Edgar Sandoval Sr.

A prayer for today: Dear God, we live in a world filled with hurt, turmoil, and anguish that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and powerless. Remind us of Your presence and strength. Lead us to action that empowers others to experience fullness of life. Encourage us in our calling to help build Your Kingdom here on earth. Amen.

“I have come in order that you might have life — life in all its fullness.” —John 10:10 (GNT)

Heartache, while painful, can shift our focus and draw us even closer to God. Join me in the weeks ahead as I share in specific ways about the needs of the world’s most vulnerable people.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Our work is driven by our values: we regard all people as created and loved by God, we are committed to the poor, we are stewards of our resources, and we are responsive to our neighbors’ needs.

Our staff in nearly 100 countries respect the intrinsic worth of every person — those we serve, our donors, World Vision’s 33,000 staff, and especially the most vulnerable and marginalized people.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded of World Vision’s grateful acknowledgement that the resources at our disposal are not our own: we are stewards of a sacred trust from God and our donors and partners. It is a joy to pursue this shared ministry! We pray the Lord uses us to build unity in the body of Christ while we work to relieve suffering in the world.

I’d like to welcome my new friends and colleagues! Connecting with other believers, sharing my faith, and living out my Christian values online are the most rewarding aspects of social media in my experience. I am Edgar Sandoval, a happily married husband and proud father of four, as well as the president and CEO of World Vision. I am joyfully surrendered to Jesus and aim to follow Him in all I do.

World Vision’s mission, which I support proudly, is to partner with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. In a world where every headline reveals fresh heartache, I see the Lord’s love in people of faith serving the poor and oppressed, being God’s hands and feet across the globe.

It was an honor to recently spend time with Dr. N.T. Wright, one of my favorite writers and theologians. He shared that one element of what differentiates our Christian faith is that it is participatory. We, as Christians, are called to participate here and now — to wade right into the pain and turmoil of humanity and to be the instruments through which God brings His kingdom to earth. Something close to my heart and our work at World Vision.

At the 2023 Advocacy Summit, I had the honor of addressing attendees eager to learn about the global hunger crisis and ready to advocate to Congress for critically needed hunger legislation. More than twice as many people worldwide face hunger today than in 2020, and more than 30 million children are dangerously malnourished.

We at World Vision believe what God’s Word says in Galatians 6:10: “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.” This virtue — stewardship — applies to our gifts, resources, and voices alike. I’ve seen what God does when we come together to help empower those in need, and I pray our work helps bring the world and its children their daily bread in His name.

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Prayers and praises poured out earlier this month on Day of Prayer, a time when all World Vision staff gather to pray for our work, those we serve, the donors who make our efforts possible, asking God to guide us in the fiscal year ahead.

We were honored to hear from guest speakers, including Moody CEO Dr. Mark Jobe, who attended with Matt DeMateo of New Life Centers, and Francis Chan. With my World Vision USA team, I shared the importance of being with Jesus and seeking His presence in unexpected people and places.

was once again a special day and a meaningful reminder of why I’m proud to be part of all God is doing through World Vision.

World Vision’s dear friend, Mary Graham, went home to the Lord last month. Mary's
leadership, talents, and vision helped grow Women of Faith, the largest Christian
women’s conference in the world. Through Women of Faith’s partnership with World Vision, 233,614 children were sponsored. Mary leaves a powerful legacy in changed lives.

With the celebration in fresh in my mind, I’m energized to keep working hard to address the global water crisis. Next, World Vision aims to empower everyone, everywhere we work in Honduras and Zambia with access to clean water.

These plans, which will impact nearly 1.5 million people, are expected to be completed by 2027 if we receive the necessary funding. Visit tinyurl.com/WVCleanWater to learn more about how we are addressing the global water crisis and how you can play a role in empowering communities around the world with hope, health, and life in Jesus’ name.

