Saturday, November 14, 2009 Africa Harvest of Hope held their first "Food Packaging Event"...
I ran across this quote by Gerhard E. Frost and it seemed appropriate to start with it;
" "The reason mountain climbers are tied together is to keep the sane ones from going home."
I don't know who said it... but with a mountain of mercy behind me and a mountain of mission ahead, I need you, my sister, my brother, I need to be tied to you and you need me, too... to keep from bolting, fleeing in panic, and returning to the "sanity" of unbelief.
Wise words, whoever wrote them..."
With our mountain of mercy behind us and a week of catching up on things we've let pile up while in the midst of our panic, we can't quit thinking about all the faces that came through the Yucaipa Community Center to scoop, fill, weigh and seal the little bags of food we will be sending to Tanzania. 50,000 meals to be exact and we could not have done this if the 350 to 400 volunteers had not been there throughout the day.
Synergy: the working together of two or more people, especially when the result is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities.
I wondered what each volunteer could have done that Saturday, had they not come to help package food. Could they have made a difference in 50,000 lives? Could we have packaged 50,000 meals without their help? Would there be 50,000 meals heading to a people group in Africa who will not only appreciate these rice meals, there will be some who will actually stay alive because they received them. We don't think about this kind of thing very often.
Have you ever picked up a 3 pound weight with only one finger? It's not that easy, but if you use all five fingers you can lift 35 or 40 pounds. That's synergy. That's working together. We are not accustomed to working together these days. In earlier times people came together to help each other out. What might normally take a man a month or so to build a barn, would only take a weekend with the help of people in his community.
Last Saturday we experienced something close to having a 'Barn Raising" experience and we want to thank every one of you who helped. You made a difference in so many lives. Not just ours and not just the children who will receive the food, but in each others lives as well. You stood shoulder to shoulder with people you didn't know. You fed children you will never meet and you blessed our lives in a way that will forever change us. In a time when it's hard to find 'good', together you made 'good' take place.
Re-read the quote again; Frost writes, "We are tied together...to keep (each other) from returning to the "sanity" of unbelief."
We were tied together with an invisible rope that gave us the strength to be insane and believe we could do something like this.
However, it would be foolish for us to think that even together we could have made this happen without God being in the middle of it. We all saw His faithfulness and we still feel an awe of what was accomplished because He tied us together that day.
I can't think of a better picture of synergy than a "body". Romans 12:4-6 says, "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them..."
God bless you!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
FOOD PACKAGING EVENT UPDATE
Hello Friends,
This is just a reminder that your involvement on Saturday, November 14 at the "Food Packaging Event" is only for one hour of your time.
Information:
One food packet cost only $1.25 and contains 6 meals. So for $1.25 you can make a difference in the lives of 6 people.
For one hour of your time, you can package 100 food packages. So for one hour you can package 600 meals.
One hour of your time on November 14th will help us to ship 600 meals to Africa.
* Please call us at (909) 335-9167 or go online at africaharvestofhope.org to sign up for one hour.
* Take this opportunity to give your time. This is the time of year we are all thinking about what we have to be thankful for.
* If you can't come, please tell your friends, families and groups you are involved with about this event.
Thank you and God bless you.
Proverbs 22:9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Food Packaging Event
Africa Harvest of Hope will be hosting their first
Food Packaging Event November 14, 2009 at the
Yucaipa Community Center
in Yucaipa California.
What is a food packaging event?
A Food Packaging Event is just that, we take bulk food items and invite volunteers to join with us as we package, box and ship the food to Africa.
Fact: 40,000 children starve to death every day.
These food packages reverse the starvation process, help restore health, and improve a child’s mental and physical alertness. Each package provides six nutritionally complete servings all for 25 cents per serving. The team for Kids Against Hunger, in association with internationally recognized nutritionists developed a food formula comprised of rice, fortified soy protein, vegetables, and essential vitamins & minerals.
Global Acceptance: Rice, a globally recognized staple, is used as the base.
Protein Rich: Each package contains 66 grams (six 11 gram servings) of protein.
Vegetables: Each package contains dehydrated vegetables.
Vitamin and mineral fortified: Each serving contains 21 essential vitamins & minerals for a growing body.
Multiple servings per package: One package provides six one-cup servings.
Simple to Prepare: Boil package contents in water for twenty minutes.
Long life: Each sealed package has a shelf life of three years.
