With the continual rise of technology and innovation, most American teenagers find themselves with an unlimited array of things to add to their birthday wish list. iPads, iPods, iPhones, iCan’tBelieveWeEvenHaveThisStuff – you name it! So, when you hear of someone willing to give all of that up for orphans, it kind of stops you in your tracks.
Last summer, Marshall Anderson – a 17-year-old junior from San Antonio, TX – also stopped in his tracks. After hearing about the atrocities of human trafficking, child prostitution, extreme poverty, and the exploitation of child soldiers, Marshall realized he had to do something. But what? What could a teenage boy who was active year-round in sports, with little spare time, do to help these children throughout the world? In just a short time, the answer became clear… Sacrifice. In a culture poisoned by entitlement, Marshall decided to sacrifice the one thing that truly belonged to him… His birthday. He started a campaign to raise $500 asking his friends and family to forward his birthday presents in the form of donations to World Orphans. So this year, instead of having the newest gadget, Marshall’s presents will be in the form of food, clean water, shelter, and Christ-centered education given to orphans in the world’s most impoverished places.
For those of you wondering if Marshall reached his goal, he not only reached it, he surpassed it! You see, when God calls you to something, He equips you to do far more than you can imagine. So, ask yourself, is God calling you to sacrifice your entitlements for the orphaned and abandoned? What will you do to help rescue a child? What will you do to change the world?