June Newsletter
“Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.” –Proverbs 22:6 (The Passion Translation)
Message from Angel Galvis, Mission Life Founder and CEO
I love celebrating Father's day. I mean what father wouldn’t? It is a special day for you to get special treatment, your favorite foods, gifts, and extra love from your family, just for being you. Okay, maybe not just for being you! Every father plays a very important role in the lives of their children, in the formation of their security and self-worth, and building the foundation of their values and principles that’ll guide them to make decisions throughout life.
Growing up without a father, or an emotionally absent father, can leave a child without the opportunity to experience what that love feels like or what a dad’s love can mean. It can often drive us away from the capacity to feel God’s love and relate to Him as our heavenly father.
Not necessarily because we don’t believe it to be true, but simply because without that earthly experience of a loving father, it makes it hard for us to have a reference to draw from to then later in life make the wrong choices, and unable to completely surrender to that love, God’s unconditional love that saves us.
Many children around the world live in broken homes, growing up without a father to teach them how to ride a bike, how to make healthy decisions, how to love and respect the core values of home, family and marriage. In my experience, this has been the case of many children I had the opportunity to meet at the centers where we serve them.
In my last trip to Rwanda, I spent some time speaking with the mothers of some of these children. I learned that the majority of them have been left to their fate, abandoned to care for their children with no financial and moral support. Many of these cases are the result of making decisions to pick their partners out of the pressure of social/cultural stigma and economic pressure creating a cycle of poverty, larger and more continuous.
Breaking that cycle of poverty has been a personal goal, not only in my own life experience but for all of those children growing up in need of experiencing God’s fatherly love through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Happy Father’s Day.
Inspiration, Confidence and Hope in Rwanda
A Church and Child Hope Center under one roof is bearing God’s fruit. Hear two stories of promise at our center in Kimisagara and how our model with partner, Africa Hope Initiatives is helping children, families and a community rise above social norms.
Building Walls of Love in Villavicencio
Our dedicated family in Villavicencio pools resources and pours love into their current space to make more room for the children. Read more.
Family Fun Day Lives Up to its Name!
A record number of families line up for Family Fun Day! Read more about this fun filled day of celebrating community with our partner, One Church in Manchester.
Mission Life Celebrates the Dedication of One of its Founding Members
One of our long-time volunteers who helped launch Mission Life is passing the torch. Read more about our celebration to honor Donna Miller’s valuable contributions to our mission and vision.