World Vision’s president, Edgar Sandoval Sr., shares a smile with 13-year-old Isra at her school in a refugee camp in Chad.

As we celebrate this Christmas season, it’s easy to see the familiar story of Jesus’ birth through a lens of certainty — we know how the story ends. But what might it have felt like for Mary and Joseph, blessed by God yet facing hardship and uncertainty at every turn? Were they anxious when Jesus was born in a shelter, far from home, with only a feeding trough as His cradle? Were they afraid as they faced the threat of violence, fleeing to Egypt in the night?

God could have chosen any path for His Son, yet He chose one marked by poverty, displacement, and pain, revealing His heart for those who face some of life’s greatest challenges. In this choice, we see God isn’t distant from our struggles; instead, He entered into them fully as Immanuel — God with us.

This Christmas, may we find hope in knowing that God is close to those who suffer, and that true blessing isn’t found in a life free from difficulties, but in the steady presence of a loving God who walks with us. And as we reflect on Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, let’s also turn our hearts toward families today who, like them, are seeking safety and peace in uncertain, frightening circumstances.

Jesus in the margins

Earlier this year, World Vision president Edgar Sandoval Sr. visited Adré, a border town in eastern Chad that serves as a crossing point for refugees fleeing violent conflict and famine-like conditions in Sudan. With around 13 million people displaced since April 2023, Sudan is experiencing the largest displacement crisis in the world. People who cross the border at Adré — most of them women and children — arrive exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and often traumatized. With Chad itself in the grip of a hunger crisis, food is scarce. In the spontaneous settlement outside of Adré, where refugee families await placement in a camp, hunger is so dire that some have resorted to raiding anthills for the millet grain stored inside.

On a sweltering day in May 2024, people from Sudan stand in a border-registration processing line for refugees entering Chad.

It may seem hopeless, yet because of Jesus, we do have hope! Our loving Savior sees and knows every need and has lived through hardship Himself. He is present, even in the hardest places. Jesus came to bring hope into the world — and that’s why we’re committed to making His hope tangible through our work in places like Sudan and Chad. Every effort we make is to show His love in action to those who need it most.

In Farchana refugee camp in Chad, signs of hope are springing to life. At dawn, refugee women cook meals for a World Vision school feeding program — one of 69 programs across four camps serving 70,000 children in Chad. During his time in the country, Edgar visited the school. “The kids waited patiently while I helped serve the beans and rice,” he shares. “They love this makeshift school — a safe haven where they can fill their bellies, feed their minds, and play until sunset.”

Thirteen-year-old Isra is one of these children. With a meal of beans and rice, she says, “I can understand and study more.” She’s even starting to dream about her future. “I want to be a pilot,” she says. Every day, Isra watches the World Food Programme planes crossing the sky, bringing relief.

But it’s not just the pilots bringing hope. From providing lifesaving aid in crises to empowering families to overcome poverty and experience the fullness of life God intends — this is the work generous partners like you are making possible.

Isra, 13, shows Edgar the math work she’s doing in school at Farchana refugee camp.

The hope of Christ

As we look at the challenges and uncertainty facing the world today, we draw strength and courage in this — we know how the story ends. And we know that even in the hardest times and places, Jesus remains Immanuel — God with us. In His presence we find our greatest hope.

As 2024 comes to a close, will you consider giving a year-end gift to the World Vision Fund, helping to ensure children and families get the long-term resources they need? Your donation will help unlock our $6 million year-end goal — made possible by a $3 million challenge gift from a generous donor. Motivated by our love for Jesus and emboldened by His presence, let’s come together to equip more children like Isra to experience fuller lives.