International (MNN) — Between sports and school work, committees and careers, it can be easy for mothers and their children to lose touch. But a brand new national program could provide needed opportunities for mother-child bonding, as well as some serious service.
Best known as WOW, Women for Orphans Worldwide is going national. The Orphan Outreach auxiliary program has generated a great deal of interest over its 14-month history.
Orphan Outreach's Tiffany Taylor Wines is excited, but not altogether surprised, by the program's success. "It's a very easy thing, because who doesn't want to help an orphan if they know that they're making a specific, physical impact or educational impact to one child?"
WOW was born in December 2009 after a group of moms and daughters returned from a trip to Guatemala. Moved by the orphans they had met in the country, the 13-year-old daughters were determined to continue helping. When they discovered that it only costs $600 a year to send an orphan to a Christian school, the girls were certain they had it in them to raise support for several children.
Out of their passion to help emerged WOW, a serving and fundraising group in Texas created to support Orphan Outreach orphans. "It's a way that mothers and their children can get involved with helping orphans. There are two parts to it: one is actually helping with fundraising, and the other part is actually helping with collecting items for the orphans," explains Wines.
Since the beginning of WOW, the auxiliary program has sent out three mother-child trips. As families have attended or watched their friends go on these adventures, enough interest has been generated to start spreading the program out across the country.
WOW chapters can be started by a church, girl scout troop, school, community–you name it. Wherever there are mothers and kids ready to serve the Lord and look after His orphans, a WOW chapter can be started. Each group will have a special purpose.
"Each chapter will have their own unique set of goals of who they want to support," explains Wines. "So we have chapters already starting up now that are going to support our programs in Russia and India–it's very exciting to see how this is expanding."
Mothers and their kids are encouraged to help raise funds for orphans, but also to go on trips to meet the kids they're helping and deliver various items. As moms and their children work together, they not only get the chance to bond and to help orphans see Christ, but participants inevitably grow in the process.
Wines says kids who have gotten involved have begun to create solid foundations in their faith. "It's been wonderful to see these children grow in their faith by them putting it out there and saying, ‘Hey, I'm going to get my church involved; I'm going to get my girl scout troop involved,' and then see how God is blessing that."
The program is an all-around win, bringing families together, serving the Lord, lifting up the helpless, and growing in the Way. Ready to sign up? Here's how you get started: Go to www.womenfororphansworldwide.org and search to see if a chapter is in the works near you. If there isn't one, contact Wines to talk about starting one. If you're not quite sure enough to jump in so fast, consider taking a WOW trip with your mom or child first. There are two more trips in 2011. Click here to learn more about them.
WOW has taken off in Texas and is growing to be a wonderful program to support children worldwide. Pray that God would continue to bless WOW as it goes national and that He would work in the hearts of orphans, mothers and children everywhere at the hands of this program.
