The 30 hour famine

At 12:02 on Friday afternoon I finished eating a cheese burger and fries from Applebees. I decided on this meal carefully. I knew that after I finished I would not be eating again for 30 hours. In the back of my mind I was planning on sneaking to get food. After I left Applebees I had to come back home and get my stuff together. Now I was not allowed to drink pop for the 30 hours, however I had planned on drinking one right before I got the church. When I arrived home I packed up my things and loaded my car. Then drove to church (no POP was had). When I arrived to the church the work began. I started setting up and getting things ready. This was probably the hardest thing for me because I was all alone in our church and I knew there was food (although I was not hungry from my big lunch, I was fighting with my self to not eat) . I didn't eat!!!! Zach Arrived and we began set up!!!

5:30 p.m.- Students arrived!!! I was nervous and ready to go I wanted this event to go wonderfully!!!!
After arriving and putting their stuff away They began building there Shanties!!! This was awesome!!! I watched 14 youth group members work together to build a house. Now mind you it was 35 degrees out and they were building it outside. They manged to get two really interestingly built shanty (they planned to sleep in them Friday evening.)

After we built the shanty the students were broken up into 3 teams, then we broke to Meijer!!!! each team was assigned a family and a certain amount of money. One group had a family of 4 and had $13 to feed this family (included all food groups minus dairy) for a day. Another group was a family of 3 and had $30 dollars for day!! My group had a family of 3 and we had $20 dollars a day! We began our shopping with Breakfast when we were in this aisle one of the youth members turned to me and asked if they were allowed to add their own money to feed this family. Although some may see this as cheating she asked because she felt bad for this family and wanted to be able to give them more. I nicely told her that we couldn't but we would get as much as we could. So that was our groups mission not to just feed a family for a day but it turned into feeding a family for a week! WE DID IT!!! we were able to plan out 3 meals a day for 7 days and we spent $19.90!!! Now this food did not go to a real family but my group really got into trying to get more for their money. I was so proud of them!!!
The rest of Friday consisted of hanging 1208 post its on the windows of the church to represent the number of children who die in one hour. We also made a large poster covered with 1250 hand prints representing the amount of money we had raised so far!!!

The last thing we did before bed on Friday night was turn off all the lights in the Sanctuary and light 300 candles. After they were all lite we had the kids walk in and sit on the floor. Zach announced that for the next 15 min they were to watch the flames and pray. After 3 second I blew out the first candle. some of the kids were surprised. 3 seconds later another candle went out. this continued for around 15 mins( I know if you do the math it does really work but I went longer on a few! lol) When only one candle was lite Zach explained that every 3 seconds a child dies because of starvation. Then I blew out the final candle. Several of the kids got very emotional. Now I was also feeling the emotion pull at my heart, I did my best to hold it in. We took a few min to talk with the kids and it was INSPIRING to hear what they were saying, 12 hour after we began fasting they were so worried about these other kids none of them had even mentioned being hungry! IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

Now it was bed time....4 brave students we out into the 10 degree weather and slept in the cardboard shanties. 2 of them made it all night!!!! GOOD JOB GIRLS!!!

Saturday morning!

We went to a 12 step rescue mission and did yard work and cleaned up around the building it was a lot of fun and the kids really did a great job. Now this mission was not in Fairfield, it was about 35 min from the Church. While we were their something moving happened. I really felt Gods presents!!!!!!!!!!
We were about to head upstairs (after a potty break) When on of the residents at the mission Stopped Chris (my cuz) He said HEY ARE YOU CHRIS, (we were all speechless) Chris replied yes. The guys said "I went to Fairfield with you" (Almost all the kids in the youth group go to F.F.) Chris said "what was your name" The guy told and then Chris remembered they took a min to talk about some of the people from high school. Chris asked the guy "how he was doing (knowing somethings wasn't good if he was at the mission)" This guys response was " I am great. I was saved right here at the hope house, they even baptised me. Thanks to groups like you I have gotten my stuff together, I don't drink or do drugs. My life is great." Now to all of us living in a rescue mission is far from great! However it was the best thing in life for this guy!!! What was neat is that 6 members of our group were able to hear this guy talk. He was only 4 years older than them and had lived in the same places. It really reached a lot of people. I know that guy was there that day for a reason and I thank god that we got to meet him.

After we left the mission we went back to the church and played games!!! Now this was a fun afternoon, I must tell you about one game that we played. Each person was given a song title and they had to sing the song with water in their mouth. Now I am not sure if you have ever done this it was not easy!!!!!!!! I had to sing "if your happy and you know it" well I spit water out and all over two members of the youth ( I do believe it is on a video somewhere!)

After the games the students learned to knit and made blankets for a nursing home. (They loved this!!!)

Then created activity kits for Children's hospital

Then the famine was coming to an end.....We had our final worship. This was great everyone was ready to eat. Since our pastor (well sucks) couldn't be there to break communion I made the food that they give to kids in 3rd world countries. Now it SMELLED AWFUL!!!!! They kids thought we were going to break our fast with all the WONDERFUL food we could smell the church members making!!! but now they ate the UNIMEX bread, One of the students came up and hugged Zach and I and said I am so glad we broke our fast with what we worked so hard to buy! I LOVED IT This made the whole event worth it!!!!!!

OUR GRAND TOTAL FOR THE EVENT WAS.......$1417.50 (and still growing, Our church members keep calling me wanting to donate money!) Each dollar feeds one child for one day!!!!

I am so proud of the youth group, Zach and Myself!!! WE did it and it was awesome and I actually didn't feel hungry until the very end!!!!