Contributed by Laura Walls with Cathy Kaufman "'Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.” - Mt 14:29 When we follow Christ in obedience, we are sometimes called like Peter, to step out of the boat and walk where Jesus leads. For Cathy Kaufman of Gering, NE, the Lord’s call to serve as a Child Ambassador has taken her into uncharted waters that have filled her and her church with new life and purpose. “It’s amazing how God can make things happen,” Cathy explains, “It’s far more than we can ask or imagine!” Her first step of faith as a Child Ambassador was hosting a Global 6K with the support of her church which Cathy describes as “just a little church on the corner.” She dove into the planning process enthusiastically and was thrilled when 50 participants, mostly from her church, came together to help 50 children have clean water for life. Cathy especially loved seeing the enthusiasm of the children. “They were so excited to run the race well for the child on their bib.” Some of the children went on to sponsor the child for whom they ran, which made for an even deeper, lasting connection. At the close of the race, Cathy and her pastor, Tim Hebbert of Gering Zion Church, were introduced to one of the participants, a member of the local Rotary Club. He mentioned his dream of digging a well to provide clean water to a community in Africa. “If you guys ever think of digging a well, I would like to be part of it!” Those words sparked something deep within Pastor Tim and Cathy and in a moment, the seed of a dream was planted. God continued to move in the hearts of people at Gering Zion Church and when Cathy told the church about the Matthew 25 Challenge in October, they were quick to sign up. “We really saw how inspiring and awesome it is to reach out. We’ve always reached out in our community but this opened our eyes that God wants us to help in other parts of the world as well! The whole Matthew 25 Challenge really gets kids and families involved - as well as the Global 6K with the child on your bib and giving that child clean water. All of that set this up for us to believe that we CAN make a difference in the world!” Following the Matthew 25 Challenge, the children of the church led further involvement in global ministry with World Vision, with a little help from Cathy. “In AWANA, we have a birthday party for Jesus and encourage the kids to bring in a card and a gift. In the past, they have raised around $150 to $175 for local missions but this year, when the kids brought in their donations and gifts to Jesus, they brought in over $500! It was definitely God moving!” The AWANA kids are now sponsoring two children for a year and they also gave a special gift of $150 for each child. In addition, they are now Refugee Responders. Cathy exclaimed. “It was more than I could ever ask!” But the Lord wasn’t finished moving in Gering Zion Church. From that seed planted in the spring following the Global 6K, a vision of a well springing up to provide a community with life-changing clean water had taken root. Pastor Tim asked Cathy to look into what it would take for the church to fund a well. Cathy reached out to her child ambassador leadership team member and World Vision staff and together, they forged a God-sized plan. In the coming year, Gering Zion, that “small, 80 year old church on the corner,” will fundraise $15,000 to dig a well in a community in Africa. Once the funds are sent in, World Vision will research and announce the location of the well and Gering Zion will host a “Celebration Sunday” and offer child sponsorship in support of and love for that country. It’s a big goal. A God-sized goal. But Gering Zion will reach beyond themselves. “The well is a way to bring our community together to empower someone else through access to clean water.” Cathy explains. The clean water provided by the well is also one of Cathy’s personal passions. While studying environmental science at the University of NE in Lincoln, Cathy worked at the Nebraska State Water Lab where she daily studied water samples to test for bacteria and ensure the water was safe. Now years later, the Lord is leading her to once again work to provide safe, clean water, this time for a community half a world away! As Cathy looks back at what God has done through her Child Ambassador ministry and what is ahead in the coming year, she states, “I can get overwhelmed sometimes and think ‘how am I going to do this!’ But it’s not me. HE is going to do this. He is our Sovereign Lord and the King of the Universe. I thank Him that He’s in control and able to do more than I can ask or imagine!”
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