Visiting Africa is generally a major eye-opening experience for westerners when they realize how little some have and yet live joyfully. This experience puts a whole new perspective on what they have and still, somehow, feel they don’t have enough. The Arvada Seventh-day Adventist Church in Arvada, Colorado, decided to round up all those usable goods from their homes and pass them on to the ones less fortunate.
The Arvada Church acquired a shipping container. Filling the container took time, but it got filled up. “Small things, big things, cool things, fun things poured in to better the lives of some strangers on the other side of the world. Strangers they might be, but they are our brothers and sisters in Christ,” remarked Miloš Tomić, associate pastor at the Arvada Church.
Among the items donated were 100 quality chairs for the recipients’ worship services courtesy of Wilson Cruz, Arvada Church audio coordinator. Also, 5,000 pairs of reading glasses for local clinics and schools were provided courtesy of Branko and Denise Loncar, participants in the outreach.
To help with repairing local church buildings, a cement mixer and several tools were sent courtesy of Al Bargas, Arvada Church member. Furniture items, clothing, shoes, hygiene products, toys, electronics and monitors and projectors for schools were among the items sent as well.
Tomić added, “The power of things to make this world a better place is at our fingertips. Just look at things around you that you own. If you don’t need them, we’ll pass them on to the ones who will benefit so much from them. We are planning to send another container in March next year. You are most welcome to join the effort.”
For more information on making donations, contact Arvada associate church pastor Pastor Tomić at Milos@aachurch.org
