities. A better way forward seemed out of reach. So Fabiola decided to reach farther. She had heard stories of jobs to the north. If she could make it across Mexico and into the US, she believed she’d be able to work and save up to help her siblings. Fabiola’s father discovered her plans and insisted it was far too dangerous for her to go alone. If she was determined to go, he was going with her. Turning North
Reaching the Threshold As Fabiola began to relate the next phase of her story, I felt a quiet tapping at my hand. Maritza, who was standing next to me, was getting a little restless and had started carefully poking at a band-aid on my hand. When I looked down at her, she laughed and made a game of it — her sneakily trying to poke my hand, me silently pretending to try to escape her reach. When Maritza contentedly settled back to play with her mom’s scarf, I looked back up to the front of the room. In the few moments that had passed, Fabiola had continued her story. She had moved out of my line of sight, but I could see Rodrigo, our World Vision host, who was translating for her. The color had drained from his face.
Fabiola acknowledged that staying in the storage unit was hard, but that at least her family was together. On the eighth day, however, border authorities decided to send father and daughter to separate containment centers. Over the next two months, Fabiola would be shuffled to seven different locations, never knowing where her father was. A lawyer was sent to explain her situation to her, but the lawyer spoke only English. Fabiola knew just a handful of words in English. No one offered to translate for her. And she was not alone in her confusion. She recalled that at one center, she could hear the cries of younger children across the facility; worried that they were afraid, she asked if she could go comfort them. She was refused. Immigration authorities eventually determined that Fabiola should be sent back home, and they put her on a plane to Guatemala City. But Fabiola is not from Guatemala City. Her home is far to the north, and having never been to the capital, she wasn’t sure exactly how far. Since her father’s release date had not been scheduled to coincide with hers, Fabiola arrived alone, in a strange city, with no idea how to get home. Next Steps Fabiola related her relief when a bus driver noticed her and realized that she was lost. She said that he gave her a little money and helped her find a way home. Two weeks later, her father arrived.
Our Steps World Vision and the people of northern Guatemala are working to broaden their options, to implement change that will be safer and more sustainable than emigration. And their change can come sooner with your help. Today, in response to Fabiola’s experience, I have two challenges for you: one as a US citizen, one as a Child Ambassador.
Contributed by Emily Smith in Stories from the Field. Photos by Linnae Asiel. Time echoed through the mountains of Chiantla, Guatemala. Ancient haze settled over the mysterious peaks. Wind-scarred rocks loomed from the slopes. And amidst this epic backdrop, surrounded by her family, sat one small girl in a bright red dress. Maritza, age three, hummed contentedly to herself as she flipped through the pages of a cat-themed coloring book, her little ponytail bobbing in time to her tune. Every once in a while, she’d point out a particularly interesting gato to her mother, pull a crayon from her father’s hand, or smile up at her grandmother. “I wish you were staying for three days,” her grandmother said to me. “It always takes her three days to warm up to someone.” As I watched Maritza pick a crayon the color of her dress, I got the distinct impression that though she might not speak to me, she is not shy. She simply takes her time. I was in Chiantla that Tuesday with the Child Ambassador team. We were visiting Guatemala to learn people’s stories so that we could share them in the US, inspiring sponsorships and generating support for the programs there. As I prepped for the trip, World Vision asked if I would sponsor a child in Chiantla. If I did, I might be able to meet him / her. I agreed, and a picture of Maritza — wearing a cat sweatshirt — showed up in my inbox. A few short weeks later, I found myself face to face with this self-assured girl and her family: her mom Maria Elena, her dad Anjel, and her grandmother Maximiliana. While Maritza colored a cartoon of a cat holding a flower pot, her family and I talked. As we shared our backgrounds and swapped stories, I gathered that this family believed strongly in the power of time — just as time had shaped this mountain’s features, time would bring healing to its inhabitants. But in the meantime, they shared honestly, life is difficult. Maximiliana looked frankly at me. “Estamos luchando para vida,” she said. “We are fighting for life.” The Daily Fight As we were to later learn at a meeting between World Vision staff and community leadership, life is indeed a fight in Maritza’s community. The remoteness of the region causes severe concerns for its families. Most people in Chiantla farm, but access to international food markets is beyond the community’s reach. There is low demand for their products locally, so farmers must settle for low prices. With only a small income, families can’t afford to send their children to school. Children thus grow up to limited job opportunities and continue working on the family farms, barred from access to more stable income. The concerns get deeper. Because the farms produce only select crops, malnutrition affects half of preschool-aged children. Undernourished, children begin to develop other health conditions. But there are no doctors in remote Chiantla. A community leader shared with us in frustration that regional nurses had planned to serve in Chiantla twice a week, but in reality, they can visit only occasionally. When they do, they don’t always have adequate medicines and supplies. The malnutrition and limited medicines make a potent combination; diseases like tonsillitis and bronchitis still take children’s lives. Understandably, parents feel stretched to the limit. The Future But though they acknowledged the struggle of daily life, Maritza’s family were not in despair. Maria Elena and Anjel joyfully described Maritza’s intelligence and potential, and Maximiliana confidently stated that Maritza would one day have a career of her own choosing. How could they look to the future with such joy? Because they believed that hope was coming over time. Chiantla began a relationship with World Vision about three months ago. Currently, community leadership and World Vision staff are investigating needs and brainstorming goals and solutions. World Vision helped a pilot group of farmers start an animal husbandry program, diversifying their products for marketability. Community leaders and WV staff are conducting research on how to support schools and early childhood development centers. WV officers are helping children register for sponsorship so the community will receive donations that can benefit healthcare. Anjel and Maria Elena summarized it best in a letter they wrote me: the children of Guatemala have been remembered.
