A Five Star Local P.E.A.C.E. Opportunity

Resident reviewer Bill Markham submitted this review of his small group's experience at Feed My Starving Children:

I would highly recommend a night at Feed My Starving Children (990 Lone Oak Road, Suite 160  Eagan, MN 55121; 651-379-2775) to any individual or small group, especially those with young children (your four year old will remain engaged in a meaningful activity for two hours). 

Our group, which consisted of 18 adults and 14 children (including one visiting child!) arrived at 6:30 p.m. on a Friday night (IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you want to do this activity, call the Eagan number on the website now. Sometimes there is a wait of a few weeks for large groups.) The evening began in a large room where we had a very short orientation and a DVD with short stories about the operation. 

Whoever designed this ministry is a genius.  Kids as young as five years old worked alongside other children and adults. The team on that Friday night created 12,500 bags of food in one hour. The operating area is set up with 12 work stations and each work station has five or six people.  Each person has a specific job (load rice, chicken, soy, etc., hang the bags, seal the bags, pack the boxes, etc).  Other adults worked in the warehouse refilling food bins and weighing and placing boxes on pallets. 

Laughter and cheering filled the room as the event turned into a little bit of a competition to see how many boxes we could fill.  At the end of our time, we all ate a sample of the food, and had a short debrief.  There was also an opportunity to pray over the boxed food that is going to starving children.  There was very little solicitation of funds from the staff, although they did point out where to make donations, and they also had hats and shirts for sale with the ministry logo. 

We walked out at 8:30 pm and then went to a nearby Culver’s for burgers and ice cream...a guilt ridden meal. :-)  This is a brilliantly designed ministry that will make you feel like you really contributed to an important cause.

Karen

Great weekend with the Karen at both campuses. The meal they made for us on Saturday night was delicious. The crowd was huge. Those of us at the end of the line missed the noodles, rice, the round sausage things and the pancake-like things (okay, so I'm not up to speed on Karen cuisine). But never fear, there's always kids around who don't eat all their food and I'm not too picky...so I got to taste it all. The sausage I almost missed was fabulous and very garlicy. Stayed with me all night, according to Lois...but it was worth it.

Pray for the Karen's home country (Myanmar, formerly Burma), which has been hit by a cyclone. Thousands are feared dead. Did you know the latest Rambo installment takes place in Myanmar? I haven't seen it, but that's what I've been told.

Don't forget about the informational meeting on Tuesday night this week at the Woodbury campus. Find out how you or your small group can help Karen refugees settle in.