Recently, I experienced firsthand the struggles children in remote communities face just to get to school, and I wanted to share this experience with you.

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Our day started early — at 4 a.m.! I was with my coworkers, Jo (in the orange shirt), Ann (in the striped jacket), and Chris (in the red t-shirt). We just met at the office.

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The team took a roller-coaster ride on a really long and winding road. It was so slippery that our 'habal-habal' (motorcycle) drivers would even ask us to walk at times.

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After an hour of the 'habal-habal' ride, we arrived at the village. But that was just the beginning.

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Many children stop at the stream to have a quick shower on their way to school. They leave their wet clothes (which they use to bathe in) hanging to dry while they study. Then they pick them up on their way home.

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We then crossed six mountains and one stream on foot to reach our final destination! The trek in going to school is quite enjoyable for children, but for us, seeing and experiencing what they do every day is quite challenging and risky for them. These children are uncertain about what they'll meet along the way — like the snake that we saw while walking. They said that it is already normal to see snakes on their way to school.

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The kids make a game out of their trek to school, but it is a challenging and risky journey. Most of the children have a lot of wounds on their legs and feet.

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After an hour of walking, we arrived at their school. It was truly rewarding and priceless moment after experiencing an hour bus ride, an hour of a slippery 'habal-habal' ride, and more than an hour of walking to reach this school located at the top of the mountain.

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It’s hard to believe this is part of their everyday life. They love school, and it is worth the effort to get there.

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Dear donors,

While I will never forget any of the people I met during the 2011 True Spirit of Christmas trip, there are two who really stand out in my memory.

I wrote about these women during my trip, but I want to make sure that each of you understands the amazing impact of your gifts. I am still wrapping my head around it. The impact is beyond your wildest dreams. I am almost jumping with excitement just writing this — YOU are heroes.

Kirsten Stearns visits with Chooti the cow in Sri Lanka.

Irangani was at the end of her rope when World Vision came into her community in Sri Lanka and she was given a cow through the Gift Catalog and World Vision’s livestock program. As her husband said, Chooti the cow marked the beginning of a new life for them all.

Irangani asked us why we would leave our comfort to experience her pain and her joy. Deepthi, a local World Vision staff member in Sri Lanka, said simply, “We do this because our God is love.”

While Irangani practices another religion, she agreed that our God is indeed love. She also shared that she experiences this through World Vision’s local staff and through the gift of Chooti the cow, given by a donor whom she will never know.

Irangani and thousands of other families who received gifts because of your generosity have now experienced that our God is love because of your faith in action.

You know the saying “put yourself in her shoes’?  Well, in Zambia, I couldn’t do it. When we met Joyce and heard her story, I could not put myself in her shoes. I could not imagine her circumstances; that, or I was afraid to let my mind imagine something so dark.

Despite her profoundly sad story of stigma and rejection, Joyce can still smile while telling it.

We learned that, several years ago, Joyce’s husband died of AIDS. Joyce moved back home to live with her mother. When her mother found out that Joyce also had HIV, she disowned her. She kicked Joyce and her three young children out of her home, leaving them homeless in rural Zambia. Joyce was sick; her children were too young to fend for themselves and she was too weak to protect them.

As Joyce is sharing this unimaginable story, she is smiling. I can’t help but wonder if the translator missing something. How is she smiling?

And then she says it. Joyce says something that even today makes me consider the depths of my faith: She knew God was with her throughout it all. She knew He was protecting her and her children. She had faith.

Joyce breaks into laughter and says, “I just didn’t expect his response to be in the form of goats! They are wonderful!”

Your gift just might have been the answer to a prayer of a woman in desperate need. Your gift will bring laughter and light to a situation we cannot comprehend.

Read more inspiring stories like these from the 2011 True Spirit of Christmas Trip. Consider giving a gift that can change lives through World Vision’s Gift Catalog!

Perhaps you asked yourself something similar in your new year resolutions; or perhaps you ask it when you look at your own children. As a mother of three, I find myself doing this.

