University of Louisville – Mar 26, 2012
Thoughts from RBP at Louisville...
This is my first experience with the Red Bus Project. I loved working with the staff and advertising for the free iPad and t-shirt. It'a really cool to see how passionate the people are for the orphans and what they're doing is really unique. I see charities all the time for orphans, and they want you to donate money, but I've never seen a team of people traveling on a double decker bus/thrift store. This is such a cool way to get to people all over the country and raise awareness.
Before they came, I knew probably the basic things people know about orphans. I knew orphans didn't have parents and there were some charities who did things for them. The Red Bus Project has definitely increased my awareness about orphans and has made me more interested in helping with the Red Bus Project in the future. For example, I did not know that a child is made an orphan every 18 seconds. This project has made me want to look more into other organizations that help with orphans and I want to see how I can be apart of connecting them with their future families. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to help with this and I'm excited to work the Red Bus Project again!
Kip Smith
Today I was a volunteer with the Red Bus Project for the first time. What an awesome experience to watch the process unfold as tents went up, the bus pulled in, and word spread around campus! "What is this all about?" was a common question from many students. It was my privilege to share about the project and to see students hear about the truth of orphans around the globe and be offered a chance to make a difference. I could literally see faces change when they found out that this wasn't just another hype on campus, but about something that was truly important, something that they don't usually think about.
Personally, I am a huge advocate for orphans and adoption. At 3 years old, I began to pray that my mom and dad would be able to have another child. Sixteen years later, my prayer was answered when my family met little Alexander in Smolensk, Russia. We brought him home and he has been a source of joy, as well as a constant reminder of a need that is felt heavily around the world. As a follower of Jesus, I see that God's heart is all about adoption and grafting us into his family, and I think that the Red Bus Project means even more to me, because of our story.
Lauren Hoeks
