2011 Fall Sower
2011 Fall Sower
in this issue
Features
Long-Term Solutions in Africa Holistic Ministry Summit Birthday Party Pilgrims Hope Takes Root in Haiti 2 6 6 7
NeWs
Directors Corner Breaking News 3 4
Plant With PurPose is making Progress toWard environmental, economic, and sPiritual reneWal in tanzania and Burundi. But there is still much to Be done. here are some Ways you can helP: DoNate a CisterN groW a garDeN sPoNsor a ViLLage
Pray for the farmers we work with in Burundi and Tanzania. Pray for rain to come, for their families to be fed, and for restored hope and security.
PLaNt trees
Help communities collect and conserve precious rainwater. All donations will go toward the training required to install this life-saving structure. 2
ensure families are receiving nutritious food to eat and sell during this tough season.
Support long-term sustainable development so communities are no longer vulnerable to droughts and other environmental disasters.
Replenish the soil and restore watersheds. Visit plantwithpurpose.org or use the enclosed envelope to donate.
DireCtors CorNer
By SCOTT SABIN, Executive Director
one of the ways in which the Bible has the ring of truth is in the messiness of the people that fill its pages. These are not the stories of cardboard cutouts, but of real people with all their flaws and complexities. David, a man after gods own heart, struggled with his integrity, while Peter struggled with his courage. At Plant with Purpose we are in the business of helping people to transform their lives, and because that involves people, it is messy. Merely planting trees or building latrines is much simpler and easier to measure, and the outcomes rarely disappoint you the way people can. in real life there is rarely a happily ever after and sometimes even the best of success
stories take an unhappy turn. i am sure that if you look at your own church, community, or even family you can think of examples. Recently there have been several people with whom we have worked that have made disappointing choices. one man in particular, whom i have known for nearly 14 years, considered to be a friend, and whom i regularly held up as an example of a success story, made some decisions that have had extremely painful consequences for himself and his family. He was just one of thousands whom we work with, but to me he was the face of his community, the guy i looked forward to seeing every time i visited. Needless to say, i have been heartbroken. yet god considered it worthwhile to keep working with people, despite their messiness, and i think we must come to the same conclusion. There will be successes and there
will be failures and very rarely will either be the end of the story, as there is still opportunity for either disappointment or redemption. if anything, it highlights the importance of things like the Holistic Ministry Conference, which we held last spring, as people can be rescued from poverty, but without an internal transformation they will have gained little. god is using us to redeem the damaged earth through our work, but he also redeems damaged people.
4903 Morena Blvd. Ste 1215 San Diego, CA 92117 Ph: (800) 633-5319 Fax: (858) 274-3728 email: [email protected] www. plantwithpurpose.org
editor-in-Chief: kate Nare [email protected] Please consider including Plant With Purpose in your wills and bequests.
www.PLANTwiTHPuRPoSe.oRg
BreakiNg NeWs
$150,000 raiseD to ChaNge LiVes
we did it! Thank you so much to everyone who participated in last springs matching grant campaign. with your help we met our goal and raised $75,000 an amount that was doubled thanks to a group of generous supporters who matched this amount dollar for dollar. This means that with the support of our incredible partners we raised a total of $150,000! The amount raised was put toward the greatest needs in our programs in Burundi, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Tanzania, and Thailand. your support is empowering communities to use their talents and resources to meet their basic needs, generate a stable income, and foster a community spirit that will lead to restored relationships and lasting transformation. This process is taking place right now in the village of Huai Pong in Thailand. Mr. Tuay khamson learned valuable techniques from Plant with Purposes local program, upland Holistic Development Project (uHDP), including agro-forestry techniques, the importance of soil conservation by making contour lines and not burning the fields, backyard agriculture such as raising pigs, and growing organic vegetables. ever since Plant with Purpose taught me these skills my life has been better, said Mr. khamson. im healthier and i can also help my neighbors when they need some rice and money. Now i lead by example. we realize that these are tough economic times, and we greatly appreciate all of the contributions during this period. Thanks to your support our programs are still thriving and we had a strong end to our fiscal year! Thank you again, and we hope you will continue to partner with us as we work to empower the poor to transform their lives and have the ability to feed their families, send their children to school, have fresh drinking water, and experience gods love and grace.
