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| The current church structure is that of sticks. |
On Christmas Day I will attend a church building dedication
ceremony in Marikebuni, Kenya. This church building is the result, as
proclaimed by Pastor Ephantus, of applying the lessons learned in the
entrepreneurship series of workshops Surprised by Hope delivered in Malindi
just over a year ago.
Pastor Ephantus sought and received a government grant to
plant tomatoes on church land as a means to generate income. Pastor promised
the Lord that he would use the income from this crop to replace the current
stick structure with the more secure stone bricks. Though he didn’t initially
make the connection, I pointed out that Pastor was literally giving the first
fruits from his crop as an offering to God.
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| Tomatoes packed to bring to market. |
Pastor Ephantus didn’t take the project lightly. He used
every opportunity to train the youth in the church about planting, caring for,
harvesting, and selling tomatoes. Further, as a result of his reputation and
relationships in Malindi town, Pastor had more buyers than he had tomatoes and
took every opportunity to tell them about the favor of the Lord. As planned,
every shilling earned from that crop is being reinvested in that church
structure.
The church building dedication is exactly that. It’s the
fulfillment of a promise to the Lord and a promise from the Lord.
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| Stone bricks ready for building. |
“May the God of peace…equip you
with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing
to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen”
(Hebrews 13:21).
Our goal is two-fold.
First, we hope to find a home for
50 dolly boys and girls by December 20, that’s just over a month from now. You
can choose the specific dolly who is calling your name and that dolly will be
placed in a forever home with one of the children from the Mountain of Glory
church on Christmas day. I will send you a picture of your dear child with his
or her new dolly.
Second, the funds raised from your
sponsorship will be used to purchase and install windows and a door in the
newly constructed church structure. And if you feel so inclined, you might wish
to give an additional gift specifically for the purpose of pouring a cement
floor or perhaps purchasing chairs for the congregation to sit comfortably.
If you would like to help, click here and make your tax
deductible donation now. We can make a difference!