Where, Oh Where Did My Dollar Go?
(alife February 2005 issue, Kids' Korner)
By Jaynee Walker Anna loved animals—all kinds of animals. Whenever someone in her neighborhood planned to go on vacation, Anna would offer to take care of their pets while they were gone. That way, she could not only play with animals, but she also earned extra money.
    Each Sunday, Anna put some of the money she earned in the offering. During her church’s Missions Conference, Anna heard that the Great Commission Fund supports Alliance missionaries all over the world. So that week, she decided to give her money to the Great Commission Fund. She was so happy that she could help the missionaries do God’s work in other countries.
    The next day at school, Anna read a story about Africa. Later, as she played on the swings during recess, she began to think about the dollar she had given to the Great Commission Fund.
    “I wonder where my dollar went?” she thought aloud. “I think it must have gone to Africa! Perhaps it will see monkeys or hippos or elephants when it’s there. That would be really cool.”
    “What are you talking about, Anna?” asked Caleb, who was on the swing next to her.
    “Oh,” Anna replied, “last Sunday at church I gave a dollar to help the missionaries. Missionaries are people who go to another place to tell people about how Jesus died for them, so they can be forgiven for the bad things they’ve done and go to heaven. We have missionaries all over the world. I was just thinking about where my dollar might have gone. After we read the story in reading class, I really think it must have gone to Africa this time.”
    “That’s kind of neat,” said Caleb. “What part of Africa do you think your dollar went to?”
    “Perhaps it went to Congo where the missionaries are teaching men to be pastors,” Anna said. “Maybe it helped purchase books for their school so the men will learn how to teach other people to study the Bible.
    “Or maybe it went to help pay a missionary who’s a doctor at Bongolo Hospital in Gabon like Dr. Walker. She takes care of sick babies and tells their parents about how Jesus loves them and their children and how He wants to live in their hearts.
    “It could have gone to Guinea. Many people there don’t believe in Jesus. They follow Mohammed instead. Maybe my dollar will help the missionaries travel to the villages in Guinea to tell people that Jesus is the only way to heaven.
    “I think it might have gone to Senegal. That’s where the missionary kids go to school. My dollar may help to rent a dorm that the kids stay in while they go to school.
    “Perhaps it went to Mali and is helping pay for a license for a radio station that tells people in different parts of the country about Jesus.
    “Maybe my dollar is in Burkina Faso, where there are lots of people in high school and college. If the mission-aries can teach them about Jesus, those young people can make a difference in the whole country for Him.
    “Or perhaps it went to Côte d’Ivoire to help Mr. and Mrs. Hanscome, who are translating the Bible for the Agni people. It must be very sad not to have a Bible in a language you can read.”
    “Wow,” Caleb said. “Your dollar could go to lots of different places and do a lot of different things.”
    “Well, if you want to learn more about this kind of stuff, you should come with me to church next Sunday,” Anna replied.
    “Then you can learn about Jesus, too. My Sunday school class is really fun, and the teacher doesn’t give any homework!” “That sounds cool,” Caleb replied. “I’ll ask my mom and dad if I can go.”
    Just then, Anna and Caleb heard the bell ring and realized that recess was over. As Anna walked back to her classroom, she decided that there were a lot of things her dollar could do. She could hardly wait until next Sunday when she could give another dollar to the Great Commission Fund.
    “Maybe next time my dollar will go to South Amer-ica!” she whispered to Caleb as they sat down in their classroom.

Jaynee and her husband, Stan, have been C&MA missionaries in West Africa since 1993. Jaynee currently serves in the Africa Regional Office as financial coordinator.

Support the GCF . . .
Give a gift to the GCF online using your credit card. View the latest Great Commission Fund update.