Dear Reader,
It has almost been a year since I joined World Vision. There have been bright, sunny days and gloomy, rainy ones, times of sowing with tears and times of reaping with joy. All in all, I have come to realise that God’s harvest fields are simply enormous. Having seen the ever-pressing needs of the world’s vulnerable children and families, we really need to hold firm to our beliefs and vision to help more children live life in all its fullness.
I thank God for using hardships to teach us what it means to not fear and let God work. When we are weak, God’s power is made all the more perfect. I thank all World Vision donors and supporters for their partnership and trust as we put faith, hope and love into action together. I thank my team of committed colleagues, who have worked so hard to innovate and experiment, so as not to miss out on any opportunity to transform a child’s life.
This year, the pandemic is still pretty much part of our lives, but it seems that we are slowly rediscovering our rhythm and pace in the new normal. It is true that there is still some way to go before the economy makes a full recovery, but we are glad to see that, during this pandemic, more people have understood that a seemingly trivial act of kindness can brighten up the life of a child in adversity, such as that of 11-year-old Balachandran in India. After he and his family were abandoned by his father a few years ago, his mother Kalaiselvi was left in a desperate situation in which she had to provide for her two children and take care of her ageing parents. Thankfully, at this critical time, the family received goats from World Vision donors, which not only helped improve their livelihoods, but also meant so much more to them. “When I heard that World Vision was going to give us goats, I found renewed hope and was comforted that somebody cared for me and my children,” says Kalaiselvi.
On my first day, Mr. Yuen, Board Chair, encouraged me with the word “Ebenezer”. Throughout the year, the meaning of the word has truly become significant. As we count our blessings, we do feel that “thus far the Lord has helped us”.
Be blessed.
Yours truly,
Amy Fung
Chief Executive Officer