Loving God By Loving People

HEART //

After hearing the message of Heartwork, the junior high and high school students at Third Church in Pella, Iowa became passionate about learning to be like God by spending themselves on behalf of people in need. The youth pastors partnered with Heartwork to challenge students to raise enough money to help support an orphan-care ministry in Jinja, Uganda. Students learned about today’s verse, God’s heart for the poor and how Jesus tells us that providing for the poor is like providing for God himself. 

The Third Church students rose to the challenge. They sold possessions, brought in jars full of change, sacrificed lunch money, gave up their Christmas gifts, and worked extra hours at their jobs. God blessed their work. 

The group had set out to reach a goal of $20,000 to build a new home for the children being cared for by the Jinja ministry, which is led by a Ugandan family, committed to seeing their children restored to dignity. When the fundraising was complete, to everyone’s surprise, the students had raised almost double what they had set out to do. Not only did they build the new home for orphans, they were able to build a home for a widow in the Jinja community and her family, and purchase a tractor for the ministry to be able to use for business endeavors that can sustain many of the children's’ needs.

The willingness and sacrifice of these students has made a lasting impact on dozens of orphans’ lives in Uganda. They have continued to sacrifice and send funds to the orphan home in Jinja to help sustain the ministry God is doing there. As young people, it’s easy to feel that our contribution can’t really make a difference, but that is simply not true. No matter our age, we can ask God what our part is to love people who are in need. He will give us the wisdom and strength we need to do our part. 

WORK //

God has uniquely designed you to participate in his Kingdom coming to this world. He’s given you creativity, the ability to work hard, and the resources (even if they’re small!) to be a generous giver... Ask him to teach you how to use those things to join him in his plan. 

Today, make a plan to gather with friends or family to pray together. Do a little research before your meeting, on issues your group could pray about. God is still at work in the lives of the vulnerable and needy. What are a few things you and your community can do throughout these 30 Days of Heartwork to raise money to aid in Grain of Hope’s efforts around the world?