As I reflect on the words of President Obama’s State of the Union address from last night, this is the question I hope we are all asking — and doing something about it.

In his speech, the president made multiple references to the effects of a struggling economy — homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages; unemployed Americans finding job prospects increasingly scarce; young people whose educations are increasingly difficult to afford.  He also challenged us to believe in ourselves, in each other, in “the America within our reach,” and in the power of our collective action to strengthen and restore our country.

“This nation is great because we built it together,” said the president. “This nation is great because we worked as a team. This nation is great because we get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard…because when we act together, there’s nothing the United States of America can’t achieve.”

Do you believe that? I do.

As I listened to the president’s words last night, one issue pertaining to this “moment of trial” weighed heavily on me — one that is also of deep concern to World Vision. It’s the well-being of children, around the world and right here in the United States.

If Americans were asked to name the world’s most economically and militarily powerful nation, most would say the United States without hesitation. And if asked which country did the best job of ensuring child well-being, many would give the same answer. After all, people risk life and limb to find the dream that is America.

But for children in the United States — especially children of color — this is not the reality. Consider these facts:

In a report by UNICEF (pdf), the United States was ranked 20th out of 21 countries for child well-being. The groundbreaking report — which explores factors of material well-being, health and safety, education, family and peer relationships, behaviors and risks — exposes some stark realities for American children. It confirms that we are losing gains we’ve made around child well-being — and the outlook is not good.

The National Center for Children in Poverty is reporting that nearly 15 million children in the United States — one in five of all children — live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. And when we compare ethnicities, we find that the rate among African-American, Hispanic, and American Indian children is two to three times greater than that for white children.

Verenize Rojano came to Love Kitchen's soup kitchen in New York City to get a hot meal to bring home. According to the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, 1.4 million New York City residents face food insecurity. Families are forced to choose between basic needs such as housing and food.

One of the fastest-growing and one of the most urgent issues they face is hunger.

In the midst of these facts, I’ve witnessed many who are facing a crisis of consciousness or awareness. I’m repeatedly amazed at the shock I see on the faces of adults when they’re shown the circumstances of some children in their own community. I believe we are not fully awake to their realities, and we need a movement that mobilizes us on their behalf.

It could be easy to believe that too much has gone wrong, and there is not light at the end of tunnel. Our country is great because we’ve looked at “the impossible” before and marched on to change and make our country stronger and better. When we help our children, we help ourselves and others, today and tomorrow.

That’s why watching the president’s State of the Union address reminded me of the importance of asking, “What am I doing to make my community, my country, and my world a better place?”

No matter how you would answer that question, you can do something now.

World Vision works in nearly 100 countries around the world; did you know that one of those is the United States? And we are encouraging Americans to volunteer virtually by purchasing food kits, or pre-packaged meals, available online. Each kit contains three to four meal packets (breakfast, lunch, dinner), or enough food to feed a family of five for one day by providing sustenance such as oatmeal, lentil soup, and pasta. When we reach out to help others — the way that we ought to be as so many of our fellow Americans are struggling — we are building a better future for everyone.

The challenges we face as a nation are not minor, but they can be overcome. And today, I still have optimism, despite the frustration and the difficulties. My hope is that we will join together in that optimism on behalf of children and youth in the United States.

Romanita Hairston is World Vision’s vice president of U.S. programs. World Vision works with local partners to serve American children, families, and communities in need, and to respond to emergencies across the United States.

You can join World Vision’s efforts to provide assistance for struggling American children and families. Check out our U.S. programs funds, and make a donation today to help bring hope in the midst of these difficult times.

So, I end up talking about the issue of hunger a lot — usually my own.

The proper definition of the word “hunger” is “a compelling need or desire for food” or “the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food.” I recognize that my hunger pales in light of what others go through, and the endless access I have to food is abnormal compared to the majority of the globe.

But rarely do I consider the full weight of the word “hunger.”

True hunger, especially at a young age, leads to a lack of brain development, an unhealthy heart, cracked skin that leads to infections, and weak bones that prevent proper growth.

