The Church is empty, except for the pulpit and some metal chairs in a circle position. This is where we meet a sweet young married couple, Dunia Ardon (34) and Victor Santos (35). They serve at the church as Sunday school teachers and have been transformed by the Raising With Tenderness training, a Christian Discipleship methodology provided by World Vision.

Dunia recalls, ¨I grew up in a house were my mom had left us and I ended up growing up with my dad who was very aggressive. Many times, all I wanted was his approval and love but ended up getting beaten.”

Judy Nyokabi Kimondo, 34, could no longer doubt her sixth sense. Deep down, she knew her marriage was on the rocks. She admits, “I got married 19 years ago to Charles at an early age and despite being blessed with three children, our relationship had started to drift apart and love flew out the window. I sensed in my spirit that we had lost focus in life, always fighting over money, lacking appreciation for each other and never communicating well.” The rift widened so much that they started to attend different churches.

Chief Julia shares her Celebrating Families methodology

The tranquility of Chief Julia Mwihaki Kamau’s office was quite noticeable. Her office looked like a counselling room, unlike that of a typical chief’s camp anywhere in Kenya. Most chiefs’ camps are noisy and crowded, usually a holding ground for offenders before they are taken to police cells or arraigned in courts.

As Chief Julia, 49, introduced herself, she told us about the guests she had attended to before I arrived. “The three ladies are widows of a deceased man and are fighting for equal distribution of his wealth,” she says.

Carmen and Kevin read a Bible lesson together

¨My mother doesn’t love me,” eleven-year-old Kevin used to say. He is shy, but strong-willed. There was a time he would repeat this phrase to his mother Carmen Cruz, 32. Carmen remembers it was hard for her to learn how to love and show tenderness to Kevin because it wasn´t how she was brought up.

Carmen was raised by her grandparents because her mother couldn’t care for her. She remembers the lack of love and affection from her mother and that´s why she tries to be there for Kevin, to break the cycle and repeat what had happened to her. Carmen recalls seasons where Kevin would rebel in school and fight against his teachers and parents.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”

—Luke 2:8 (NIV)

For many people, just one verse from the Christmas story brings back memories of candlelight church services or family gathered by the tree. Across the globe, though the settings look different, the story is the same. But for Christians everywhere, we’re united in our common faith when we read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth.

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.