Meet Thomas Awiapo
On January 29, 2009, Thomas Awiapo visited the students of St. Martin's School. Here is a video that tells about his inspirational story:
To view videos of Thomas speaking to the students in St. Martin's Church, click on the links below. While the quality of the video clips is not great, they convey the spirit of this inspirational man whose life was changed through Operation Rice Bowl.
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Expressing THANKS for your Rice Bowl contributions
- On behalf of millions of children and others throughout the world
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Thomas is asked how old he was when he first came to this country
- Most people in his village do not know the day of their birthday or even how old they are
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Thomas tells the students how blessed they are to have PARENTS
- Thomas and his brothers were orphaned at a very young age
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Appreciating the gift of clean WATER, medical care, etc.
- We tend to take it for granted when clean water flows from our faucets
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Thomas tells the students about growing up without ELECTRICITY
- Thomas has said that, while electricity is definitely a gift, it sometimes makes it hard for us to see the stars at night
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Thomas tells how Operation Rice Bowl saved his life and helps people throughout the world
- Our "spare change" can change the world and learning about the people of the world can change us.
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The students ask Thomas about the ANIMALS found in his village in Ghana
- The students were especially delighted to hear about his pet monkey, "George", and his dog, "Fluffy"
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Thomas talks about his experiences with HUNGER & starvation as a child in Ghana
- Thomas tells the students that, whenever they are tempted to waste food, they should think of him
Thomas spent an entire hour with the students, including a half hour answering their questions. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to hear about the experiences of people in the developing world.
How to use your Operation Rice Bowl Materials
- Assemble the symbolic rice bowl you received at the church and place it on your dinner table or some other significant place in your home.
- Pray the prayer on the Operation Rice Bowl home calendar (which can be opened as a rather large pdf file). During Lent, set aside time to pray, as individuals, as a family and as a parish. Come to the parish's Friday evening prayer services during Lent.
- Fast from food (you can try some of the recipes provided for each country) or refrain from some activities during Lent and instead place the money from your sacrifices into the rice bowl. Come to our Lenten Soup Supper.
- Learn about people throughout the world by reading their stories on the calendar (above) or on the website (countries), watch videos telling about the work of CRS in their communities, and using the interactive map.
- Give by converting all your donations into one check at the end of Lent, placing it in the envelope provided and returning it to the church.
As we journey through Lent this year, may our prayers and sacrifice help us to grow in solidarity with people throughout the world.
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