‘Solidary pastries’ to fight childhood cancer

Last February 15 was the International Childhood Cancer Day, and a group of students of GBU (IFES) Barcelona put a stand in the campus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, to raise funds for the investigation of this illness in the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, located in Barcelona.

GBU joined the campaign “Xocolatada solidària” (Solidary Chocolat in Catalan), organized by several organisations working with the Children's Department of the hospital.

SOLIDARY PASTRIES

In addition to the chocolates other groups were selling, the Christian students baked cakes, calling the initiative “Solidary Pastries”.

They started at noon and ended the day at seven o'clock in the evening. Around 30 cakes of different flavors were on offer: carrot, apple, chocolate, etc.

The initiative was a success. Everything was sold, and they managed to raise around 400 euros. More than 200 students, university staff and teachers passed by after their classes to buy a piece of cake.

GENEROSITY

What surprised the organisers most were the generous donations that some students made.

“For example, a group of friends came to the stand to buy a piece of cake and one of them went to the bank and gave us a donation of 20 Euro. Another man gave us 50 Euro and said: ‘Give me what you want, but I do not want to change’. We gave him a chocolate shake and four pieces of cake and he did not want anything else. He congratulated us for the job we were doing and he was very happy”, a GBU students explained.

“Many people are sensible to the illness and pain of others and want to help. What great evidence that we were created to love others!”

“CHRISTIANS PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS AND FIGHT AGAINST EVIL”

The students organised this event “because as Christians we proclaim the good news but we also fight against the evil in the world as a result of sin. The disease was not in the original plan of God”.

“We, more than anyone, should support these initiatives with hope, because we believe in the true Healer who suffers when He sees the suffering of this world, the one who one day will end all sickness”, they added.

This was an opportunity for GBU students to share their testimonies at the university, talking about God's love for college students.

About 500 young evangelical Christians in Spain's universities organise Bible studies on campus through GBU groups. Their mission is to serve the student community and start conversations about Jesus Christ.