For One of the Least

GUY MCPARTLAND was a battalion chaplain with the 3rd Marines operating near Da Nang. In addition to his normal duties of ministering to the men of his unit, he took an interest in the Vietnamese people he met. His infantry battalion operated far from the cities, so the people he encountered were farmers and small villagers trying to eke out a living in the midst of a violent war. Chaplain McPartland wrote home to church friends,

The people here are extremely poor. We’ve been trying to do as much as we can to improve their living conditions. For instance, introducing them to soap and toothbrushes and paste . . . The average workman draws anywhere from 50 cents to $1.00 per day . . . If any of your groups at home would like to do a real work of charity and at the same time help us win this war, they could have a little “bash” at somebody’s house, take up a little collection, and send it to me via a money order. I could then convert it into piasters and put it to immediate use . . . I don’t have in mind anything big . . . A $10.00 or $15.00 or $20.00 would do wonders for a child, a sick mother, or father, etc.

The chaplain later wrote that he received twenty-three dollars from church members at home and that he spent seven dollars of it on soap for three hundred fifty school kids. He was convinced these kids would either get cleaner or that their parents would have a valuable item to barter for other necessities. Either way, this small act would make a meaningful difference in a few lives.

What more can anyone expect in their work for God’s kingdom? Even though there are times when the needs seem overwhelming, we should not let this deter us from doing something to make a difference.