Planting Seeds

My memories are still so strong of that hot sunny August day two years ago. There we were, the six of us standing at a temporary school at a farm at Hwol Yarje, Nigeria. We were a missionary team sent by the Church of the Nativity to visit the Faith Alive Hospital. On that day we were visiting the school named the Faith Alive Community School. The school was built on land donated to Faith Alive Hospital by a former grateful patient. The funds for the school were donated by a church that cared. All these children now had a school. It was a nice school even though it was a temporary one. It did have desks, books and bright pictures. The children all came out to greet us.

Now here we were. We asked where the water supply for the farm came from. We were told from a nearby stream. Well the stream was not very nearby and it was very dirty. I remember how we all just looked at one another and we just knew we were all thinking the same thing. Our Church had been considering a clean water project for its Advent giving program. We did not know if this could be a site we could help or not. But we all felt the same way in our hearts. Our return to the site later in the week with Dr. Chris is a beautiful story. Read more here.

The site did become part of our Church's Advent fundraising project and the necessary funds were raised to fund clean water projects at the Anawim Home and Faith Alive. The Church of the Nativity then partnered with the HFWAF to get the funds safely to the partners in Nigeria and then to monitor the successful completion of the water projects.

Now two years later, while in Jos, the Nativity Nigeria team was privileged to attend the commencement ceremonies of the first graduating class of the Faith Alive Community School and the dedication of the water borehole and toilet system. Read more here.

Over 300 people attended the dedication and graduation ceremonies of 15 students. There were activities of dancing, presentations and theater. It is reported that 90,000 people are benefiting from the water supply!

So you see a tiny number of seeds are planted that produce a much larger harvest. It all starts with giving selflessly. In a recent message series at our church we focused on how one reaps what he sows-even if many times we don't get to see it immediately. But sometimes God let's us see it quickly and it can be very powerful. Dr. Chris and the staff go above and beyond to give their time and talents to the sick and suffering people. A grateful patient donates his land to the hospital when he dies. A visiting church that cared, wanted a school to be built on that land for the farm community's many children. The school is built and now educates 250 children. Another visiting church team, that had a feeling on their hearts, took a story back to their congregation. The church had a borehole for clean water and a latrine built, that enriches the lives of 90,000 people!

The negative voice in your head will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world. That what you do does not matter. That is not God's voice. This story shows how God can work through us and one person at a time all for His good.

Thank you so much to our partner, the Church of the Nativity. To God be the glory, honor and adoration for all that He continues to do.