No wonder I was up and around so early last week and at PRC before most... I forgot to do an update!! So sorry for any who may have been disappointed by that.
Today Rog is speaking at Friendship Baptist Church in Ames before heading off to Zambia NEXT WEEKEND. Our current every other year rhythm works well for us, but it is always just a little bittersweet for one of us to send the other off to Africa while staying in Iowa to watch. We do it this way because the trip itself is a difficult one. Ā But once in Zambia the LOVE with all the brothers and sisters there is so amazing. IĀ will be watching. I think Rog will be doing some posts from Africa, so watch for those!
We haven't gotten the total feeding report from Zambia yet for July, but we are up to 2,665 families served to this point - by far the most we have ever helped in any one month. Still around 30 churches to receive reports from, and we expect to go well over 3,400!!
Last week's break must have been an accidental break after the incredible harvest season just completed. The Zambian leadership was so busy over the last 3 months traveling and purchasing maize from local farmers. Occasionally buying in one location to ship to another. And even when it seemed we were done, we then provided some chemicals to keep the maize from the pests so it will last for the next twelve months. And then we added one last church because the pastor we weren't able to get ahold of earlier showed up. He had been caring for a sick relative, and we didn't think it right to leave him out for that reason. We will wind up with 125 church communities partnering in this effort. It was a very crazy time, especially for our six guys and a few of the pastor partners that stepped up and gave us extra support in their regions. Thank you to ALLĀ who worked so hard!!
And thank you to all here in the States who contributed to the effort!
Today's pick is another of the 52 new communities receiving their FIRST gifts from the program. So beautiful for people on one side of the world to LOVEĀ in such a way that people on the other side of the world have just a little bit better lives because they have food with their meals. Or clean water. Or training to better care for themselves and their own communities.
After the break, what's next??
1) Roger travels next week. He will detail that, as IĀ said, but for now just know there is a hint that we would like to add some MEATĀ to the diet of our Zambian brothers and sisters, and there will be MUCH emphsis on that topic.
2) Our Iowa partners at ZIAP are hoping to work with the Zambians that were trained last winter to now BECOMEĀ THEĀ TRAINERS. They will provide materials and supplies, and then we hope to coordinate and manage the process through our leadership. More will likely be announced about this program after Rog returns.
3) Our next major fundraiser this fall will then be about INPUTĀ support for those that will be trained. We haven't put together exactly what that program will look like, but we believe training alone is NOT the way to lift these impoverished brothers and sisters out of their deficit. Stay tuned for more details about that effort over the coming months.
As always, if you would like more information about what we are doing and why, Rog or IĀ LOVEĀ to share the vision and the basis with anyone at anytime.
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