Winning Ways: Pack a Kit--Serve the World

Help people help people help people.

Actually, that sentence makes more sense than it seems at first.

Thousands in southern Africa die each year from sicknesses like AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, malaria and other life ending diseases, and often the only care they will receive is at home. Missionaries and nationals connected with our International Mission Board want to minister to family caregivers in these homes. Assembling an In-Home Care Kit with Baptist Global Response (BGR) is a way to help people help people help people.

Last Sunday I challenged you to join Diane and me with this project. You can participate as an individual, as a family, or as a Hillcrest Bible study group.

The challenge is pack at least one BGR In-Home Care Kit and bring it to Hillcrest by Sunday, August 1.

The BGR In-Home Care Kit is a compilation of medical and hygiene supplies to assist caregivers of home-bound, terminally ill patients. Items in this kit will make the caregivers’ tasks much easier, but more importantly, will ease the suffering of the ones affected by the illness. The BGR In-Home Care Kit consists of a 5-gallon, heavy duty bucket with a sealable lid. In Africa a bucket is a very valuable item that can be used to haul and store water, store food away from rodents and insects, and store other goods away from inclement weather and environmental challenges. Inside the bucket are items that assist in keeping patients clean and dry. There are also items to protect their mat or mattress from soiling. Medicated lip balm and lotion help treat the skin problems that those suffering from AIDS battle. Other items are included that make life easier and less painful.

By putting together at least one kit, you will help provide a physical and spiritual touch to those in sub-Saharan Africa who are dying from AIDS and other illnesses. Our local Baptist and field partners in Africa will distribute the buckets in a way that gives dignity and hope to each family receiving a kit.

Everything you need to participate in this project can be found at www.inhomecarekit.org. We will have print copies of these documents at Hillcrest as well. We’re asking you to do four things:

1. Purchase the products from the shopping list.
2. Pack the bucket(s) according to the BGR instructions.
3. Pray for those who will receive your bucket(s).
4. Bring the bucket(s) to church and add it to the growing collection on stage.

This year, BGR wants to provide 5,000 kits to help 5,000 families in need. Diane and I are packing six. How many will you pack?

Tom

P.S., To kick off this project, I showed a 5-minute video that you can view here.

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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.