Our Challenge
Today we challenge you, CAs, to join Guatemala's parents and grandparents in supporting moments of childhood — moments of humming contentedly and blissfully coloring. When you finish reading this post, please head to the the team website, click on the Supplies tab, and order picture folders specifically for kids from Chiantla. (You can specify the community name and its code, 211057, in the special requests box next to your order.) Then, share those pictures with your circle of influence and invite people to sponsor. Guatemala is stepping into the change that comes over time. Let's echo the stories of their courage. Contributed by Celeste Sherman in Stories from the Field Twelve years ago, out of a sea of little faces from all over the world, I fell in love with a little boy with a shy smile named Francisco from the Dominican Republic. Twelve years later, we had the opportunity to meet him, his brother Luis Miguel, who we sponsored for 6 years, and their mom and dad. There is nothing that can prepare you for the moment when your sponsored children go from two-dimensional photos on your refrigerator, to three-dimensional, living, breathing, handsome young men, with the same shy smiles. It was a dream that we never thought would happen. Five years ago, Stu was diagnosed with ALS, and knowing what the future could bring, we put this dream out of our minds. The amazing thing is, Stu was not progressing as many do with ALS. The past three summers, he has taken up hand-cycling and has actually been gaining muscle. Since this year marked 40 years of being married, we decided we needed to take a trip to celebrate. We were looking at cruises, but they were very costly, as we needed a room with a balcony for our service dog, Swanson. We were gifted money from the ALS Charitable Family foundation to take this trip, and did not want to go over our budget. Paula Hemphill, a Child Ambassador friend, suggested we go to the DR and visit the boys we sponsor. This had never occurred to me, but I immediately checked with World Vision to see if we could make this happen. World Vision and I worked secretly so I could keep it a surprise. I explained to the DR sponsorship team that we really needed special accommodations for the trip. We’d have a service dog, a walker, and limited mobility and I was told none of this would be a problem! So, on Easter weekend, I surprised Stu, telling him we were going to the DR to visit our boys. He was overjoyed! World Vision suggested what hotels to stay at, and we found a beautiful hotel in Santo Domingo, right within our budget. The end of July could not come soon enough, yet there were so many things to do. We shopped for things for the boys, had their "My World Vision" videos translated to be sure to know their favorite colors, sports, etc. We shopped for the family; some kitchen items, and things for their little sisters. We carefully packed everything in our suitcases and off we went. What would it be like? Would it be awkward? We could have written a song in anticipation: "I Can Only Imagine." Tuesday, July 31, started early with the World Vision staff picking us up at our hotel at 6:15 a.m.. We met our host, Yocasta, from World Vision DR, who warmly greeted us, and was every bit as excited as we were. We stepped into the WV van, with the famous logo and the words, "por los ninos." We were finally on our way. We also met the World Vision International (WVI) video crew, who accompanied us to document the trip. We were interviewed on the way to the boys' Area Program (AP), which was an approximately 4 hour trip through the beautiful DR countryside. We were again interviewed outside of the World Vision AP office and were told to wait while the WVI video crew interviewed the family. We were SO very close. The initial meeting had a flair for the dramatic, having the two of us stand in front of the door of the office, facing the camera, and instructed not to turn around until cued. The anticipation was killing us. Finally, we were told to turn around. We knew that boys would be standing there, in our heads we pictured it, but, when we turned around our hearts leaped like no other surprise we had ever experienced. It brought tears to my eyes, and all I could do is say… ‘OH MY GOD!!!! Look at you.’ And I reached out to touch them, perhaps, just to make sure that they were real. They responded without hesitation with huge hugs for us. We were escorted inside where the AP staff was waiting and, at the end of the receiving line, their beautiful parents, Francisco Sr. and Maris - smiling, hugging, and thanking us. The rest of the day was full, like a dream, and we still have to refer to the photos we have from the trip and the future video, to be sure it really happened. We learned so much about our history with our sponsorship. When we sponsored Francisco, their house was in very bad state of repair. Because of our sponsorship, World Vision helped restore their house. Francisco Sr. was able to save enough money to buy his own land and he and his brother have a growing coffee business, making specialty coffee, which is in high demand. Their mom, Maris, has been cleaning houses to help finance schooling for their two older daughters, who are in the university. One of the girls, Marianny, will graduate this year and be a teacher. She plans to help with the family's income. This particular sister is dear to us, as she initially wrote the letters we received from Francisco, when he was too young to write. Marianny often thanked us and sent blessings, and in one letter wrote that she hoped we could come to visit someday! We laughed together, as the boys helped me count to ten in Spanish and we admired the English words that they had been taught. We bonded over our love for the same baseball teams, Stu and Francisco are Red Sox fans, while Luis and I prefer the Yankees. The boys told us of the trophies they had earned; Francisco for a chess tournament, and Luis for baseball. We were so proud of them. We complimented their mom and dad for the wonderful job they did as parents and the beautiful hearts of the young men they raised. We learned about Francisco Sr. and Maris' love story, how they met and married, and they learned of ours. We went out to visit the community and saw some of the amazing work World Vision has done in this Area Program. As we were out walking and Stu was negotiating the ramp and some of the more difficult terrain, the family surrounded him and guided him and the walker. Francisco, who will be an engineer, immediately pointed out that the walker wheel was not working properly. We shared lunch together and more stories. We talked about our families, what we do for work, how coffee is grown and harvested, how I love coffee, their favorite foods, and music. They asked about Swanson, our service dog, and the boys played, petted, scratched, and hugged her. To Swanson's delight, they also gave her treats. The time came when we had to say goodbye. We gave many hugs, and then Stu, Swanson, and I had to board the van to head out.
