13th Annual St. Matthew Lutheran School Turkey Trot
“We love because He first loved us.” 1John 4:19
“We care for orphans not because we are the rescuers, but because through Christ, we’ve been rescued.”
Last month, when I was training to walk in the Detroit Half Marathon for Team World Vision, I would often think about the stark contrast between my own life circumstances and the children that Ken and I were striving to help. I was fortunate to be able to wear good walking shoes, travel on a safe walking trail carrying only an 8 oz. bottle of water, return home to take a shower with clean water, and go to sleep in a comfortable bed. Unfortunately, the children who would be the recipients of our efforts often find themselves walking barefoot for six miles on dangerous trails where predators often lure, carrying a water jug weighing over 40 lbs, and return to homes to sleep on floors with mats. Often, my motivation when things became difficult was to focus on and think about the children that we were helping. God's Word instructs us to help those who are suffering, especially orphans, and this year, St. Matthew Lutheran School has the opportunity to help orphans living in South Africa.
Christian Outreach For Africa (COFA) has been selected as this year’s mission project for all Michigan Lutheran Schools. COFA seeks to end poverty in Africa by providing recipients the necessary tools to break out of it. Focusing on orphan care, shelter, education, and job training, COFA helps fund sustainable projects that have the potential to have a permanent impact.
COFA will utilize the funds that we raise to provide scholarships for orphans, as well as children in the Mhluzi community, to attend Bethel Christian Preschool and St. Peter Christian School.
By attending these schools, students receive a solid education in a
Christian environment and are fed hearty meals during school days. Students are truly nourished in mind, body, and soul.
As a result, we are utilizing our annual Turkey Trot to raise funds that will assist COFA’s mission to nurture, educate, and share Jesus with children who are in need.
For the past thirteen years, St. Matthew Lutheran School has hosted an annual "Turkey Trot" during the season of Thanksgiving as an avenue for students to provide assistance to a critical circumstance or need. Continuing with this year's school theme, our Student Council will host our 13th annual St. Matthew Lutheran School Turkey Trot on Friday, November 10th, entitled, "Covering South Africa with God's Fingerprints". All funds raised by this endeavor will be sent to COFA, to be used for orphan scholarship assistance.
Students in Preschool through Grade 8 are encouraged to collect pledges from family and friends for the number of laps or time that they will run during the Trot. Then, on November 10, all students will run (trot) around our school soccer field during a designated time of the school day. (Preschool through Grade 4 will “trot” from 9:30 - 10:00 a.m. and Grades 5 - 8 will “trot” from 10:15 - 10:45 a.m.)
We are looking forward to partnering with COFA and assisting them to help those young disciples that are in significant need of love and care. To begin this process, students can start by collecting pledges. Pledge sheets were sent home with each student last week. To obtain a new pledge sheet, please check the school newsletter or have your student stop in the school office to pick one up.
As a special bonus, anyone raising over $50 will receive a free T-shirt with our "Covering South Africa with God's Fingerprints " logo. What is very endearing about this logo is that it has every St. Matthew students' fingerprint covering a map of South Africa, which was created by 7th grader Preston Marston. (Please know that these shirts will be delivered two weeks after the Turkey Trot.) We are asking that students please bring their completed pledge sheets and collected funds to school on Friday, November 10. In addition, those students who run the most laps in each class and the student that earns the most money will have fun decorating a Student Council member during the concluding ceremony. What does this mean? Stay tuned for details, but it may involve something VERY messy!
As we strive to "Cover South Africa in God's Fingerprints", we are asking God to help us accomplish great things in His name, and we look forward to seeing how God will bless this effort.
In His Love,
Mrs. Palka