Once upon a time, only a few months ago, I never would have given Feed The Children a dime.
I never would have written anything nice about them in public.
I never would have put on a Feed The Children t-shirt.
And my husband Kevin was Feed The Children’s new President and CEO.
As a 30-something pastor already involved through my church in supporting relief and development organizations, I was leery of the big promises of an organization with such a wide scope. I opted to support and give to my local church and to other do-good organizations with which I had a personal connection—places where I was confident my dollar was being put to good use.
Yet, I supported my husband’s calling to lead Feed The Children (I’d never seen him so passionate about anything quite like this) and soon thereafter I said yes to my first field program trip in August of 2012 to Malawi and Kenya… only because Kevin asked me to go with him.
As we boarded the plane Africa-bound, I sought to have an open mind. Maybe it might be different than I imagined?
And it was. From day one, I began to experience some of the most pure and life-changing work I’d ever seen—though I’d already traveled extensively in the developing world, coming to Africa twice before. The Feed The Children I began to get to know personally surprised me.
I was surprised when I met some beautiful women in remote villages in Malawi who brought their toddlers to one of our feeding centers. I heard them say to me through translators, “Thank you so much. There is no other way we could feed our babies if you didn’t help us. Feed The Children is the only support network we’ve ever known that has stayed here for the long haul.”
I was surprised when I chatted with staff over cups of coffee in Kenya with so much light in their eyes. Their unbelievable dedication to improving the lives of children and deep spiritual core humbled me. I knew if I’d ever met a saint— these leaders were the real deal.
Kevin and I with the staff at one of our children’s homes in Kenya
I was surprised when I visited a school in the slums of Nairobi and put shoes on the tattered feet of first graders. As I watched delight come to their faces, I couldn’t help but have Isaiah’s words come to mind: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” I realized these children could now live into their God-given mission of simply be-ing because Feed The Children facilitated this gift of school shoes to them. Wow.
And over the past seventeen months, as I’ve continued to travel to field programs in other regions of the world like the Philippines and Latin America with Kevin, the story has been the same. Feed The Children does amazing work and I am a changed woman. I now own at least five Feed The Children t-shirts. And no one paid me to write this blog.
I’m not saying that Feed The Children is perfect. It has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go in achieving its mission of ensuring that no child goes to bed hungry, but for now, this skeptic of a CEO’s wife is a super fan! I’ve seen the work. I’ve met the staff. I’ve hugged the kids. And I can tell you: these are good people doing amazing things!
For the other skeptics out there too, I hope that you’ll believe as my husband says all the time, “It’s a new day at Feed The Children” because it truly is.
The post From Skeptic to Believer: How Our CEO’s Wife Became Our Biggest Supporter appeared first on Beyond.