Read Dr. Staab’s story of how kids in Iowa impacted children in Congo with their generosity.

Over the past year, a group of children aged seven to ten at Valley Church in West Des Moines, Iowa raised funds that they wanted to use to help others. They held a yard sale, sold fidget poppers made out of plastic drink lids, and sold lemonade and muffins. The youngest encouraged the others to find a cause that would help spread the gospel. In turn, their parents asked me if the funds would help in our upcoming trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where my wife, Becky, and I were going to visit the ReachGlobal ministries. We would be visiting children sponsored through GlobalFingerprints in local schools, a home for disabled children, as well as a hospital. To benefit the sponsored children, I was taking high-quality vitamins available to me through Blessings International.

The children had raised about $100 when they asked about the needs in the Congo. Three older siblings, ages thirteen to fifteen, caught the vision and contributed money as well. Overall, the youth people contributed $360 toward the vitamins that we took with us.

When the vitamins arrived in Iowa, I took the children's picture holding the vitamin bottles they helped purchase. In the Congo, I showed this photo to the children in the Promise Home, a residential ministry for children suffering from disabilities such as spina bifida, polio, and cerebral palsy. Although the disabled are mistreated in their local culture, they find the love of Christ at Promise Home. Other vitamins went to needy GlobalFingerprints children in local schools.

The recipients were so grateful to see the photos of the children who had sent them the vitamins. They wanted to know their names and all about them.

Back in the US, I gave the Iowan children a report of my trip and photos of the Congolese children who had received the vitamins. I was able to connect these generous children to Blessings International, and, via vitamin bottles, to the needy children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Caught the vision too? Sponsor a child in need today!