On Sunday, December 15th, 2024, the World Mission Society Church of God in Fresno hosted the 1562nd Worldwide Blood Drive and achieved amazing results. There is a constant need for blood around the world; however, there is always a shortage of blood donations. In this month of December, there is more of a shortage due to many accidents that take place.
For this reason, the World Mission Society actively participates in hosting frequent blood drives, understanding the significance and impact of these donations on people’s lives. Even earlier this year, the Southwest Region of the Church of God hosted a mega blood drive at the famous Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and had over 1,000 donors in one day. It is said that one pint of blood can save 3 lives, so over 3,300 lives were saved during the mega blood drive previously.
Saving a Life Through the Blood Drive
The Church of God hosted a heartfelt event, partnering with the Central California Blood Bank to dedicate a day to saving lives. Over 122 people registered for this event and 106 people were able to donate blood, which means that 318 lives were able to be saved through this one event. Members from the World Mission Society Church of God understand the importance of unity and the importance of life itself. Members from San Francisco, Bakersfield, Sacramento, and Visalia traveled to Fresno to participate in this event and donate blood. “One person’s act can save the whole world,” states Jordan Washington.
Planning and Preparation
Unfortunately, there seems to be far more opportunity out there than ability…We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.
– Thomas Edison
For the past 2 months, the team has been preparing for the blood drive. The Church of God held various events to encourage all the neighboring churches for this blood drive. The preparation involved all members of the Church of God from preparing flyers, aiding with the site survey, food choices, performance rehearsals, and an endless list. But when all the things came together on the day of the blood drive, the members were overjoyed to see the fruits of their efforts.
Even on the day of the blood drive volunteers started as early as 5 a.m. to prepare the venue and the various activities. One thing everyone noticed was that the smiles of the volunteers never changed irrespective of the time. Following the teachings of Heavenly Mother, the members served with a bright smile and a mind of love.
Mother’s teaching #12: “Even God came to serve, not to be served. When we serve one another without wanting to be served, God will be pleased.”
Events at the Blood Drive
The event was not just a time to come donate blood and return home, it was also a time for members from various churches of God in northern California to join together in fellowship. Face painting for kids, King of the Court, ping pong, photo booth, information about the Church of God, and also various activities were set up to keep people entertained and keep their spirits high during the cold December month in Fresno.
The various activities encouraged members both young and old to participate and have some fun with one another. As Heavenly Mother always thought was to consider others and share joy with others, this event became an opportunity for members to put it into practice
“As God always gives love, giving love is more blessed than receiving love.”
Performances at the Blood Drive
To entertain the guests who came from afar and show our appreciation for all donors, the members prepared various performances. The performances entailed an orchestra, a female quartet, a duet singing the famous song “When You Believe,” elementary students performing taekwondo and Korean fan dancing, a guitar duo, a choreographed ribbon dance, and a thrilling rollercoaster simulation.
Although the members were not professionals in those fields, when they wanted to serve, God provided them with abilities and talents. This was clearly seen from the beginning to the end of the event as everything came together seamlessly and the members enjoyed the touching performances.
Spread a sense of community
Once the performances ended, there was a soup cook-off prepared to satisfy the hunger along with various finger foods. Food brings the family together, and under this motto, a total of 7 soups were prepared as well as various deserts and snacks.
Members served wholeheartedly and everyone gathered in the courtyard of the church to enjoy delicious food and time with one another. The cook-off was awarded based on the user’s choice and the winning soup was the Loaded Baked Potato. Members were able to enjoy the soup and finger food that was made with Mother’s love as they shared their experiences about the performances.
The Love of Mother
The greatest experience reported by many participants was how much they felt the love of our Heavenly Mother throughout this event. Everyone wore bright smiles and shared words of encouragement with one another even though many traveled from afar to contribute to such an impactful event.
Local members in Fresno expressed gratitude to all the participants as well as the workers from the Central California Blood Center, as it couldn’t have been done without unity. Not only were physical lives saved through this event, but also 3 people received a new life through baptism, being moved by the warmth of the World Mission Society Church of God through the gracious event. All thanks and glory to our Heavenly Father and Mother for giving us their teachings to save the whole world and practice sharing love with others.
