It Ain't about the Shoes

Samaritan’s Feet (not to be confused with disaster relief organization Samaritan’s Purse) is a ministry founded by Nigeria native Manny Ohonme. Manny grew up dirt-poor and never had a pair of shoes until he was 9, when a visiting missionary gave him a pair. He also heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and was introduced to basketball.

He quickly discovered a talent for the game, which he ultimately parlayed into a college scholarship in the U.S. After graduating, beginning a successful business career and starting a family, Manny decided to leave his executive position and start serving poor children like he had once been. Samaritan’s Feet was the result. The organization distributes brand-new shoes to impoverished kids around the world. But as Samaritan’s Feet and its volunteers emphasize, it’s really not about the shoes; their most important aim is to tell kids about God’s love and purpose for them through His Son. Just as God had a plan for Manny’s life, so He does for every one of us as well.

On Thursday we held a Samaritan’s Feet outreach in Red Hill. It truly was not just about the shoes. The kids – more than 150, in groups of eight at a time – listened to the telling of Manny’s story, had their feet washed (a symbolic act representing Jesus’s humble service) and were prayed with, all before receiving their new shoes.

Below are images from this most worthwhile outreach. For more information on Samaritan’s Feet, click here.