This is a photo of Cecelia. She is 8 months old, and although she is small, she crawls around the nursery with determination and smiles. She loves bright toys and is always one of the first babies to lift her arms and beg to be picked up. No one can resist her, so Cecelia has lots of attention!

Cecelia came to House of Moses when she was only two weeks old. Her mother is mentally ill and is not able to take care of herself, much less of a child. Cecelia's grandmother takes care of her mother, but is very elderly and not able to care for the baby. Additionally, there are two other adults in the

home that also suffer from mental illness and the family is extremely poor. The grandmother has been asked to release Cecelia for adoption, but has not yet agreed to sign the papers.

Please pray for the grandmother to agree to adoption and for the perfect family to adopt Cecelia. Pray also for protection from mental illness, as apparently this malady runs in the family.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Tucson, Arizona Enthusiastically Welcomes the Return of the Change 4 Children Program

On Sunday, February 27, 2005, Change 4 Children was presented for the second year in a row to the St. Andrew's congregation at each of its four worship services.  After the sermon Sandra Levinson gave examples of how 2004 change donations helped Zambian children orphaned by  HIV/AIDS.  Baskets were given to attendees as they left worship.  People choose from a variety of patterns and sizes, and where awed by the beautiful handiwork of the Zambian women. The supply dwindled quickly as members excitedly picked over the tables full of black and brown woven reed containers to take them home and start filling them like they did last spring.  Our pastor's sermon this day, was a Godly coincidence that helped spur interest. He spoke on entering someone else's world as ministers for Christ. As several mentioned after the service, Change 4 Children certainly allows us to use our station in life to influence others for God.

Last year the congregation brought over $10,000 in coins and bills during the three months that collections were taken. Each Sunday, members including children, brought to church the loose change they'd placed in their beautiful hand-made Change 4 Children baskets. Volunteers counted and wrapped coins each Monday before they were taken to the bank.  Over 500 families and individuals took part in the offerings and another couple dozen or so members were involved in basket distribution, Sunday collections and counting and banking. 

"Change4Children has helped us achieve one of the church's objectives in missions, in that it involves so many in outreach to the poor and the neglected outside our country."
Dick Kampa Missions Elder

He also pointed out that several folks from the church have indicated an interest in going on a mission trip to Zambia this summer. Such trips further the St. Andrew's pursuit of the purpose of active evangelism and broader use of member ministry gifts.

Dick Kampa

Mission Elder


St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

Here's a picture of members at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Racine, Wisconsin participating in their first "Change 4 Children Sunday" offering which totaled $1,106.50! We are a relatively small congregation of approximately 235 members, but God is doing big things in our hearts.

This month our children learned the difference between being "rich" and "poor" as they compared themselves to the entire world's population. They now know that they are all some of the richest children in the world and that the money they give to Change 4 Children will go to some of the poorest.

God has blessed each of us with the power to make a positive change in the world and we are doing that by participating in the Change 4 Children program.

Maureen Potter
Elder for Christian Formation
Covenant Presbyterian Church

Coins tumbled from baskets as a seemingly endless stream of delighted children flowed forward in the church service, eager to pour out their love along with the pennies, nickels and dimes they'd collected.

When our Children's Ministries team at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Gig Harbor, Washington, learned of the children in Zambia who have no chance for an education, it captured our hearts. As we shared the story with the children in our area, it captured theirs as well. For two months after the children in our Sunday morning program were given a Zambian basket to take home, they did odd jobs, saved birthday money, and scoured couches and car seats for coins in an attempt to fill their baskets and help children half a world away realize the dream of learning at school.

Then an amazing thing happened. Many asked if they could continue to collect change in their baskets after the project had "officially" ended. In the end, these preschool to 5th graders collected far more than we imagined possible—just under $10,000!

It was decided a team of us would visit the school in Lusaka, Zambia. Children enthusiastically collected pencils, pens, crayons, toothbrushes, soap and washcloths so that we could give each child in the Garden School a packet of school and hygiene supplies. When we learned that many children in Zambia have never celebrated their birthday, we included birthday items. In August, a team of five women and two students delivered the school packs to 600 cheering Garden Hill School children and their teachers!

Now, February 2005, interest is expanding. Middle schoolers and some adults have joined the children in collecting school supplies! This summer we hope to deliver more gifts of love to the Garden Hill School. Our Sunday morning and Mission Club kids are including postcards with photos and self-portraits for the kids, making a personal connection.

Change 4 Children has given our kids a very real way to make a positive life changing difference in the world.

Debbie Robertson
Director of Children's Ministries
Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church