“The happiest people I have known have been those who gave themselves no concern about their own souls, but did their uttermost to mitigate the miseries of others.”
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
The ‘Stoke the Fire Within’ message is often customized to focus on TEAM when I speak. Recently I was able to be a small part of one of the most powerful TEAM experiences of my life. Nappanee Missionary out in the cornfields on State Road 19 north of Nappanee, Indiana, took on the massive task of preparing 1.2 million meals for Feed My Starving Children. 18,000 children die every day across the world from starvation, so the need to help is critical. The Church raised the funds to purchase the food, then worked hard to get over 5000 volunteers from Elkhart County and beyond to help pack the food over three intense days.
Over 5000 people responded, and drove in from all over the area to do whatever it took to get that food prepared. I volunteered for two shifts Friday.
Volunteers were part of 13 shifts from Thursday to Saturday. The coordination was a remarkable example of how people can come together and accomplish great things. Upon arrival, the several hundred in my shift were given an overview in the Sanctuary, and then moved to the Church gym. There, everyone was given volunteer job opportunities and a brief description of what each role required. Then it was off to the ‘food preparing races!’
What amazed me was how quickly everyone found the right role and adapted to their job. Sherrill and Dave got into the assembly line at one table and helped prepare the rice, soy protein, dried vegetables and a chicken-flavored vegetarian broth filled with vitamins and minerals. A big guy like me (6′5″, 235 pounds) darted around the gym ready to pick up the prepared boxes filled with meals and quickly get them to the people who weighed them who got them to the people who taped up the boxes who got them to people like Tom who got them on trucks which then took them to ports.
Elderly people who couldn’t get around sat and helped to seal bags or put proper stickers on the bags. Strong, strappin’ men hauled the bins of rice and soy around to each table. Others hastily put the boxes together. It was an inspiring example of teamwork. You had black by white, an Elkhart County man by a Michigan lady. A Purdue fan working alongside an IU fan (miracles happen!).
Friday night after the High School Sectional championship Football games, the teens came roaring in and put the food together at lightning speed until past midnight. They shouted and challenged each other, as music was piped in from the speakers. I was konked out from hauling hundreds of boxes by then, but people tell me what the young people did was wonderful to see.
Over three frenzied days 1,205,280 meals were prepared. Due to the efforts of 5,200 volunteers it will now be possible for 3,302 children to have a hot meal every day for a year. Some of these children have been eating biscuits made primarily from dirt from the ground. Others have eaten rocks just so that they can get something in their bellies to make them fill full.
As we all know, it is such an incredible feeling to give. I was exhausted after hauling hundreds of heavy boxes, but the feeling driving up SR 19 on the way home made me forget about the aching back and knees!
Nappanee Missionary Church is going to take on this challenge again. If you would like to experience it, let Tom Edgerton know you would like to be a volunteer. Send him an email at [email protected]
“This has been a life changing experience.” Tanya White, teacher, Wakarusa Elementary School.
“All these children out there starving is a heart wrenching thing.” Nate Yoder, Volunteer
“Let us give ourselves to service.” Romans 12:7