Operation Brown Bag

Kids Helping Kids Around the World! Have you underestimated the power of the brown bag? I'll bet you didn’t know that a brown bag could help in the fight to end hunger, or that it could bring God's love in a very real way, or that it could be the first time a child gets a message of care from another child.
Just as we underestimate the power of a brown bag, we sometimes underestimate how God can move through our children. Join us and see how God uses your child's work across continents!
"Every year, thousands of children are pulled into life on the street due to financial difficulties at home, problematic relationships, commercial exploitation and poor access to schools. This group of children become unprotected working children who are extremely vulnerable to exploitation. There is a significant problem of street children in Ecuador, particularly in Quito, the capital city. Hundreds of children work daily on the streets selling cigarettes, chewing gum and sweets to passersby, or juggle in front of cars stopped at the traffic lights. Many shine shoes for 10 hours a day to buy food each day." Mashi Foundation




We are looking for adult facilitators who can help get this going in their classroom (teachers or parents), daycare, preschool, church, homeschool or school. If your establishment is not Christian they can still do this and God can still use them!
So what do you need to do to become a part of Operation Brown Bag?
- Have the children draw a picture on the bags & a message and put $1 in it. (attach a verse if applicable)
- Have one adult collect all the bags from the group and mail them to us in Ecuador.
- Contact me for specific instructions and details: tutensinecuador@yahoo.com
The dollar will pay for one child’s lunch, which consists of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, milk and yogurt.
Once the bags arrive in Ecuador they will be distributed to:
-Street kids in the city of Quito
-children in a low income children’s hospital

This project was started because, as a mother, my heart hurts for the children who are sprawled out on the concrete sidewalk everyday waiting for their parents to make some money to feed them. Kids as young as three years old are out selling fruit or candy to make ends meet. We see little ones on their mother's backs as they dig through the trash. Also, it bothered me that my children walk past these children everyday slowly becoming numb to this. So I wanted to find a way to help them be Jesus to these little ones.

Oh my gosh she said YES! What do I do now?

I walked into the hospital room and I was greeted by an older woman and her son. Her son Francisco was quite the little ham full of energy and smiles. I quickly got acquainted with this little family and they were very greatful for our visit. As I moved into reading a story of how Christ healed the Centurions servant she listened attentively for this story was very real because her son needed healing so he could walk. At the end of the story I felt like she was open to hearing the gospel and that I should share it with her. I asked her if I could pray with her and I did. Then I thanked her for her time and walked out the door. I felt terrible that I just walked out of there ignoring the Holy Spirits prompt to share the gospel with her. I continued visiting in the other rooms with the other patients but still feeling horrible about Francisco and his mother. So I went back to the room to share a tract with her but the moment was lost. The room was now full of company and she was busy. So I handed her the tract and I walked away disappointed. So I continued pressing on doing what I came to do: encourage these families and share Christ in deed and words. There was a lady standing against the door outside of a room and we began a conversation. Our conversation quickly turned into me sharing the Gospel and before I knew I was asking her if she wanted to know how to have Christ be a part of her life. Once I shared that I said "well would you like to pray with me to ask Christ into your life. You can pray this with me know or I can show you how so you can do it at another time if your not ready." She said yes, now. Than I thought oh my gosh she just said YES! So I began thinking really fast the important steps to pray for in the sinners prayer. I remembered something simple and profound I learned in school: ABC Admit, Believe, Confess. So we prayed and it was truly beautiful to see and to be reminded of how the Lord opens our eyes to the truth. The truth of our sin, His love and forgiveness. She was crying and I was getting choked up because in that little corner in the hall in that hospital the power of the Lords salvation was coming through to His child. I felt priviledged to be a vessel used by Him. It was amazing only because it was all HIM! I went back by Francisco's room and took a peek through the window and the mom was reading the tract. I was thankful that God continued to use me inspite of what I would consider disobedience to his prompting. He uses us in spite of us, Praise God for His grace!