Guest blogger: Chris Ensley is the youth group leader of Marion Christian Church in Marion, Kansas.
Everyone has big dreams in their lives. Adults tend to keep these dreams to themselves or share them as something that will never happen. Kids, on the other hand, share their dreams like they expect them to happen. There is a special young lady in my youth group named Kennedy who has a dream that involves orphans on the other side of the world from her in small-town in Kansas.
Kennedy’s dream is to personally raise $15,000 to build a water well in Ghana, Africa in order to provide clean water for orphans in remote villages. Recently Kennedy had won both the KGTC Distinguished Student Award and the Alicia J. Pippen Scholarship for her efforts to raise money through the Change For A Change fundraiser to provide clean water for orphans.
What is even more impressive, Kennedy took advantage of the spotlight of receiving these special awards, not for herself, but to promote and sell hand-made products women in Ghana made. In just two days Kennedy sold $800 of merchandise that will go directly back to the women in Ghana so they in return can care for their kids, thus preventing more orphans.
You can call me naïve, but I believe dreams can come true. I believe God has blessed Kennedy with a huge heart, sheer determination, and a great work ethic that will make Kennedy’s dream of raising money for a water well a reality.
Kennedy is an inspiration for everyone to not tuck their dreams under the pillow, but to live in a way that makes dreams possible. And God enjoys making dreams reality that involves loving and serving others. It is an honor for me to have Kennedy as a sister in Christ, in my youth group and I am a very proud Youth Pastor who is learning from this young lady’s example.