A friend shared this true story with the Rev. Heidi Torgerson, associate director for Global Service.  Heidi shared it with me and secured permission for me to share it on the “Hand in Hand” blog digest. 
Enjoy! —Sue

After Bible study one morning, a member of the congregation I serve stopped by the office.  She told me that she has an annual tradition:  as a birthday gift to herself she writes a check for the number of years she’s been on this earth and gives it to a charity she’s not supported before.  

 She said she had been struggling to figure out where the money should go until hearing the sermon my co-pastor preached.  In his sermon, the pastor mentioned the new missionaries we’re supporting as a congregation, Brian and Kristen Konkol, who serve in South Africa.

 “That’s when I knew where my gift should go,” she said.  “I grew up in South Africa.”

 When I handed her the Hand in Hand newsletter with Brian and Kristen’s picture and a bit of their story; she nearly danced in my office. The place they are living is the same place she went to school and lived for a while. She truly felt that God was calling her to help support them.

Her joy spilled over like sunshine in my office.  As I told her how to direct her gift for the Konkol’s missionary sponsorship, I felt like dancing, too.