Blessed to be a blessing

“It is more blessed to give than to receive…” (Acts 20:35)

Recently, our children assembled hygiene kits as a service project. These hygiene kits are given to students that come from far away to attend the International Evangelism Centre in Salika, Tanzania. At the Centre, these students prepare to be church planters and pastors to a number of countries in East Africa. The relatively few supplies—all fitting into a 1 gallon Ziplock bag—are a tremendous blessing to these eager, but often impoverished, students. The assembly of the kits allowed us a wonderful opportunity to discuss in chapel just how richly we are blessed, and that there is always something to be thankful for in the midst of our struggles in life.

In a special chapel attended by Bishop Eliudi, the founder and president of IEC-Salika, the children were able to pray for each kit they assembled and the student that would be receiving the gift. Then, after a fun activity and some questions for Bishop Eliudi, the children presented the kits, one at a time. They shook hands with Bishop Eliudi and were thanked and blessed for their generosity. The smiles on their faces told the story. For many of our children, uprooted from their homes and working through some very difficult issues and matters of relationship, it was a healthy reminder that they, too, have something to give. They could see in a very tangible way that they had been blessed to be a blessing.

In the Chaplain’s Program at Intermountain, we feel it is important for the children to learn compassion, empathy, and the positive sense of self that comes from giving oneself in service to another. From the spirit and the energy that flowed from our chapel service with Bishop Eliudi, it is hard to argue against the therapeutic power of service and acts of kindness and encouragement. A big thank you goes out to the many Intermountain staff that donated items for the kits we made. A grand total of 29 kits were assembled, a fantastic feat and a great encouragement to Bishop Eluidi!

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