DUNCAN — Tennis shoes as missionaries?

A group of children at Tanglewood Bible Fellowship is learning that the love of God can be spread around the world by something as simple as tennis shoes. The youngsters are working through Samaritan’s Feet to collect and distribute the shoes.

The vision for Samaritan’s Feet was conceived more than 28 years ago on a hot summer afternoon at a camp in Lagos, Nigeria, when a stranger from Wisconsin befriended a young African boy. The young boy, like so many other children in Africa and around the world, had never known the comfort and security of owning a pair of tennis shoes. This “Good Samaritan” gave a life-changing gift and a message of hope to that 9-year old boy. He gave him his first pair of shoes, the church learned.

With that new pair of shoes for inspiration, Emmanuel “Manny” Ohonme went on to compete in sports activities in Africa. Specifically, he developed a love as well as superior talent for competitive basketball. His skill and confidence continued to flourish; his hard work and determination to succeed finally paid off.

He was offered the chance to attend an institution of higher learning in America under a full basketball scholarship. He met his wife, Tracie, while attending the University of North Dakota (Lake Region) and he later earned an executive position in a leading technology company.

In spite of his successes in America, Ohonme never forgot the other little boys and girls in Africa who were still living under the strain of poverty, drug abuse, war, gangs and other criminal activity. Determined to help impoverished people in Africa, Ohonme left the comfort and security of his executive position to birth the vision of Samaritan’s Feet.

Samaritan’s Feet now distributes shoes to individuals worldwide, not just in Africa. In June, Samaritan’s Feet was one of three Christian mission organizations that donated 800 pairs of shoes to children in Knox and Whitley counties in Kentucky.

When the TBF children learned of the project, they established a goal, and that goal will be celebrated at Windows on the World (WOW) today at the church.

“Our goal as a church is to help put 100 pairs of new tennis shoes on the feet of 100 orphans and impoverished children in this country and around the world. We are collecting any brand of new athletic shoes; children’s sizes 10-4 go the fastest, according to a representative of Samaritan’s Feet. Our deadline for the goal is (today),” said Sonja Skinner.

The fifth- and sixth-grade Sunday school class used money it had collected for missions to go to a local shoe store and purchase $300 worth of new shoes, Skinner said.

“Jean Schalit, as our Sunday school and WOW Wednesday coordinator, Janice Skinner, and I have decided to help us meet that goal by focusing on Samaritan’s Feet at WOW.”

Before the WOW presentation, there will be a fellowship dinner (enchiladas) at 5:30 p.m. today at the church, with the proceeds of the dinner going to help pay for shipping of the shoes to the Samaritan’s Feet headquarters.

A video clip with more information on Samaritan’s Feet will be shown, and then the group will box up all the shoes that have been collected, ready to be mailed.

Anyone who would like to help the children reach their goal can take new tennis shoes to the church at Fifth Street and Camelback Road and put them on the glass stand in the foyer. Shoes may also be dropped off at Woolsey’s Office Products at 904 W. Main, or Jonny’s Restaurant at Oak Tree at 1215 N. U.S. Highway 81.

Monetary donations are also accepted to help purchase more shoes or help pay for shipping costs.

“We appreciate the community’s help in showing our young TBFers that God’s plan for us is more than listening to stories at church, more than rules to follow, and more than singing songs. It’s showing others His love, bringing them hope, and taking care of their tangible and spiritual needs,” Skinner said.

For information, call Sonja Skinner at 580-255-0783 or visit http://www.samaritansfeet.org/our-mission.