Here at Forgotten Children, we’re passionate about empowering people—not just the children across the world, but also people in our own community who want to become Voices alongside us. Our vision trips offer people a fresh worldview – a new way to love and understand others. We were honored to take a team to India in 2018 to show them some of the amazing work happening on the opposite side of the globe.

“Vision trips are eye-openers,” says FCW founder Matt Hartsell, who led the trip. “We want people to go on them to genuinely expand their worldview—to see and then act on what they see. When people only travel to see, they’re tourists. But true compassion sees, then acts on what was seen.”

We believe vision trips help us build on the bigger picture of why we do what we do. They allow us to take our eyes off of ourselves and build the Kingdom of God instead of a kingdom of self. Trips like these—if people go into them with the right heart and mind—can be life-altering.

To give our readers a window into the world our team experienced on the vision trip, we talked to the team to learn about their experience. Check out this Q & A session we had with Dave Hedden and Garrett & Jami Bucher—three team members who took the leap to challenge their worldview and truly become Voices for the Forgotten:

Q: What surprised you on this vision trip?

Dave: “It’s always shocking and surprising to see firsthand the world these children come from. The poverty and spiritual darkness are such contrasts to the hope and promise the kids have in the orphan homes sponsored by FCW.”

Q: What made you decide to go on this trip?

Garrett: “We were approached about joining the team, and after praying earnestly about it, we felt that it would be a valuable opportunity for us.”

Jami: “We also sponsored a girl in Hubli, and we knew it would be amazing to meet her in person.”

Q: What did you learn during the vision trip?

Garrett: “I learned a lot about all the different aspects of FCW’s work. We got to physically see what our dollars, clothes, time, and prayers are actually contributing to—and it made it so much more tangible than just a withdrawal from a bank account each month. We got to see how our resources are contributing to something bigger than ourselves, and it was incredible to see these kids’ smiles and hear their laughter.”

Dave: “I learned a lot about the Girl Empowerment Program. We were able to hear and see how young girls were being taught about their value and worth and that they had a heavenly Father who loved them unconditionally. It was so powerful, especially when we saw the stark contrast of the dark world these girls would face if it wasn’t for this program.”

Vision trips require a willingness to put one’s own worldview on hold in order to see life through someone else’s eyes. It’s hard to do—and it’s not for everyone. But, as Dave Hedden said, “These trips allow people to see, touch, and smell the way so many people around the globe live.” We cannot be Voices for the Forgotten if we don’t know what the Forgotten look and sound like—and these trips provide unique opportunities for people to awaken their compassion and act on the brokenness they see in the world.

Want to learn more about our vision trips? Click here for more information!