Last November I attended the Women of Faith conference in Kansas City, Missouri. It definitely made my Top 10 list of favorite events of the year! I got to hear so many amazing women give their testimonies, guidance, advice and even sing. I wasn't sure what to expect and walking out of the Sprint Center with a Godchild from another country was definitely something I wasn't anticipating.
As you go up the escalator to the 2nd level, all around the outside were tables filled with books and Cd's the women have made, health & wellness information for women, gifts, souvenirs and then there was the table for World Vision ministries. It was jam packed full of women, but I wasn't sure what it was for. So, I sort of glanced over to see what was going on and I saw a bunch of pictures of little kids. I thought to myself "Ok, it's just one of those companies trying to get you to adopt children or whatever it is you see on TV and I'm not going to do it". So, I went back to my seat and waiting for the next woman to come up and speak.
Next up to talk to us was a woman by the name of Lucy Swindoll. She was hilarious!!! She told us the story about the time she went to Guatemala for a mission's trip with one of her girlfriends a while back. She told her "I know you want me to go with you just so I will adopt one of those babies and it's not going to happen!". Her friend told her that she was absolutely not obligated to get involved with the children, just to come along with her. So, she did. They got there and the day came for them to interact with the kids. She told her friend the same thing about not "adopting or sponsoring any kids or whatever you call it". And again, she told her she didn't have to. She just wanted her to meet them. So, Lucy went along "against her own will" (lol) and began interacting with the children. One of the little girls came up to her, tugged on her pants and lifted her arms for her to pick her up. She looked at her and said "Alright look, I will pick you up but I'm not sponsoring you". At this point I was laughing so hard at her story I literally had tears in my eyes! Lucy is now sponsoring that little girl as well as 15 other children. The other women said if she wasn't careful, someone would need to sponsor Lucy!
Who is World Vision? They are a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision provides hope and assistance to approximately 100 million people in nearly 100 countries. In communities around the world, they join with local people to find lasting ways to improve the lives of poor children and families.
Sponsoring a child is so easy and provides so much for them! Millions of children around the world need help to break the never-ending cycle of poverty. Hunger weakens them. Unsafe drinking water makes them sick. Missing out on an education keeps them from reaching their potential. As a sponsor, you will help provide a child with sustainable access to appropriate life-changing basics like nutritious food, clean water, health care, and education. Child sponsorship also helps families and communities lift themselves out of poverty by providing job training, business coaching, small loans, along with training to help poverty-affected farmers learn new ways to irrigate and grow crops.
I am sponsoring a little girl named Dinora Yudania Ampie Laugna. She is 8 1/2 years old, shares a birthday with my dad (August 24th) and is from Nicaragua. She is BEAUTIFUL!!! I have her picture at work, one on the fridge and we just recently received another one in one of her letters to us. Adam keeps asking when we get to go visit our other daughter and Devin thinks she looks like his sister. We are all involved in our own little way and it's just amazing to be able to form this relationship with this little girl and I am so proud to be her godmother, as she calls me.
To find out more information about World Vision or how to sponsor a child for only $35/month, please visit http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/pages/sponsor-a-child?open&campaign=1193512&cmp=KNC-1193512 and like Lucy and I both did, you will fall in love with a child. I promise, it is such a blessing to be part of something so amazing!
