Preacher Dan's Ponderings: It's almost time!

Well, Lent is almost here. Starting tomorrow on the first day of Lent, I will begin a journey with three other pastors by fasting away from the food I would normally eat and only eat a pre-packaged meal of rice for the entire day. Of course, this is no ordinary bag of rice. It is a bag of rice which contains all of the daily requirements for the nutrients needed for any person to live on. These pre-packaged meals contains six servings and are normally shipped to third world countries around the globe to help those feed the hungry within their borders. These meals are packaged usually at packaging events around our country where everyday people like you and me get together and package the rice and nutrients together so it can be boxed and containerized for shipment. The organization who oversees this non-profit endeavor is called Stop Hunger Now (http://www.stophungernow.com/) and currently is serving these meals in 72 countries around the world. Since 2005, the organization has packaged and shipped almost 40 million meals!!!
The minimum cost for one of the events is $2500. and during the event at least 10,000 meals will packaged and boxed ready for shipment. The cost for each one of the meals is $1.50 and serves 6 people which means it cost 25 cents to feed one person; what greater value can you find anywhere than to feed one hungry person for 25 cents? In the world today, under nutrition contributes to more than one-half of the 9.7 million deaths of children under five each year in developing countries. This means that one child dies every six seconds from malnutrition and related causes. Every six seconds a child dies from hunger! That means since I started typing this, over a dozen children have died from the effects of hunger.
And this is one of the major reasons, I am starting this fast and promoting awareness for the work that Stop Hunger Now is doing. It is mine and the other three pastors' plan to eat the same food that is being shipped around the world for the forty days of Lent. We will eat one package a day which is about 1300 calories (yes, I do have my doctor's approval). What I would like for you to prayerfully consider is to support our cause by donating any amount you can so that we can package as many meals as possible. An example of support would be the cost of bag ($1.50) multiplied by the forty days of Lent ($1.50 X 40= $60.00). But that's just an example; I will gladly accept any amount you feel led to send. If you are interested, please make out your tax-deductible checks to Stop Hunger Now and you can mail them to me in care of Mount Gilead United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 72113, Newnan, GA 30271-2113. If you have any questions or comments, please feel to e-mail me at preacherdanumc@yahoo.com . Also, please feel free to forward this blog or a link to it to your family and friends for their consideration of support too.

Six quarters can feed a family of six

somewhere around the world.

I will try to share with you over the Lenten season on how my journey is going thorough this blog. I covet your prayers for me and the other three pastors (Nathaniel Long from Senoia UMC in Senoia, John Mattox from Pleasant Grove UMC in LaGrange, and David Blackwood from Trinity UMC in Dalton) as we begin this spiritual journey serving God and humanity along the way...