News & Stories

Pass the Bedpan

August 10, 2010

Using bedpans as offering plates, 243 children attending Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Hawley (Minnesota) Alliance Church, raised $1,220 to partner with the Burkina Faso mission field to provide water filtration systems for Burkinabé children, who suffer from dysentery because of contaminated water and lack of latrines.

Although Alliance international workers Steve and Amy Nehlsen have not visited Hawley Alliance Church, VBS leader Deb Muscatell initiated a partnership last summer between the VBS and the Nehlsens, telling the kids about their work on the Burkina Faso mission field. “Steve e-mailed me of the need for water filtration systems, and I updated the kids on the projects in Burkina that they gave toward last year,” says Deb. “We gave bonus points to the kids for answering questions in a game about Burkina Faso that they used to redeem gifts at the VBS store. The kids really enjoyed passing the ‘toilet’ to provide toilets!”

This year’s attendance  includes many children from the community who are unchurched. “This year, 23 kids accepted Christ as their Savior,” says Deb. “Pray that their new faith in Jesus will be rooted firmly in their hearts.”