What an amazing 5 years!

This weekend I'll be traveling to Kansas for a couple of speeches, as well as TV and radio interviews. Throughout week as I've been preparing, I've been looking through 5 years worth of photos and trying to select just a few to take with me. Never did I realize just how difficult that would be. We have thousands of photos from dozens of countries...photos of the most beautiful children whose lives we have been privileged to touch. Babies who didn't know what a full belly felt like, but now have cute chubby rolls of skin. Children who had no toys, now have hula hoops and smiles on their faces. Children who couldn't hear, now have hearing aids and a speech therapist.

My goal this weekend is simply to spread the word; about our work, about our amazing sponsors, but most importantly about these children. I completely believe that every child has the potential to reach for the stars and grab them. Children around the world will be the ones to cure the various forms of cancer, find a vaccine for AIDS, or be the next leaders in peace. These children are being taught math, science, history, and other school subjects. But, more importantly they are being taught to believe in themselves. They are being taught that there is a world past poverty and despair. They are now believing they have a future past wondering where their next meal will come from.

Sometimes it's easy to feel like their are to many needs...to many children who need help. But I was reminded this week of the huge impact we are making for the kids we serve. And although we aren't helping every needy child, we are doing everything we can to care for as many as possible because they each deserve to hope.

Kari Fillmore