$500 Can...
After worship on the 11th, several of you asked me for a copy of the list I used in my sermon. I had spoken of some car repairs which were less than expected, leaving $500 unspent. While I considered how best to use those funds, I remembered the staff’s gift of “Nets,” last year, and decided that would be a great way to use the $500. After all, a television or other item would be out of date in a few years. But protecting 50 families from malaria was something that would be a blessing – period! Then I started thinking of what other impact a gift of $500 could have. The following list is not intended to be exhaustive, just an example.
$500 can provide...
- 50 families can receive mosquito nets to protect them from malaria
- 50 AIDS orphans at Maua Methodist Hospital can be fed and treated for one month (or 4 for one year)
- 2 PETs – Personal Energy Transportation to help 2 people be self-sufficient
- 10 Scholarships for youth/children’s camps
- 2 Mountain T.O.P. scholarships
- 33 Vacation Bible School scholarships
- 167 Nursery scholarships
- 167 Bags of Grace
- ½ the cost of a “Hands on Housing” effort
- 3 “Walk to Emmaus” scholarships
- 50 books for Libraries of Love
- 1 child fed for 18 months through 30 Hour Famine
- 1 cow or 4 sheep or goats through Heifer Project
- 5 families can avoid eviction or loss utilities for one month through Hill Country Community Ministries
- 10 families can receive dental care through Hill Country Community Ministries
- 42 children can receive new shoes through Hill Country Community Ministries
- 3 women can receive mammograms through Samaritan Health Care Ministries
- 100 people can receive a 30 day supply of diabetes medicine through Samaritan Health Care Ministries
- 3 families can receive community garden plots to help with food needs
- 80 fruit trees for farmers in El Salvador or Zambia
- 5 impoverished women can receive loans to start a small business to support their families
- 5 shares in a well to provide clean, safe water for up to 300 people
- 1 child freed from slavery through International Justice Ministry
- 1 child housed, fed, clothed and educated for one year at the El Salvador orphanage
These items can be funded through the church, even if the actual agency is overseas. Also, don’t get hung up on the $500 figure. Remember, the widow only had two copper coins. It’s not about the amount. It’s about not giving in to the hopelessness. It’s about being part of God’s work of transforming the world. It’s about being blessed to impact someone’s life with the love of God.
Grace and Peace,
Tom