During my August trip to Nicaragua I started my first of many garden projects.
We are now helping 36 families in Coffradia grow their own food. They each received a shovel, hoe, seeds and an irrigation system. We also purchased 5 wheel barrows that they will share in that community.
We walked to each family’s house and talked with them about their knowledge of growing, their land and their wiliness.
The first day when a meeting was called only 25 families showed up. It actually made me sad. I just could not understand why people would not want this help. Later that day after I left the village God showed me why.
Most of these families are not Christians and that morning we were meeting at the church and the Pastor of that church was the one who went and gathered all the people. Think about it, if you are not a church going person would you be willing to come and meet in a church? What if what's being offered forced to me to go church? There were many things that went through my thoughts that day but the most important thing was to separate the church from this project for now. We need to draw them to Christ not force them to come.
I contacted the village leader and ask him to meet with us, he came and together we put together a plan of action. The next morning when I arrived every one was accounted for at a meeting in the school.
I have hired a man (who is a pastor of another church) to teach these people how to grow their gardens. He is working in the village with each family 3 - 4 days a week every week. I was told yesterday the families are already seeing progress in their efforts and all are working very hard. I can't wait to go back and see what is going on.
Before I left I did not have enough money for all 48 families. I was concerned about how I was going to handle this. God had it already figured out. I had enough for 30 families and received word from Tina Gilbert she had collected enough for 6 more families. Exactly enough...
It's amazing to me how God works things out.
I am working on the pictures now and will post them soon. I will be contacting each of you who sponsored a family soon with a picture and the names of the families. In December I hope to bring back pictures of their crops.
Each family was very happy to receive the help. One very old man was an excellent gardener already but was working with only a broken shovel. Imagine what he will produce with good tools.
Stay tuned for more on this topic.
God Bless each of you that donated to this project, soon you helping these families feed their minds, body and souls with God's blessings.
Angie