I was privileged to join The Global Leadership Network's Global Leadership Podcast to discuss how leadership and innovation can change the world.

I believe the best ideas are discovered at the core of your mission — that's where creativity and commitment yield tremendous impact. Listen in at tinyurl.com/EdgarGLP.

Ep 122: Edgar Sandoval on Innovation in Both Non- and For-Profit Sectors Listen to this episode from The Global Leadership Podcast on Spotify. World Vision President and CEO Edgar Sandoval is no stranger to innovation. While at Proctor and Gamble, Sandoval led the ground-breaking (and Emmy-winning) “Like a Girl” ad campaign, which was targeted at improving the confid...

When I attended K-LOVE Live at Red Rocks – worshiping our Lord through top-talent music surrounded by the glory of God’s creation – I wished everyone could share this amazing experience. And soon you can! This November, join me in reliving the power of this praise and worship experience in a theater near you. Visit tinyurl.com/KLOVElive to pre-order your tickets. You will be blessed!

The World Vision Artist team and I enjoyed two powerful nights of worship this summer during the live recording of K-LOVE Radio Live at Red Rocks. World Vision was honored to partner with K-LOVE and the Awakening Foundation in this unforgettable event. The best part? Hundreds of children were sponsored and thousands more empowered by the generosity of the body of Christ.

And you can experience the music and ministry yourself when the live recording comes to theaters this November. Don't miss the chance to see both nights on the big screen!

My dear friend Dr. Roberta Hestenes went home to the Lord in late July. She was an esteemed Christian leader and one of the most influential figures in World Vision’s history. Roberta served our ministry for more than 40 years as a board member, minister, and advisor — often on a volunteer basis. Without her leadership, we would not be the Christ-centered organization we are today. I greatly valued Roberta’s truth-telling, her generous and joyful spirit, her friendship, and most of all, the godly wisdom and theological knowledge she shared so freely for so many years. We will miss Roberta, but she will never be forgotten in the halls of World Vision.

Even the smallest changes can have life-giving impact – that’s the message I share in this latest article on the published in The Christian Post.

For the cost of a lunch at school, we’ve proven that communities can push back global child hunger, help keep kids in school, and build long-term food security. The international food programs in the Farm Bill help make that work possible.

As Congress considers the Farm Bill this month, I’m asking them to make the small changes that we know will have a life-giving impact on children threatened by the .

I’m reminded and rejoicing today that we serve a God of abundance. So along with Christians around the world, I continue to pray “give us ALL this day our daily bread.”

https://tinyurl.com/WVFarmBill

The modern Jesus fishes-and-loaves model for feeding the hungry en masse Just as Jesus fought hunger for thousands of people with a few loaves and fish, we can use a simple but powerful tool school lunches This program not only helps combat child hunger, but also empowers ...

World Vision’s crisis team responded immediately to the devastating wildfires in . Our emergency response is partnering with local churches to support children and families with basic needs like food and water. Please pray with us for the thousands of people whose lives have been changed forever by this disaster – and give if you are able: https://bit.ly/3domk3B

What an honor to host Debbie Macomber and her daughter, Adele LaCombe, at my office recently! Debbie is a beloved NYT bestselling author and her daughter Adele is the CEO of Debbie Macomber, Inc. Both have been faithful donors and ambassadors for World Vision for many years!

This generous family’s ongoing support of World Vision USA helps us empower kids through , , and so much more. I’m grateful for their partnership! Check out Debbie’s new book, Must Love Flowers, which just hit the The New York Times’ bestseller list last week! https://debbiemacomber.com/books #/must-love-flowers

My heart is touched in a special way when I meet kids with disabilities like Abraham in . My wife and I have two daughters with special needs, and we know how important it is to remove barriers for them so that their potential can be unleashed to the fullest.

