With 17 days to go, our Africa team has gathered quite a collection. From sunglass readers to coloring books to drawing paper to crayons to soccer balls to maxipads to medical supplies, all items are stockpiled in Dallas, Plano, and Abilene.
And most of the collection is not only gathered, but it’s been packed, as well. So far, 5 large duffel bags have been loaded, indexed, and weighed and thus comprise a good part of our checked baggage. If things go as planned, the collection will grow by several more bags.
Our chief organizer, Allison, and her chief assistant, Dan, have meticulously arranged each item and have the bags stacked and ready for transport to the airport.
A collection is a gathering of objects — individual items, some packaged goods. Most of these were donated by friends and family who wanted to have a part in our mission to Rwanda and Kenya.
Most of this collection is going to a refugee camp in the eastern part of Rwanda. It is our hope that these items will be a welcome gift for the children and the adults who, once displaced, are on the path to finding a new place in life.
As I watched team members load some of the items in Allison’s and Dan’s car this weekend, I wished that there was a way to connect each person who donated an item to the person who would receive it. That connection would create a new network and a new collection — a collection of individuals who are coming together even though they are half a world apart.
In a way, that “people collection,” some in the United States and some in Africa, is the entire reason for our trip. The only way to build peace in a world like ours is to find the right connections and to bring people together.
Our te
am — Aaron, Dan, Allison, Malcolm, Robyn, Betty, and me — has the privilege of being a connection. We hope to form, along with the wonderful people we meet, a collection of humanity who will expand the possibilities of peace.
Thank you for your generosity. We’ll be sharing other ways you can help as our departure grows closer.