Their parties feed the hungry in Africa
August 4, 2009
By Christopher Huber
By Christopher Huber
Chicken. Spice. Lentils. Rice.
Such was the chant of approximately 75 members of Sammamish-based Missio Lux church as they scooped, measured, dumped and packaged food to make 8,000 nutritious meals for hungry orphans in Sierra Leone.
The original “Party with a Purpose” was held June 7 at Pine Lake Covenant Church, but various members have since sponsored more meal-assembly gatherings to benefit children through Silverdale-based Children of the Nations International.
So far this summer, Missio Lux has funded and packaged 16,000 meals, with an ultimate goal of 40,000 by summer’s end, said Lead Visionary Pastor Tamara Buchan.
“It’s an inexpensive way to impact the lives both locally and globally by helping hungry children be able to eat,” Buchan said.
Each meal is not just a handout coming from “rich” Americans to desperate children in Africa, said Dave Schertzer, Children of the Nations resource director.
“(Missio Lux’s) food alone would feed 110 children for a year. That’s real,” he said. “That 40,000 meals will be a huge blessing. And when the food arrives, it’s almost perfect timing for when it’s needed in the country.”
Schertzer said the organization treats each meal as a catalyst for building relationships with village leaders in each country, with the end goal of medically treating and educating the children. They each dream of the same things American children do, he said. They want to be doctors, teachers; any profession you can think of.
“They don’t just want a handout,” Schertzer said. “Our children are going to have a direct opportunity to step into those roles and part of that is receiving a nutritious meal every day.”
The meals — made of chicken powder, lentils and rice with some spices — are designed to benefit children nutritionally and mix with local produce from any nation, particularly in Uganda, Malawi, Dominican Republic and Sierra Leone, Schertzer said. Children of the Nations works with local sustainable farmers to add extra nutrition to the meals once the food is in the country.
“The food is made so that each culture can incorporate that into the nutrition plan for each child,” he said.
A single meal, including packaging and shipping (which is usually donated), costs just 25 cents, Buchan said, and meal assembly is quick with a large group of people.
Children of the Nations feeds approximately 11,000 children per day in the four countries, which means it raises funds and volunteer time to package about 1 million meals each year, Schertzer said.
Not only do the meals provide the initial sustenance to help poverty-stricken orphans regain energy for a new life, but the many Sammamish children involved in the project have learned valuable lessons, said Missio Lux member Kirsten Hindsbo.
“I think it gives awareness. The kids from an early age…it raises awareness and it becomes much more personal,” Hindsbo said. “I like the format. Everyone was so happy and helpful and social and the kids were really involved. The kids were not just there, they were actively involved and understanding (what it was about).”
Buchan said Missio Lux members plan to host three more meal-packaging parties: Aug. 18 and 30 and Sept. 12. The Aug. 18 event will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Buchan home.
“We’d like to keep it going as long as possible,” she said. “But the hope is to do another one next year in May and get people to have them in their homes.”
Contact Buchan for directions or more information at tamara@missiolux.org.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
Chicken. Spice. Lentils. Rice.
Such was the chant of approximately 75 members of Sammamish-based Missio Lux church as they scooped, measured, dumped and packaged food to make 8,000 nutritious meals for hungry orphans in Sierra Leone.
The original “Party with a Purpose” was held June 7 at Pine Lake Covenant Church, but various members have since sponsored more meal-assembly gatherings to benefit children through Silverdale-based Children of the Nations International.
Members of Missio Lux gather around the 8,000 meals they packaged June 7 at Pine Lake Covenant Church in Sammamish. Contributed
So far this summer, Missio Lux has funded and packaged 16,000 meals, with an ultimate goal of 40,000 by summer’s end, said Lead Visionary Pastor Tamara Buchan.
“It’s an inexpensive way to impact the lives both locally and globally by helping hungry children be able to eat,” Buchan said.
Each meal is not just a handout coming from “rich” Americans to desperate children in Africa, said Dave Schertzer, Children of the Nations resource director.
“(Missio Lux’s) food alone would feed 110 children for a year. That’s real,” he said. “That 40,000 meals will be a huge blessing. And when the food arrives, it’s almost perfect timing for when it’s needed in the country.”
Schertzer said the organization treats each meal as a catalyst for building relationships with village leaders in each country, with the end goal of medically treating and educating the children. They each dream of the same things American children do, he said. They want to be doctors, teachers; any profession you can think of.
“They don’t just want a handout,” Schertzer said. “Our children are going to have a direct opportunity to step into those roles and part of that is receiving a nutritious meal every day.”
The meals — made of chicken powder, lentils and rice with some spices — are designed to benefit children nutritionally and mix with local produce from any nation, particularly in Uganda, Malawi, Dominican Republic and Sierra Leone, Schertzer said. Children of the Nations works with local sustainable farmers to add extra nutrition to the meals once the food is in the country.
“The food is made so that each culture can incorporate that into the nutrition plan for each child,” he said.
A single meal, including packaging and shipping (which is usually donated), costs just 25 cents, Buchan said, and meal assembly is quick with a large group of people.
Children of the Nations feeds approximately 11,000 children per day in the four countries, which means it raises funds and volunteer time to package about 1 million meals each year, Schertzer said.
Not only do the meals provide the initial sustenance to help poverty-stricken orphans regain energy for a new life, but the many Sammamish children involved in the project have learned valuable lessons, said Missio Lux member Kirsten Hindsbo.
“I think it gives awareness. The kids from an early age…it raises awareness and it becomes much more personal,” Hindsbo said. “I like the format. Everyone was so happy and helpful and social and the kids were really involved. The kids were not just there, they were actively involved and understanding (what it was about).”
Buchan said Missio Lux members plan to host three more meal-packaging parties: Aug. 18 and 30 and Sept. 12. The Aug. 18 event will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Buchan home.
“We’d like to keep it going as long as possible,” she said. “But the hope is to do another one next year in May and get people to have them in their homes.”
Contact Buchan for directions or more information at tamara@missiolux.org.
Watch a video of the meal packaging event at http://www.missiolux.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=69691. Learn more about Children of the Nations at www.cotni.org.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.
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