Making a Difference, One Starfish at a Time

You’ve probably heard some version of this inspirational starfish story: A young man is walking along the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore. Further along he sees an old man, walking slowly and stooping often, picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean. “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?,” he asks. “Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don’t throw them further in they will die.” “But, old man, don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it! You can’t possibly save them all, you can’t even save one-tenth of them. In fact, even if you work all day, your efforts won’t make any difference at all.”

The old man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the sea. “It made a difference to that one.”

Are you tired of waking up, and hearing endless news reports about violence and hopeless situations in our world? Imagine, waking up, with your favorite cup of coffee and instead peering into the rainforest or mango trees, having slept well from yesterday’s activities of bringing better health, more food, and hopefulness to some world neighbors you haven’t met yet. This could happen to you. If you’re not a world traveler, you could join with others in support of an orphanage, a water, or health project.

The Community Church in Tehachapi will be hosting an evening to learn about several global mission projects that are secular in nature and available for people of any or no faith to get involved with. Peter Keller, Executive Director of AidAfrica.net, which works to rebuild sustainable communities in sub-saharan Africa, will be an invited speaker on Friday, October 3rd at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Come and make a mini-trip around the world, tasting foods from various regions, and learning about opportunities in Uganda; healthcare training partnerships with indigenous Amazonian tribes in Peru; and community gardening in Cuba. Come and learn about trips that could transform your life and ways to make them affordable.

Fair trade coffee and chocolates will be available along with a bazaar of gift items to support mostly women and school children in Uganda, Peru, and Guatemala. The church is located at 100 East “E” Street in Tehachapi, Calif, and the bazaar will be held from 5-8:00 p.m.

Let’s talk about having an adventure and making a difference where we can!

Hoping to meet you,

Pastor Nancy