Make the Shirt!

As the July 2024 mission team was making plans for our trip this summer, we spent a lot of time talking about kids’ ministry. We chose the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den and were working hard to find the best way to tell the story and the best activities to reinforce the power of prayer, while making sure everything was culturally and age appropriate.

The team landed on some great ideas, and I was loving the spirit of the group – they were going the extra mile on many of the activities and never took the easiest route. I’ve loved that about everyone on C2U mission teams – they simply want to do the very best for the people we serve!

After we had settled on a plan and established our list of supplies, I thought I would try one more idea. Knowing that only one member of the team had been to Uganda before to see the conditions of where we work, I wasn’t sure if everyone would think this idea was a no-brainer or if they would be sure I had lost my mind.

And so I threw out the idea: “What if we paint t-shirts?” There was a mixture of guarded agreement and a tiny bit of speculation – both valid responses.  I suggested we focus on the older kids at the school in Bubago (Primary 3 and older) and promised I would find a simple project. I’ve always loved activities that ended up with kids having something valuable and a t-shirt doubled the wardrobe for many of the kids.

I found an idea that only required paint, white shirts, pencils, and painter’s tape. How hard could it be? 

We did a practice run at one of our team meetings so that everyone would have their own shirt to wear on the day of the project.  It went well and clearly identified the creative side and personality type of each team member! 

We collected supplies (thanks to all who donated!!) and packed up everything in our supply bags.  It was kids’ ministry day and the third day of our visit. We were beginning to know a lot of the kids and it was great timing for all of the activities we had planned.

We completed everything pertaining to the story of Daniel and then dismissed all the younger kids.  The team went into action: bottles of paint were opened and some learned how cabin pressure makes things explode when you open them! Kids were spaced out in the room and we began giving directions to the front half of the classroom.

First, donated Thrivent shirts were handed out as paint shirts to keep those beautiful orange schools uniforms protected! We helped them put 2 pieces of painter’s tape on their shirts to form a cross.  Paper plates with small amounts of several colors of paint were handed out for 3-4 students to share.  Everyone got a new, unsharpened pencil.

And then the fun began! The kids were instructed to dip the eraser in paint and blot it on the shirt, near the painter’s tape. They could use any colors they wanted but needed to make sure they made it all the way around the cross.

We were ready for chaos, sure there would be spills, drops and elbows dragging across wet paint. We couldn’t have been more wrong! The kids took this project so seriously and focused on doing their very best work!

When they were finished, we swapped groups and repeated the process again.  The result was fantastic!  They hung their masterpieces on the fence of the nursery school playground to dry.  We left for the evening, knowing we would be back the next day to attend a pastor’s wedding and ordination.

When we arrived on Sunday, we were met with a sea of beautifully hand-crafted shirts! The kids were so proud and clearly were wearing the finest clothes they owned.

Lesson learned – buy the paint, make the shirt! We left that evening having a new respect for the students and their abilities to take on "high-risk" projects. They left with a shirt they were proud of.