It was the last week in July when I had a conversation with Andrew Even, the missionary who oversees the Manna feeding center in Santiago, Chile.  I had called him to find out the status of the center, to see how many children we were feeding and to see how the current global recession was affecting things for them in Chile.  Andrew painted a bleak picture.  He told me the cost for food was about 30% higher than what we pay in the United States but that the average salary was 40% less than what we earn here.  He said for most people it was a struggle just to put food on the table.  And for the families whose children attend the feeding center their situation was dire, and it was the dead of winter.

At the end of our conversation, I asked if there was anything we could do for the kids.  Andrew expressed that most of them didn’t have winter coats.  But even worse, these kids didn’t have blankets at home to keep them warm.  I asked how much it would take to get the kids coats and a blankets.  The response was about $600.00.  I said I would see what I could do and hung up.

So how do you come up with $600.00 when the funding isn’t available?  I thought and thought, searching for answers.  Then I went to a friend and we kicked ideas around, but nothing seemed relevant.   Finally I prayed about it, and out of the blue the answer came.  Post you need on Facebook.  Within 10 minutes I had a post out there hoping some people would help.  Within minutes other people had read the post and in turn posted it to their sites.  By the next morning, I had commitments for $1200.00!  Praise God!

The funds were sent to Andrew.  And as you can see from the picture, the children were extremely blessed.  Here is a copy of Andrew’s email that I received.

Scott,

Just wanted to say thanks to you and everyone at SF for the huge help for winter gear for our MANNA kids.  They were so excited and thankful!  We were able to get coats, blankets, hats, gloves and scarves for all of the kids plus some sweaters.  We were also able to purchase a propane heater and hot water heater for the center with the remainder.  God helped us make the money go a long way!  I was able to be there to give out the things to about half of the kids one day.  It was like Christmas but even better!  Thanks again to you all for making it possible.  Praise God for Shore!

Andrew Even

So for everyone who contributed, blessings and a big thank you.  You did a wonderful thing.

After an entire day of mulling this over, I am still unsettled with the prospects that this statement implies.  While trying to wrap my head around this concept,  several key bible verses resonated within my spirit, which in turn caused me to look deeper into the meaning of this phrase.  I will attempt to retrace the path of my thoughts so you can draw your own conclusions……………

Matthew 19:24

²⁴Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

When we think of the rich man, we think of someone who is obnoxiously wealthy.  Some one who doesn’t ever have to worry about money. But in God’s eye, who is considered rich?  Does God differentiate between countries and their respective economies, or does God use a  scale which compares the very poor of this world to the individuals who are the richest.  This is where I became extremely perplexed.  I don’t consider myself rich by monetary standards of this country, but what if I compared my income to other countries of the world.  I was curious.

I went to a site called Global Rich List.com and entered my yearly wages.  I was shocked to find out that my income was in the top 1% of all the incomes in the world…………..I think you can see where I am going.  In God’s eyes, am I the rich man??????

The truth is, even those who are below the poverty level in the United States, are still in the top 15% of all worldwide incomes.  So the question is, in God’s eyes does America represent the rich man?  I would contend it does……………….

Jesus also said in Matthew 19:  “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Are we doing enough to help the poor of this world?  A better question would be…….As a rich person will we be rewarded in the Kingdom of God or have we already received our rewards?  I would propose this plan: Choose to live simply, so others can simply live.

Pastor Tim and I recently took a trip to visit an existing feeding center that another church had financially abandoned.  The feeding center is located in Sumpango, Guatemala.  The villagers of Sumpano are extremely poor.  The average family of six lives in a one room cinderblock building.  There are no doors or windows, only openings.  Typically there is no electricity, gas or indoor plumbing.  Their water supply comes from a local well or the river. They try to grow what they eat, but usually it’s not enough.  And what little money they have goes to purchase a few items they can’t grow.

Upon arriving at the feeding center we were greeted by fifty five beautiful little children ranging in age from four to eleven. Some had warm inviting smiles, while others were unsure of who we were or why we were there.  It was meal time.  The missionary explained they could only feed these kids three meals per week.  They no longer had chicken with their meals, but had to eat a soy product as a substitute. To make matters worse, for most of those kids it was the only meal they would have that day.

Overall the building was in good condition.  However, there was one huge concern; the building lacked a railing system around the entire second story balcony.  It also lacked stair rails leading to the second floor. As these children played, they constantly ran up the stairs and along the second story balcony.  It’s a twelve foot drop from the balcony to the ground.  I couldn’t imagine our five & six year olds having access to such a dangerous area.  It is only a matter of time before a child is seriously injured or even killed.

Now is the time for us to shine!  There are 55 beautiful children who deserve to be fed every day, not three days a week.  And those same children shouldn’t have to worry about falling twelve feet to the ground because there’s no money for a railing system.   These situations need to be corrected.  In spite of the economy, we need to rise to the occasion, and champion their cause.  With your help, we can correct these situations.

Amounts we need to raise:

New railing system:    (one time amount)                         $3,000.00

Ongoing amount to feed a minimum of 5 days / week:    $   800.00 / month

PROVERBS 19:17 He who lends to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done.