You may belong to a volunteer group, such as a civic organization, youth group, or church group, and have a passion for serving the needs of others. We are asking for volunteers from any and all groups to come together to package food.
For 25 cents per meal you can work to eradicate hunger and starvation.
Proverbs 22:9 says,
He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.
For your $25.00 donation and one hour out of one day you can partner with us to send hundreds of thousands of these meals to hungry children in Africa. The $25. helps to offset the cost of these bulk food items as well as the shipping costs.
How to get involved:
* Please call (909) 335-8167 to schedule an hour of your time to volunteer on November 14th.
* Go to shannon@africaharvestofhope.org to sign up.
* Send your tax deductable donation of $25.00 to:
Africa Harvest of Hope
P.O. Box 1494
Redlands, CA 92373
* Get people involved; church groups, social groups, youth groups, friends, neighbors...
* Come to the Yucaipa Community Center on November 14th.
* Pass out flyer's and tell people how easy it is to bless children in need.
* Donate on line.
* Pray for this event.
1 John 3:17 and 18 says, "If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions."
We want to remind you that Africa Harvest of Hope does not use any portion of donations to cover the administration cost that AHOH has. All (100%) of all donations go into projects such as this. If you donate towards this project 100% of the funds will go to this project. If you donate to the building project, 100% of what you give will go to that project. If you donate $35. a month to a child 100% of that $35. goes to that child to clothe, feed, educate and to give medical attention to him/her.
Our HOPE:
When the people in Africa ask us why we do this (and they do ask us), we tell them;
God loves them and He told us to...
share with them...
tell them about Him...
love them...
Please pray for this Packaging Event to be only the first of many.
God bless you!
Food Packaging Event November 14, 2009 at the
Yucaipa Community Center
in Yucaipa California.
What is a food packaging event?
A Food Packaging Event is just that, we take bulk food items and invite volunteers to join with us as we package, box and ship the food to Africa.
Fact: 40,000 children starve to death every day.
These food packages reverse the starvation process, help restore health, and improve a child’s mental and physical alertness. Each package provides six nutritionally complete servings all for 25 cents per serving. The team for Kids Against Hunger, in association with internationally recognized nutritionists developed a food formula comprised of rice, fortified soy protein, vegetables, and essential vitamins & minerals.
Global Acceptance: Rice, a globally recognized staple, is used as the base.
Protein Rich: Each package contains 66 grams (six 11 gram servings) of protein.
Vegetables: Each package contains dehydrated vegetables.
Vitamin and mineral fortified: Each serving contains 21 essential vitamins & minerals for a growing body.
Multiple servings per package: One package provides six one-cup servings.
Simple to Prepare: Boil package contents in water for twenty minutes.
Long life: Each sealed package has a shelf life of three years.
You may belong to a volunteer group, such as a civic organization, youth group, or church group, and have a passion for serving the needs of others. We are asking for volunteers from any and all groups to come together to package food.
For 25 cents per meal you can work to eradicate hunger and starvation.
Proverbs 22:9 says,
He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.
For your $25.00 donation and one hour out of one day you can partner with us to send hundreds of thousands of these meals to hungry children in Africa. The $25. helps to offset the cost of these bulk food items as well as the shipping costs.
How to get involved:
* Please call (909) 335-8167 to schedule an hour of your time to volunteer on November 14th.
* Go to shannon@africaharvestofhope.org to sign up.
* Send your tax deductable donation of $25.00 to:
Africa Harvest of Hope
P.O. Box 1494
Redlands, CA 92373
* Get people involved; church groups, social groups, youth groups, friends, neighbors...
* Come to the Yucaipa Community Center on November 14th.
* Pass out flyer's and tell people how easy it is to bless children in need.
* Donate on line.
* Pray for this event.
1 John 3:17 and 18 says, "If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions."
We want to remind you that Africa Harvest of Hope does not use any portion of donations to cover the administration cost that AHOH has. All (100%) of all donations go into projects such as this. If you donate towards this project 100% of the funds will go to this project. If you donate to the building project, 100% of what you give will go to that project. If you donate $35. a month to a child 100% of that $35. goes to that child to clothe, feed, educate and to give medical attention to him/her.
Our HOPE:
When the people in Africa ask us why we do this (and they do ask us), we tell them;
God loves them and He told us to...
share with them...
tell them about Him...
love them...
Please pray for this Packaging Event to be only the first of many.
