Metrosexuals, Kindergartens, and ‘Nam

November 19th, 2009 | by THEWesMolebash
Posted In: Blog

A couple months ago a reader recommended that I check out a website called Stuff Christians Like.  It’s a satirical website that pokes fun at the Christian sub-culture yet is still able to deliver an awesome, relevant message.  Who knew that biting sarcasm could be used as a ministry tool?  I pored through the archives and was very excited to find a Christian humorist who isn’t watered-down.

Back in October I drew a cartoon based on a blog entry at Stuff Christians Like and sent it to Jon Acuff, the blog’s author.  Jon loved the drawing and he posted it on the site along with the original post which you can view here.  This has subsequently led to Jon and I combining forces on some new artistic endeavors, most notably Zakk, the metrosexual worship leader.

After my original drawing was posted on SCL, Jon and I talked on the phone and he explained to me his idea of raising money to build a kindergarten in Vietnam with the help of Samaritan’s Purse.  The kindergarten would cost $30,000, and Jon wanted to use his website to encourage people to give to this awesome charity.  To help build excitement around the donation drive, Jon asked if I’d draw a metrosexual worship leader (an oft-used theme on the SCL site) in various stages of dress.  The idea was to add a new piece of metrosexual clothing at various points in the fundraising – at $5000 Zakk would get jeans, at $10000 he’d get a shirt, and so on.  We were both pretty excited about the project, and we decided that we would discuss the details of the metro worship leader after Jon announced the fundraiser  on SCL.

Amazingly, 18 hours after Jon published the fundraiser to the site, he and the SCL readership raised over $30000 to build the kindergarten!  Jon and I didn’t even have a chance to hammer out Zakk’s details!  I assumed that Zakk would temporarily be moved to the back burner, and Jon and I would put our heads together on another idea not related to any fundraiser.

I was wrong.

Jon emailed me and told me that he wanted to try to raise enough money to build another kindergarten.  That’s $60,000!  Normally I would think it a lofty goal for a website that is only a year-and-a-half old, but at the time of  this writing we’re a mere $12,000 away from building another kindergarten for some needy children in Vietnam!

So, at around the $33,000 mark we posted our worship leader (who, thanks to the SCL readership, has since become known as Zakkhaeus Barnabus Fouteknote) in a pair of boxers and a v-neck t-shirt.  For every $3000 that is raised, Zakk gets a new piece of clothing.  It didn’t take long for him to gain a pair of trendy jeans, then a white belt and a pair of TOMS, followed by a scarf, fashionable v-neck t-shirt, and skinny tie.  Just today Zakk gained a little vest and some thumb rings.  Our next “micro-goal” is $50000, and we’re only $2600 from meeting that goal at the time of this writing.

If you’d like to give a few bucks to Samaritan’s Purse and help the SCL peeps build some kindergartens in Vietnam, just follow this link:

DONATE HERE

I’m not sure if my cartoons are having that much affect on whether or not people give to this cause, but it’s been an honor to be a part of this project.  I’m very thankful that Jon asked me to jump in and help, and, even though my drawings are silly, I’ve been taking this task very seriously.  My hope is that we can have a little fun while encouraging people to give to this awesome charity.  So far I’m having a blast!  How about you?

- Wes

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