True hunger means making the painful choice of entering into the sex trade to provide for your family, or watching your family slowly get weaker and weaker.

True hunger is an upstanding, honest man stealing maize from his neighbor to fill the bellies of his children.

True hunger is a child unable to focus in school because of the weakness and dizziness pounding through her body. Or a child unable to go to school because he must beg for food on the streets instead.

True hunger is seen in tribes battling each other for sought-after farming land.

True hunger is brutal. It touches the lives of young children and causes irreparable harm to their bodies. It causes individuals to make choices that we will never have to consider in our lives.

For 21 years, teenagers around the country have gathered together for the world’s largest hunger awareness campaign: the 30 Hour Famine. Fasting for 30 hours, they experience a small “taste” of what individuals around the world go through daily.

These teens not only experience hunger, they do something about it. Raising nearly $10 million last year, these teenagers are unwilling to let hunger win. They understand that it’s not an issue of having enough food; it’s an issue of getting the right food into homes, teaching farming skills, and providing sustainable food sources so that individuals have a choice. And most of the time, it takes awareness and monetary support to make these things happen.

Hunger is not a pleasant topic to discuss, yet every year, I am amazed at the energy and life that teenagers bring to the fight — their willingness to sacrifice so that others have a right to life. On February 24 and 25, the first national Famine event, consider joining these thousands of teenagers to overcome hunger.

• Involved in a youth group? Sign up! It’s an incredible experience, and World Vision provides you with everything you need.
• Support the cause. This year, an actual famine was declared in parts of the Horn of Africa. The 30 Hour Famine is fundraising to give individuals in the Horn region a fighting chance at life. Help now.
• Pray. On February 24 and 25, please lift up in prayer the teens around this country who will be fasting and those around the world battling hunger.

Learn more about the 30 Hour Famine. Watch videos, check out more hunger facts, and consider joining the thousands of young people in February who will experience hunger and raise funds to feed and care for hungry children around the world!

Because of Kathy’s voice of change in her community, she was invited to visit World Vision projects in Swaziland with Austin, Texas area pastors and community leaders. After witnessing World Vision’s work in Swaziland, she wrote the following reflection.

Just give them water.

For the people of Austin, getting water is as easy as turning on the tap or going to the local store to buy a bottle of water. For the people of Maseyisini, in Swaziland, getting water is not so simple.

Yesterday I spent the day with a family with nine children, whose daily chore is to collect water for the family. They gather various containers and walk at least a quarter of a mile through fields and rocky land to get to a cistern (watering hole).

There, they carefully skim the top of the water so they don’t get any dirt or debris in with the precious water. They can only fill about a five-gallon bucket before they reach the dirtier part of the water. It’s a tedious process done by children ages 2 to 13 at least twice a day.

They then have to walk back another quarter of a mile carrying this water, resting when they can because it’s so heavy. This process only produces enough water for the day, if they can get to the water source soon enough. If not, they could lose the water to other families or animals.

If that happens, then they are forced to walk to a second site even further away to try and collect water. They encounter various dangers such as extreme weather or being harassed by older males.

Sitting half way across the world in Austin, this seems like an impossible situation to imagine. How can we help? It’s hard to believe, but as little as the cost of a cup of coffee could make a child a hero because, through his or her sponsorship, water can be brought to the community.

Are you willing to put down a cup of coffee to save a child?

Learn more about child sponsorship. Through sponsorship you help not just a child, but his or her entire community.

Abdul is a child slave working on a cocoa farm in Cote D’Ivoire — where 35 percent of the world’s cocoa originates — to make the chocolate you and I love.  Abdul has never tasted chocolate. He says he does not even know how cocoa beans are used.

Chocolate’s child slaves

Abdul’s story, and the stories of other children like him are featured in the upcoming film “Chocolate’s Child Slaves,” which premiers on CNN International this weekend as part of the CNN Freedom Project.

