Rev. Robert Wedaa's Children's Book Raises Funds for Orphanage in China

Threshold Ministries, Inc. began as a small nonprofit organization focused on feeding a few hungry families in China.  By 2005 it had grown to include 250 children in its efforts and completed building TMI Hope House for Children, a 22,000 square foot orphanage in Linjiang City in the Jilin Province of northeast China.

TMI’s child sponsorship program provides for poor, orphaned, and abandoned children and offers emergency food, warm winter clothing, firewood, and more to those in need.

Reverend Robert Wedaa, pastor of Orcutt Presbyterian Church for twenty-five years, has been the Spiritual Advisor for Threshold Ministries since its inception.  He has made several trips to China and says the kids are always excited to see them.

Although he had never done anything like it before, Wedaa came up with an idea to help the children even more.  A natural storyteller, he began to think that perhaps he should get some of his tales down on paper.

“I had one of those Aha! Moments in the middle of the night,” he recalls, “And I said why not make a book and why not have it in Chinese too!”

The idea only gained momentum from there.  Wedaa decided to look to his own childhood growing up during the Depression for inspiration and came up with his first book, “When I Was A Little Boy I Caught A Rabbit.”  But having it printed in both English and Chinese was only part of the plan.  Wedaa also thought it would be fun to hold a contest at the local schools in China so the books could be illustrated by the kids themselves.

When it came time for a second book, “When I Was A Little Boy I Played in a Hayloft”, he held another contest.

“I received 150 entries for the 25 illustrations,” explains Wedaa, “The kids range in age from about ten to fifteen and they really have an artistic flare.  We threw a lunch for the art teachers and read them the text for the book and everyone was really excited.  Art is still very much alive out in China.”

All of the profits made from each book, the second of which has only just been released,
go directly toward helping the children that Threshold serves in China.  By self-publishing, Wedaa was able to ensure that as much money went directly to the kids as possible.

“We’re really pleased with how the whole project has turned out,” muses Wedaa, “and we’re having a lot of fun doing it.”

To purchase your own copies of these wonderful, illustrated children’s books, visit www.tmihope.org and check out the TMI Hope Market.