So I leave you with this……….If these children were in our neighborhood, would we turn a blind eye?  ……………Oh yea, I forgot……. according to Jesus Christ, these kids are our neighbors!

Respectfully,

Scott Walter

Foreign missions director

Shore Fellowship Church

Finally the doors were open.  Each child was checked in and in a matter of minutes it was down to business.  No longer did you hear any bantering.  Now there was only the occassional voice breaking the silence as they quickly began to consume the meal that was set before them.  This food was a matter of need,  of sustinance, and from their expressions, you could tell the importance it was in their lives.

The whole process took less than thirty minutes.  They came, they ate.  As soon as the last morsels were consumed, the laughter started again.  Then they were gone.

This was my first trip to visit the Sumpango feeding center in Guatemala.  It was part of a survey trip for Shore Fellowship Church to assume control of the financial sponsorship for this individual feeding center.  As mentioned, these kids get fed 1 meal, 3 days a week.  We would like to see them fed a minimum of 5 days a week.  The optimal plan,  to increase the number of children, and feed them  7 days a week.  However, this goal can only be attained through increased financial support. 

Watch “the children of Sumpango” video:  CLICK HERE

If your heart is telling you to help, don’t wait! You can make a 100% tax deductible donation by clicking the following link:  CLICK HERE

You can be a hero today!  You can make a difference!

As the days at the feeding center passed, our team enjoyed getting to know the children.  We played games, made balloon animals and spent time sharing meals with them.  However, as the children came and went, everything remained status quo for this little boy, his sadness was ever present.

Our last day at the feeding center was a day of celebration.  We had planned a party for all the children, their families and the local dignitaries.  The meal for the day was not the usual fare of rice and vegetables.  This days meal was fitting of a celebration.  There were sodas and portions of meat, breads and vegetables, and even a cake for dessert.  After the meal, we presented gifts to everyone.  Pens and watches were given to the dignitaries, while clothing, toothbrushes and candy were given to each child.  After the meal and the gift giving, the center was hopping and everyone was enjoying the moment.  For these people a day like this was an oddity.

As the party continued, I stood alone away from the main group snapping photos.  I was just enjoying the moment.  It was then I felt someone take hold of my hand.  As I looked down, I gazed into the eyes of the little boy with the wounded spirit.  Our eyes locked, never wavering.  As we stood hand in hand looking at each other, he started to smile.    At that moment I could feel the warmth of tears as they welled in my eyes and I began to weep.  No longer was there sadness in his eyes,  but a glimmer of joy.  We couldn’t communicate verbally but his eyes and smile spoke volumes.  As we stood there, hand in hand, the commotion of the party seemed to fade away and it just the two of us.  He stood there patiently, perfectly contented to hold my hand.  We stood together for ten minutes hand in hand.  For those brief precious moments his lifeless eyes were gone and everything seemed OK in his little world.

Our feeding center continues to operate on a daily basis.  The number we feed is up from 65 to around 100 children.  We feed these kids two meals a day.  Without this food, many would not survive.  The sad fact is that for every 100 we feed, there are 100 more who stand at the outside gates of the feeding center, hoping there might be a little food left over.  We would like to feed these kids also, but we are constrained by limited finances. 

If you would like to make a tax deductible  donation to this cause, click here:

The Grand Plaza, Tikal, Guatemala

In 2004, my wife and I had the opportunity to venture into Guatemala from the neighboring country of Belize.  Upon crossing a small river that defined the border, we immediatly were surprised to see how drastic the living conditions had changed.  We had crossed the proverbial tracks and entered a very poor country.  We couldn’t believe the disparity in living conditions defined by such a small river.

It has been five years since I was in Guatemala.  Returning there next month in preparation of opening a new MANNA Worldwide feeding center will have brought me full circle from the seed God planted in my heart back in 2004.

Joining me on this trip will be Pastor Tim Chambers of Shore Fellowship Church, Bruce O’neal director of MANNA Worldwide and Chuck Ward, the Latin American rep. for MANNA.

We will be meeting with local missionaries Jerry & Mindy Kinman, Aaron & Christine McNight and Karen Kolb.  These Missionaries are known as Team Guatemala.  Team Guatemala has an established track record in planting churches and winning people for Christ.  They already have an existing MANNA Worldwide feeding center up and running at their Sumpango Church location.  We will be laying the groundwork to open this new feeding center in Quetzal City.  This center will allow the poorest of children and their families to have their physical as well as spiritual needs met.

Jesus met the physical needs of those He encountered.  As He met those needs, those individuals were drawn to Him.  The people of Guatemala are ripe for the harvest.  By meeting the physical needs of their children, the parents will also be drawn.  Team Guatemala has begun that harvest.  As we join with them we can make a greater impact for the Kingdom of God.

Shore Fellowship Church is looking for individuals to financially partner with us in Guatemala.  With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of the children who will attend this new feeding center.  Won’t you consider financially partnering with us?

To donate to this feeding center: click here All donations are tax deductible.

To see the impact Team Guatemala is making, click the following link: Click here

Most often we have at least sixty six cents worth of change in our pockets.  But what exactly will that sixty six cents buy?  So I beg the question, how will you spend sixty six cents today?

Will you MANNA today?

 Some memorable mission trip photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/waltbld/show/