AND A CHILD WILL LEAD
THEM
Eleven-Year-Old Takes on Challenge to Help Afghanistan
Children
It started with a challenge from President Bush. "I am
asking every child in America to give not a dime, but a dollar to a specific
cause, a relief effort for the children of Afghanistan," President Bush
stated.
Rebekah Read heard that plea. "He said he wanted every child to donate
a dollar, and I decided a dollar wasnt enough," she says.
But all the money in her piggy bank wasnt enough, so Bekah talked
to her mom, Laurena.
"She said, 'Mom, my hands wont let me do a car wash, and
they wont let me pour lemonade, and if we did a bake sale, youd
have to do all the baking,'" Laurena explains.
Rebekah has cerebral palsy, but thats never stopped this feisty
11-year-old before. "Even though I have a disability, it doesnt
mean I cant make a difference," she says.
"I said, 'What do you love to do, because God will work through
what you love,'" Laurena Read told her daughter. "She said, 'I love
to ride my bike!'"
So Bekah went to her physical therapist, Sam Raider, with an idea.
Why not hold a telethonjust like the ones shed seen on The
700 Club? They could call it a "pedal-a-thon" and get
sponsors to pledge.
"I thought it was great, so we started training for it," Sam explains.
"When we first started, she could go like 7 or 8 times in a row,
and then her legs would just shut down."
Amazingly, in the actual pedal-a-thon, Bekah did a total of 150 pedals!
Thats 150 pedals at an average pledge of ten cents a pedal. Bekah
was able to raise an incredible $1,544.53!
By December, she had collected every last cent. But the check Laurena
and Bekah sent to the Red Cross fund never got there, due to an anthrax
scare.
"Every time she would see these pictures of these grandmas and
babies eating their grass bread, and she would just cry, 'Mommy, why
isnt my money getting there? Then there was the earthquake. 'Oh,
Mommy, they need my money so badly right now,'" Bekah's mom explains.
One day, Bekah and her mom were watching a story on The 700 Club
and a thought popped into Bekah's head. What about giving to Operation
Blessing?
"I saw this light just go on in her head," Bekah's mom says. "She
said, 'Mom, do you suppose they have an Operation Blessing Afghanistan?'
I said, 'Well, well call and find out.'"
A CBN founder, Laurena was thrilled to find out that Operation Blessing
did, in fact, have an outreach to the children of Afghanistan. Thats
all it took. Bekah knew her money would be going to the right place
and that shed be sharing the love of Jesus as well.
"When she got the letter from Pat stating that the money was on its
way, oh my goodness! That was truly an answer to prayer," says
Laurena.
"I was so proud, so I just didnt know what to say," Bekah remarks.
"I was so happy that the money was on its way."
Bekah has become quite the celebrity in her little town of Camas, Washington.
Many consider her to be a hero, and shes an inspiration to her
classmates.
By being a part of CBN and the ministry of The 700 Club, Bekah
and her mom know they are changing the world by reaching people for
Christ. Thats why they keep giving.
"Your money is being given to the Kingdomliterally," Laurena
says.
"I love the fact that they help people believe in God so strongly
and help them become more attached to God," concludes Bekah.
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