A Time to Plant

The Outreach Team that is currently serving in Swaziland, has three main areas of focus:

* A week-long Women's Retreat
* Men's discipleship classes
* Seeds for Swaziland (S4S)

We'd like to tell you a little about the Seeds for Swaziland (S4S) project.

God first "planted" the S4S idea in the heart of Kevin R. after he traveled to Swaizland in May of 2008 to help rennovate the building that would become the home to Pastor Augustine and his family on our first ICBC. Kevin felt God was calling him to plant seeds of love and faith and grow the Kingdom of God in Swaziland through the simple act of providing a source of food for people in need. Kevin wanted to be obedient to God's command in Matthew 28:19 where God tells us, “Go therefore and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Kevin knew he may not have the ability to preach like Paul, but he could certianly figure out what food sources could be grown in Swaziland and what tools were needed to get a garden started and maintained. He trusted God to use him (and others) to show God's love to others.

The purpose of S4S is to provide seed packages and gardening tools to select homesteads in the area surroung the ICBC church. The pastor of the church identifies which homesteads will be included in the program. Once selected, the S4S team:

1. Helps the families prepare their garden plot
2. Provides the tools and seed (including fencing to protect the plot once planted)
3. Assists the family in planting the seeds
4. Teaches the family how to maintain the garden until harvest and for coming
seasons.

The long-term goal of the project is that the gardens not only provide a source of food to the families, but in the long run, will yield enough produce that extras can be sold as a way to earn income for the family.

Because this is a new endeavor, this Outreach Team is conducting an initial 'test run' of the program. The team planned to put in 3 gardens; one on the church site and two at separate homesteads. However, once they arrived, they decided to plant four separate gardens on four separate homesteads, and not plant something at the church at this time.

One of the homesteads that was selected belongs to a Gogo (grandmother). She was attending the Women's retreat and the S4S team said she was a great lady, who had a wonderful "feeling" about her. What a blessing to be able to tend to this woman's soul and garden all in one week!

The four plots were prepared earlier in the week and planting at all four sites should have happened today. Preparing the ground for planting was a bit tricky because the ground was hard due to a lack of rain over the past few months. The team commented, "How great and God-like it would be if we could have some rain before we begin planting on Friday." And ofcourse, everyone was grateful and only a little surprised when it began raining Thursday afternoon and rained for several hours. Praise God!

Please continue to pray for the team. But also, pray for the families who received the gardens. May they seek God and find Him. May they realize that God not only cares about and provides for their physical needs, but more importantly He cares about and provides for their spiritual needs. In Him they will find all that they could ever need or want. As their garden harvests grow and produce food, so may their spiritual lives grow and produce the fruits of the spirit than can only come through a life abiding in Christ.