Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs (Mt. 19:14).

            You may have noticed over the past few years that occasionally St. Luke’s Zion has sent some support to Kids Helping Kids, which is an orphan program in Cameroon.  Having now visited this program in person, I would like to tell you a little more about it.

            While there are many different orphan programs in Cameroon and around the world, this particular program is one that the MNO Synod supports.  The driving force behind Kids Helping Kids is a woman named Fanta, who brings all kinds of enthusiasm and energy to her work.  Once a month she gathers together 60 children at the hospital in N’gaoundéré who have lost either one or both parents.  They range in age from 3 to 18, and some of them walk as far as five miles in order to get there.

            The children learn songs and dances.  They are given a snack that they can either eat there or carry with them.  They are given school supplies or hygiene items (like toothbrushes) when they need them.  They receive rice, oil, flour, and other basic foodstuffs. They do crafts together and learn the stories of Jesus.  They learn how to pray and how to share their faith in Jesus with others.  And they even take some time to kick a soccer ball around when they have one.

            Then, as they grow older, they become leaders in the Kids Helping Kids program.  They have a president, a secretary and an executive.  Some of the older boys do the drumming for their singing and dancing (and also play the drum at other church events). The children learn to look out for one another.

            One of the things that impressed me the most about the young people we met was the self-confidence they were learning, as well as their leadership skills.  One of the children opened our gathering with prayer.  Their president welcomed us, and several of the children introduced themselves and told us how old they were and where they went to school.  One of the older boys presented us with a wood carving he had made of an elephant.

            I was also impressed by the ability of those whom we would refer to as “youth” to simply enjoy singing and dancing.  There was no hint of embarrassment or refusal to participate.  There was simply joy in being together and in praising God.  There was also gratitude for all of the items we took with us – things like stickers, toothbrushes, pencils, etc. – and excitement over the deflated soccer ball that they could see in the bag.  They have learned at a very young age how to live as followers of Jesus, and the gifts of gratitude and joy in spite of the losses in their lives.

            It seems to me that there is plenty that we can learn from our Cameroonian brothers and sisters in Christ.  For example, do we teach our children (or even adults for that matter) how to lead others in prayer?  Have we actually experienced the joy of forgiveness and salvation?  Have we learned how to base our confidence and self-worth on God’s love for us rather than the opinions of others?

            May the Holy Spirit continue to work within us and among us, helping us to know the love of Jesus for all people, including us!

                        In Christ,

                        Pastor Lynne Hutchison