Meeting missionaries, decorating maracas and eating hamburgers were highlights of “Shake It Up,” a Sept. 22 missions event for Girls in Action and Children in Action at Connie Maxwell Children’s Home in Greenwood.

More than 200 children and their leaders participated in the event, which was coordinated by South Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union.

Danny Nicholson, president of Connie Maxwell, shared his story of being adopted by a Christian family and reminded the group that God wants to adopt each of them into His family.

The children heard about the work of missionaries Loraine and Shannon Long, who served for years as church planters in Chile. The Longs explained that a missionary is “anyone who goes anywhere to tell someone about Jesus.” 

Other featured speakers were Fran and Richard Kelly, who served in Senegal, and Betty Lynn Cadle, who talked about the Syrian refugees in Greece and the Hmong people living in Minnesota.

Acts of service were also part of “Shake It Up.” Some children picked up enough sticks on campus to make a large pile, while others swept sidewalks.

A hamburger lunch was prepared by the Lakelands Baptist Association Disaster Relief Unit. 

Before leaving, the group assembled at Connie Maxwell Baptist Church to sing and to hear South Carolina WMU executive director Laurie Register challenge them to “shake up” their lives and to use their unshakeable faith to tell others about Jesus.

— Kay Rollings is GA coordinator at St. Andrews Baptist Church in Columbia.