It was just a little bake sale, the kind of thing born in the minds of seventh-graders.
My daughter's French class had been corresponding with pen pals in Cameroon, practicing their language skills and hearing about life in the village of Messamena. But when the girls learned that the children in the central African town didn't nearly have the educational opportunities they did, the class wanted to do something.
So they organized a bake sale, dubbed Crepes for Cameroon, to help in whatever way they could.
Now, you should understand that my daughter loves crepes. She searches out the super-thin pancake at every farmers market and festival. So there may have been some ulterior motives on her part, but there was motivation just the same.
Their strawberry and Nutella creations must have been pretty good too, raising a little more than $200 to support their friends in Cameroon.
If things ended there, it would be a sweet little story. But it gets better. When the village's parents and teachers heard about the effort, they matched the funds, which was enough to provide school supplies to 100 kids for the entire year.
As eighth-graders, the girls held another bake sale and now plan to make it an annual event. That's a pretty big impact for such a small gesture.
As a parent, it's also one of the things that struck me as I read about the students, teachers and coaches profiled in this month's "Cheer Squad" feature. Whether they are building homes as part of a mission trip to the Dominican Republic or organizing therapy dogs to relieve stress during final exams, there's a lot of learning that doesn't show up on any report card. Over the summer, they sailed on tall ships, visited China and lived on a sheep farm in Norway. They tried out roles as leaders, activists, entrepreneurs and artists. They pursued what they love.
That's why I like what Open Door Christian Schools teacher Bruce Neubauer tells his seniors as they prepare for college: "God is already telling you what to do with your life by way of your passions and desires. Those are God's calling cards. Don't ignore them."
That's pretty good advice no matter what your age.
