By Pattiy Thornton, Women’s Ministries Director

There is usually only one thing that attracts young men to the Women’s Ministries display at Summit. The candy bar. Chocolate, jelly beans, licorice, and more right there for the scooping.

But on the first day of the 2016 Summit, an 11-year-old boy made his way eagerly to the exhibit hall, looking specifically for our booth. Better yet, he was looking even more specifically for a place to put his water bottle.

This wasn’t any old water bottle. And James Turner isn’t any young lad. James attended the Missions & Ministry Summit last year, and several missionaries spent some time there with the children talking about the children in their own lives.

James’ heart was bitten by the missions bug. Women’s Ministries had just started a new campaign, asking people to fill water bottles, a giving bottle, with dimes. A full bottle would mean $100 for ministry. His mom shared with us that he saw our display and thought, “Hey, I can do that!”

Oh, yes he could. He was a radical dime saver. He asked for change in dimes in stores. He asked relatives to empty their purses and pockets of dimes and drop them in his bottle. He scooped up loose dimes between cushions. He even had his mom post a request on Facebook when he doubted his ability to fill the bottle up in time for Summit.

There was an indescribable glint in James’ eyes when he carried that bottle over to Hope and Vicki while they were getting ready to open up shop. His giving bottle was the first in the bucket, and he received the very first thank you gift from Women’s Ministries. He may not have been thrilled about the cool “Be You, Bravely” tote bag, but when Hope threw some extra candy and an empty Tervis cup into the mix, he was happy.

Actually, I don’t think James cared a bit about the gift. He had accomplished his goal – a sacrificial offering that stemmed from a heart of love. Thank you, James, for the example.