Smoking for Jesus program features missionaries, music and entrepreneurs
CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF
HOOVER’S VALLEY — When 14-year-old Joshua Brown visited Baja, Mexico, as a missionary, he knew he had found his calling.
“We went around and witnessed to others and got souls saved,” he said. “The Lord told me to be a missionary. Witnessing to people is my favorite.”
Joshua, his twin brother, Caleb Brown, and Shanice Richard are among students with Smoking for Jesus Ministries Christian School who went on their first mission trip in July 2014.
The students will share their experiences, put on a skit about a famous black missionary as well as help host an event featuring musical performances, presentations about black entrepreneurship and ways to keep youth safe from child predators.
The Black History Month presentation Faith Produces Greatness is a free event 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Smoking for Jesus Ministries multipurpose center, 1804 FM 2342 in Hoover’s Valley.
“We’d like to educate the community about the different struggles that African-Americans endured,” event spokeswoman Racheal Frazier said. “Also, (we would like) to bring to light the benefits that they’ve contributed to our society that are often overlooked.”
Topics include the contributions by missionary Eliza George, entrepreneur C.J. Walker and musician Thomas Dorsey.
“A musician — just because we know African-Americans are very soulful people. Entrepreneurship — because we have always had something to give back,” Frazier said. “Missionaries — because African-Americans have always played a part in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Speaker Melanie Watson will shed light on the scourge of sex trafficking, which targets children.
“Human trafficking is not only international. It is domestic. We need to pay attention to our young people, young girls, in particular. Also, people who are runaways and those who are in foster care,” said Watson of the program called U.R. not 4gotten. “There are times when children are active online with many accounts. You will be made aware of some techniques to monitor your child, grandchild, nieces and nephews online.”
For more information on the Redeemed Ministries program to halt child sex trafficking, go to urnot4gotten.weebly.com.
As the participants share their messages, attendees have a chance to contribute to their cause and the upcoming youth mission trip July 8-15 in the Dominican Republic.
“We want to show them that blacks can actually be missionaries,” Caleb Brown said.
Fifteen-year-old Richard added that young missionaries have an opportunity to help others through the Gospel as well as improve their own lives.
“One time, we went to a shack and there was a family in it. They were so grateful to have that shack, and it reminded me I need to be grateful for what I have,” Richard said. “(Doing mission work is) just helping people out and showing them God’s love. We can speak to the young people in the way we know how.”
For more information, call (830) 265-7042 or go to www.smokingforjesusministry.org.
connie@thepicayune.com