Who would pay $300 dollars for a chocolate cake? Really! In light of the world’s great 
needs, who could justify that kind of extravagant spending?
Well, if you had been at Heritage’s on February 12th, I could have introduced you to some people who did just that. They paid $265 for a chocolate cherry cake; $600 for a chocolate and whipped cream trifle; $1200 for a chocolate, mocha extravaganza.
It all happened at the conclusion of this year’s Missions Conference. Each winter, Heritage cancels classes for two days so that students, faculty and staff can be challenged with the biblical commission for global evangelism. This year, Dr. T. V. Thomas was our plenary speaker and representatives from almost 30 mission agencies were our special guests.
After the sessions, seminars and village bazaar (complete with live chickens), we finished up the conference with an international dinner and dessert auction. The dessert auction was a sweet ending to the conference—the icing on the cake.
Students, faculty and staff brought the home-made (or dorm-made) cakes, most of which were high-calorie works of art. Byron Bright, a Heritage student headed for missionary service in Chad, West Africa, was the auctioneer. Students pooled their funds in cake-buying coalitions. Then things got loud and lively as bids were shouted out, victories celebrated and cake consumed. They had their cake and they ate it too!
By the end of the evening over $6,000 dollars was raised. All the money will go to help Heritage students involved in short-term missions, including a group of students who will spend the summer serving in Poland.
So who would pay hundreds of dollars for a chocolate cake? I’ll tell you who: Heritage students who have personally tasted the goodness of the gospel and want to see it freely given to others around the world.
How sweet it is!
Rick and Linda Reed 