Twenty years ago a small group of recent college graduates came together around the crazy idea that we could actually help the poor, maybe even change the world.
In the early 90’s, the shape of global poverty was much different than it is today. Absolute poverty and hunger plagued the earth, it was estimated that more than 40,000 children died daily because of malnutrition and hunger related diseases.
Today much progress has been made in addressing global hunger and the subsequent child death rates are considerably lower. Sadly, humanity has now found new and more terrible ways to exploit the vulnerable.
Global disparity continues to grow at mind-bending rates, making the separation between the world’s richest and poorest people further than it’s ever been in history. More people are trafficked into modern forms of slavery, bonded labor and sexual servitude than ever before.
In 2011 there are only a few enduring vibrant signs of hope in the world: over the past 50 years we have the faithful and consistent examples of Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, Jean Vanier and the L’Arche communities, and I dare to say over the past 20 years, the Word Made Flesh community.
Audacious, I know. But each Word Made Flesh team, every one of our homes, and all of our community centers worldwide are places of hope and love, freedom and restoration, celebration and laughter—and sometimes we need to learn to laugh in a world that knows tears and disappointment, abuse and exploitation.
It’s not been an easy journey and the work we do takes a toll on us.
Our 5th year felt like our hardest. We weren’t sure we would see our 6th anniversary. We experienced significant and painful transition and loss, but looking back now we know that those were growing pains preparing us for much more. The following years were marked with spontaneous expansion as brave, young leaders established communities to respond to poverty and injustice.
It happened again around our 10th anniversary, we suffered more loss—premature death of loved ones and vocational transitions of former staff. But the people kept coming to be a part of the Word Made Flesh movement and we kept welcoming the disenfranchised and marginalized into community. Little did we know that through the challenges we were again experiencing the pains of growth.
From the uncertainty at our 5th anniversary and the struggles at our 10th, we have travailed and endured and are now celebrating the blood, sweat and tears that have been poured out.
On November 15 we celebrate our 20th anniversary. As we celebrate there are echoes of the growing pains we’ve experienced in the past and tangible signs of transformation in the present—bearing witness to what is possible in our future.
We need you to be part of that future.
We want you to be a part of the celebration.
Today we’re asking you to celebrate with us by making a $20 pledge to the on-going work of Word Made Flesh. Please join us around the crazy idea that we could actually help the poor, maybe even change the world.