e<strong>for</strong>e. On TV and in the movies the homelesspeople beg you <strong>for</strong> money. But when I gaveout the first gift bag, the homeless man wasso happy he ran inside the shelter and told hisfriends! I now know that homeless people arepeople just like us who happen to need a home.Brianna: I realized how often we take <strong>for</strong>granted all the everyday things we have, such asfood, showers, clothes, a warm bed to sleep ineach night, and most of all, a home. Most of thepeople we met don’t have anybody.Christie: I learned aboutgratitude. These people wereso happy and thankful toreceive our gift bag, filled withpractical things, which wasprobably their only Christmaspresent.Ivan: I learned that there are about 100 millionhomeless people worldwide. 1In the United States, in a givenyear, 3.5 million people arehomeless and 1.3 million ofthem are children. 2 Instead ofjudging these people, let’s lenda hand to them whenever wecan.Ve.Z: Does anyone have any closing thoughts?Hannah: There are manydifferent ways to make adifference in your community. Itis so worth it to help out!Danielle: When we hand out thegift bags, I have tons of joy in myheart and I feel great!Trent: It’s amazing to see that a few brownpaper bags with some scarves, gloves, hats, andother small gifts could make people so happy.Think about what YOU could do <strong>for</strong> others inyour life.Brianna: I hope that if you get the chance to dosomething like this, you’ll take it! It is the bestexperience you can have. Maybe it will openyour eyes just like it did <strong>for</strong> me.1 http://www.hic-net.org/articles.asp?PID=1692 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States“I tell you thetruth, whateveryou did <strong>for</strong> one of theleast of these brothers ofmine, you did <strong>for</strong> me.'”10 | <strong>Ellen</strong> <strong>White</strong> <strong>Visionary</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Kids</strong> <strong>Kids</strong>Matthew 25:40, NIV
From the Pencontinued from p. 5In each was a golden shelf. I sawmany of the saints go into thehouses, take off their glitteringcrowns and lay them on the shelf,then go out into the field by thehouses to do some gardening. Butnot like we garden here, no, no! Alight of glory shone all around theirheads, and they were continuallyshouting and offering praises toGod.I saw another field full of all kinds offlowers, and as I picked them,I cried out, “They will neverfade.” Next I saw a field of tallgrass, absolutely fabulous tolook at; it was living green andhad reflections of silver andgold, as it waved proudly to theglory of King Jesus. Then weentered a field full of all kindsof animals—the lion, the lamb,the leopard, and the wolf, alltogether in perfect harmony.We walked right through themiddle of them, and they followedpeaceably after us.Then we entered a wood, not likethe dark woods we have here;no, no; but light, and completelyglorious; the branches of the treesmoved back and <strong>for</strong>th, and we allcried out, “We will dwell safely inthe wilderness and sleep in thewoods.” We passed through thewoods, <strong>for</strong> we were on our way toMount Zion.As we were traveling along, we meta group who also were gazing at thetotal beauty of the place. I noticeda red border on their clothes; theircrowns were brilliant; their robeswere pure white. As we greetedthem, I asked Jesus who they were.He said they were martyrs that hadbeen murdered because they stoodup <strong>for</strong> Him. With them were littlechildren—too many to count—they,too, had a hem of red on theirgarments.Mount Zion was just be<strong>for</strong>e us,and on the mount was a fabuloustemple, and around the temple wereseven other mountains, on whichgrew roses and lilies. And I saw thelittle ones climb, or, if they chose,use their little wings and fly to thetop of the mountains and pick thenever-fading flowers. There wereall kinds of trees around the templeto beautify the place: the box, thepine, the fir, the oil, the myrtle,the pomegranate, and the fig treebowed down with the weight of itsripe figs—these made the placeabsolutely marvelous. And as wewere about to enter the holy temple,Jesus raised His lovely voice andsaid, “Only the 144,000 enter thisplace,” and we shouted, “Alleluia.”This temple was supported by sevenpillars, all of transparent gold, setwith stunning pearls. The wonderfulthings I saw there I cannot describe.Oh, that I could talk in the languageof Canaan, then could I tell a littleof the glory of the better world.There I saw tables of stone in whichthe names of the 144,000 wereengraved in letters of gold. After welooked at the glory of the temple,we went out, and Jesus left us andwent to the city. Soon we heard Hislovely voice again, saying, “Come,My people, you have come out ofgreat tribulation, and done My will;suffered <strong>for</strong> Me; come in to supper,<strong>for</strong> I will change clothes, and serveyou.” We shouted, “Alleluia! glory!”and entered into the city.I saw a table of pure silver; itwas many miles in length, yet oureyes could see the entire table.I saw the fruit of the tree oflife, the manna, almonds, figs,pomegranates, grapes, and manyother kinds of fruit. I asked Jesusto let me eat of the fruit. He said,“Not now. Those who eat of thefruit of this land go back to earthno more. But in a little while, iffaithful, you shall both eat of thefruit of the tree of life and drinkof the water of the fountain.” AndHe said, “You must go back to theearth again and tell others what Ihave shown you.”Then an angel bore me gently downto this dark world. Sometimes I thinkI can stay here no longer; all thingsof earth look so dreary. I feel verylonely here, <strong>for</strong> I have seen a betterland. Oh, that I had wings like adove, then would I fly away and beat rest!After I came out of vision,everything looked changed; agloom was spread over everything.Oh, how dark this world lookedto me. I wept when I found myselfhere, and felt homesick. I had seena better world.<strong>Ellen</strong> <strong>White</strong> <strong>Visionary</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Kids</strong> | 11 | 11
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