A 'Gift of Love' for Iraqis sought from churches

Apr 15, 2003
JANICE BACKER
Assistant Editor

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)-Fritz Wilson is scrambling to get the word out to Florida Baptists about the International Mission Board's "Gift of Love" project to feed the people of Iraq.

Although the logistics of how to get the food boxes from Florida churches to Iraq are not complete, Wilson told Florida Baptist Witness that individuals, small groups and churches should begin to buy and pack the food to make the May 12 deadline.

Florida Baptists are encouraged to pack Photo courtesy of Fritz Wilson

Wilson, director of the Florida Baptist Men's Department of the Florida Baptist Convention, said he hopes every Florida Baptist church would pack at least one food box. He also challenged Sunday School classes or other small church groups to fill a box.

"As we have watched the war on TV and heard the story of the people of Iraq, almost every Christian wants to do something to help in the name of Christ," Wilson said.

For about $60, churches can fill one box with beans, lentils, rice, flour, salt, sugar, loose tea and powdered milk. It is enough to feed a family of five for about a month in a country which is slightly more than twice the size of Idaho with an estimated population of 24 million.

Executive Director-Treasurer of the Convention, John Sullivan, said he was "delighted" with the plan. "The Iraqi people have been through enough-they do not need to remain hungry," he said in a statement to the Witness.

Wilson said it is important that people follow IMB's instructions completely and not add anything to the package.

Ways to Promote
"Gift of Love"
food boxes

Ask families to do a box as a family mission project.
Ask every Sunday School class to provide a "class" box. A class of 10 attendees will spend $6 per person.
Ask mission groups, GA, RA, Acteens, Challengers, Team Kid and AWANA groups to provide a box.
Invite other evangelical groups that do not have an opportunity in their denomination to participate in this type of project to participate.

"We want to make sure that every Iraqi family gets what we tell them is in the box," Wilson said. Before it is shipped to Iraq, each box will be labeled with the verse in Arabic: "For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ," (John 1:17); and identified as a "gift with love from Southern Baptist churches in America."

Packing instructions and a detailed list of portion sizes can be found in the April 10 issue of the Witness or by visiting www.FloridaBaptistWitness.com.

Pastor Thomas Green said like most Florida Baptist churches, First Baptist Church in Brandon, has concentrated prayer times for "God to bring peace and freedom to Iraq" and for deployed service members and their families.

Christians also must be responsible to minister in Christ's name to the people of Iraq, said Green, who serves as the Florida Baptist State Convention president.

"The food boxes are a tangible way to show God's love," Green said. "It is a tremendous opportunity for us to respond."

Wilson said churches and associations should contact him if they can help with the logistics of collecting the boxes. He asks that one or two churches in each association volunteer to be a designated collection point for the food boxes.

Each associational collection point would then pass the food boxes to one of seven regional drop-off sites (to be determined) to ship the food out of state.

In the future there may be trained disaster relief teams sent to Iraq to help with food distribution or water purification, but Wilson said the most important thing for individuals or churches to do now is to collect the food and to follow exactly the IMB packing requirements.

People may also send monetary gifts, Wilson said. Checks need to be payable to the Florida Baptist Convention, designated "Gift of Love," and mailed to the Florida Baptist Convention, 1230 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32207.

"Over half the people in Iraq were dependent on the government for food even before the war began," Wilson said.

Photo by Steve Taylor

Children in the Kidzplace Club of Ridgewood Baptist Church in Orange Park packed two boxes of food April 9. As part of the International Mission Board "Gift of Love" food drive, food boxes collected by May 12 will be shipped to the people of Iraq.

"The food boxes will give Baptists a chance to plant a seed of the Gospel to people groups who have been neglected and abused."

For step-by-step instructions, see the Convention Web site at www.flbaptist.org or call the Florida Baptist Men's Department at 800-226-8584, ext. 8240.

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