In November, we challenged our faithful partners to help us send 5,000 Bibles to families who had none. Our partners came through in a big way! By the end of the month, we had raised enough to send over 5,800 Bibles. And since on average, a Bible is shared with 6 people, over 35,000 people now have a chance to grow in their faith through the reading of God's word. THANK YOU!

Our International Bible Fund will remain open as long as there are families who need Bibles, so it's not too late to give.

When we’re kids, it’s natural to wonder about what the future may hold. Kids who feel supported and safe have fun dreaming about what they’ll do when they grow up. But for those who don’t know their rights, the future may not seem so promising.

That’s why we celebrate Universal Children’s Day today. It’s the anniversary of the United Nations’ declaration that children everywhere have rights to the resources they need to thrive: personal safety, nutrition, education, and more — including understanding and love.

Scripture shows us Jesus had a special place in His heart for children. When His disciples tried to keep children away, Jesus said, “Do not hinder them,” and gave them the blessing they had come to receive (Matthew 19:13-14, NIV).

When children have the love, safety, education, and physical resources they need, they are empowered with choices for the future — choices they can use to create lasting change in their life and community. Just like Ima did.

Children now have the power to choose their sponsor

For the first time in its seven-decade history, World Vision is launching a new invitation into child sponsorship. The Christian humanitarian organization is enabling children to choose their sponsors through an innovative experience called Chosen^TM.

“Chosen puts the power to choose their sponsor in the hands of the child,” says Edgar Sandoval Sr., president of World Vision U.S.

Edgar poses with Sofia, 5, center, and her mother and baby sister after hearing their story of leaving Venezuela and struggling to find stable housing in Colombia. ©2019 World Vision/photo by Chris Huber

"Growing up there (Venezuela) for most of my childhood, I lived in a country that was united and prosperous and safe. That doesn’t exist anymore.” Edgar Sandoval Sr., president of World Vision U.S..

Venezuela is in crisis. About 4 million Venezuelans — 5,000 per day in 2018 — have left the country seeking food, work, and a better life.

Latin America’s largest migration in recent years is driven by hyperinflation, violence, and food and medicine shortages stemming from recent years of political turmoil. Once-eradicated diseases like cholera and malaria have returned, and children increasingly are dying of causes related to hunger and malnutrition.

Meet Bilkis, a 38-year-old mom in Bangladesh and her teenage daughter Sadia. Those smiles were rare three years ago when they were both working in a shrimp factory just trying to survive. Before World Vision started working in their community, they had no hope.  But today, they can see a brighter future. 

More than 250 men, women, and young people from around the globe came together for World Vision’s 14th Annual Strong Women Strong World Event in New York on November 30. They learned more about the plight of women and girls in the developing world, and what World Vision is doing about it.

In her keynote speech, First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame said, “Women and girls are capable of bringing about significant change to their environment, despite obstacles that stand in the way of their advancement. If the existing impediments to women's advancement were removed from their paths, the impact of change could be more powerful."

Martha became a member of her local Safe Motherhood Action Group after giving birth to eight children without any of the knowledge she now shares with her pregnant neighbors. Her lack of knowledge nearly cost Martha her life during one of her deliveries.

At 34, Martha Nvula has had eight children, the youngest just shy of a year old. She and her husband live nearly 22 miles from a facility that handles baby deliveries, which meant she took great risks each time she got pregnant.

Martha didn’t understand the importance of prenatal care and planning for deliveries, and three times she gave birth along the route to the health facility—once nearly losing her life because of complications.

Martha jumped at the opportunity to join a Safe Motherhood Action Group in her village. She learned about timed and targeted counseling (ttC), which is the developing world’s version of the iconic pregnancy book, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting."

“Trial and error,” “no clear direction,” “no teaching, no nothing”—these are the words that teachers at Kaboson Primary School in Kenya used to describe how they taught the weekly Christian Religious Education class.

Although the class is required by the Kenyan government, there are no lesson plans provided. Most teachers resorted to simply singing songs, as they didn’t know how to teach Bible stories or use them to explain values by which children should live.

Bullying and other examples of poor discipline were frequent in the school, especially between the boys and girls. 

Jimmy Recodia (pictured right) knew he was leading a double life.

On Sundays, he was the obedient son of a well-respected village pastor in the Philippines and was attending college to become a teacher.

But during the week, he let his addiction to Internet gaming rule him. Invited by a friend to try out a multiplayer battle simulation game, computer gaming rapidly became his life’s focus. 

Spending all his time and money in computer shops, he was failing his classes. He argued constantly with his aunt, with whom he was living while in college. His parents’ admonishments went unheeded.