Trinity Sunday School Spearheads Church Wide Fund Raiser for Education and Literacy Programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Prompted by a request from Phoebe Baty, the Sunday School will sponsor the popular Pennies for Peace Project.  The project kicked off September 27^th with a DVD presentation at an adult forum and a special presentation to the children during their worship center time.  Worshippers at both services received a sticker in their service sheets to put on their containers at home and at their places of employment.  And those that were away on retreat were given information by Mrs. Baty herself.

Many parishioners are familiar with the New York Times best seller Three Cups of Tea in which Greg Mortenson documents his introduction into the Karakoram mountain region for a climbing expedition in 1993 and subsequent involvement in building fifty-five schools especially for girls in the land that gave birth to the Taliban.  Greg’s work continues in the name of the Central Asia Institute.  The pennies collected by participating groups will help continue the philosophy that “sustainable development only occurs when projects are entirely initiated, implemented, and managed by local communities.”  While the penny, 1% of a dollar, is essentially worthless in the United States, in Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny buys a pencil and empowers a child to read and write.  A penny is something even the smallest child understands.  It is something even the poorest family can afford to give.  And it, like the mustard seed, symbolizes how even the smallest can grow to serve the largest good.

We have chosen this time of Stewardship as a perfect time to think not just of Trinity’s needs but the needs beyond ourselves.  Our fund raising program will continue until Dec. 6^th when the children will raise their and your gifts to the Lord for a blessing. That date has been chosen as meaningful because it is St. Nicholas day.  St. Nicholas will be with us to shower our own children with coins, but our children and our adult parishioners will return the favor to the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan by showering them, not just with pennies, but with hope for the future.  $20 gives one student school supplies for one year; $50 will buy a treadle sewing machine; $100 provides maternal health care supplies for one year; $300 will give on advanced student’s annual scholarship; $600 will pay for one teacher for a year.  Might we at Trinity give a school a teacher?

Please bring your pennies each week.   A large green Persian vase will be situated at the back of the church for you to noisily throw your pennies in as you come into church.  This brings a new meaning to, “Make a joyful noise.”  We can only accept PENNIES.  The next time you see that ubiquitous piece of copper in the street pick it up and pocket it for Pennies for Peace.