“We have fallen in love with the people of the smaller villages along the southern border of Zambia,” said Andy Neal, pastor of Temple Baptist Church (TempleJonesboro) in Jonesboro, Arkansas. “This area has become a heartbeat for our church with an initial trip in November 2020 and then at least one trip a year to this area.”

That 2020 service trip began what has become an ongoing relationship between the people of Temple and at least 10 communities in southern Zambia. The church has now established missionaries in the area, participated in building multiple community structures that serve as churches and schools, and led multiple distributions of The Shoe That Grows. 

Pastor Andy shared, “I first heard of The Shoe That Grows in an ad at one of the airports on my way back from that initial trip in 2020.” He immediately recognized how an expandable, long-lasting shoe could benefit their work to support families and education in these communities. 

“As we enter these villages, many of the adults wear shoes that have been discarded by others or handed down from family—most with very little sole of the shoe left and many with toes sticking out the end. With the adult shoes being in this condition many of the kids do not have shoes, and the ones who do usually just have a very inexpensive pair of flip-flops on their feet. One of the ways we have helped is through shoes and dresses for the girls in these villages to meet dress codes of schools.”

Andy and his congregation have provided 200 pairs of The Shoe That Grows to kids in Mbangweta and Chibinga—two main villages that have a reach into neighboring areas.  

“Seeing this shoe that could grow with these children and might possibly be able to be passed down through the family meant a lot in our decision to distribute these shoes,” Pastor Andy said. “These kids have had to walk from 30 minutes up to two hours to get to the public schooling offered in this southern region. In those commutes, they have not had adequate footwear for the journey.”

Being a part of distributions was “overwhelming, exciting, humbling” for Pastor Andy. “The joy on the kids' faces and the dancing and running that take place afterward is so great to watch.”

While a small part of a greater work in these areas, The Shoe That Grows is meeting a tangible need for families facing many challenges and allowing kids to experience simple joys of being kids. 

“I think for me it was when kids would show their parents how fast they could now run in these new shoes. Or when they would challenge a friend to a foot race.”

The Shoe That Grows can increase the impact of short- and long-term service work. Learn more about funding and distributing The Shoe in the communities you serve.