The teenagers of Sterling United Methodist Church’s LifeSigns Youth Ministry were in for a night of hard work Friday, Jan. 26.
Nicole Tschirkel, a freshman at Park View High School, helped sort through and box more than 30,000 books over the course of three months. The book drive will help benefit the children of the Marshall Islands, located in the western Pacific Ocean.
Laura Sherman, a member of Sterling United Methodist Church, brought the idea of a book drive to the Rev. Randy Duncan.
Sherman, who works for International Registries Inc. in Reston, heard about the island’s need for books at work.
"Over half of the island’s population is children," she said. "There’s a need there for books. So we started collecting."
The church’s hallways were filled with hundreds of cardboard boxes of books.
"God opened a door," Duncan said.
"They will have to build a new library with all of these books," Sherman added.
LIFESIGNS YOUTH MINISTRY spent Friday night at the church to finish sorting and packing books for children of all ages and to participate in the 30-hour famine they started at noon that day.
"We do it so we can get a taste of hunger," Tschirkel said, "to get a sense of what it’s like to be poor."
The students asked family, friends and neighbors to sponsor them over the course of 30 hours, to help raise money for World Vision International, a Christian relief and development organization.
Sterling Middle School student Madison Pappano, 11, participated in the 30-hour famine for the first time Friday afternoon.
"There already have been so many temptations," she said, "but I’m doing my best. I’m really hungry."
River Bend Middle School student Katie Printz, 12, participated in the event for the second year in a row. She said she tries to keep her mind off food by thinking about the poor and the sick.
"The hardest part is that 29th hour," Printz said. "But for some people, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. At least I can say it’s almost over."
THE YOUTH GROUP meets Sunday nights at Sterling United Methodist Church.
Printz said the Sunday night meetings are a good way to get to know other teenagers in the community.
Printz said she plays games, sings songs and worships with her friends at the meetings.
"It’s not like bible school at all," Printz said.