God bless you!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
THANK YOU!
I'm writing this blog for one reason; to say THANK YOU GOD!
And to acknowledging our thanks to a few others.
Last month we received a call from the founders of Outreach International, Floyd and Kathy Hammer from Iowa, inviting us to a graduation ceremony where the Regional Commissioner of Singida, Tanzania would be receiving an Honorary doctorate. Commissioner Kone was being honored for his service to his country and we were grateful to have the opportunity to meet him here in ours. After the graduation we found ourselves catching up on several things pertaining to both ministries, Outreach International and Africa Harvest of Hope. Our sense of God's leading and presence at that time was beyond being able to express and later when we reviewed our conversation, we concluded that God is going to make a way for these visions that He has given to His children (OI and AHOH) to help His children (in Tanzania) become reality.
Let me tell you a little more about Outreach International and Africa Harvest of Hope.
Outreach International (OI) packages food and ships it to Tanzania. (They do much more than that but for "blog" sake we'll just stick to the food packaging.) Packaging food and then shipping it to Africa may sound like an organization that you have heard about before. Maybe on TV or through a church, but I can guarantee you OI is not at all like any of the other organization you've heard of before. A few years ago, Floyd Hammer personally sent tens of thousands of meals for Africa Harvest of Hope to distribute to hungry children in Tanzania. I don't know of any other organization that would give anything away like that.
Outreach International has built a feeding center in Singida that feeds 600 to 800 children a day. Every day! They send a container every month filled with these boxes of packaged food. The food is then distributed to people they know will make sure it gets to the people who need it the most, the children. They have recently made one of their stops in Korogwe at the AHOH Children's Home.
* We will be making a post soon about how you can help with this project.
Africa Harvest of Hope is in the praying/planning stages of building a community compound in Korogwe that will include a feeding center like the one in Singida, as well as a hospital, two trade schools, a hotel, another orphanage and a church. We know that God is not limited and we are grateful that He always shows us that we can do nothing in and of ourselves, but with God, all things are possible.
During the course of our conversation with Floyd we discovered how we could see this vision become reality. By hosting these packaging events we will not only be packaging the food that will be sent to the children in Tanzania, we will also be raising money to pay for the food and the shipping and we will begin raising the funds to start the Korogwe Community Project.
* More info on how this is done in our next blog.
AHOH is going to host our first Kids Against Hunger food packaging event in November. We will be attending one of these events September 20th in San Diego to learn more about the process. We will be booking a venue in our area for the November event and posting the information for anyone who would like to get involved. Please keep us in your prayers about this.
We thank God for His faithfulness!
His Word says, "and it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24
Please call (909) 335-8167 if you would like to be a part of the packaging event in November. God bless you!
Grace and Mercy!
Alan and Shannon
Africa Harvest of Hope
africaharvestofhope.org
And to acknowledging our thanks to a few others.
Last month we received a call from the founders of Outreach International, Floyd and Kathy Hammer from Iowa, inviting us to a graduation ceremony where the Regional Commissioner of Singida, Tanzania would be receiving an Honorary doctorate. Commissioner Kone was being honored for his service to his country and we were grateful to have the opportunity to meet him here in ours. After the graduation we found ourselves catching up on several things pertaining to both ministries, Outreach International and Africa Harvest of Hope. Our sense of God's leading and presence at that time was beyond being able to express and later when we reviewed our conversation, we concluded that God is going to make a way for these visions that He has given to His children (OI and AHOH) to help His children (in Tanzania) become reality.
Let me tell you a little more about Outreach International and Africa Harvest of Hope.
Outreach International (OI) packages food and ships it to Tanzania. (They do much more than that but for "blog" sake we'll just stick to the food packaging.) Packaging food and then shipping it to Africa may sound like an organization that you have heard about before. Maybe on TV or through a church, but I can guarantee you OI is not at all like any of the other organization you've heard of before. A few years ago, Floyd Hammer personally sent tens of thousands of meals for Africa Harvest of Hope to distribute to hungry children in Tanzania. I don't know of any other organization that would give anything away like that.
Outreach International has built a feeding center in Singida that feeds 600 to 800 children a day. Every day! They send a container every month filled with these boxes of packaged food. The food is then distributed to people they know will make sure it gets to the people who need it the most, the children. They have recently made one of their stops in Korogwe at the AHOH Children's Home.
* We will be making a post soon about how you can help with this project.
