Child Impact International

Introducing Tom Evans

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants:

Home

Series Code: CII

Program Code: CII102021S


00:01 Child Impact International is an organization
00:03 that gives hope and fosters permanent,
00:05 positive change in the lives of disadvantaged children
00:08 and their communities.
00:11 Countries include Zambia, Kenya, India, Nepal,
00:17 Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.
00:20 Child impacts investment in the lives
00:22 of more than 3,500 children
00:24 continues to yield infinite returns.
00:27 Outreach spans from child rescue operations to providing
00:30 an education and a home for deaf and blind children
00:34 and orphans.
00:35 Above all, Child Impacts sponsors give hope to the ones
00:39 who need it the most.
00:45 Hi. I'm Jim Rennie from Child Impact International.
00:50 And I just wanted to take a moment to update
00:52 you on the field in regards to the challenges that we faced
00:56 with COVID.
00:58 In India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar,
01:01 unfortunately, it's been pretty bad.
01:04 And it's still is.
01:06 Many of our staff and teachers in the schools that we serve
01:10 and also church pastors and church workers
01:13 have caught the virus.
01:15 And sadly, some are passed away.
01:18 To be honest, it's been a real challenge.
01:21 Most of the schools are still closed.
01:24 But I'm excited to announce that in the next two weeks,
01:27 the schools in India are starting to reopen.
01:31 Your ongoing support during this crisis has made
01:35 a real difference.
01:37 It's made a difference in the lives of the children.
01:40 It's made a difference in the lives of the teachers.
01:42 But your ongoing support
01:44 is really going to ensure that some of these mission
01:48 schools do remain open.
01:51 Your contribution to the Rice, Health,
01:54 and Education appeal has had a big impact.
01:58 It has enabled us to distribute over 20,000 sacks
02:02 of rice to our children, to the teaching staff,
02:07 and to the pastors.
02:08 Many of these workers have not been paid or are on half wages.
02:13 So your generous giving
02:16 has had a real impact on their lives.
02:19 During this time,
02:20 the where needed most fund has been very well supported.
02:24 And it's enabled us to keep working in these difficult
02:28 areas during the virus crisis.
02:31 And just at our last meeting,
02:33 last Sunday,
02:35 we voted $90,000 to help some urgently needed
02:39 projects for our mission schools in Bangladesh,
02:43 we will implement these when the schools open.
02:47 And we're now seeing the side effects
02:49 or the downside of COVID.
02:51 And in India, there are thousands
02:53 of COVID orphans.
02:56 These are children
02:57 who have lost both parents or one parent,
03:00 and they're unable to cope anymore.
03:04 These kids are often rejected by the rest
03:06 of the society or the village.
03:09 And we're just so excited that we've been able to take
03:12 40 of these COVID orphans into our home at Sunrise,
03:17 and we're looking at ways of working
03:19 with the government to support many more of them.
03:22 We see it as a big opportunity
03:24 and a new project for Operation Child Rescue,
03:28 and we're just so excited about this.
03:31 Some of you may know that I'm stepping down as CEO,
03:35 and I'll be returning to my home country in New Zealand.
03:39 And I just want to thank you each one for the support
03:42 that you have given me and Child Impact over 14 years,
03:47 you've seen the organization grow,
03:50 and we simply couldn't have done it without you,
03:53 the donor, you the sponsor.
03:55 And I'm just so proud of what we've achieved.
03:58 But I'm just so grateful to your generosity,
04:02 and the blessings of the Lord.
04:05 Well, today, I'm very excited that I can introduce
04:08 the new Child Impact international CEO, Tom Evans.
04:13 Tom, welcome to Child Impact.
04:16 Thank you, Jim.
04:17 I just want to clarify something though.
04:19 You said that you're stepping down,
04:21 but you're actually not stepping away.
04:23 We have met as a board
04:25 and we would really like to have you
04:26 continue in a role in particularly
04:29 with India and Bangladesh.
04:30 Can you share a little bit about that?
04:33 Yes, in these countries,
04:35 we are facing a lot of change a lot of challenges.
04:39 And so we want to conduct a full review
04:42 of our education program of our sponsorship program.
04:47 There are challenges with government regulation,
04:51 with standards of education, political issues.
04:55 And so my job will be to conduct a review
