Ten year old Ethan listened intently as people in his church talked about the upcoming mission trip to Nicaragua to minister to orphans. It was almost unbelievable to him that some of the children in the orphanage didn’t even have their own pillow and blanket. Ethan knew he was too young to go on the trip, but he wanted to help. Then he had an idea: he would raise money himself to provide pillows and blankets for the children. His goal: $400.
But how could a kid raise that much money in a short time? Ethan – resourceful and imaginative – decided to write a story and see if people would buy it. He labored over the adventure that he would call The Rebels and The Rangers, set in the early 1900s. His mom printed it off with a note at the back about Ethan’s dream and began to spread the word. Anyone could have a copy of Ethan’s book for a donation to the orphan project. News spread fast throughout the church, the community, and on FaceBook as donations poured in. It kept Ethan’s mom busy printing more books and even mailing a few to those from out of town who wanted to help.
Before the church team left for Nicaragua, Ethan had raised a whopping $1200 – three times his goal! Not only would he be able to provide pillows and blankets, but also clothes and shoes for many of the orphans!
In visiting with Ethan’s mom, she told me that this had been a wonderful opportunity for Ethan to experience people’s kindness and generosity and to see how God blessed his humble, heartfelt offering.
If only we all had the faith of a child.
Ethan (next to the bottom) with his family
Ethan lives on a farm where his parents home school him and his younger brother. In his spare time, Ethan likes to play basketball and football and is currently busy working on the sequel to The Rebels and The Rangers.
