Makenzi and Rylee Hill
Age 9, Grade 4 and Age 6, Grade 1
Makenzi and Rylee Hill have been involved with the Children’s Ministry program at the First United Methodist Church for almost four years. Throughout their time there, the activities of helping those in need has grown their compassion – looking for more ways they can impact the lives of other people.
Makenzi’s summer project initially started due to a nightmare she had. She dreamt she was homeless and was scared – sparking interest in the homeless community. Makenzi had participated in the Children’s Ministry’s projects such as Valentine’s cards to the homeless, as well as donations to Feeding South Dakota, making her aware of their situation.
When the nightmare happened a second time, Makenzi knew God was answering her prayers for a way she could help.
“Makenzi decided at that point she wanted to find a way to buy the homeless flashlights,” explained her mom Jennifer.
Although it was a great idea to help those in need, her mom was not willing to give Makenzi the money for her project, and explained that she would need to raise the money for the flashlights.
Determined, Makenzi enlisted the help of her younger sister Rylee – and together, they set a goal to get 100 flashlights for the homeless community. The church opened their doors for Makenzi and Rylee’s bake sale in July of 2016 and the response was incredible. Together, the girls raised $1200 and were able to donate 200 no-battery flashlights to the Hope Center with the message “Jesus is the Light of the World” John 8:12.
“I couldn’t be more proud of my girls and their continued compassion for others in the world,” said Jennifer. “This summer mission project was the first for both Makenzi and Rylee, but I believe that we will be working on some more mission projects in the future!”
Amazing Kids: Makenzi and Rylee
By Jenna Carda