Africa Harvest of Hope is in the praying/planning stages of building a community compound in Korogwe that will include a feeding center like the one in Singida, as well as a hospital, two trade schools, a hotel, another orphanage and a church. We know that God is not limited and we are grateful that He always shows us that we can do nothing in and of ourselves, but with God, all things are possible.
During the course of our conversation with Floyd we discovered how we could see this vision become reality. By hosting these packaging events we will not only be packaging the food that will be sent to the children in Tanzania, we will also be raising money to pay for the food and the shipping and we will begin raising the funds to start the Korogwe Community Project.
* More info on how this is done in our next blog.
AHOH is going to host our first Kids Against Hunger food packaging event in November. We will be attending one of these events September 20th in San Diego to learn more about the process. We will be booking a venue in our area for the November event and posting the information for anyone who would like to get involved. Please keep us in your prayers about this.
We thank God for His faithfulness!
His Word says, "and it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24
Please call (909) 335-8167 if you would like to be a part of the packaging event in November. God bless you!
Grace and Mercy!
Alan and Shannon
Africa Harvest of Hope
africaharvestofhope.org
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Love and Prayer
When we use the word "love" we usually have a sentimental feeling or attitude attached to the use of it. However in reading 1 John 3 we see that genuine love results in actions, not only feelings. Very often, in these days of many stresses, we as Christians need to ask ourselves if our words and our actions are lining up. We say we love; we love God, we love our wives and our husbands, we love our children and we love our friends. I need to ask myself, is my love manifested (made known) to those people I say I love? I need to think of everyone mentioned above and then think even deeper and further as God would have us to do. As 'called out' believers we are to ask ourselves, do I love "them" too? Those that are hard to love. Does my love show. Is it manifested? Is it made known? What is hiding behind the walls of my heart that only God knows about. The fact that He knows it's there is what should matter.
1 John 2:9 says, he who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness until now. Who do I hate? We may not like to think about that. We may say, "Oh, I don't hate them I just..."
Jesus said (commanded) us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and He said that the second command is like it, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. (Leviticus 19:15-18, Mark 12:29-31) He reminded us of who our neighbor is in the story of the good Samaritan. (Luke 10:33) This man didn't even know the man he helped. The Samaritan man took the opportunity to manifest (make known) his love. He saw an opportunity and did something. His love was not a sentimental feeling, it was an action. His heart (who he was) is seen by his actions. George Sweeting adding to D.L. Moody's quote that "Character is what you are in the dark." added, "True character is what we are when nobody is looking, in the secret chambers of the heart." This is what should matter.
1 John 3:16-24 tells us what love looks like in a Christians life and when we have this confidence in Him because we keep His commandments whatever we ask we receive from Him.
We want God to answer our prayers and so we ask that He will show us, "who we are in the dark." May we take opportunities that He puts in our path and may we love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength and also, love our neighbors as ourselves, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks for praying with us!
Prayer Requests
August 2009
1) Herbert and Emily need prayer for healing and strength, wisdom and discernment.
Herbert and Emily Mwaimu and their family live in Tanzania and run the field work for Africa Harvest of Hope. Please keep them in your prayers. The enemy is obviously not happy and would like to steal, kill and destroy. These are faithful, true believers who give everything they have to care for these orphans and stay faithful in the ministry as pastor/shepherd to the community in Korogwe. May God bless them and keep them.
2) Please pray that we will be able to add more children to the "Children's Home" in Korogwe.
It is our vision and hope that God would raise up "Churches As Families" to adopt these "Children's Homes" as they are established. We will then be able to use the funds that are received to go towards the building of more "Children's Homes". AHOH receives donations through this website and by word of mouth only. 100% of what comes in to AHOH is used in Tanzania. Nothing is used for administration purposes or to purchase tickets to go to Tanzania. We are in the process of putting together a plan for churches to look at that will explain the vision we have for the "Churches As Families" program.
3) Please pray for Africa Harvest of Hope for direction in begining the next "Children's Home" in Mbozi.
Mbozi is far south Tanzania and Pastor Manfred and Mama Manfred are precious believers who like Herbert and Emily have given everything they have to see the salvation of the people and children who God has placed in their lives. These families have little to nothing but they are willing to give everything. God has shown us the story of the widows mite in real life. (Luke 21:1-4) We give out of our abundance, they give out of their poverty.