More than a decade ago, the chocolate industry vowed to police itself in response to media reports showing a widespread prevalence of hazardous and forced child labor in the cocoa industry in Africa (primarily Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana).  Twelve years later, we are still waiting for the chocolate companies to deliver on their promises.

The industry continues to deny the use of child labor, and yet film crew after film crew seems to find it with very little effort.

However, the burden to change is really on you and me, the consumers. Not until we reward companies for being slave-free will the industry truly change and work to ensure that no one (especially children) is exploited in the making of chocolate.

Watch this weekend

As a partner of the Freedom Project, World Vision invites you to watch this documentary and find ways you can help put an end to modern day slavery. The film is not currently scheduled to air on CNN Domestic, however it will air at 9 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 21, or 11 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 22, on CNN International.

If you would like to see the film aired on CNN Domestic, let CNN know! Visit their comments page and leave a friendly note, asking them to air “Chocolate’s Child Slaves” in the U.S. market.

You can also make a more visual statement and post your polite request on the CNN Freedom Project Facebook page.  Tell them that you value this type of programming.  They appreciate hearing from their viewers.

Visit World Vision’s child trafficking page to learn more about child slavery and find opportunities for action, or considering giving a monthly gift to help exploited children trapped like Abdul.

But there are a lot of fun jobs, too. One of mine is writing about donors who have found wonderful ways to raise money to support World Vision and help cure some of the world’s greatest ills.

Here are some of my favorites of 2011.

1. Reversing the curse — Jeremy Freeman

Many people in Chicago remember when William Sianis and his pet goat were refused admission to Wrigley Field to watch the Chicago Cubs play in the World Series. William stood outside the stadium, shouting that the Cubs would never win again — an incident that became known as the Curse of the Billy Goat. The Cubs subsequently lost and have not won a World Series in 103 years.

Rather than despair, Cubs fan Jeremy Freeman started a “Reverse the Curse” campaign. It’s designed to make amends by promoting a higher regard for the animals, and, at the same time, raising money for World Vision to supply goats to families living in poverty in the developing world. Goats provide nutritious milk and cheese, as well as extra income.

Jeremy laughs when conceding that the curse is not yet reversed but maintains doing good is always a positive thing.

2. Star Wars nerd — Mark Hall

Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall dances with children in Rwanda.

The lead singer of multi-platinum band Casting Crowns, Mark Hall, is also a self-confessed “Star Wars” nerd. Mark had an office filled with Star Wars statues, autographed helmets, storm trooper paintings, Emperor Palpatine’s throne, and a desk featuring Han Solo frozen in “carbonite.”

But Mark always knew that they would not hang on to the collection forever. He sold most of it at a Star Wars fans convention in Florida and donated more than $21,000 in proceeds to World Vision development programs in Rwanda.

3. Moving pictures — Nancy Conant

Despite suffering from multiple sclerosis, Nancy took up painting to satisfy a lifelong ambition to become an artist.

Later, she joined a study group reading The Hole in Our Gospel — a book by Rich Stearns, president of World Vision U.S., that challenges Christians to respond to the plight of the poor. Although her ability to respond might have seemed limited, she came to the conclusion that everyone is responsible for doing what he or she can.

She was inspired by the cover of the summer 2009 issue of World Vision Magazine, featuring Ekidor, a Kenyan girl who struggles every day to get enough food to eat. Nancy decided to paint Ekidor and auction the painting to raise money for World Vision. The painting raised $2,000.

4. Mountain man — Ryan Melcher

Ryan Melcher stands at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

When Ryan Melcher saw the documentary “Invisible Children” a few years ago, he was shaken to learn of Ugandan children forced to become soldiers and sex slaves for a rebel army.

At the time, personal setbacks had caused Ryan to reach the lowest point in his life, but he concluded that his problems were trifling compared to those of children in conflict and sexual slavery.

Ryan decided to climb a mountain on every inhabited continent to raise money and awareness for programs to help children of war and human trafficking. His first conquest? Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain.

