By Alex Kohut
The Bay City Times
MONITOR TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Wyatt Reinhardt wants deployed soldiers to know that God will keep them safe.
Wyatt, 8, and his Trinity Lutheran School classmates are getting a chance to share such messages through a campaign that delivers Bibles to the troops.
Students at the school, 20 E. Salzburg Road in Monitor Township, are participating in Operation Worship, a program from the California-based Open Window Foundation. The initiative encourages people to write messages inside Bibles before the Bibles are mailed to deployed soldiers.
About 50 students, grades kindergarten through eight, spent a recent morning inscribing their messages of thanks, encouragement and faith.
"I wanted to let them know how thankful I am for them fighting for our freedom, which lets us do what we want here," said Kate Liberacki, 13, daughter of Ashley and Craig Liberacki of Auburn.
"I wanted to let the soldiers know that God could help them win," added Wyatt, son of Pam and Dale Reinhardt of Linwood.
Joy Feinauer, the school's fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, said the program intrigued the faculty because of the unique way it spreads the word of God.
"By sending these Bibles to deployed soldiers, there's hope that the recipients may share the word of God with others," Feinauer said.
The cover of each Bible is designed for a specific branch of the U.S. military. Inside are several pages for written messages.
Messages from Trinity Lutheran School students included, "God loves you," "God thinks you are great" and "God bless you and keep you strong."
Megan Freibe, 13, said she was excited to write a message to a soldier because of family ties to the military.
Megan, daughter of Dave and Karen Freibe of Auburn, said she has a cousin who spent three years deployed in Iraq.
She also has a 16-year-old cousin, she said, who plans to enlist in the military when he is eligible.
"He's already a Christian, but with projects like this, Christian soldiers can help share the word of God with others," Freibe said.
Joy Feinauer said the school purchased 160 Bibles for the initiative. Faculty raised funds through weekly offerings at both the school and the church, located at the corner of Salzburg and 8 Mile Road.
A box of 32 Bibles cost $125, Feinauer said.
Members of the church's congregation will write messages in the remaining Bibles, she said.
Once the messages are written, Feinauer said she will ship the Bibles back to the Open Window Foundation, which then ships them to deployed soldiers.
Published: Thu, Dec 9, 2010