teNDiNg to eDeN
Looking for a quick read? This fall as the weather cools down you might want to cozy up with a good book. Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for Gods People by Plant with Purpose executive Director Scott Sabin provides a rich understanding of the connection between the environment and poverty and what the
Bible has to say about caring for all of creation. in Tending to Eden, Scott reflects on many of the lessons learned in eighteen years of working to heal the land and its people around the world. Please help us spread the word by telling your friends and family about this wonderful resource, or by sharing the Creation Care Bible Study in the back of the book with your small group or church. Books can be purchased through our website or on Amazon.com.
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OctOber 8, 2011
Paradise POint resOrt
Join Plant with Purpose on Saturday, october 8th, 2011 for a magnificent evening at a sparkling new venue! This years Planting Hope gala will take place at Paradise Point Resort, located on a 44-acre island in the heart of San Diegos Mission Bay. An opportunity drawing to win an Apple iPad. The chance to purchase hand made crafts from the six countries where Plant with Purpose works. A Fund a Need auction to raise money for specific, critical needs in the six countries where Plant with Purpose works. Free and convenient parking. Tickets are $110 each and table sponsorships are available for $850. Attendees will hear the latest news on the exciting work Plant with Purpose is doing across the globe (there will be an exclusive, never-before seen video highlighting the lives of farmers in Tanzania!) All proceeds from our gala will go toward empowering the rural poor to improve their lives and lands. to r.s.V.P donate an auction item, spon., sor a table, or volunteer call the Plant with Purpose office at (800) 633-5319 or email kate Nare at [email protected]. Discounted rooms are available. Call Paradise Point Resort at 858-274-4630 and mention Plant with Purpose . Visit www.plantwithpurpose.org/gala to learn more. we hope to see you there!
highLights iNCLuDe:
A delicious surf and turf dinner with freerange, grass-fed beef and fresh, locallygrown veggies and select wines. An exclusive wine collection auction. A limited amount of tickets will be sold! Bring cash! A spirited live auction. Special performance by local Haitian band, Lounge a Dieu . one of a kind silent auction items.
8%
US & E AWARE DUC NE ATIO SS N
7%
MEXICO
OTHER COUNTRIES
7%
FUN
DRA
ISIN
44%
- Become an advocate. Visit plantwithpurpose.org/ take-action and find ways to help us spread the word in your community. - intern or volunteer at Plant with Purpose. Contact [email protected].
6% 4%
3% 1%
www.PLANTwiTHPuRPoSe.oRg 5
BURUNDI
when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, as described in John 4, he tells her, everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water i give them will never thirst. indeed, the water i give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Jesus has given us the same living water to offer. if we were to only share the physical water that comes from a cistern or from the reforestation of a watershed, we would be doing a grave disservice to people we dearly care about. As Clrimne of Moren, Haiti said, the Plant with Purpose prayer and Bible study helped me to save my life. After Bible reflection, my ideas changed and i became a new creature. Last fall at our international meeting in Tanzania we realized the need to refine and improve our strategy for sharing the gospel. A Holistic Ministry Summit was scheduled for the spring, dedicating an entire week to improving our outreach. working in multiple languages and across cultures is always a challenge, but in this meeting there were also diverse theological backgrounds to contend with. However, the presence of the Holy Spirit was obvious as we forged deeper relationships and very quickly came to a mutual understanding. 6 FoRMeRLy kNowN AS FLoReSTA uSA
There is already much that we have been doing: all of our programs partner with local churches to empower community outreach, many sponsor Bible studies (in the Dominican Republic alone we have formed over 700 Bible study groups with thousands of participants) or have field chaplains on staff, responsible for sharing the gospel. All have staff devotionals, at least weekly. And all are committed to ensuring that there is no implication that one must change their beliefs in order to benefit from our work. we wish to be winsome and loving, not coercive. However, there is always room to improve. After much prayer and reflection, we returned to our home countries with a better understanding of how to best integrate the gospel into our work, including a number of specific steps. we are testing new curricula for use in our work with churches, and each program has a responsibility to report back at the next international Meeting in 2012. As Carlos Disla, our director in the Dominican Republic remarked, it was really fruitful to hear such fresh ideas about how to be faithful in what we do and to be word / Deed focused. Already, exciting reports of new partnerships, outreach, and initiatives are beginning to filter back.
