Street Smarts

posted by World Vision Youth March 13th, 2013

By: Mara Seibert, college student at McDaniel College in Maryland, USA

Change can come from the most unexpected places. Rith and Kong Leap both grew up on the streets in Cambodia, but have now become leaders in their community, teaching other street youth how to stay safe and live healthier lives. Sometimes a small voice can have a big impact.

Two young men proudly showed me around their center with a sparkle in their eyes.

Kong Leap (16) and Rith (15) are both small for their age, but have experiences that most American teens will never know. At the Bamboo Street Children Center in Phnom Penh, kids living on the street can come and live if they choose. The center provides a safe place to eat and sleep, as well as the chance to learn new skills by going to school.

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Bigger & Better: The INN, Seattle

posted by ACT:S December 17th, 2012

by Barclay Klingel

On Saturday, December 1^st a group of University Ministry students got together in hopes of finding something much bigger and better than a black ink pen. Not only did we come away with something much bigger and better, but we experienced a community in Seattle that was willing to come alongside students in the area and support the microloan initiative.

One house that stood out to all of us was one of the last houses we visited on our two hour adventure. We had accumulated a wide variety of items from homes in the U district, as people were simply willing to give rather than trade up. A young couple had just moved into a new home and they were racking their brains to think of an item that would be appropriate. They ended up giving us a brand new, still in the box, GE Microwave Oven! It was an incredible act of generosity, but the cool part about it for me was the way they gave. They told us they had previously planned to sell it on Craigslist. The microwave was certainly worth a significant amount of money, but once they heard where the money was going they joyfully gave, unconstrained by the idea of making money for themselves. It was a blessing to see the excitement of the team upon receiving the gift as well!

Bigger and Better is an amazing way to get many communities involved in the microloan process, but almost as importantly it is a way to educate people about the opportunities that microfinance provides. The average U.S. citizen does not understand the importance of a microloan to someone in a third world country.

Lastly, the Global Outreach team at University ministries is excited to continue the vision in the upcoming months!

Do You Take Your Dreams For Granted?

posted by Katie Swift December 12th, 2012

by Katie Swift

I know there are a lot of things that I take for granted, the blessings right in front of me that I look beyond daily – shelter, running water, flushing toilets, hot showers, bright lights, refrigerated food – I could go on and on. It was only recently when I realized that I take for granted my dreams for the future.

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Bigger And Better: Seattle

posted by ACT:S November 28th, 2012

Students from Seattle Pacific University and the University of Washington joined together for a game of Bigger and Better on November 17th. After some great pancakes and watching Working for Tomorrow, the team wandered around a Seattle neighborhood, talking with neighbors and sharing about microfinance. People were so generous and excited to get involved, leaving the group with a collection of sweet items. Now, the team is selling the items and gearing up for an even larger game of Bigger and Better.

If your group played Bigger and Better this month, let us know! We would love to hear your stories.