Volunteers Matter!

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

When the internationally acclaimed singer, Angélique Kidjo, is not wowing audiences with her music, she is often volunteering to help UNICEF advocate for children. As a Goodwill Ambassador, Ms. Kidjo travels to refugee camps and far-flung villages in some of the world’s poorest countries. On a recent trip she met a child soldier and a victim of rape and shared her music with them. “The moment I saw them smile I had won the battle against the solitary confinement they had put themselves in because of their trauma,” she said. “Volunteering matters to me because there are many things all of us can do every day to help others.” (United Nations Volunteers, unv.org) 

Ms. Kidjo is among the millions who volunteer worldwide every year. From the community health volunteer whose medical know-how reaches the most remote places, to the un-trained hand of a Believer passing out sandwiches to the homeless, volunteers are changing lives every day. There are more than 140 million volunteers in the world. Unfortunately, there are many many more who sit at home not sure where to even start.

At CGI, we pray that our volunteers not only know that they are changing lives in Cambodia, but that they can see God’s life-giving hands working through their own lives. We are not here just to feel better about ourselves or our communities, but we are here to see Jesus’ Great Commission coming to fruition. Join us today in Empowering the Poor, Protecting the Vulnerable, and Sharing the Gospel.

You can find more information by clicking here.

By Kristen Baynai

 

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How to Pray for CGI in Cambodia

Here at CGI, we pour a lot of our time and effort into our programs in Cambodia. The Imprint Project, byTavi, CGI Kids and the Culinary Training Center are all designed to protect and invest in the poor and vulnerable. We’re so excited about these programs and the huge difference they continually make it the lives of the participants. But we know that God’s plans are always bigger than ours, and because of that, prayer is the greatest and most effective tool we have.

In light of this, we wanted to share specific prayer needs from Cambodia. We would be honored if you’d join us in interceding for the staff and participants there.

Culinary Training Center

-Pray for increased business at both the Green Mango and Red Chili restaurants.

-Pray for the staff and the girls who work and train at the restaurants. Many are facing difficult situations in their personal lives that sometimes affects their education and work experience.

byTavi

-Pray for continued growth in sales for the products the women work so hard to create.

Imprint Project

-Pray for the emotional and spiritual health of the participants, particularly one young woman who has recently discovered health problems with a baby she is carrying. Cambodian doctors have encouraged her to abort and she is facing difficult decisions.

-Pray that the Holy Spirit would work inside the hearts of the participants as they begin to learn about Jesus in their Bible studies.

CGI Kids

-Pray for the children’s well-being as they enter into a 2 month summer break.

-Pray for staff member Srey Leak as she meets with the children often throughout the break, and for the health of her father.

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer.

 

 

Faith and Fashion

Nicole speaking at Ladies' Luncheon.

Nicole speaking at Ladies’ Luncheon.

When CGI’s designer Nicole Krajewski poured her heart out for the women in Cambodia at NACC’s Ladies Luncheon, there was not a dry eye in the house.

Let me say, I have been to Cambodia, experienced the stories, and she had me moved to tears. The work that she and CGI are doing in Cambodia is truly changing lives, both in Cambodia, and here in the U.S.
After Nicole shared her heart and the heart of CGI, the fun began. Before we knew it, Kristen Baynai had the whole crowd laughing as she introduced and described each of the 38 models donning the Imprint Collection, designed by Nicole, and sewn by the byTavi and Imprint women in Cambodia. These women were truly brave to strut their stuff in front of 1000 strangers! And, oh my, did they look amazing!

 

There’s no doubt that it was God’s divine hand that brought all these details together, to display the darkness present in Cambodia, and then the hope that Jesus has to offer. This hour and a half program raised over $15,000 for the women in Cambodia, which is generally the amount raised monthly.

CGI’s beautiful models!

We cannot express how blessed we are by Martha Brammer’s coordination of this event, and the whole North American Christian Convention staff. We would love the opportunity to host an event like this for your women’s ministry. Contact us at byTavi@centerforglobalimpact.org.

By Whitney Vance

Finding Freedom

free-fireworks-image-11What is freedom?

Here in the States, we just celebrated the 4th of July, which represents our freedom as a country. We throw parties and shoot fireworks, celebrating this notion of being FREE.

But what if you were robbed of your freedom? What if you had no say about what happened to you and your children? No input into the direction of your life? What if you were a slave to someone or something bigger than you, and had no choice but to succumb to desperate acts to survive?

That’s a reality for an unsettling number of impoverished women in Cambodia. They choose almost nothing about their situations, and do whatever it takes to make it through another day. They often long for freedom, but don’t know where to find it.

At CGI, we throw ourselves fully into helping guide women like these toward freedom–financially, spiritually, emotionally. We show them doors they can walk through if they are willing, and provide the tools and skills they need to finally BE FREE.

Want to help? Email us at contact@centerforglobalimpact.org.

NACC Comes to Indy

Nicole Krajewski

Nicole Krajewski

The North American Christian Convention (NACC) will be held July 8-11, and this year, it will be held right here in Indy!

The convention will be downtown at the Convention Center and will feature 4 days of exciting speakers, workshops, exhibits and resources. Our very own Nicole Krajewski, CGI’s designer, will be one of the featured speakers at the Ladies’ Luncheon on July 10.

CGI will have an amazing booth that showcases our byTavi and Imprint products, gives folks a sample of the lime sorbet being served at our restaurants in Cambodia and gives people a little taste of the “CGI Experience!” Come out and say hello, and be encouraged by a network of believers! We’d love to see you there.

Register today