Columbia-Willamette Women of Vision

July 2023 Enews

When Columbia-Willamette Women of Vision was founded in 1998, we had no idea where the Lord would be taking us. We only knew we wanted to be the hands and feet of Jesus through this new World Vision volunteer program for women.

Starting in Mongolia with the Children of the Tunnels project, we helped over 55,000 children return to school and invited over 10,000 young people out of the dark tunnels under the city streets into World Vision's nurturing "Lighthouse" shelters. By the time we finished twelve years later, no more children were living in the tunnels.

We began supporting World Vision's work in Africa at the height of the AIDS crisis. With projects in Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique, communities grew stronger and learned how to avoid HIV infection and raise healthy children.

Entering the child protection arena to help stop child sex trafficking in Cambodia was not for the faint of heart. We stayed the course long enough to see traffickers prosecuted, victims restored through loving and healing therapy, and thousands of other children protected from this violence.

In Bolivia and Honduras, we partnered with women and men entrepreneurs who became financially productive, while at the same time families learned to raise their children with tenderness. Livelihoods were boosted and social problems reduced.

In Bangladesh, we again entered into challenging child protection work, first to stop child trafficking and then to stop child labor. Hundreds of children were reached, and lives were transformed.

Along the way, our hearts broke for children and families caught in the Syrian refugee crisis, and so we entered into World Vision's global emergency response work. No one ever expects to be a refugee or displaced in their own country, but we're glad World Vision is there holding out hope for a better future.

And now today, we're involved in Kenya to see the end of FGM (female genital mutilation) and child marriage. We're raising support for the Central America Christian Discipleship program so people, young and old, can know how much they are loved and valued by God. And we have broadened our global emergency response support in order to equip World Vision to be ready to go wherever they are needed (responding in less than 72 hours).

Our heart and purpose haven't changed in the past 25 years. We are now more committed than ever before to do all we can to make life better for children in Christ's name. In fact, we are called to this:

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. I Peter 4:10

And so we serve within our own giftedness and schedules and circumstances. We offer the gifts, treasure, and time the Lord has given us. We'd love you to join us. Many women have stepped on-board this past year, joining one of our new Focus Teams. It's a wonderful way to get started and get to know us better.

We'll be talking more about the impact of Women of Vision at our Fall Kick-Off on October 14 and how you can be involved. I hope you will plan to be there (women only). We couldn't do this work without your support—your prayers, hands-on help, and giving.

Enjoy the rest of your summer! God bless you!

Sandy Grubb

sandygrubb@comcast.net

CWWOV Communications Chair

Opportunity to GIVE

Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness.

Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.

This is World Vision's beautiful vision statement. Each year we see the lives of thousands transformed because our good friends demonstrate the will to make it so. If you'd still like to make a donation this fiscal year (ending Sept 30), you can do so online by CLICKING HERE. If you'd like to mail a check or give by other means, please click on the GIVE tab of our website for more instructions.

Your gifts make all the difference! Thank you!

Please join us in prayer

Pray for the Christian Discipleship work in Central America to bring hope to children and families as they learn they are loved by God and created in his image.

Pray that many more girls in Kenya will return to school this fall and have the opportunity to finish secondary school.

Pray for the protection of World Vision staff in the field, especially those working in dangerous conflict zones.

Calendar

Save the Date

2023 Fall Kick-Off

Saturday morning, October 14, 2023

Lake Grove Presbyterian Church

Watch for more details!

About Us

Women of Vision is a volunteer ministry of World Vision that cultivates dynamic partnerships resulting in significant investments of time, talent, and treasure in support of World Vision’s work, facilitating transformational impact in the lives of the poor and our supporters in the name of Christ. Please partner with us! Click here to learn what that means and update your commitment for this year (or for the first time).

The Columbia-Willamette Chapter of Women of Vision supports World Vision's work in Kenya, Central America, and areas around the globe struck by disasters. We also volunteer at many local organizations to help the disadvantaged in our own community. Please read about this work on our website.

World Vision is 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.