5. Blessed biker — “Doc Holliday”

This donor prefers to remain anonymous. I only know him as “Doc Holliday,” a retired doctor from upstate New York. Holliday spent three years building a custom motorcycle, whose design and paintwork depicts the life of Jesus. Its many features include a headlight ensconced in barbed wire; a genuine 2,000-year-old widow’s mite; a Roman spearhead; and 30 pieces of silver fused into the gas tank.

Holliday felt the Lord directing him that the bike should be raffled and the money used in part to support World Vision and also to advance the cause of the gospel in the biker community.

6. Visibly shaken — Stephanie White

Stephanie committed to run 365 miles to represent one year of suffering in the life of an exploited girl.

When Stephanie White was just 15, she visited the red-light district of a troubled Mexican border town as part of a church mission trip. Among the many shocks was to see girls even younger than Stephanie selling their bodies. The shacks they operated from had open windows, where prospective clients could view what was going on inside. Memories of the town, Matamoros, have haunted Stephanie ever since.

She decided to run 365 miles over the course of the summer to raise money for World Vision programs to help sexually exploited girls — each mile representing one day in a year of suffering for an exploited girl.

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Inspired? I certainly have been. If you’ve got a fascinating fundraising idea, please drop me a line. Who knows? I might have the privilege of writing about you this year.

In the past year, the scope and depth of these conversations have reflected a diverse group of contributors who each brought a unique set of thoughts, experiences, and expertise to the pages of this blog. With their help, we’ve covered tsunamis and earthquakes, a food crisis and famine, domestic disasters, the federal budget, the world’s newest country, a blogger trip to Bolivia, and much, much more. Nearly 270 posts from almost 90 different contributors — writers, photographers, bloggers, child sponsors, World Vision partners and artists, and our senior leadership and board members — have created an informative, engaging dialogue on issues of poverty, justice, and humanitarian aid and development.

We’ve learned a lot from this community. We’ve seen your willingness, motivation, and compassion for those in need. We’ve seen your commitment to help — even when times are tough right here in our own backyard. And we’ve seen your recognition of the responsibility we all bear, as followers of Christ, to assist those who are less fortunate.

Passion — and compassion

Our readers and contributors genuinely care about children and families in need — both here in the United States and around the world. Some of you feel this way because you can relate to their circumstances personally; for others, perhaps it’s a desire to help because you find yourself with extra resources that can be used to bring blessings to those who go without. Some of you give and help through your church; some do so with family.

No matter how or why you choose to come alongside the children, families, and communities we serve, your passion to care for others is obvious — through your encouraging, insightful comments; through your questions of our field staff and experts; and through your support of this blog community with your readership and your interest in World Vision.

Commitment

In the past year, times have been difficult right here at home. With an economy that continues to falter, we’ve seen fellow Americans — perhaps our own neighbors, friends, or family — struggle with unemployment and financial strain. But in the midst of those difficulties, we’ve also seen a recognition within this blog community of the desperate need that continues to exist elsewhere in the world — hunger, disease, disaster, and lack of access to clean water, healthcare, and other necessities. Many of you face profound struggles of your own, but you’ve shown an unwavering commitment to share what you do have to help those in places where the need may be far greater.

This does not simply refer to financial giving; many of you use your voice to advocate on behalf of those affected by poverty and injustice. Others volunteer, or write blog posts of your own that spread the word about our mission. Still others read this blog regularly and use it as a launching pad for conversation with others about the needs of the poor and the marginalized.

Recognition of responsibility

Whether your motivation stems from your faith, profession, or just pure passion, you — our readers — have shown your recognition of the responsibility we have, as Americans and as Christians, to care for those who are affected by poverty or injustice. Your devotion continues to inspire us as we use this space to discuss the issues relevant to our work as an organization.

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The World Vision Blog was always intended to be a place of community and conversation, where we seek a broad variety of perspectives — from staff members and supporters — on a wide range of topics that matter to our readers. Your generous contributions and support have helped to accomplish exactly that in the blog’s first 12 months.

