Some may imagine compassion as a bowl of food given to a hungry child, or a well splashing up fresh, clean water. Still others may see wounds tended to and medicine given to end an illness.

What do you see?

How about a picture of a 40-foot container 9.5 feet high and 8 feet wide?

Does that conjure up pictures of compassion in your mind?

That's exactly what one person saw as an absolutely perfect picture for people in Africa.

"I had met our global partner from Africa in 2000 and was captured by her passion and commitment to serve the Lord wherever he asked her to go," says Carol, a long-time supporter of Alliance global partners and leader of the African Container 2009 Project at Sherwood Park Alliance Church in Alberta. "As I watched her follow God and obey his leading, even though she had NO IDEA at the time about running her project in Africa, I realized that all God wants us to do is be obedient and he will provide the way and the resources."

Their friendship grew, and just as our global partner was listening to God in Africa and venturing ahead into unknown territory, Carol was listening to God in Canada and venturing into a slightly different type of unfamiliar territory. One was pioneering a project in Africa; the other was gathering people and resources to support this venture.

The first container was sent in 2006, with the expertise and help of Roger C., followed-up by a short-term ministry team visit to Africa to assist and help with her project.

Then, in the Fall of 2008, God laid new projects on the heart of our global partner. Once again, the plan was to collect and send supplies to help resource two new significant projects - an infant rescue centre and a women's cooperative.

Carol says, "In November 2008, our global partner gave us a 'wish list' of all the items she could use for these new endeavours and then we added some additional items, knowing the resources we had available to us here."

The first thing that needed to be done was an application for a donor to cover the container shipping costs. That was completed in December 2008 and it went to potential donors through an Alberta relief agency in Sherwood Park. This agency would eventually play a major role in the packing and shipping of this container.

In May 2009, Carol began by personally inviting several people to be part of the core team responsible for the container and its contents. "I had no idea who would be willing to help with this project. I sent out an email to many prayer partners and to the previous African team and about 10 people came out to pray for and lead this project. Roger C. and the team from Heartland Alliance Church joined the project and were critical partners in its success."

The first meeting of the core team included much prayer - prayer for God's anointing on an endeavour that had more value than any in that room would ever really know and prayer for guidance in the practical aspects of choosing items for the container. Carol remembers, "I worried as I wondered if enough people would know about this project, if they would support it and if we would get the items that were most important to be shipped."

And so the process began.

What had once only been a dream now had hands and feet to carry out the work.

Over the next several weeks, individuals researched suppliers of many items from the 'wish list.' Items such as generators, inverters, solar panels and solar cookers were investigated. Carefully, decisions were made as to what was most useful. Many phone calls and emails ensued between Canada and Africa.

Others from the team began to shop garage sales and value markets for reasonably priced but 'good as new' baby items such as clothing, blankets and furniture. As well, shopping for new items like welding units, electrical supplies, laptops and industrial tools began. Cost mattered. Most of the new items purchased were on sale while many others were donated.

Flyers went out to our church congregation as well as other partnering churches. Emails were sent to prayer partners. Announcements were made in services. An African Container 2009 information centre was set up in the foyer of the church where people signed up for items they would donate. The word was getting out and excitement was beginning to grow.