Summer 2008: Inside a Sponsorship Community - World Vision

jim scherer
Big Man, Big Heart
Mike Weaver proves God is taking résumés.
Christian rock band Big Daddy Weave has supported
World Vision for years, but when front
man Mike Weaver was asked if he would
encourage audiences to consider sponsoring a child,
he was terrified.
Given he weighs something in excess of 300
pounds, Mike was convinced that any presentation
from him on behalf of children in need would attract a
chorus of smart-aleck remarks from the peanut gallery.
But as things turned out, he has not encountered a
“The Lord really broke our hearts
for these children” —Mike Weaver
single negative reaction. In fact, Mike says his pitches
allow him an even greater connection with his audience—many
of whom come in larger sizes.
“So many people say to me they had given up on
their dream because they looked a certain way,” Mike
says. “Then they say, ‘If God is using guys like you, man,
he must be taking résumés.’ ”
Speaking about World Vision became even easier
after the band got to visit sponsored children in
Ecuador. Seeing projects that give children access to
clean water and improved nutrition made a lasting
impression on the musicians.
Mike says the best part was the warmth he experienced
from the children, many of whom walked
several miles just to meet him and the band. When
he gave one child in a group a high-five, they all went
wild with enthusiasm.
The experience made him even more passionate
about sharing what sponsorship can do. “The Lord
really broke our hearts for these children,” Mike says. ■
10 | World Vision Summer 2008
www.worldvision.org