How much of a difference can little kindergartners, first graders, and second graders make in a week and a half? Well, if you were to visit my classroom at Oakwood Junior Academy you would meet some of the most influential missionaries I know.

While studying a social studies unit on making a difference in other's lives, a student mentioned she wished there was some way my students could help the people hurt by the tsunami in Southeast Asia. After a quick look at the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) website, the students knew what they wanted to do.

To fund the project, we put a notice in our January newsletter encouraging students to save all their pocket change. The collected funds would then be used to purchase items online to assist survivors of the tsunami.

Friday Bible Labs came soon enough, and it was time for the class to count the money saved. In just a week, our 12 students raised $74.66. There was no missing the excitement on their little faces as they stood in a group around the computer to make their Internet purchases. It’s hard to believe that in just twenty minutes, we bought biscuits, buckets of water, flip flops, clothing, tarps, water purification tablets, hygiene kits, blankets, and kitchen sets for the victims of the tsunami.

Another opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others occurred one Sabbath at a social gathering that included students in grades 7–10 from nearby Adventist schools and churches. The afternoon began with upper grade students from Oakwood Junior Academy and Greater Lansing Adventist School going to downtown Detroit, armed with steaming bowls of soup and chili, accompanied by sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies, hot chocolate, warm clothing, and stacks of Adventist literature.

After spending a cold, blustery winter day on the streets of Detroit, students from First Flint Elementary, Greater Lansing Adventist School, Jackson Elementary, Metropolitan Junior Academy, Warren Junior Academy, and Oakwood Junior Academy, were rewarded with fun seasonal activities.

This experience brought to mind many memories singing, feeding, clothing, and talking with the homeless of Detroit when I was a student at Oakwood Junior Academy. I was reminded that outreach is still an essential mission for us today, and that these and similar activities planned by our local schools is another reason to celebrate Christian education.

Our schools may be small, but by working together, we can show our children how exciting Adventist education can be. Christian education is more than books. It provides an opportunity for teachers, parents, church members, and youth to experience the special blessings of learning to live out our faith in practical ways.

Sarah Canada teaches grades K–2 at Oakwood Junior Academy in Taylor, Michigan.