01/23/15 Farmville Enterprise
Tuesday night we watched a terrific documentary on Netflix called “Living on One Dollar.” Four college students stayed in rural Guatemala for 56 days and each lived on $1 per day. (1.1 billion people in the world live on $1 or less per day.) They had to secure lodging, find a fresh water source, learn to buy and cook their rice and beans, and determine a source of income. They decided to take out a microloan to start a small radish farm. It is well worth watching their experiences.
Yesterday I was in Belk and overheard two women talking. One was saying how crazy it was for her to be shopping as she had two outfits, new with tags, hanging in her closet. Both agreed that it was silly but they couldn’t stop themselves from buying more clothes. How often am I guilty of this same thing? As ridiculous as it sounded to hear them describe their excess, I also own too much.
In the parable of the sheep and the goats Jesus describes what will happen when the Son of Man comes in his glory and the nations are gathered before him. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “(Matthew 25:34-40)
We don’t have to go far to find people who are in need of food or drink or hospitality or clothing. There are plenty of people in Farmville who are sick and many at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Maury who would appreciate a visit. Currently the Farmville Benevolent Ministries organization is developing a relationship with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Through that connection canned goods can be purchased for $.18 per pound for Farmville’s food pantry. Food bags are given out each Tuesday morning from a space graciously donated by the H.B. Sugg Community Center. If a person needs help paying a utility bill, for example, she/he can go there on a Tuesday morning to ask for assistance no more than once per year. After the initial assistance, she/he must attend life skills classes before any more help can be given. In the classes ministers teach about how to budget, conserve energy, etc.
For those who have an interest in service opportunities please contact any local church. Pastors can get you connected with FBM, Farmville Community Outreach Kitchen, Meals on Wheels, Backpack Pals, etc. There are good projects all around.
celiastone 