The Greatest Gift

Junior Jennie Endersby explains the importance of Operation Christmas Child to her and to those that the program impacts.

On Reading Day Eve, a group of Davidson students and supporters of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Methodist College Fellowship spent four hours at the Operation Christmas Child processing center in Charlotte. This trip was the culmination of several weeks’ work of preparation and packaging. Yet this type of work was a fun and refreshing break from the end-of-semester studies.

Operation Christmas Child is a Samaritan’s Purse organization that distributes gifts to kids across the globe who otherwise would not receive presents for Christmas. These gifts come in the form of shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene products, and other small items. In addition to the boxes, the kids receive “The Greatest Gift” booklet in their language that narrates some principal Bible stories. These kids can then choose to embark on a twelve-lesson Bible study, where they have the opportunity to learn about and accept Jesus as their Savior and receive a New Testament upon completion.

Personally, I have enjoyed packaging boxes for Operation Christmas Child ever since I heard about it three years ago. I respect that OCC is so meticulous, informed, and organized. At the processing center, every volunteer’s job is specific and necessary, from taping closed each box in an assembly line to bagging candy in a special station. In addition, each evening, the boxes in the center are prepared for two countries. Consequently, each box can be specifically inspected with those two places in mind. For example, boxes for some countries cannot include anything pig-related, such as a Winnie the Pooh toy, or anything bearing an American flag or the name USA. In general, food and chocolate, liquids, army-related toys, and money are taken out of boxes in order to protect the box and the child. However, I appreciate that these items are not thrown away but rather sorted and given to local shelters and charities. The money goes towards shipping the boxes. Moreover, one of my favorite parts of preparing for this event was shopping for boxes, putting them together, and personalizing each one with my own selected items for a specific gender and age. So I appreciate that rather than removing the specified articles, the inspectors must keep each box as they found it.

However, more important than the gifts themselves, these boxes instigate kids’ curiosity to discover the greatest gift of Christ’s sacrifice for humankind. As a result of the change in these kids’ lives, many of their friends and parents also start coming to church and eventually accept Christ. To know that each box has been made with love, prayed for, and knowledgeably inspected gives me faith that the box will bring nothing but good news to the child on the receiving end. I realize that our role in preparing these boxes is only the first step of this journey, but I thank God that I and other Davidson students and OCC volunteers can play any part in transforming not only these kids’ lives but possibly our own.

If you have any questions about the former article, contant Jennie here.                       For more information about Operation Christmas Child and Samaritan’s Purse, visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/.

Interfaith Service

Davidson senior, Nick Noreña, reflects on his experience volunteering at Room in the Inn with the Better Together campaign at Davidson College.

I had never been involved with an interfaith organization before this year. I possessed very little knowledge regarding the practice of interfaith groups on college campuses; I had very little sense of what it meant to act as an interfaith organization.  That all changed when Better Together started running Room in the Inn.  With Room in the Inn, we were putting interfaith dialogue into practice.  I learned a great deal about how dialogue interacts with action by experiencing the two in the same immediate context.  For me, it wasn’t necessarily a matter of our reflection influencing my actions directly.  Rather, the “ah-ha” moment for me was noticing that there is an interfaith dialogue present in everything we do, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not.

At Room in the Inn, we start with a written reflection, and then seal it up and put it away to return to it the next morning after the program is over.  I take this move to mean that the dialogue is secondary to action.

What the homeless neighbors needed was tangible results: a bed, a warm meal, and some rest and relaxation.  They didn’t need a bunch of college kids sitting around and musing about what “interfaith” means to them.   Yet when we revisit our reflections on Saturday morning, after an evening of helping meet some of the needs of our homeless neighbors, we realize that we were all working across different faiths and beliefs to attain that common goal.  The interfaith aspect of our service was right there with us, whether we chose to believe it or not.

Working with our Hands

Davidson junior, Lindsay Beck, reflects on how her faith inspires her service.

One of the things I appreciated most about the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) service project in South Carolina was the ability to simply disengage my mind and work with my hands. I was reminded of the fact that in Genesis 2, God gives man two jobs: to name the animals and “to work [the land] and take care of it” (v. 15). As humans, we are not called just to do intellectual “heavy lifting,” but also to use our bodies and their power for God’s glory. Being a Davidson student–often so consumed in my work that I might not budge from my desk for several hours–my humanity can become completely wrapped up in and defined by my mind, my brain, and my intellect. No matter how hard physically I found yanking disobedient, rusty nails out of old wood or mixing cement, these tasks felt innately right for my body, and brought rest for my mind.

Reflecting now on our trip, I am also struck by the difference between what God originally instructed Adam to do in the Garden of Eden with what we were doing on Johns Island. After Adam and Eve sinned, God punished them; cursing the ground and proclaiming that humankind would thereafter have to work against it for their living (Genesis 3:17-19). Where Adam and Eve might have had a comparatively easier or more enjoyable time working the land, we now have to effectively wage war against it. Though it “feels right,” as I said previously, to use our physical strength to accomplish tasks, it is also difficult and never produces perfect results.

