Sunday, August 6, 2017

Saying Yes: How to Help Build a High School, Brick by Brick

Yes. It's such a hard word to say. But the ramifications are huge.

I had what I like to call a "flashing billboard moment" last Sunday at Mass. We had a priest from Rwanda visiting to share their hopes of expanding a high school there from housing and classrooms for 125 girls to space for 400. He was asking for help, brick by brick.

Twenty dollars could buy 300 bricks.

And during the service, I kept thinking: "We should do something in our Girl Scout troop."

After all, our troop is active at our church, and their monthly meeting was this week. It could work. We could ask them to earn money at home to help out.

After all, even $2 earned from chores could buy 30 bricks.

But I felt it laid on my heart to do more.

So I spoke with some friends after Mass, who run another troop. They agreed that it would be a great idea.

And then my daughter, who responded with a "Let's challenge other troops to do this! I know scouts at ____ and ___ and ___."

By Tuesday, the seed had grown to a full-fledged bake sale at our church this weekend. After our Saturday evening service, we had raised about $120 - more than 1800 bricks!

But what if I hadn't said that little Yes? What if I had thought, it's the first week of school, no time? Or, we have a project already at scouts scheduled, no time? Or, my house needs to be cleaned, no time?

What if the other leaders and parents who baked on a beautiful summer weekend said, no time?

Instead, we said Yes. And we might have changed a life a world away.

You can read more about the project on my scouting blog: