Massive shoe collection drive surpasses goal

At Wednesday morning’s Convocation, NBA superstar Stephen Curry helped Liberty University slam home a sneaker fundraiser, scoring over 20,000 new and used pairs during a partnership with Kick’n It for a Cause, a humanitarian effort led by alumnus Chris “COSeezy” Strachan (’11). Students then had the opportunity to hear more about what life is like in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the shoes are headed this summer, at Wednesday night’s Campus Community worship service.

At the start of the service, David Nasser, Liberty’s senior vice president for spiritual development, held up a used sneaker he found among the donations.

“There are pastors and people across the world in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who have literally been praying, ‘Lord, we need shoes,’” he explained. “For most of us in this culture, we would look at something like this as a pretty worn-out pair of shoes that has maybe seen its better days, but, honestly, it is about to see its greatest chapters as an answer to prayer.”

Liberty first jumped on board with the effort when one of its own — graduate student Emmanuel Ntibonera, a native of the Congo — approached the Office of Spiritual Development to seek help with a ministry he had conceived for his homeland. Knowing that many people there did not have proper footwear and were vulnerable to infections and a number of diseases, he and his family (through the Ntibonera Foundation) collected 10,000 pairs of shoes over the course of two years, but did not have the resources to ship them overseas.

Liberty agreed to help with that, but to go even further. The university connected with Strachan and his Kick’n It brand and Wednesday’s Convocation was planned around this theme. Students were asked to bring a new or gently used pair of shoes and to join a social media campaign (#KickNItForACause) to challenge others to do the same. Liberty also raised $10,000 for the cause. Strachan will join a team from Liberty that will travel to the Congo this summer to deliver the shoes.

During the service, Ntibonera shared the story of his family’s struggles and expressed how humbled he has been by the whole experience of joining with Strachan and Curry — something he never imagined would happen. He explained how his family (he is the oldest of nine children) had to flee the Congo and became refugees for nine years in Kenya. They struggled to survive, relying on God’s provision daily.

“I have lived a life where I have to pray for food. (I said) ‘I am starving, God feed me, I need shoes to put on, I need clothes,’” Ntibonera said, noting that after his family came to the United States, he learned how materialism can pull one away from God. “Sometimes suffering and difficulties help us to get closer to God because when we have all this we (think) we do not need God. So many people have forgotten that we can still get to God. We are losing it because we have all that we need.”

Admitting he has done so himself, Ntibonera told the crowd not to fall into the trap of complaining.

“Everything that we have is going to pass away,” he said. “But there is one thing that is not going to pass away. That is what we need to run to. The Kingdom of God will never pass away. What we have is just materials that are going to pass away.”

Ntibonera presented the students with a challenge for their lives.

“The same God that I was praying to when I was a refugee, it is the same God in this building tonight,” he said. “So, it is a challenge to us to step up, get out of your comfort zone, do something that you have never done before, and seek His Face. We serve the most powerful God, ever. It is a challenge to all of us … test God, and you will see.”

Ntibonera and his siblings closed Campus Community by leading worship. Students poured in from their seats to the front of the stage to fill offering buckets. The money will go toward shipping costs for the shoes as well as to help send the Ntibonera family to the Congo when the shoes are delivered.

Wednesday night’s event lasted much longer than usual, as students stayed for nearly an hour and a half afterward to help pack the shoes in boxes.

Liberty is still collecting donations. New or gently used sneakers can be brought or sent to the address below as long as they arrive by March 5.

ATTN: LU CONVO

Green Hall Room 2500

1971 University Blvd.

Lynchburg, VA 24515