As we take a moment to look back on highlights of the past year, here’s to another great year ahead!

We always want to hear from our readers. Do you have questions, comments, or suggestions for the World Vision Blog? Let us know — leave them as comments below!

It’s easy to find — just search for “World Vision Now” in the App Store on your iPhone, and look for our orange icon.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

Why should readers download it?

To see great photography! We designed the app to feature the documentary work of our award-winning photographers from around the world.

It’s also the place to hear stories not covered in your local news. Just this week, we had stories about new schools being built in Haiti, and how mobile phones are helping to save lives in Afghanistan.

Can I share the stories with my friends?

Absolutely. Everything is sharable via Facebook and Twitter.

What else does the app do?

You can watch videos from World Vision, get push notification updates, and make donations to support our response to the latest humanitarian crisis.

I don’t have an iPhone. Is there an Android version?

The Android version is in the works now.

If the app had a personality, how would you describe it?

Using Meyers-Briggs, I’d say split between ESTP and ESTJ.

As an ESTP, the app likes practical approaches to solving problems and is responsive to current events. The ESTJ part of the app strives to find truth and justice — it’s realistic and matter-of-fact.

If the app had background or theme music, what band would it be? Or song?

U2. On the playlist: Walk On, Magnificent, Pride (In the Name of Love), Miss Sarajevo, Where The Streets Have No Name.

Any final thoughts?

Go download the app and let us know what you think of it.

What are the specs of the app — by numbers?

• 42,213 lines of code
• 521 software development hours
• 14 database tables
• 1 very cool app

Do you have comments, questions, suggestions, or other feedback to share about the app? Send us an email at mobileapp@worldvision.org.

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A young girl sings songs with her friends ages 2 to 12 at a Hope Center in southern Swaziland. Hope Centers provide hot meals, supplementary education, and spiritual nurture to orphaned and vulnerable children, many of whom have lost their parents to AIDS. Twenty-four percent of the country is infected with the disease, which has left thousands of orphans in its wake. World Vision partners with other organizations to ensure these children receive care and support within their communities.

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A boy and his mother attend a Bible club at a local church. About 200 children attend this club, which is a periodic meeting of several church groups in the area. The children sing songs, memorize Bible verses, and recite poems.

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Collecting water is a daily task, even for the youngest children. Mlamuli Dlamini, 3, carries discarded plastic bottles to gather water from a dirty spring near his home with his siblings, while his mother and older sister carry larger jerry cans and buckets.

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Zinhle Dlamini, 13 (center), shoulders the burden in her family of collecting water for her mother and eight siblings. "I feel a pinch when we are talking about water," says Zinhle. The water they drink isn't far away, but it comes from a spring that is little more than a dirty hole in the ground, covered by rusty iron sheets to keep the animals away. Despite this precaution, cattle and goats still find their way, contaminating the Dlamini family's only source for drinking water. Crabs and frogs live here, and snakes live in the grass nearby. The spring isn't very deep, and so it takes a long time to fill her buckets with water.

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Nkoosingivile Mayisela, 7, sleeps next to his mother, Phetsile, 28, who is HIV-positive. Phetsile receives regular visits from Nomsa Mdluli, a World Vision caregiver who cares for 124 sick people in her community. Through Nomsa's love and encouragement, Phetsile is slowly regaining her health and strength as she takes her medications. She says her son often comes to keep her company as she lies on her mat, and they often fall asleep together.

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Philile, 11, is a double orphan and cares for three of her younger cousins who have been abandoned by their parents. All four children visit a Hope Center regularly to receive meals, and caregivers come to check on them and make sure they are safe. World Vision built Philile and her cousins a house, after they were left with no adults to care for them and were being abused by another family member. Philile's favorite Bible verse is Psalm 34:4: "I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears."

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Children ride home from Bible club in the back of a pickup truck outside of Nhlangano, in southern Swaziland.

Read more stories from this trip to Swaziland to see how World Vision’s sponsorship and development programs are helping to lift children and families from poverty to hope and stability.