In today's society we are often times filled with negativity on the news and in our newspaper, but how often do we read of the good that is being done in and around our community. How often do we read of how others are blessing people around the world. When it comes to our youth, the bad tends to be magnified more than the good. So, I intend to take a moment to brag on our youth at Rose Hill Church of Christ.
We have a great group of kids who love to give of themselves whether it is time or money. Over the last year the youth group was challenged to help out the M.O.M. project (Making Orphan Meals) which is a mission of Partners 4 Africa. Each week P4A feeds 700 orphans in Zimbabwe, Africa. Their meal costs $0.50 per plate. Yes, you read that right FIFTY cents it what it takes to feed orphans in Africa. In America we tend to toss our $0.50 to the side or in a change jar to then collect dust at the end of the day. It's not a big deal to have a collection of change laying around our homes.
So, we challenged each student to bring $0.50 every Sunday to help pay for one meal in Africa. Despite not knowing these kids nor getting to ever meet them, our students opened up their hearts and pockets each week. Most of the time our students brought more than the asking donation. The goal was 700 meals by the end of the year. However, our students met and exceeded the goal on Wednesday, October 29th. At that time, they had purchased 736 meals! We are still 2 months away from the goal deadline and our students met that goal! It was great to announce this past Sunday (Nov. 2) that they had met the goal because our missionary, Dorian Flynn, was in town to give us a report on the work being done with Partners 4 Africa!
If that did you heart good, what until you read this next part!
Last night, I met with the student leaders in our youth group to talk about future plans for our ministry. We began discussing how we could continue to help Partners 4 Africa. Our students decided to challenge the youth group with sponsoring a child in Africa this year to help them to be able to attend school and have the supplies they need. The goal is $300 by the end of June, 2015. I have a feeling we will exceed that goal and be able to supply everything necessary for the child to attend school. Joy and I will have an opportunity to meet this child that we are sponsoring when we travel to Africa with our mission team on July 4, 2015.
Our students have agreed to keep a change jar in the Teen Room to continue collecting loose change for the M.O.M. project that helps to feed Orphans each week.
Some of our students plan to talk to their teachers about sponsoring a shoe drive for Africa as their Christmas service project. The goal is to collect 10,000 dress shoes or tennis shoes of any size to send to Africa.
What is so wonderful about these kids? They are becoming disciples of Christ right in front of our eyes and serving the needs of people around the world. Many of them they will never meet but these students are fulfilling their mission of being Christ-like here on Earth by being a blessing to others. Sometimes we could learn a lesson from our kids. Not only do they want to help the people in Africa, they came up with great ideas to be a blessing to our community, as well.
‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’— Matthew 25:35-36
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