Immerse yourself into the lives of the less fortunate

Get a free, immersive experience into the lives of the less-fortunate in Uganda, Syria and Bangladesh when the World Vision Experience comes to Rancho Bernardo next week.

The Church at Rancho Bernardo is hosting the event, with viewings available from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26 and 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. There will also be a Sunday, Aug. 28 viewing geared toward church members.

Appointments are not necessary, but those who would like to reserve a viewing time slot may do so at tinyurl.com/WorldVisionRB. It takes about 20 minutes to go through the exhibit. For a sample, go to https://vimeo.com/177459568.

The church is at 11740 Bernardo Plaza Court in Rancho Bernardo. For questions, call 858-592-2434.

“Our goal is to help our congregation and community get a broader understanding of what children in the world are facing,” said Pastor Nate Alcorn, the church’s outreach impact-outreach director.

There will be three “rooms” providing the experiences. One will feature what it is like to be a child growing up in poverty-stricken Uganda. Another will focus on a child who is a Syrian refugee, while the third will be about a woman working at a brothel in Bangladesh.

Viewers will be given headphones before entering the experience truck individually or as families, Alcorn said. Besides the videos playing on large screens that surround them there will be items in the rooms that represent the location and films in order to “recreate the environment.”

“This is somewhat heavy content,” Alcorn said, adding parent discretion is advised for those under 12. There will be activities to keep children entertained while their parents and older siblings go through the experience and he said no one under age 12 should go through without an accompanying adult.

While Alcorn has yet to go through the experience, he said he learned about it at another church and felt it was important to bring to Rancho Bernardo.

“It will expose our people (to these issues) and expand their minds,” he said. “Rather than going overseas, this is an easier way for them to step (into other places) and expose them to what is going on in the world.”

After going through the exhibit, he said attendees can learn more about ways they can assist World Vision with its efforts and projects the church undertakes. The latter include its outreach to the homeless, military, at-risk youths, the elderly and efforts at Abraxas High School in Poway. In addition, the church helps those in South Africa and Mexico.

One of its more recent endeavors is the Alabaster Jar project, which in March opened a home for women who have left San Diego’s sex trafficking industry. He said six women are living at the house and getting rehabilitation services so they can re-enter society in a healthy way. Each will be in the program for one or two years, depending upon their individual situation.