I wasn’t prepared for the devastation I saw in Kenya. Even though it’s been years since I visited with my children, I still clearly remember the slums, the bone-thin infants, and the crumbling infrastructure.

But there was also beauty—both in the Savannah, and on the faces of the people who hoped for a better future.

My faith guides me in a lot of things. It’s led me to think about how I want to make a lasting impact. I have one grandchild, and with another one on the way, I find myself picturing what world they will grow up in. I know that I want to leave the world a better place than it was in my day.

I recognise that a huge task is ahead—but I do truly believe that people like you and I can help to alleviate poverty in countries like Kenya.

One of the most common messages in the Bible is that it is God’s will for us to look out for the most disadvantaged among us by sharing our resources.

I take comfort in the fact that by supporting Baptist World Aid Australia, I am helping to build His Kingdom in the vision that He intended. We are called to a life of love, and we do this by helping each other.

One Bible passage that guided me to support to Baptist World Aid is the parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25. Let me share my favourite part with you:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’… The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:34-40

I take these words to heart. And I was privileged to see the meaning of the parable in front of my very eyes when my children and I visited Kenya and Uganda with Baptist World Aid several years ago.

We went to a slum in Nairobi, where they had sanitation problems. There were no toilet blocks or running taps. I remember the smell of raw sewage in the gutter.

But above all, I could remember the hope and optimism that came from the belief that things would get better. Despite all their hardship, I saw bright smiles wherever we went.

Being right there, I could see how much people like you and I are needed. It really brought home the fact that we really can help change the lives of the world’s needy.

This is why I have chosen to leave a gift to Baptist World Aid in my Will. Because I truly believe a world with poverty and oppression is not what God intended, and He wants Christians like you and me to take action.

I know this is a personal matter, but I am hoping you consider including Baptist World Aid in your Will. Your incredibly meaningful gift will help Baptist World Aid to work with people living in poverty, and give them the knowledge, resources and skills to transform their lives for the long term.

By leaving a gift in your Will, your generosity will change the lives of future generations. You can help disadvantaged people across the world to fulfil their God-given potential and live the fullest lives possible.

What an incredibly legacy to have. What an incredible lesson for our grandchildren.

Find out more about including a gift in your Will

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