God has put on our hearts a new plan for our ministry. It has been a great encouragement to us to have a plan to have some self sufficiency. Christian and I have struggled and prayed for God to show us His plans for the ministry here.
We are mapping out one acre of our property to plant maize to make posho to give the widows and schools we support, eggplants and beans. The plan is whoever is, for example, already growing eggplants will trade some for tomatoes and so on.
Soon we will have a training center set up in one of our buildings where tailoring will be taught by one of our girls we helped support through training and soap making. For the tailoring class we want to start girls with fabric so that as they are learning they will be making school uniforms to give away to families that struggle to pay school fees and supplies, to teach the girls in the program to bless others as they have been blessed. Each school uniform costs approximately $3. After they have the skills we will supply the local fabric so that they may start making clothes they can sell to support themselves. We feel that if they pay a couple dollars it will give them more incentive to learn. We are also praying that at the end of the course the one with the best grade will get a sewing machine. The cost of one sewing machine is $150 and we would like to start off with four. The other graduates will get a starter kit with measuring tape, scissors, and fabric to get started on their own business. We believe this is Gods plan, and most will be self sufficient but we still need donations for sewing machines and fabric. As they graduate they will also have the chance to be seamstresses for making the Hope for Girls kits and earn income for themselves. Each kit costs $10 and that includes payment for the seamstress.
Salima and I will also start a girls club for older girls besides giving the Hope for Girls kits. So many girls are married off at very young ages or have to quit school and we would like to teach them about God and how important it is to follow His plans for their lives and to mentor them in learning skills so that they can support themselves and their family so that they don’t feel their only choice is to marry. It will also help them encourage each other with strength and esteem.
We also have 30 ready to give away chickens we have raised and have more chickens laying. We’ve had to buy our eggs for the past few months so we could have chickens to give away but it is worth it to be able to bless the widows and those in need. Chickens, eggs and goats are like money in the bank, kept for times they need money. The goal is for them to then give back one chicken so that we are able to give to someone else. The ones who don’t give back will be marked off of our support list as incentive to give.
We are excited to have a plan for some self sufficiency so that money raised may be used for Hope for Girls kits, Bibles, our prison ministry, bore holes and helping schools that are supporting and educating orphans.
We know that these are hard times for many in America but anything you can give goes directly to the ministry. And you will be a blessing and make such an impact on the ministry. We are blessed to be the hands and feet of Jesus and you will have a part in that.
2 Corinthians 9:8-11 says:
Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work. As it is written, “He scatters everywhere and gives to the poor; his righteousness lasts forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness. In every way you will grow richer and become even more generous, and this will cause others to give thanks to God because of us,
His Grace For The Journey 