Wednesday, February 10, 2010

A visit to Cargill

It was a snowy day last week when we all pulled up to Cargill Manufacturing Company (the largest in Minnesota). But the cause was good.

Over 30 students from the Brooklyn Park area, many Cargill employees, and a large representation from Compatible Technologies International (CTI) gathered here to assemble Grain Mills...Who is CTI? From their website- "... founded in 1981 by a group of missionaries, and research engineers and General Mills food scientists as a unique non-profit volunteer organization devoted to alleviating hunger and poverty and promoting food security in the developing world.

Rather than simply feeding the world’s most impoverished people, CTI develops, builds and distributes post-harvest technologies that help people feed themselves with greater predictability and nutrition. Our low-tech tools are compatible with, and adapted to, the diverse cultures and environments in which they are deployed around the world."CTI brought the grain mills to be assembled, then they will be shipped to Africa...Each table divided into teams, one team had the instructions the other team had the pieces. Working blindly like this and only from instructional direction, the first team to complete two grain mills was the winner.A large number of the students there that day came with the A-List, a non-profit group started by college students from the University of Minnesota. The national statistics for the success of youth are sad... staggering. Along with addictions, teen pregnancies, and dropouts, four teens are murdered every day. And the youth in Brooklyn Park are no different. They need jobs, they need something better to do. Enter the A-List. Check out their website for more... A great work they are doing!The students had a great time racing to finish first, and they also learned alot about profitable work and serving others.The winners!Thanks for the opportunity to photograph this great event. It was indeed my privilege. My eyes were also opened to how privileged I am, and how I can help carry out Jesus' command to love and serve the poor and underprivileged.

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