Where Will My Next Meal Come From??
I must admit that isn’t a question that I have ever had to ask myself…at least not that I can remember. Here in Mozambique that is a question many people face often. Right now is a very important time of the year as people are getting their fields ready to plant in hopes of producing enough food to feed them and their families. This can be a real challenge because of drought or sometimes too much rain causing flooding. Right now it has been very dry and we really need rain.
A couple Sundays ago, I was blessed to go and see a food storage building that the mission here has in Honde, a community to the north of the mission farm. The mission buys maize when it is readily available and stores it for when there isn’t maize available or it is very expensive to buy. This maize is used to feed the orphans in the mission’s orphan program as well as provide some to the orphan program that Pastor Paulo operates in Honde. Some of the maize is also sold and provides income for the program. Thanks to this program orphans are being taken care of and don’t have to ask where their next meal will come from. What an awesome blessing for them and only a small example of how vital this program is here. Approximately 6 tons of maize and beans is needed in a year for the orphan program alone!
During the hungry times the mission often provides maize for those in need through a work for food program…as they are able and have the maize to do so. The hope for this program is to build other facilities like the one in Honde in other communities. One side of the building would be for food storage and the other side set up as accommodations for the missionaries when they come to the community…this room could then be rented out to others passing through and provide income to be able to duplicate it again in another community.
I was challenged this past week after seeing this to not take things for granted and once again reminded of how blessed I am. In the midst of overwhelming need something is being done and people are being fed…thanks to the mission here. What a wonderful success! Please pray for continued support for the mission’s feeding program and for the resources to expand into other communities.