It was an ordinary fall day for the students of Central Valley Christian School in Tangent, Ore. The Rich Room students (grades three through five) headed out with promotional postcards inviting the surrounding neighborhoods to the school's upcoming Fall Festival fundraiser.
As the students headed door to door, handing out mini pumpkins and postcards as they went, they came to the house of Bob. When Bob greeted the students on his doorstep, he informed them he would be unable to attend their Fall Festival but wanted to help. He came out and gave the chaperone $20. The students were ecstatic. The quick-thinking chaperone, Dan Bates, Sweet Home and Lebanon churches pastor, wrote down the address so the next day the class could write a thank-you note to their new friend, Bob.
And so, we thought the story ended.
Fast forward one month. A letter arrived in the mail for the Rich Room. It was a thank-you note from Bob for their thank-you note. What a surprise! But even more of a surprise was what was also in the envelope — a $100 check. Bob expressed that the girls who visited his door that day showed Jesus shining through them. He gifted the class the money to have a class party.
But the story doesn’t stop there either. Soon after, the local Pathfinder club, of which some of the Rich Room students are members, were out collecting canned food for the Adventist Community Services. When they knocked on a door and asked for a donation, the family expressed they were in need and sadly didn’t have any donations. The Pathfinders came back to the meeting spot and shared their story. The leaders quickly packed up a box, and the group returned to the family with this box full of food. The kids were once again ecstatic to be able to see service in action.
The next week a plan was hatched. The class would team up with the Pathfinder club and the church to help this family for Christmas. Using the $100 check from Bob, the students went on a shopping spree field trip to provide gifts for the children of the family they met that Sabbath day.
The class wrote a thank-you note to Bob once again and explained how they used his $100 to provide toys for a family in need.
Shortly after the school went on Christmas break, another letter from Bob came in the mail. Bob was once again touched by our kindness and had sent another $100 to go to that family.
Wow! We truly never knew how a simple smile and pumpkin with a postcard could can affect so many people in so many ways.