At that moment, I was overcome with emotion, and burst into tears. Luis, the future teacher, immediately ran to the van, and threw his arms around me. OH my HEART. I will never forget the sight of the four of them, waving goodbye to us. When we were driving back, after several minutes to process in silence, I asked Yocasta when the date of closure was for this Area Program. This Area Program, Apolinar Perdoma, will close this year. We knew it was close as they are in phase three of their development, but were so awed at God’s timing in all of this. This visit was for this appointed, ordained time that God had set just for us and this family. The Sanchez family and the Sherman family will forever be united in love, thanks to World Vision. We will forever hold this time in our hearts. Contributed by Laura Walls in Stories from the Field I never thought I would one day be driving toward the former headquarters of Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda. When I first became a Child Ambassador in 2010, I read a heartbreaking story of the LRA's brutality in abducting children in the middle of the night, forcing them to become child soldiers. I remember praying for the kids and their families, never thinking I might one day meet them. "You see the tall grass," our driver gestured to the grassy plains surrounding a cluster of neatly thatched, painted round homes, "The LRA would use that to hide. There was no way for anyone to see them coming." The tall grass rippled in the breeze as we drove along the narrow, dirt path. The land seemed so open yet cloaked such a harrowing past. I imagined, what if it was our family who was startled awake in the middle of the night to shouts, guns, and violence? What if it were my boys who were abducted and forced to do things against their will? What if they were forced to choose between my life and their own? How would they ever recover? Many of the boys abducted and forced to commit murder were as young as nine years old. Girls just ten years old were taken and forced to become "wives." My thoughts were interrupted by voices - children singing - their voices carrying on the wind. They met our vehicles and led us along the path to where the community had gathered. The children's matching blue school uniforms showed that, for these kids, a whole new future is ahead. We were met with more singing, this time joined by women waving palm branches and trilling joyfully, greeting us with the warmest hugs - the kind of hug that just rolls right into your heart. Because we are child sponsors, we are more then just ourselves. To them, we represent World Vision - the organization that has walked beside them in their grief, prayed with them, and through the power of God brought reconciliation and restoration of the abducted children and their community. They led us to a place prepared in a shady grove where we could hear all they had to tell us. .As community leaders shared with us, we learned that this area had experienced insurgency for 25 years. People were slaughtered, burned, and abducted. Homes were looted. Even after the war was over, there was a post-war effect. Many children were born to girls held in captivity and faced stigmatization and neglect. There was a lot of conflict having the child soldiers coming back into the community, even after they had been rehabilitated at World Vision's Children of War Rehabilitation Center. It meant people now had to face, "the man who killed my mother." It was hard to accept that the teens had done so against their will. Meeting them in their grief, World Vision gathered the community saying, "Let us sit down together." In these meetings, World Vision staff, community leaders, and community members were able to share their problems and their ideas for solutions. World Vision helped the community to process through music, drama, and dance and to build peace and de-stigmatize the formerly abducted children as they reentered the community. They reunited families that had been separated and integrated the returning children (now grown up) into a Farmer's Cooperative where they could work alongside others in their community, have income opportunities, and experience a sense of belonging. Samuel, a community leader proudly shared the changes in the community since World Vision came. "We acknowledge support of World Vision. We now have improved seed, training and best practices in farming. We have access to marketing and potential buyers. There is no more domestic violence. We have peace and unity. We have improved education. We have food security and our children now eat three meals a day. We are able to support other vulnerable families. Our children are able to pay their school fees. We have government support and recognition. And we are Christian and growing in faith." And all of this is because of child sponsorship. Child sponsorship knits the community together and provides the investment needed to make a long-term difference in the lives of children and their families. What an amazing gift it is to be part of this work! I came to Uganda so uncertain of how it would feel to be faced with such brokenness. I left seeing that brokenness doesn't need to be the end of the story. Through the power of God at work through World Vision child sponsorship, there can be healing, wholeness, reconciliation, and hope!!! "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." - 2 Cor 5:18 A beautiful new video about the impact of sponsorship in Uganda! |
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