Kids on mission

One of my staff, Adam Parent, shared this with me about some movement God is doing in our kids hearts:

Several weeks ago for our Sunday morning K-5th grade community, Joni Kabana came and shared about Torina’s world (a book she wrote/took pictures for about kids in Madagascar). While sharing several kids asked her what they could do to help? Some asked if they could bring clothes, some school supplies, etc. Joni – responded with “of course you can” – this began the ball rolling of kids bringing in clothes and school supplies to donate to these children. They started pouring in the goods on Sunday the week after Joni spoke.

The week following, the Hotchkiss family came and shared about the well project they have been helping with over in Rwanda. They have partnered with a school to help build and repair a well. Lisa Hotchkiss had the idea to ask kids to earn $ for the well project by doing special chores as opposed to just asking their parents for the money. I thought it was a great idea and so advertised it to our kids and parents. The money brought in this past week are a result of the extra chores worked on by the kids of Imago - $167 the kids have brought in thus far!

The same Sunday that the Hotchkiss family came, Amy Boles (one of our 4th/5th grade teachers) came up to me and had the idea while she was talking with her class about earning money and matching the funds they earn. She wrote a letter to the other teachers seeing if they wanted to partner with the kids. So now there is more money coming in from the teachers after finding out what the kids in their class brought in.

We also made a banner for the school in Rwanda – and cards and pictures for the kids in Madagascar that we will be sending off with the $$ and the clothing/school supplies. Absolutely cool – how that all came together.

(Pictured above is Christy, Adam's wife who delivered all the supplies the kids had put together)

I got to oversee elementary a week ago in Adam's absence. I was amazed and even humbled listening to the kids talk about what they did to earn money that week and why they wanted to. The kids told me all about the well that had broken in Rwanda at a school and how the kids there had to drink gross water now. So there I stood with a pink bucket where they brought their hard earned cash - some of them having no idea what they were doing as they threw a $20 bill in, and others coming with $2.67 all labeled and in a Ziploc baggie very carefully placing it. Parents were curious if the kids raised much of anything and asked when we are sending supplies over and how else they can help.

Fascinating to me. A curriculum we wrote out of our church's value of missional journey - we made a segment about global community. And we prayed and invited others in whom we thought would have a unique and real perspective on what it looks like to care for others in other parts of the world. And the kids NATURAL response with little adult initiation is...WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? HOW CAN I KNOW THOSE KIDS? I hear stories of kids at the grocery store with their parents and the subject comes up that kids in Africa need school supplies too. Next thing you know they are coming home with 2 backpacks, and double sets of paper, pencils and folders.

The cards! Oh i wish you could see them, I'll try and hunt down pictures. Our kids have made cards to kids in Madagascar and Rwanda for the last several weeks. They want to send a bit of themselves over with all the stuff. Many have asked to be pen pals. One card is my favorite so far - Breanna wrote in green marker something to the effect of: "Hi, you're probably wondering why I am writing you. I live in USA in Portland and God is Jesus and Jesus died for our sins so we could be with God forever. Would you like to be pen pals?". I wish I could be across the world to see the face when a child reads Breanna's card.

Kids hearts are motivated and moved to act and to be selfless in as much way as they can. And all we did was say "we value this, it's what the bible says to be about". And the kids come up with the response. I'm so proud of them and so grateful to God for moving in ways we couldn't have come up with.