05:00 and to make recommendations to the Child Impact board.
05:04 I've been operating in those fields now for 14 years.
05:07 And so I'm excited to take on this challenge
05:10 because it's really needed at this time.
05:13 And, Jim, I'm looking forward to journeying with
05:16 you in that and having the benefit
05:18 of all of your knowledge of each of these projects.
05:21 Thanks, Tom, and I can continue to support you
05:26 and your role as well.
05:28 So tell us about Tom Evans.
05:30 Sure.
05:32 Look, I always start out by saying I was born in Texas,
05:35 you know, because everything's bigger in Texas, right?
05:39 But grew up in the Northwest.
05:41 So that's where the accent is from
05:42 and had an opportunity to attend Adventist schools.
05:47 What a blessing.
05:48 I remember, I went to public school for one day, Jim,
05:51 and I got kicked out the first day of school.
05:53 So they called my parents to come pick him up.
05:55 So that's when I started my Adventist education.
05:57 It's a big story, but I won't go there.
05:59 But in any case, it's a blessing.
06:01 And we're so blessed to have those opportunities.
06:04 I was able to attend Newbold College
06:05 over in England as well,
06:07 and graduated from Walla Walla University,
06:10 and then also a couple times from Andrews University.
06:12 Right.
06:14 And tell us about your family.
06:15 Sure. That's the most important part.
06:18 I have three grown daughters. And we have...
06:21 They live in Texas, and I have two boys
06:24 that are both in high school in academy.
06:28 But that wasn't enough.
06:29 We just adopted two boys from an orphanage in Latvia.
06:31 Wow. Yeah.
06:33 And we really went out because they're both...
06:37 One is 13 and one is 12.
06:38 So we get to enjoy them for their whole teenage years.
06:42 We've known the boys for a while,
06:44 they visited during Christmas and summers.
06:47 And we finally been able to get that adoption pulled together.
06:51 Tom, tell us about the roles that you've held
06:54 before coming into this new position.
06:56 Sure.
06:57 I've been a pastor, local church pastor,
06:59 church planting has been a big passion of mine,
07:01 starting new churches.
07:03 And during our time in Texas, there as a departmental leader,
07:07 we planted 114 churches in nine years.
07:09 So that was quite an adventure and exciting.
07:12 But I went from there to teach at the seminary
07:14 at Andrews University.
07:16 The interesting thing though,
07:17 and how does that all relate to Child Impact
07:19 is whatever role that I've been in,
07:22 I've really, my desire, my heart
07:24 is to look for those individuals
07:26 that are marginalized, neglected.
07:29 And so working with refugees or single moms
07:33 or sponsoring children, whatever that may be.
07:35 That's always been part of my heart
07:37 and part of the ministry I've been involved in.
07:40 Wow.
07:41 And what do you see is the future?
07:44 What excites you about Child Impact?
07:46 And what do you see as the future?
07:49 First of all, I think Child Impact is a great name.
07:52 I also like the name Operation Child Rescue because I think
07:55 in the name Child Impact, it really encapsulates
07:59 what is being done,
08:00 it's making a difference in the life of a child.
08:03 And that difference begins,
08:05 you know, with their Adventist Mission School experience,
08:07 but it extends to their family, and it gives them a whole
08:11 different direction for their life.
08:13 So I'm very excited about the mission,
08:15 what Child Impact represents in terms
08:18 of coming to this role.
08:21 For me, it's exciting to see an alignment between
08:24 my personal passion, my personal life, and my family
08:27 and what we represent and believe in,
08:30 and the professional experience of working with Child Impact.
08:33 So that alignment is very exciting to be able to spend
08:37 time doing ministry in a way that makes
08:41 a difference for children.
08:43 I'm excited about that. And
08:45 Operation Child Rescue is going to be a key part
08:49 of our growth moving forward.
08:52 Just tell us about what do you think
08:54 of Operation Child Rescue and where it will go?
08:57 Well, it was very interesting because as I took on this role,
09:01 people will be asking me,
09:02 "Well, what does Child Impact do?"
09:04 And I would talk about sponsorship
09:05 and the schools in different countries.
09:09 But as soon as I mentioned, human trafficking,
09:12 the Child Impact is involved in helping to stop
09:15 these injustices, this blight on our planet
09:18 of human trafficking.
09:20 The level of interest in that is extremely high.
09:23 And I find even young adults, college students,
