The Day After

The door on the loading dock closed late Sunday afternoon at the vacant Kroger Store in Liberty Township. As the last of the volunteers left, we locked the front door and then headed home. To be honest, it was hard to believe what happened these past few days. The Kids Against Hunger team started loading and preparing the “move in” on Thursday and did not stop until the “move out” on Sunday. No pay. No wonderful dinners served while working. No crowds cheering them on. No pictures on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer. But they understand the Treasure Principle well – their rest and rewards will come later. Here is what this team accomplished after many long hours of personal sacrifice:

Well over 1000 people of all ages came and packed Kids Against Hunger packets for the orphans and starving children of Haiti
14 tons of rice, 7 tons of soy, 1 ton of vitamins/minerals and over 50,000 cups of dried vegetables were used
There was nothing left to pack as of 7:30 PM Saturday night – the supplies were exhausted
Nearly 49 pallets of food were jammed into the shipping container – the goal was 40 pallets
As a result, the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission will receive 348,000 meals (the goal was 285,000)

As we planned the Haiti Pack-A-Thon, many people took me aside at various times, and remarked (well intentioned) Are we to go and spend that much? Their questions were valid as the expense for the supplies alone to feed the children of Haiti were great. And now the day after, our financing challenge has moved quite a bit higher than budgeted (at 25¢ a meal, do the math and see what I mean). And with that, this story comes to mind:

By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages. Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" (Mark 6:35-37)

I believe that the words of Jesus to His disciples are just as valid today as they were then when they faced a hungry crowd of people (about 20,000 men, women and children). You give them something to eat. The disciples must have looked at one another with eyes of disbelief at what He said. Back then, I would have reacted the same way I suppose. Are we to go and spend that much? They must have been thinking: We have plans for the money we do have and this project of yours was not one of those plans.

Admittedly, I could be wrong and I should not have planned the Haiti Pack-A-Thon until all of the funds were in hand. It may have been safer that way. But what is a child worth? For me and the Kids Against Hunger team, knowing that 1 child dies from hunger every 6 seconds creates a sense of urgency. Children are the image bearers of Christ for the next generation. There is only one entity that wants them to perish. Can you guess who that is?

I believe by faith that the Lord will provide what is needed – just in time – as He stirs the hearts of people and His church to give. Back then, the miracle was a small boy’s lunch providing food for 20,000 people. Today, it is just money that is needed. He has already provided the food!

348,000 life saving meals will leave today for Haiti – the day after He demonstrated another incredible miracle of multiplication – countless volunteers filling small bags with 22 tons of life saving food. If you were there, thank you. If you gave, thank you. If you prayed, thank you. If you sent a word of encouragement to the team, thank you. You were part of the miracle.

And thank you Lord for what you have done and will do over these next few days as we wait upon You.