Last June, six families journeyed to Tanzania to celebrate a milestone. The group of 27, with ages ranging from 11 to 54, was comprised of 16 kids and 11 adults who were headed to Africa to celebrate a 50th birthday. The trip included the families of current board member Cindy Outlaw and past board chair Jeff Busby. On the docket were a visit to the Plant With Purpose programs near Marangu, a climb of Kilimanjaro, a safari, and a couple of days in Zanzibar. With all that variety of activity, the most impacting part of the trip, according to Jeff and the group, was the visit to Plant With Purposes Tanzania program called Floresta-Tanzania. our first Floresta-Tanzania activity was to attend a church service in Mshiri. The sound of strong Tanzanian voices that were singing recognizable hymns in Swahili was wonderful. we concluded the service with a full participation singing and dancing session with the congregation. Despite language challenges, the fellowship was genuine and enthusiastic. we exited the church to participate in an auction of a farmers produce. it gave a new meaning to first fruits to witness their tithing with a stock of bananas. we then joined the local children on a nearby field for a truly international afternoon of ftbol, frisbee, netball, and jump rope with the older kids, and circle games and sidewalk chalk with the little ones. The following day we made the short trip to Mweka to be guests at a ViCoBA (Village Community Bank) meeting. This ViCoBA group is comprised of 30 men and women. Despite our late arrival, we were welcomed with the Floresta song and led to the meeting where we paid our fine for our tardiness. During the meeting, members bought shares in their various funds, paid back loans, and several loans we granted. The woman presistory continued on page 7
dent presented a report on their group goals, successes, and challenges. The most powerful part of the meeting was hearing testimonials from several members on the impact that the ViCoBA and Plant with Purpose programs had had on their lives. we heard about lives and families that had been truly transformed. it was very convicting to realize the shockingly small amount of money that had enabled the transformation. At one point, one of our kids asked if he could make a donation to their emergency fund. This was enthusiastically welcomed and backed up by each of our families. we shared a meal with the ViCoBA members and then left to visit one of the local farmers. The woman told us about the pig husbandry business she started with a small loan from her ViCoBA. The money she generated allowed her to send her daughter to school. we met her daughter who now aspires to attend university and become a judge. She said that she dreamed of attending school even before her mother joined the ViCoBA. This farm also utilized Plant with Purposes fuel-efficient stove technology and solar lights. The solar lights replaced kerosene lamps which used up much of their spending money for fuel. The lights had the unexpected benefit of much improved health because the family was allergic to the kerosene smoke. we left for our climb of Mt. kilimanjaro, changed by our brief encounter with some of the farmers FlorestaTanzania supports. All of us were blessed by our time in Tanzania and reminded how fortunate we are to be able to make such a journey. we ended up with a surplus from our group funds from our adventure and decided to commit to sponsoring a new ViCoBA in Tanzania. Want to learn more about Plant With Purposes programs? Are you curious to meet the farmers we work with and hear first-hand stories of transformation? Come build relationships on a Vision Trip and learn how farmers are working together with Plant With Purpose to improve their communities.
Upcoming trip dates: oaXaCa, meXICo october 12 - 17, 2011 HaItI February 5 - 11, 2012 DomInICan rePUBlIC april 26 - may 2, 2012
For more information contact Doug Satre at doug@ plantwithpurpose.org or call (800) 633-5319.
Plant with Purpose 4903 Morena Blvd. Suite 1215 San Diego, CA 92117 Ph: (800) 633-5319 Fax: (858) 274-3728 email: [email protected] www.plantwithpurpose.org
NoN-Profit org U.S. PoStage Paid Permit 751 SaN diego Ca
saVe the Date For the PLaNtiNg hoPe gaLa! OctOber 8th, 2011
Paradise Point Resort, San Diego