09:27 this is something that they want to make a difference
09:29 with this particular area.
09:31 And so the fact that Child Impact
09:33 is involved in human trafficking in various ways,
09:36 whether it be slave labor or abandoned babies
09:39 or vulnerable children, due to being COVID orphans
09:41 or even more specifically, sex trafficking.
09:45 The fact that we're involved in those areas,
09:48 I think, really is a chance to raise public
09:53 awareness to this need, and to begin to see it
09:57 and make a difference for these kids that really
09:59 have been imprisoned against their will
10:02 and to bring them freedom.
10:03 I mean, what a biblical responsibility,
10:06 we have to look out for these kinds of children.
10:10 That's right.
10:11 Well, the board are very excited,
10:13 the staff are very excited,
10:15 the field are very excited that Tom's come on board.
10:18 And it will allow me to focus on a big need
10:22 of the challenges we face in the field.
10:25 And I will also give you,
10:27 the supporter's confidence that we're adding resources,
10:31 and then we're going to continue to grow.
10:34 We live in difficult times,
10:35 and we just ask for your prayers,
10:38 as we face new challenges, new leadership,
10:41 and especially for the appealed and where we operate.
10:45 Jim, I want to say a special
10:46 thank you to you for your leadership
10:49 with Child Impact.
10:51 I've come to an organization to be a part of it that is,
10:54 well run, ministry-focused,
10:57 putting resources into the field
10:58 where it matters most.
11:00 I'm so excited for the various projects that Child Impact
11:04 is involved in helping blind children, deaf children,
11:07 orphans, COVID orphans, Operation Child Rescue.
11:10 There's so much happening,
11:12 and there's so much more that can happen.
11:14 So I want to just take this moment to say
11:16 thank you to you as donors,
11:19 you have made all this possible.
11:21 There's so much more we can do.
11:22 But it isn't possible without your support and help.
11:25 So thank you for your generosity over the years,
11:28 I pray that will continue.
11:30 And we will keep you updated
11:31 as we see many more opportunities to make
11:34 a difference in the life of children.
11:40 We just want to share with you
11:41 some work that we're doing with the COVID crisis in India.
11:46 Unfortunately, one of the side effects
11:48 of thousands of people dying in India from the virus
11:52 is that there are now what's called COVID orphans.
11:57 These children are children
11:58 who have lost both parents or one parent,
12:02 and that parent is either old or invalid or simply
12:07 can't cope anymore.
12:09 The Indian government
12:10 reports that there could be up to 10,000 COVID orphans.
12:15 And the other problem with these kids
12:17 is that they get rejected by the family,
12:20 they get rejected by the society.
12:23 And so we're excited that we can help with this program.
12:27 And we've taken 40 COVID orphans into Sunrise
12:32 and to Operation Child Rescue.
12:35 And Tom is here, Tom,
12:36 this is an exciting project that we can do.
12:39 It is.
12:40 And just the fact that the government said,
12:43 "Can you help?"
12:44 And that we had the space at this moment in time
12:47 to be able to do that.
12:48 And I believe that there'll be additional needs
12:51 as this moves forward.
12:52 But, yeah, we've put that under the umbrella
12:55 of operation child rescue.
12:57 And certainly, there's a need right
12:58 now to participate in that program.
13:02 Yes, it's very exciting that we can help these children.
13:05 And in fact, we're looking for other ways in which we can
13:08 work with the government to assist
13:10 these children in the crisis.
13:13 What will happen is that we will
13:15 keep them for at least three months
13:18 and in that time, we will assess their real needs
13:21 with their family,
13:22 and they may return to family,
13:24 they may return to the community,
13:27 or we may accept them into Sunrise Home
13:30 as full-time residents and then they can be sponsored.
13:34 We're so excited that Operation
13:36 Child Rescue can really take a stand,
13:40 take a position in helping these children in need.
13:43 And we're working with the Indian government
13:45 and using the resources
13:47 of the Sunrise to make a difference.
13:50 If you would like to be involved in helping
13:52 with COVID orphans,
13:54 the way to do that is to contribute
13:56 to Operation Child Rescue.
13:57 You can find that at childimpact.org
14:00 and simply donate to Operation Child Rescue.
14:03 Thank you.


Home

Revised 2023-01-17