We currently inhabit a “waiting period” between Jesus’ first coming, which began God’s work of redemption on earth, and his second, which will bring it to completion. During this interim period, as the apostle Paul described, “The creation waits in eager expectation . . . [hoping] that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay” (Romans 8:19, 21a). It is no secret, especially in light of the recent natural disasters in Japan and manmade crises in Libya, that the world is decaying. As Paul goes on to say, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (v. 23).

While nothing will bring an end to this decay and pain except for the complete renewal and rebirth of the earth when Jesus returns, that does not mean we should throw our hands up and despair. As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ, to work towards redemption for all of creation. During the RUF trip, I got to witness and participate in this work of redemption: bringing good out of a bad situation, beauty out of ugliness. Mrs. Gathers’ previous house had been demolished because it was no longer safe to inhabit (the project supervisor told me that it was so rotten from the inside that heavy winds could have eventually caused its collapse), and Rural Missions had built her a new one. We constructed for her a new screened-in porch, shed, and step, and each accomplished task brought with it the feeling that we were restoring some order to this individual’s life.

Finally, I am reminded of the privilege it is that God desires us to carry forward his mission of redemption until he comes again—or “Kingdom Work,” as I have heard some people refer to it. Though God, as sovereign creator, could easily and quickly set things right himself, he calls Christians to demonstrate the grace and love that has been extended to us through Christ, and to in turn extend that to others. To quote 1 John 4:19, “we love because he first loved us.” Service comes from the overflow of the love that we have been bestowed; it is “faith with deeds” to accompany (James 2:14-26).

Faith, Service and Community

Davidson freshman, Gracie Dover, reflects on her experience volunteering at Room in the Inn as part of Davidson’s Better Together campaign.

As a college freshman, I have experienced many transitions this year.  Although I love Davidson College, I am still searching for a few missing elements in my life.  This semester I have three resolutions which are each characterized by one word:  People, God, Me.  I want to get to know more people on campus in a deeper more meaningful way, find a spiritual center or community, and develop a greater sense of independence and self-confidence.

When I heard about the opportunity to work with Room in the Inn (RITI), I was immediately attracted to it.  Maybe it was because I had wanted to get involved in a service project at Davidson College or because I had studied the culture of homelessness in an anthropology class, but for some reason I knew I should do it.  Surprisingly, it helped fulfill each one of my resolutions. As an interfaith event, it brought together faith, service, and great people.

Even though the experience lasted less than 24 hours, it felt complete and momentous because it was so well organized.  The Better Together campaign works to create a community by bringing the volunteers together and playing ice-breaking games before we meet our homeless neighbors.  We also wrote down the reason why we were volunteering so we could be intentional about our actions.  This deeply enriched my experience because it gave me a chance to not only get to know the people around me, but turn my time into a spiritual experience.

When we finally met our homeless neighbors, I was surprised my how easy it was to talk to them.  I had dinner with two women, Christy and Alisha, and Alisha’s two-year-old son Victor.  While talking to them, I caught myself laughing and telling them stories of life at Davidson, completely free of inhibition.  They were open about their lives as well and told me about their struggles with shelters, employment, and addiction.  Even though we touched on serious issues the conversation had an informal, light tone.

I was really impressed by the interactions we had and how easy it was to connect even though we live in very different environments.  Maybe this shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to me.  After all, we are all just human beings, whether we have a place to sleep at night or not.  I plan on volunteering with RITI again not only because I value service, but also because I legitimately had a good time.

A Meaningful Meal

Searching for more meaning in life?

A Meaningful Meal is a student effort at Davidson to create time and space for meaningful discussion over shared food.

We will have A Meaningful  Meal every other week during the spring semester. We have twenty spots available each week on a first come first serve basis. A Meaningful Meal is open to all students.

To see our calendar and reserve a seat, sign up here!

Student Perspectives

The Diversity of Religious Life at Davidson

Davidson is a place where many different faiths are represented. I have had the freedom to grow deeper in my own tradition and the opportunity, in community, to peacefully engage with folks of other worldviews. This combination has made for formative experiences over these last 4 years.

Jeff Tolly ’10, Reformed University Fellowship

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In high school, you may have depended on your parents to drive you to mass each week or you had an amazing high school youth group experience, but in college you have to take personal responsibility for your own faith formation. You find that you no longer have this familiar support system and therefore need to reach out to the resources offered on campus to continue your walk of faith. As a Catholic student at Davidson, I have found that support in the Catholic Campus Ministry and am now part of the Leadership Team that helps organize a variety of activities such as weekly home-cooked fellowship dinners and bible study. Through this ministry, I am not only able to strengthen my own faith but also guide new students who seek support for their growing faith.

Angela Solis ’12, Catholic Campus Ministry

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The help and support I receive from the Chaplain’s Office has been tremendous in my becoming not only a better Muslim, but a strong, compassionate and grounded human being as well.

Fareed Cheema ‘10, Muslim Students Association

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As a first-year student at Davidson College, I got in touch with the Chaplain’s Office regarding my idea to start a club on campus that would explore the various meditative practices of the many faiths in our world. They gave me the encouragement and resources to implement my idea, and by the end of my second semester at Davidson, I helped lead the first meeting of the Meditation Club. Without the assistance and care of the Chaplain’s office, I would never have realized my potential in starting this club, and never found out what it takes to be a leader on campus.

Nick Noreña ’11, Meditation Club