October Kuwaa Prayer Letter
“AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM,” prophesied Isaiah. (Is. 11:6) These words slammed into my consciousness yesterday after I spoke about the Kuwaa Mission at River of Life Lutheran Church. I could not but praise God for what I experienced. The congregational president interrupted the service when I was finished. He came forward and reminded the group that last January they changed their constitution to include a special mission project that they would be involved in. He emphatically stated that the Kuwaa Mission should be it and that they would become a part of the Mission’s sending group. I said to myself, “Thank you, God. All I can do is praise you!” Little did I know that the best was yet to come.
AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM!
Little Brooke, a 10 year old girl, came up to me. Being very bashful, her mom accompanied her to speak with me. Little Brooke’s mother told me that Brooke wanted to give her $15 allowance to the Kuwaa Mission. She continued that her daughter was very touched by the message. After handing me the $15, Brooke became comfortable enough to begin talking to me. She and her mom asked what Brooke could do to help the Kuwaa Mission even more. Brooke wanted to set a goal for herself to work toward to help the mission. I gave her the list of things for which people can dedicate funds, like pencils for school children, tool to work with, etc. While people filled their plates and began eating a Liberian meal, a man asked me how much it would cost to go over to Liberia as a volunteer. As I talked to him about it, I noticed Brooke standing there with him. He is her grandpa. She asked her gramps to take her to Liberia as a volunteer in 2011. I gave them an approximate price, adding that congregations are encouraged to help pay for the trip. I said to myself, “Thank you, God. All I can do is praise you!”
AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM!
While eating the meal, a wonderful question and answer session about the Mission and the Kuwaa people pursued. As people began to leave, Brooke and her mother came back to me saying that Brooke decided on a project. She wanted to save and raise money for one potable water system. Her mom shared that Brooke was very taken to help the children because she heard that 50% were still dying before 10 years of age, mostly because of bad drinking water. I said, “Thank you,” and something like, “WOW!” Her mother explained that Brooke wanted to raise the money for a medical clinic but that she was dissuaded from taking on that one due to the cost of the project. But little 10 year old Brooke was determined if not a medical clinic then she would save and raise the amount to provide one potable water system. Again I said, “Thank you,” and “WOW!” while I encouraged her in her big thinking. I told her about noisy offerings and suggested that she could get a couple of one gallon metal buckets so that the congregation could help her raise the money by throwing their coins into the bucket each Sunday. I told her she could put a scale in the entrance way for everyone to see each week on how the project is doing. I shared with her about Lord of Life Lutheran Church in North Pole Alaska. They already raised money to pay for one potable water system with the noisy offering. At that moment Brooke could have climbed Mt Denali all by herself in one day.
“AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM!
Let us pray for all children. Let us pray that each Kuwaa town can have potable water systems so that 50% of their children won’t die by the age of 10. Let us pray for children who shall lead us! And let us praise God for them.
“AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM!
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE KUWAA MISSION, HOW YOU CAN HELP, AND HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED, SEE www.kuwaamission.org.
Your partner in Mission,
Dick Thompson, Kuwaa Mission CEO