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Missed meals fight hunger By DIANE TURBYFILL, LTN Staff Writer Feb. 25, 2002 - Talking, laughing and rumbling stomachs echoed through the family life center at Bethphage Lutheran Church this weekend. Teenagers gathered to combat hunger as part of the 11th annual World Vision 30 Hour Famine, an event to get youth involved in raising awareness and money to fight hunger overseas and in the United States. Youth from Trinity, Holy Cross, Emmanuel and Bethphage Lutheran churches invited friends to join them in the cause. The result — 60 teens from 14 churches fasting to fight hunger. Participants stopped eating after lunch on Friday and did not eat again until after 7 p.m. on Saturday, raising funds by securing sponsors for their fast. Nesta Farmer, youth director at Trinity Lutheran, said the children handled the fasting well. “They’d say it’d be good to have some pizza, but they just went right along. They didn’t complain,” she said. Their 24 hours together were filled playing games, watching videos, having Bible study and worship services and taking a trip to Christian Ministry of Lincoln County. They took a tour of the facility and learned about the different outreach programs that the ministry has to offer. Many showed interest in volunteering, Farmer said. Energy levels were high as the teenagers drank juice, water and sports drinks. Farmer said many were going strong throughout the night. To learn more about third-world countries, participants built shelters out of cardboard boxes. Farmer said the replicas were to show teens what living quarters are like for some in other countries. When the time came to eat, mouths were watering in anticipation of what they were to be served. Much to the their surprise, the fasters were served a typical meal in a third-world country — pinto beans with cornmeal, sugar and oil. “I’m telling you, they didn’t think too much of it, but they all tried it,” she said. Farmer finds the experience to be a valuable one. “It’s just a real fun weekend.” The youth at Trinity have participated in the 30 Hour Famine for more than five years, usually bringing in about 20 participants and $1,000. Farmer says it’s too soon to tell how much this year’s event will raise — teens have until March 17 to turn in donations — but she expects the total to be high. Anyone who would like to sponsor a participant should call one of the participating churches, or Nesta Farmer at 704-276-3088.
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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