We often forget the power of youth. The fearless way of behaving that believes that the world can be changed by the actions of one person. A 9-year-old named Emery reminded her church and community that one person can make a difference. Emery attended her local United Methodist church on Zoe Empowers Sunday when the church shared information about the children in their partnered groups, and ways the congregation could support Zoe Empowers through prayers, travel opportunities, and fundraising.
Emery attended Sunday School class that morning where the mission of Zoe Empowers was shared through a short lesson and two videos, This Is Grace and Charity. The class then made prayer bead bracelets to take home. Both videos inspired Emery to do more than just keep the bracelet for herself.
“On Missions Sunday, I felt like we had to do things for other people.”
The bracelet idea motivated her to quickly begin making leather string bracelets to sell and raise money for ZOE. Like the Zoe Empowers children who are empowered to begin businesses to support their younger brothers and sisters, Emery understood she could also start a business to help more children enter the Zoe Empowers program. Emery spent two hours creating 100 bracelets, which she decided to sell for fifty cents each. She set up her business stand in her front yard to sell the bracelets, along with lemonade. Her parents, helped her advertise via Facebook.
Emery made quite the impact, on people young and old. “My 5-year-old cousin, the day before I did the sale, he actually asked to come over to our house and help. That made me happy because I was letting him know that people can change the world. Kids can help. I had a lot of kids come over. My cousins came to help. There was one person who surprised me by coming because he was in high school.”
When asked why she chose to spend her time raising money for Zoe Empowers, Emery responded, “I would rather make bracelets and make things and sell them and do something for other people to let them know they aren’t someone who is poor and nobody is thinking about them. This was part of my dream, I wanted to do something for another charity to help them and support them.”
Emery not only reached her dream by raising $255, but with the average cost to empower a Zoe Empowers child being $9 per month, she also helped support the dreams of 31 children for one month. In the words of Catherine Doherty, “Lord, give me the heart of a child, and the awesome courage to live it out as an adult.” May you dare to dream to create a better world and see endless possibilities rather than limits.
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