Milk project Sampedrana begins

10/5/2018

It has been a long time coming, with lots of talking, praying, planning, patience and work, and in September the second Milk Project location began! Sampedrana seemed a natural choice for the first expansion, although logistically it is the hardest of the Churches to do this in, but in most ways it is also the most in need for such a project.

We are starting with 25 children, most of whom range from just starting school to third grade. After talking with the Church, they decided to include 13 children that are from the community but not the Church, with 12 coming from families that attend there. This is purposefully trying to see the project as a way to reach more in the areas we serve for Christ, and was great to see them see this so much as to purposefully request more than half be from the community, as this is something that many wish they could be involved. We started out with 50 profiles to get to the 25 we are starting with, for example.

This all took got started over a month after I left for the US, it has been great to see Oscar and Maria take the plans and run with them, including at least a visit per month for several months together to make sure the new staff (a director, cook and volunteer teacher) are gelling and doing well overall.

Getting vegetables and such for cooking is not nearly as easy as in Tegucigalpa, and since there is no electricity, we are currently staying away from adding items that require refrigeration, but as they continue to work on bringing electricity to the community, a refrigerator/freezer and new menu options will come likely soon.

Maria will be keeping in touch as well about lesson plans, how the teaching is going, and how we can eventually expand in terms of homework help and the like, similar to what is done in Tegucigalpa. As we collectively get a feel for what it is like doing this in a different community, there will likely be many things to talk about and tweak.

For the meantime, be praying for this new location. It is a concept we know, but in a location and situation that we have not done before, so how to tie this directly into the Church and more directly involve the Church leadership will be a learning process for everyone.

As well praying for Oscar and Maria for overseeing this in the opening months and helping with purchasing food and supplies as they get everything set up and working smoothly.

And be praying for these children, this Church body, and this community, that this would be a physical and spiritual blessing that helps long term in more ways than we can currently see to reflect and glorify Christ!