Kinship of Greater Minneapolis November 5, 2007
Posted by dyerjl in outreach.Tags: , kids, outreach, service
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Our October outreach opportunity was with Kinship of Greater Minneapolis. Kinship “helps children ages 5-15, in need of additional support, to realize their God given potential through adult friendships.” They help kids in many different situations, including children of prisoners and children of immigrants. We assisted with their Fall Harvest Party, an annual event they organize for the kids and families in their programs. We assisted with games and activities and met some really wonderful kids. It was fun to play with and love on the kids and they seemed to have a lot of fun also. In such a happy environment, it was easy to overlook the fact that these kids come from some pretty rough situations. In speaking with one of the Kinship directors, I was told that a lot of the kids deal with violence and poverty and fear on a daily basis. These are kids that never get to go to a park because of the violence around them. Or that may live in fear because of the violence in and around their own homes. It was an honor to be a part of this event. To be trusted by these kids who probably have no reason to trust anyone. It was a true pleasure to serve with the folks from Kinship. What an awesome ministry for these precious kids. And it was a privilege to meet some of the mentors who volunteer one-on-one with the kids. They are required by Kinship to meet with the kids at least once a week and seeing them interact with the kids was inspiring. This was such a great experience for us as a group and as individuals. There was such a sweet spirit in the room that day and it was a blessing to be a part of it.
Feed My Starving Children November 5, 2007
Posted by dyerjl in outreach.Tags: children, outreach, service, starvation
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We can make a difference. In September, we visited Feed My Starving Children. This is an incredible organization that packages food and partners with relief organizations all over the world to send food to starving children. Before we worked, we were given a brief history and explanation of their work. We were shown before and after pictures of children who had received food from FMSC and it was unbelievable. I will never forget the story they told of a boy named Moses that was found and brought to an orphange. He was near death when he arrived and after a few mere months receiving care and the food from FMSC he was a healthy, thriving little boy. They have developed a formula for food that is fortified and highly nutritious, easy to package and transport, made with just boiling water and tastes good. (We got to sample some!) A single bag of food costs less than a dollar to make and feeds six children. Truly amazing.
Our group manned one of eight assembly lines and in just around an hour and a half, helped package enough food to feed over 17,000 children!! It was exciting to hear what we had accomplished, yet incredibly humbling to know that with such little effort we were able to help so many. We can make a difference.
Before we left that night, we prayed over the boxes we had filled and for the children who would receive them. Since then, I have thought often of those boxes. It is very possible that a child’s life was saved by one of those bags our hands filled. Is it possible that a child’s life was touched by our prayers?
We can make a difference.
The Journey Begins… November 5, 2007
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Jason and I joined a small group several years ago and it was in the context of this group that we finally began to “get it.” We finally started to understand a little more of what we are called to be as children of God. In this group we were able to be ourselves, wrestle with tough questions, celebrate joys, suffer through trials, laugh, cry, pray and grow. And in this group, we found lifelong friends. A little over a year ago, we felt the pull to “leave the nest” and lead our own group. This is the story of that group.
Our group started out similar to the one we had attended and it was great. We went through a couple guided studies, had great discussions, developed and deepened relationships. This year, though, we felt led to do something more. We began to look for ways for this group to reach outside of itself and positively impact the people, the community and the world around us. Thus, “Go!” was born.
Check back for updates on what we are doing each month.
