"We saw a desperate need ... "

It's amazing to me how specific needs are met in just the right timing ...

Buffalo Covenant Church in MN contacted me about their summer VBS (vacation bible school) program and a project in Ethiopia that the kids here could support.  We chatted about a few ideas and decided to raise funds for shoes. 

It had been well over a year since our last shoe fund-raiser for Trees of Glory kids and I knew the kids were most likely in need of new shoes.  We felt the kids here could easily understand this need and would readily and with hearty intent, get behind this project.

For the 200 kids at Trees of Glory, who walk to and from the CarePoint every day on rugged, sharp terrain, good sturdy shoes with thick soles are a critical need.

This is what happens when the kids don't have good shoes to wear. 
Thorns, broken glass and sharp stones cause cuts and puncture wounds. 
Infection can set in or even chiggers can burrow into the skin causing painful infections.

 

The VBS leaders came up with all kinds of creative ideas to inspire the kids and help them fully understand this critical need.  We were hoping to raise about half of the funds needed and then get word out to sponsors and others to finish the project.  But the kids whole-heartedly embraced this project raising most of the funds, and then the rest of the church family finished the fund!!!  Over $4,400 was raised to fully provide new shoes for ALL of the kids at Trees of Glory.

The same weekend that this was announced at church, Lindsey Kerby's team of volunteers arrived home from Ethiopia.  Lindsey emailed me to update me on their trip and she ended by saying ... "When we were there we saw a desperate need for shoes for the children at TOG. Fikre wanted me to talk with you about doing a capital care project for shoes for the kids at TOG. What do you think?"

I was happy to be able to tell Lindsey that this need had just been met and then some!!!

If your church or missions program is interested in fund-raising for a project that will directly benefit the children at our CarePoints in Ethiopia, please contact me at kjwistrom@yahoo.com.  There are LOTS of project like this that can make a dramatic impact on the kids and their ability to attend school!