AIBONITO, Puerto Rico (Mennonite Mission Network) – The children of Iglesia Menonita de Aibonito (Aibonito Mennonite Church) recently raised more than $700 to support Bible translation in Argentina.
Raised through Mennonite Mission Network’s mission bank project, the money will help mission workers in Argentina translate the Bible into the indigenous Toba language.
In April, the church council handed out 25 mission banks, mostly to grandparents who passed them on to their grandchildren. Because many of these children do not attend Iglesia Menonita de Aibonito regularly, council member Mim Godshall admitted she was doubtful many banks would return.
However, something about the mission bank cause sparked the children’s interest. Nine weeks later, Godshall was happy to report almost all came back full of money.
Pastor José Enrique Jiménez said, “The children responded with great enthusiasm and involved their parents, families and other people whose homes they visited.”
Andrés Díaz, moderator of the church council, called the experience, “a beautiful lesson for all the children, teaching them to share with others the many and rich blessings that God has given us.”
Natalia María Meléndez, age 11, agreed. “I am blessed to have a Bible and I want to share that blessing with others,” she said.
Iglesia Menonita de Aibonito hopes to use mission banks again to support other mission projects around the world.
The globe-shaped mission banks are a stewardship education tool provided to children in Mennonite Church USA congregations by Mennonite Mission Network. There are currently nine country projects available for use with banks. These projects focus on Asian Ministries in the United States, Argentina, Benin, Burkina Faso, China, Colombia, Ecuador, France and Japan. To order mission banks or country teaching tools, e-mail MissionBank@MennoniteMission.net or call 1-866-866-2872.
