Lincoln County churches on Monday began shipping buckets filled with hospice supplies to West Africa, as a part of a larger initiative from Baptist Global Response called The Bucket Project.

News of the initiative came to Lincoln County from Francis and Angie Horton. They heard about it while working for BGR as missionaries in Nepal, a country that suffered from a devastating earthquake earlier this year.

Lincoln Baptist Association members Berenda Berry, Edna Haley, Glenda Hart, Renee Hutson, Trish Maggio, and Talmadge Smith formed a committee to organize the initiative locally.

“There are more than 30 items in each bucket,” said Hutson.

There were 204 buckets ready for shipping that contained everyday items that may be taken for granted in the United States — fresh bed sheets and disposable gloves.

“I didn’t know we got over 200. I’m excited,” said Hutson.

Each bucket’s contents cost between $80 and $90, plus shipping. Missionaries distribute them to caretakers in communities where items like these are rare.

Church members say the first goal in any initiative like this is spreading the gospel.

“It was in our hearts to do [this] in another part of the world. … This is where we are spreading our gospel,” said Berry.

“That will let them know Jesus was there and we love Him through what we do,” said Hart.

But it’s also about helping others. A BGR brochure for the initiative says, “BGR connects people in need with people who care.”

“And we do care,” Berry said.

Missions Director Steve Jackson says it was also a good opportunity for churches to work together. Locally, the initiative sees participation from 12 churches in Lincoln County, and three others in Copiah, Lawrence, and Franklin counties. Members from several of these churches got together Monday to pack the buckets in a van for shipping.