It all starts with advocacy alongside the parents, such as Abraham’s mom, Solina, who wouldn’t give up on her son — even carrying him on her back up and down a hill to get him to school! I’m so proud that World Vision staff can come beside her and other families, supporting their children to reach their dreams. And it’s not just in Rwanda but everywhere we work. Including people with disabilities in all we do helps ensure they’re part of the solution to end extreme poverty and that they’re empowered to explore their God-given potential.

Jean Twagirimana (in orange vest) was born in with physical differences to his hands. He has developed the ability to use his toes to type, write, and even answer his iPhone. Jean is living proof that a supportive family with the right resources can help children with disabilities reach their God-given potential.

He told me that in Rwanda, families commonly hide children with disabilities from society. But his family didn’t. Instead, they treated him the same as his siblings.” After earning a Master’s degree in education in Kenya, Jean returned to Rwanda to help children with disabilities and their families. He wants to be an example, encouraging them that “You can do it. You can have a future.”

Today Jean is a role model, serving as a disability inclusion facilitator for a World Vision partner project, USAID Homes and Communities. He is part of the support system for 9-year-old Abraham (also pictured), who was once confined to a single room at home, moving around on his knees because of his disability. World Vision advocated for him to receive two wheelchairs – one for home and one for school. And with Jean’s support, he’s getting an education. That frees Abrham’s mother, Solina, a single mom, to go to work and provide food for her family.
Abraham isn’t the only child impacted by Jean and the project. Staff like Kean help raise awareness in communities about disability inclusion. They identify children with disabilities and encourage and support families to give the kids opportunities like education. “They can be teachers. They can be doctors,” Jean says. “If you fight for them, they can reach far.”

Wherever my work with World Vision takes me, gathering with fellow Christians makes me feel immediately at home, reminding me of the power of unity in the global church. My trip to Rwanda was no exception.

I attended a World Vision-hosted gathering of Christian leaders from a variety of denominations. We worshiped together and discussed our partnership to serve children and families in the name of Christ. This is work we could not do without churches’ help. As one church leader told me, “World Vision will not be there forever. But the seed they planted will be there forever because the church will be there for sure. The community trusts the church.”

World Vision has always believed the active role of the local church is key to transforming communities. Meeting more than 100 church leaders committed to empowering the people of Rwanda made clear that our roots are deep and our partnerships are fruitful when we mobilize the unity of our faith and purpose in Jesus.

Access to clean water improves every aspect of a community–including the chance to gather with the body of Christ in person.

In , the biggest church in temporarily closed its doors in March 2020 when faith leaders and elected officials agreed it was necessary because of the spread of COVID-19. With worship services halted, more than 430 members went without the spiritual and social support their church provided. And reopening required handwashing stations to keep church members safe. Pastor Theoneste Mbanza, whom I met on my recent visit, told me that churches didn’t have the capacity to put in handwashing stations. For months they engaged congregations via YouTube, WhatsApp and other platforms. But he says, "It wasn't enough."

World Vision supported Pastor Mbanza's church and others by providing hand washing stations with clean water, creating hygiene banners, and distributing soap and other materials. Church volunteers, eager to gather with fellow believers again, were trained to prevent COVID-19.

When in-person worship resumed, long lines formed at church handwashing stations. People had missed their faith communities and were grateful for the chance to safely go back to church.

World Vision and our local partners in are seeing our efforts creating lasting change. Lives are radically transformed when the most vulnerable people in a community and disease-burdened areas have access to clean water and improved sanitation.

Each community we serve takes ownership of its water system after planning, training, and working alongside our team. For years to come they will reap the rewards, seeing their children’s lives changed for the better.

I’ve been able to see firsthand the life-changing impact of U.S. foreign assistance. Yet today, the House of Representatives moved forward with a bill that significantly cuts the less than 1 percent of the federal budget that supports the most vulnerable around the world. We can have both fiscal discipline and support the needs of those facing hunger, disease, and displacement around the world. I hope the House will reconsider these cuts. https://bit.ly/3JSeu1G

One of my most memorable moments in was observing the power of clean water in a health center. This snapshot of a nurse washing his hands would be unremarkable in the U.S., but not in places where clean water is scarce. An act we take for granted countless times a day is a miraculous milestone at this clinic, offering improved health, hygiene, and overflowing hope to the community.

