Thankfulness, Praise, and Desperation - all in one post about BACKPACKS!

Allen reports that this year’s backpack distribution has gone phenomenally well. Well, he put more emphasis on PHENOMENALLY, so let’s add some caps and italics to that word. There. That’s more like it. But there is more to this story than that. It’s a story of thankfulness, praise, and desperation.

Sowers4Pastors has more requests for backpacks than it can possibly meet. That puts the Sowerses in the unenviable position of having to pick and choose which groups get backpacks. Of course, all of the sponsored children and unsponsored children in the Manna 4 Lempira and the Sister Church Sponsorship programs get backpacks, as do the pastors’ children. Beyond that, they carefully chose a few other communities to receive backpacks.

Multiple locations are building new schools and expanding existing schools, because the backpack program has been so successful. So many kids are graduating from 6th grade that there is now a growing need for middle schools. Allen said, “Basically, it’s the impact of the backpack.”

The demand is so great that Sowers4Pastors has been taking backpacks that were sent empty and filling them with school supplies. Allen, who normally sounds like Winnie the Pooh’s friend, Tigger, momentarily sounded like Eeyore when he sighed and said, “We really could use more.”

Allen explained, “We have pastors pleading with us to help them send kids to school. People are crying over it. That’s how great it is when we are able to meet their needs and how sad it is when we say, ‘No.’ We have to say we’re sorry. We wish we had more capacity, but we are limited.”

Tigger returned when Allen said, “You know, you should mention that this is a prayer request. ...that God would provide more partners to do backpacks. That we could meet the unbelievably overwhelming need. It is an opportunity to break ground in some new locations--to do more. We are desperately looking for more US partners. We are running out of backpacks and realizing the magnitude of the situation.”

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Remember the statistic that one out of three backpacks results in an extra year of education for a child who would not otherwise have attended school? That is a sobering thought. For the requests Allen is currently hearing, that “one in three” number may be even higher.

Allen said, “It can be overwhelming at times when your boots are on the ground and you’re trying to meet the needs. The number of people you can help is unbelievable. The number of people who need help is unbelievable.”

This is why your involvement is so important. If you know of any church, organization, or individual that might be interested in filling backpacks for the next backpack drive, please contact them. Also, please continue to pray that God will raise up enough willing participants to meet the growing needs.

 - posted by Christi