GOD Int'l Participants Host Summer Food Program

Mothers and children gather for lunch. Special lesson times are planned and executed by volunteers, including bible stories, crafts, and music.

Sometimes we receive questions like: "Keeping this pace, won't you burn out in a few years?" and "You know you can't do everything, right?" It is true that our work requires much sacrifice. We are striving to accomplish great things with a small group of very committed people. But, while we recognize that we have limitations, we strive to echo the apostle Paul in the knowledge that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We know that when we do the will of God, there is rest in that activity. As we seek to be agents of the love of God to those we meet daily, we are ever conscious of our responsibility and desire to serve those in need. And so we continue to invest ourselves in opportunities to serve those around us, within and around our immediate community.

Just such an opportunity arose this summer, when the Metropolitan Government of Nashville approved us to host a summer lunch program for children ages 18 and under. These children come from low-income families in the three nearest surrounding public school districts. They partake in provided school lunches during the year. However, in the summer, often do not have the means to consume healthy, balanced meals on a regular basis. Our program provides these meals daily in a picnic setting, providing local kids with a sandwich, two servings of fruits and vegetables, and milk. Beyond the tangible benefits, the children are given the daily opportunity to engage with their community, and we likewise experience the blessing of spending time with our neighbors. We seek to know them and to show them who we are - a people striving toward holiness, a community characterized by love, grace, and truth.

We are in our third week of serving lunches to our community. As the word gets out, the children trickle in, and every day we find ourselves with a few more kids headed our way come 11a.m. We sit with them as they eat, hear their stories and enjoy our time with them. For those of us not traveling this summer, opportunities like these remind us we are able to be active people of God wherever we are. While our friends and family are in India, Africa, the Philippines, and Latin America, we will continue to work toward making the Word of God a living presence in our lives, having the same mindset as Jesus, the one who took the form of a servant. (Phil. 2:7)