Gone are the days when women need to bring their own water to give birth or have their newborn bathed in the clinic. Can you imagine a setting where clean water is more crucial for a community’s health? We rejoice in seeing lives changed in Rwanda from the very first breath!

For nearly three decades, World Vision’s work in Rwanda has been a powerful example of how local ownership, government backing, and private donors’ generosity can address some of the world’s most pressing problems.

Incredibly, just 30 years after a genocide against the Tutsis left Rwanda on the verge of being a failed state, it now aims to be the first sub-Saharan country with clean water access for all.

I started my recent trip to Rwanda by visiting the genocide memorial in Kigali, a poignant beginning to a week celebrating one million lives changed for good by clean water. Remembering the depth of the country’s loss makes this achievement even more miraculous.

The country has risen out of literal death, desolation, and ashes to become an example for the world of what is possible. Rwandans have a vision to prosper, and I am praying with great hope that World Vision can help their plans come to life.

World Vision’s efforts are strengthened by long-term ​collaboration​ with like-minded ​partners​​ ​like USAID. We agree that is an ideal country for development organizations to prove the concepts they're working on, innovate, and then scale them – across the region and around the world.

In our recent meeting ​​​in Kigali​​​, USAID Mission Director for Rwanda, Jonathan Kamin noted that equipping Rwandan faith leaders creates community-wide mindset shifts and lasting change. ​Partnering with local churches has long been our approach in Rwanda and we’ve witnessed the results of community transformation! ​We’re encouraged by USAID’s collaboration and support​.

Five years ago we put a stake in the ground that we would reach 1 million people in Rwanda with clean water – finishing the job of ensuring clean water access for everyone, everywhere we work there. It was a God-sized goal. And at the time we didn’t know those five years would include a global pandemic and economic upheaval. Despite it all, we saw God’s power at work doing the impossible through donors, local leaders, and staff: providing the means to finish the job in Rwanda despite the challenges. What a testament of faithfulness!

I was grateful to meet with Prime Minister Dr. Edouard Ngirente during my visit to . We spent a fruitful time discussing our remarkable achievement of equipping 1 million Rwandans with lasting clean water and explored other ways we can continue partnering together. The future is bright for the people of Rwanda, and we are blessed to serve alongside them!

PM Ngirente meets World Vision US boss Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente held a 'fruitful' meeting with Edgar Sandoval, the President and CEO of World Vision USA, at his office on Wednesday. The discussions...

My time in Rwanda vividly illustrates the power of partnerships. Combining local ownership, government engagement, and donor generosity with World Vision’s expertise and scale is a winning combination. Together we’re addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems and seeing lives change as a result. What a blessing to be part of this!

This , I’m thinking about the people I’ve met who have had to flee their homes. Their stories are ones of suffering, but also incredible strength. No one wants to leave the people they love and the places they know. And more people are displaced today than ever before in history. Worldwide there are more than 108 million displaced people – many of them children. Our goal is that each one could be empowered to reach their God-given potential.

It’s incredible to see what can happen when people of faith come together around a God-sized goal! Together with our donors and partners, we've completed our largest capital campaign ever, raising $1B to equip over 70M people in 50 countries with tools to lift themselves out of poverty.

World Vision’s largest ever capital campaign to address extreme poverty exceeds goal, impacting the lives of more than 70 million people World Vision’s largest ever capital campaign to address extreme poverty exceeds goal, impacting the lives of more than 70 million people Media Contact : Meridith Sobocinski June 1, 2023 Public Relations Associate [email protected] m 253-298-8913 Highlights World Vision’s Every Last One campaign...