The last chapters of a book we've been reading (Crazy Love) tell stories about people who do remarkable things for the glory of God. We wish there could have been a chapter written about the people we have spoken of here. They truly will have many precious treasures to give to our Savior when they meet Him.
4) "Churches As Families" Program: We are asking God to put this plan together on paper and as a presentation for churches to look at. Please pray for wisdom for everyone involved and also that God would bring those who are to be involved in this project.
5) Please pray that we will have the time and the wisdom in keeping this website information up to date as we receive it.
Herbert does not have a computer at home and using a public computer in Africa is one of the most frustrating things I've ever encountered. With only going to Tanzania twice a year we depend on the communications from Herbert to know how to pray and what we need to be doing from this side of the globe to help in the efforts for this ministry.
Praise Reports:
* Outreach International (www.outreach.org) will be helping us to provide Kids Against Hunger meals to the children in the "Children's Home" in Korogwe. Thank you all who have been praying for this. Look for an update on this "Praise God" report in our next Update.
* The children in the Korogwe "Children's Home" have all been to the doctor recently and by the grace of God not one is infected with HIV. They all had parasites and some had malaria but they have all been treated and are very healthy. They have been bonding and Herbert said they all 'hang out' together even at school. We will post an article about one at a time so you can get to know them.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
We're Updated
Welcome to the new Africa Harvest of Hope website.
On this "UPDATES" page you will be able to follow our monthly Prayer Requests as well as our progress with AHOH as we, God willing, move forward with what He has started in Korogwe, Tanzania.
Thank you all for praying with us as we continue to go through the doors He has opened. We will post last months prayer requests here and then around August 1st we will have a new prayer requests list. For those of you who have already received this list thank you for praying!
Africa Harvest of Hope
Monthly Prayer List
July 2009
Korogwe is North East Tanzania
Mobzi is South Tanzania
Thank you for praying for the following requests:
1. For Pastor Herbert and wife Emily’s health. She has been afflicted with different things each time we talk to them.
2. For prayer support and resources to build the next ‘Children’s Home’ in Mbozi.
3. Children (orphans) in Korogwe ‘Children’s Home’: That they would grow spiritually, for their health, to advance in their studies and that they would bond and grow together as a family.
4. For the resources to place more children (orphans) in the Korogwe home.
5. That God would give us the direction, wisdom and discernment regarding the 40 acres of land that has been given to Africa Harvest of Hope in Korogwe. It is our desire to build a hospital, another orphanage, a church, a hotel/hostel and two trade schools on this property. We are praying that God will raise an awareness of this project and that people will then get involved.
6. ‘Kids Against Hunger’ will be helping us to provide food (KAH meals) for the children in the Korogwe Home. Please pray that God will bless KAH and cause it to prosper.
God bless you as you stand with us in this ministry to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of Tanzania, East Africa. May He fill your baskets. Deuteronomy 28:5
On this "UPDATES" page you will be able to follow our monthly Prayer Requests as well as our progress with AHOH as we, God willing, move forward with what He has started in Korogwe, Tanzania.
Thank you all for praying with us as we continue to go through the doors He has opened. We will post last months prayer requests here and then around August 1st we will have a new prayer requests list. For those of you who have already received this list thank you for praying!
Africa Harvest of Hope
Monthly Prayer List
July 2009
Korogwe is North East Tanzania
Mobzi is South Tanzania
Thank you for praying for the following requests:
1. For Pastor Herbert and wife Emily’s health. She has been afflicted with different things each time we talk to them.
2. For prayer support and resources to build the next ‘Children’s Home’ in Mbozi.
3. Children (orphans) in Korogwe ‘Children’s Home’: That they would grow spiritually, for their health, to advance in their studies and that they would bond and grow together as a family.
4. For the resources to place more children (orphans) in the Korogwe home.
5. That God would give us the direction, wisdom and discernment regarding the 40 acres of land that has been given to Africa Harvest of Hope in Korogwe. It is our desire to build a hospital, another orphanage, a church, a hotel/hostel and two trade schools on this property. We are praying that God will raise an awareness of this project and that people will then get involved.
6. ‘Kids Against Hunger’ will be helping us to provide food (KAH meals) for the children in the Korogwe Home. Please pray that God will bless KAH and cause it to prosper.
God bless you as you stand with us in this ministry to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of Tanzania, East Africa. May He fill your baskets. Deuteronomy 28:5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)