This post/idea borrowed from Tom Davis of Children’s HopeChest with permission.

Ok everyone…it’s the summer! We all know what that means – time for some fun, right? As we enjoy time with friends and family, please remember that there is an urgent food crisis in Uganda and throughout most of Africa right now—remember the boy who hadn’t had an egg in 5 years?  Others go without eating for one day, two days, three days…  THAT is the epitome of raw hunger—and we can DO something about it!

This is not meant to be a guilt trip of any kind but an opportunity for us to creatively find ways to give food to these families who are hungry and weak as we begin our days full of energy and well-fed.

How about we swap something we have planned this week (or summer) in order to feed these precious, hungry people. Are you in? Here are some ideas:

Who has plans to go out for lunch or dinner this week? Would you consider swapping your meal(s) out to feed the hungry? Get this: The $50 dinner that you swap can provide 1,111 nutritious meals! A $150 dinner, 3,333 meals.

Who is planning on shopping for new summer clothes this weekend? Would you consider swapping your shopping?!  Save $75 in shopping, and provide another 1,667 meals for the orphanage in Uganda!

Who has a mani-pedi or any other spa/salon service planned? Would you swap it out to show the love of Jesus?  There’s another 888-1,777 meals.

Who is planning on paying a babysitter so you can go out this weekend? How about swapping babysitting services with a friend so that you both can donate the money you saved? A $40 savings in babysitting can provide 888 meals for the orphanage!!

Who is looking forward to that Saturday morning coffee at the coffee shop? How about swapping your $5.00 coffee drink for 111 meals for hungry people? Incredible, huh?!

Who has plans to catch a movie this weekend? How about swapping a movie night out (2 tickets & popcorn) for 667 meals?? Hard to believe that sacrificing one movie can give so many people food!

Planning a road trip or a vacation with a stay at hotels? Stay at cheaper hotels, spend one less night, skip a road trip…and with a savings of $200, swap out for 4,440 meals.

Who is planning a trip to the local ice cream shop? How about swapping your $10 ice cream visit to fill provide 222 meals?

Here’s the scoop 🙂  We’re working with John, Seggy & Mark and the other leaders at Nkumba to grow food that will feed the children for a lifetime.  We are raising $100,000 (2.2 million meals) that will provide another 20 acres of farm land, irrigation for all 50 acres, (last crop of maize died), a tractor, a small used car to get to the land, 700 avocado and mango trees, 700 fig, citrus and nut trees, 1000 chickens, 8 milking cows, 4 milking goats, a BIG kitchen (has to be big to cook for 2000 kiddos!), and, oh yes, a home—stables and coops—for the chickens, cows and goats.

When we feed 2000 children 3 meals a day for an entire year, it breaks down to 4.5 cents a meal. The cool thing is, this will feed them not just for a year, but for a lifetime!

This SWAP-IT challenge is going out on Facebook as well.  Invite your friends (see the link at the sidebar) to join the Facebook group.  The more, the merrier!  Then twitter it, tweet it, post it on your status update, forward this blog post or just plain old talk about it!

We will be updating the blog and FB with the number of meals raised.  You can comment on the blog or e-mail Cindy or Jenell with what you’re swappin’.  We’ll be swappin’ stories, too…what fun this will be!

For donation information, click here.

I came that they may have LIFE and have it ABUNDANTLY! John 10:10