ONE. Because change begins somewhere

This weekend, we are finishing up our three-week series on PEACE. We've called it ONE. It only takes ONE. ONE person. ONE dollar. ONE step. ONE decision...

I can't believe how much emotion this series is evoking in me.

Tonight, I cried three times during service:

* Katie brought a World Vision video with a comparison of statistics and facts between Africa and America, interspersed with little African faces saying "I only have one life".

* Our friend, Godwin, from Kenya came to share about life in Kitale, Kenya.

* We set up five stations around the room for students to make commitments to act locally to effect globally.
1) OASIS OF HOPE: A board with the names of most of the kids who are a part of this program. Our students chose a name, and picked up a postcard; making the commitment to write a letter to that student.
2) COMPASSION: A board covered in 600 pictures of children from the compassion website. Our students chose a child from the board, initialed the photo (in hopes that every child will be chosen) and wrote down the name and country on a little card to commit to praying for that child.
3) MEXICO: A board covered in donation ideas for the orphanage that Wildside will work with Labor Day weekend. Students were to choose an item and write it down on a tag as a commitment to bring that item back sometime in May.
4) WORLD MAP: A board with a giant map of the world. In front of the map were sewing pins. Students were to choose a country to pray for and stick a pin in that place on the map, write the country down on a tag and take it with them, committing to pray for the poor, the sick, the illiterate, the spiritually lost, and the corrupt leaders in that country.
5) SUFFERING: A board with statistics of suffering in the world; ex: 400 million people suffer each year from malaria. Students were to choose a statistic, write down the number, and on the back of the tag, draw a dot for each million people.

As I watched students rotate through these stations, I prayed for God to open hearts. Our program was running long so we told students that they could finish the rotations after service. The majority of students ran out of the tent, but the 25 or so that stayed behind to complete the circle, was what hit me. As I walked around the room and took pictures of the pins in the world map, I couldn't help but well up.

I want to be ONE person who makes ONE decision that can change ONE life. Because, after all, we only get ONE chance. And I really hope that a few Junior High hearts are feeling that twinge of a calling too.