Rachel Gives

For the past few years a young girl has been very involved with the projects in Rwanda. Rachel Foster started as a 3rd grader working with her Sunday school class to raise funds to buy two goats. Last year her class at Houserville Elementary worked on an art and writing project for Rwanda and she also worked with three high schoolers to make a handprint banner for the worship area in Rwanda.

This year, as a fifth grader, Rachel worked with Nancy Guild to coordinate the making of Nativity sets by Sunday School kids at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. The first day of that project Rachel was so excited to tell me that she raised money through her school's Arts, Crafts and Caring Fair where students sell things they make then donate proceeds to a charity of their choice. Thank you to her teacher Linda Andrews for this wonderful lesson in giving back.

As she shared in her letter to me, "I am going to donate to you because I love how you run so many mission projects to benefit Rwandan children's lives. I love that you care about all the children's lives, childhoods, resource supply, children's families, and letting them know that God and Jesus care about them. I hope you can do something amazing and great with the money I'm going to give you." She raised $37.02.

After talking it over with her Rachel decided she wanted to send a boy and girl to school for a year and use any extra for their school supplies. I can't wait to meet those two children and share Rachel's story with them. And bring back pictures of the kids to share with Rachel.

I am constantly amazing by the giving hearts of our children and youth. What an example they are showing that helping others is an important part of their lives.

Thank you Rachel for being a light to others, reaching across the world to children in Rwanda. And to the two children you are sending to school.