Rubber duck race helps raise funds for mission

Missionaries above all know the challenges of raising money in today’s difficult economy.

One worker serving with Operation Mobilisation (OM) has however, found a creative way to encourage Christians and non-Christians to give toward the Great Commission and have some family fun too.

The ‘rubber duck race’ that prayer partners and financial supporters of Priscilla (name changed) organised was an event that one local community in Holland is unlikely to forget.

Priscilla is part of OM’s team in Chile, which is transforming lives and communities with news of God’s love. When some of the financial support she had been pledged didn’t appear, it looked like she may have had to return home.

Thousands of miles away from her home in Holland, she asked her committed prayer partners and donors for help. Seeking God’s guidance for a breakthrough, they came up with the idea of a rubber duck race. They then rented a large batch of little ducks, approached businesses about donating prizes and knocked on every door in two villages and in churches to ‘sell’ the ducks.

Each person who ‘bought’ a duck showed up on the day of the race, hoping to see their floating toy cross the line first and win. All along a small canal, people lined up to watch almost 1,000 sponsored ducks drop into the water and make their way to the finish. Besides all the fun, the crowds also learned about the purpose of the race and OM’s ministry in Chile.

Priscilla was delighted by the outcome and is looking forward to continue serving God in Chile. OM are involved in a range of ministries across the country, from sharing the Gospel with young skateboarders to helping communities rebuild after last year’s earthquake.

Chile is one of over a hundred countries around the world where 6,000 OM workers are sharing their faith.