Note From The Board – Rod Robison – January 2025
The Other People Jar
When my daughter Jennifer was three years old, money and especially saving and giving some of it away were pretty much the furthest things from her mind. Dressing up like Cinderella, singing and dancing to Disney VHS videos, and creating elaborate tea parties for her stuffed animals were much higher on her list of priorities. But when my wife and I presented her with three glass jars – one labeled “Jennifer”, one labeled “College”, and perhaps the most intriguing of all labeled “Other People” – she was curious. We explained that, beginning that week, Jen would be receiving something called an allowance for doing chores around the house – and that a portion of each allowance was to be placed into each glass jar. That was the day Jennifer was introduced to the truth that investing in the lives of others – specifically people in need – was not only the right thing – the Jesus thing – to do, but it was a key to a more fulfilling life for her.
As Jennifer grew into adulthood the lesson of the Other People Jar was not lost on her. An accomplished artist, she used her talents to help other people less fortunate than her. After visiting Uganda, she began purchasing beautiful hand-made beads from women in that country caught in the grip of poverty. By crafting beads from tiny strips of colorful pages torn from magazines, these women, most of them widowed or single, were able to provide a sustainable income for themselves and their children. Jennifer then applied her artistic talents to the beads by metal-weaving them into stunning, decorative four-inch crosses, donating proceeds from their sale back to the same women who made the beads to help them feed their children.
As Jennifer and I recently reflected on that project, she shared, “My heart was really gripped when I heard the story of these women and even more captivated when I saw the incredible works of art they created with their recycled magazine beads. I wanted to help them and to share their story with others. When I considered my own resources, talents, and sphere of influence, the beaded cross project was birthed. The Other People Jar opened my eyes to the needs of others at a very early age. I was also shown that even someone like me, with such a small amount to give, could still make a difference in the life of someone in need. Now, giving is such a huge joy to me – contagious even.”
Each of our other four children were given an Other People Jar at a young age and all learned the importance of generously sharing with others in need. Now, as adults, three of whom are married with children of their own, they all give to help other people.
My wife and I recently traveled to Africa with Okongo and Shyla along with folks from our church. We visited several of the villages and met hundreds of people whose lives have been touched by God through the work of Unite 4 Africa. One of those villages had no church building, but, despite that, believers from the village faithfully met for worship each week under a tree. My wife and I wondered how many more people might gather for services if there was a church building. We’d learned while in Africa how transformative a church building can be for entire communities. And we learned that building a relatively simple but functional church building is not as expensive as you might think. So, when we returned to the States, we asked our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren if they would like to join us in providing a church building for this particular village. They responded with an enthusiastic “yes.” That was only a few months ago, and just a few weeks ago we were sent a video of the people in the village celebrating and praising God in that new church building.
Decades after we introduced glass jars labeled “Other People” to our young children, God used those jars and the lessons they held to inspire our now adult children and their children toward a lifestyle of generous giving that is helping to reach other people a half a world away with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In First John Chapter Three we’re admonished, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
May I be so bold as to ask you this last month of the year to consider how you can end your year by providing for other people who are in need? There are more churches to be built for people in remote villages meeting under trees. There are countless orphans and other vulnerable children needing goats to help them provide for themselves and their families.
There are teenage girls whose families can’t afford “dignity pads” that can make the difference between those girls attending school or staying home several days a month. There are villages in desperate need of water projects so their women no longer have to walk miles carrying heavy buckets of water. And there are millions yet to be reached with the Gospel. God is using Unite 4 Africa, its leaders, and its donors to meet these and other needs. You are an important part of God’s plan when you give.
Will you take a moment today to make a generous gift for these “other people?” Thank you for caring.
Rod Robison
Unite 4 Africa Board Chairman


