Reina (middle) enjoys a glass of clean water with her friends.

It’s a sunny day, you can hear the roosters sing and the smell of fresh coffee lingers around the house of Mrs. Reina Herrera. She lives in the community of Nueva Coyola, a beautiful community with access to clean water. “Having access to clean water gives me the opportunity to take care of my house, spend more time with my family and live a healthy life,” Mrs. Reina says. She has been living for many years in this community. “I remember when I was a child, my mom, my sibling and I used to wake very early in the morning, around 4:00 am to find water. I was only 6 years old.

Ashima Mehta is one of our valued partners. Here is her story as told by her World Vision representative, Lisa Moran. 

Ashima Mehta is a long-time partner of World Vision. I recently had a call with her about our International Bible Fund and I am thankful to God about it! This is our story.

Ashima grew up in India where she studied and became a doctor. At the young age of 21, she came to study abroad in Vancouver, Canada.

She is very passionate about helping children around the world.

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.

God hears the cries of children.  When Jesus said, “Let the children come to me,” (Matthew 19:14) he was speaking for God, who desires all of us, no matter how small, to go to him when we are sinking, in trouble, in distress. 

In our world today, more than 151 million children ages 5 to 17 are subject to exploitation by adults who profit from their work, who cannot see a way out of the poverty trap.  Sadly, often it is parents who see no option but to offer up their children for a small amount of money.  The children have no choice in the matter.  They have nowhere to turn.

Sandra Drury is a member of World Vision's National Leadership Council. This is her story.

When Sandra Drury traveled to Tanzania with World Vision in 2015, her heart was ignited by something she learned there for the first time. Sandra discovered the biblically based Empowered Worldview (EWV) approach to the alleviation of poverty, and a passion inside her was unleashed.

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.

Cyndi and Mark Bluhm are members of World Vision's National Leadership Council. This is their story.

Mark Bluhm gave his wife, Cyndi, one of the best gifts she’s ever received. And you might not guess what it was.

Knowing that since childhood his bride has had a heart for those in need, Mark Bluhm gave his wife the “gift” of sponsoring a child in Swaziland, named Ntsetselelo, through World Vision. A few years later, a friend challenged Cyndi to run a half-marathon with Team World Vision to bring clean water to Ntsetselelo’s community. And although she doesn’t consider herself a runner, Cyndi rose to the challenge! When Mark “nudged” many of his executive friends to support the run, the couple raised over $6,000 for water in Mhlosheni, Swaziland.

Glenn and Carole Daves are members of World Vision's National Leadership Council. This is their story.

Although Glenn and Carole Daves didn’t set out with a mission to care for the poor, they each made a decision that would eventually lead them there: they committed themselves to following Jesus. Glenn came to know Christ in high school, and Carole became a follower of Jesus in college. Together they committed themselves to pursue what Jesus wants to do in this world. Shortly after they were married, twenty-nine years ago, the couple understood enough of Jesus’ concern for the poor that they began sponsoring a child through World Vision.

Joe and Amy Wu are members of World Vision's National Leadership Council. This is their story.

Like many immigrants from Taiwan in the 1970s and 1980s, the families of Joe and Amy Wu left behind social networks and established careers to migrate to the United States for their children to access greater educational opportunities. Joe and Amy were both raised in Southern California, in a suburb near Pasadena—Joe since age ten, and Amy since age eight. They eventually met at church while playing music together on the worship team, Joe leading on voice and guitar and Amy on piano. Thirty-plus years later, they still serve together on the worship team at their local church!