Child Impact International

Introducing Tom Evens

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

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Series Code: CII

Program Code: CII121121S


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,
00:16 Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
00:20 Child Impact's 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
00:30 to providing an education and a home for deaf
00:33 and blind children and orphans.
00:35 Above all, Child Impact's sponsors give hope
00:38 to the ones who need it the most.
00:46 Hi, I'm Jim Rennie from Child Impact International.
00:50 And I just wanted to take a moment
00:51 to update you on the field in regards to the challenges
00:56 that we face with COVID.
00:58 In India, Bangladesh and Myanmar, unfortunately,
01:03 it's been pretty bad and it's still is.
01:06 Many of our staff and teachers in the schools
01:09 that we serve and also church pastors
01:12 and church workers have caught the virus.
01:15 And sadly, some have 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 is really going to ensure
01:46 that some of these mission schools do remain open.
01:51 Your contribution to the Rice,
01:54 Health 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,
02:05 to the teaching staff 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 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
02:25 to keep working in these difficult areas
02:29 during the virus crisis.
02:31 And just at our last meeting,
02:33 last Sunday, we voted $90,000
02:37 to help some urgently needed projects
02:40 for Adventist mission schools in Bangladesh.
02:43 We will implement these when the schools open.
02:47 And we're now seeing the side effects
02:48 or the downside of COVID.
02:51 And in India,
02:53 there are thousands of COVID orphans.
02:56 These are children who have lost both parents
02:59 or one parent and are unable to cope anymore.
03:04 These kids are often rejected by the rest of the society
03:08 or the village.
03:09 And we're just so excited
03:10 that we've been able to take 40 of these COVID orphans
03:15 into our home at Sunrise.
03:17 And we're looking at ways of working with the government
03:20 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
03:33 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
03:52 without you 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
04:07 that I can introduce the new Child Impact
04:10 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 and we would really like
04:26 to have you continue in a role in particular
04:29 with India and Bangladesh.
04:30 Can you share a little bit about that?
04:33 Yes, in these countries, we are facing a lot of change,
04:37 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 field 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 you in that
05:17 and having the benefit of all of your knowledge
05:20 of each of these projects.
05:21 Thanks, Tom.
05:22 And I can continue to support you in 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 and had an opportunity
05:44 to attend Adventist schools.
05:47 What a blessing.
05:48 I remember I went to public school for one day,
05:50 Jim 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 So 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 over in England as well
06:07 and graduated from Walla Walla University
06:10 and then also a couple times from Andrews University.
06:13 Right. And tell us about your family?
06:15 Sure, that's the most important part.
06:18 I have three grown daughters.
06:20 And we have, they live in Texas
06:22 and I have two boys that are both in high school,
06:26 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's 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 have been able to get that adoption
06:50 pulled together.
06:51 Tom, tell us about the roles
06:53 that you've held 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,
07:02 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,
07:24 my heart 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.
07:36 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 as 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
07:54 because I think in the name Child Impact,
07:56 it really encapsulates what is being done.
08:00 It's making a difference in the life of a child.
08:03 And that difference begins, you know,
08:05 with their Adventist Mission School experience,
08:07 but it extends to their family and it gives them
08:10 a whole different direction for their life.
08:13 So I'm very excited about the mission
08:15 what Child Impact represents.
08:18 In terms of coming to this role, for me,
08:21 it's exciting to see an alignment
08:23 between my personal passion, my personal life
08:26 and my family and what we represent
08:28 and believe in and the professional experience
08:32 of working with Child Impact.
08:33 So that alignment is very exciting to be able
08:36 to spend time doing ministry in a way that makes
08:41 a difference for children.
08:43 I'm excited about that.
08:45 And 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 of Operation Child Rescue
08:56 and where it'll go?
08:57 Well, it's very interesting, because as I took on this role,
09:01 people would be asking me,
09:03 well, what does Child Impact do?
09:04 And I would talk about sponsorship and the schools
09:07 and different countries.
09:09 But as soon as I mentioned, human trafficking,
09:12 that Child Impact is involved in helping
09:14 to stop these injustice,
09:16 this blight on our planet 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
09:29 a difference 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
09:51 to raise public awareness to this need
09:55 and to begin to see it make a difference for these kids
09:59 that really had 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 this kind 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
10:16 that Tom has 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 it will also give you,
10:27 the supporters' confidence that we're adding resources
10:31 and that 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,
10:40 new leadership and especially for the field
10:43 and where we operate.
10:45 Jim, I want to say a special thank you to you
10:47 for your leadership with Child Impact.
10:51 I've come to an organization to be a part of it
10:53 that is 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,
11:06 deaf children, orphans, COVID orphans,
11:09 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 thank you
11:18 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 and we will keep you updated
11:31 as we see many more opportunities
11:33 to make a difference in the life of children.
12:12 It's hard to believe that Christmas time
12:14 is approaching again.
12:16 I'm Tom Evans, CEO of Child Impact International.
12:19 Every Christmas we feature our very important major appeal,
12:23 which we call impact gifts.
12:26 This year, we are focusing on three significant opportunities
12:30 to make a difference.
12:32 The challenge that COVID has left us within
12:34 the third world countries where Child Impact operates
12:37 continues to pose many difficulties.
12:40 Their tremendous needs are compounded by shortages
12:43 and cost increases.
12:45 The most tragic of all is human loss due to the pandemic.
12:50 It feels overwhelming
12:51 and almost insurmountable at times.
12:54 I'm very grateful for the Lord's blessing
12:56 and the generosity of Child Impact's supporters
12:59 and I'm proud of the work that this has allowed us to do.
13:02 Impact gifts is our most important appeal for the year
13:05 and now has an extra sense of urgency.
13:09 During this Christmas season, we would like to invite you
13:11 to partner with us in the following three ways.
13:15 First is The Where Needed Most Fund.
13:17 This not only supports our operation,
13:20 but also allows us to support urgent requests we receive.
13:24 Unexpected challenges arise
13:25 and we want to be prepared for this.
13:28 Where Needed Most is the key fund
13:30 to running our organization and helping others.
13:33 The next fund is the Blind, Deaf and Orphan Fund,
13:36 which is a key program
13:37 to help serve the special needs children
13:40 who we support.
13:41 These precious children
13:43 with special needs are a significant focus
13:46 of our ministry at Child Impact.
13:48 Our third appeal is Operation Child Rescue
13:51 which is doing such an amazing work in rescuing,
13:54 rehabilitating and simply giving hope
13:57 to many trafficked and vulnerable children.
14:00 Please give thought to how you can support us
14:03 at this critical time.
14:05 You can go to our website at childimpact.org
14:08 That's childimpact.org
14:10 I'm thankful for the Lord's blessing and for your support.
14:14 May God bless you.


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Revised 2023-01-17