Feed their Tummies Archives - Blessings and Raindrops

December 14, 2015

doing good. together.

Throughout this past year, Dave and I have been quietly working with the team at Help One Now to determine how we could make an impact together in Congo. Dave joined the team earlier this year in Haiti to see their work firsthand. He was able to meet with and learn from the empowered local leaders who have created safe havens for children rescued out of trafficking, built homes for local families, built schools, fed children and preserved first families. He saw sustainable, real, life-giving change in communities across the country.

It was a first step toward realizing the vision God was slowly unveiling for our place within His plans.

More recently, Dave and a team went on a life-changing vision trip to Congo. As they flew over the ocean, I wrote the words burning on my heart…

The depth of answered prayers here are beyond my ability to articulate.

When we first stepped foot on that Congolese soil together, Dave and I knew our lives were forever changed. We knew we would make it our life’s work to serve the people of this beautiful country, particularly her children.

We absolutely believe the impact of our work will be far greater by doing this together with the Help One Now team. And, we are so fortunate to already be working with a strong and capable local Congolese partner, Mwangaza International. This trip is the first step into understanding what it is that we are all being called to do together.”

Chris and his team have been so incredibly gracious and generous with their time and wisdom. They have helped us to very intentionally cast a vision for how we want to invest for the long term in our daughter’s birth country. You guys, I can’t even tell you what a privilege it has been to watch all of this unfold.

Honestly, we never set out to do any of this work. We simply wanted to feed a group of kids we had come to love. And, yet, God moved and breathed life into all of it. Each month, He provided through unexpected donations or last minute checks arriving in the mail. Some months found us with $10 left in the account after food money was wired over to our team in Congo. Yet, each month, He provided. Just enough. Just in time.

We learned quickly that this work is not about us or personal agendas or non-profit organizations or fundraising. It was simply about children that are desperate for the bright light of Hope. And, I am 100% sure that God loves these kids something fierce. He simply asked us to step up and love them tangibly. It’s part of the deal, after all. Caring for orphans and widows is what is required of us.

We could so easily live our lives and miss out on all of this. We could get caught up in all.of.the.things and not ever say “yes” to the very best things. The serving. The loving. The awe-struck wonder of watching God’s hand unfold and release something more beautiful than could have ever been dreamt up.

We had the amazing privilege of sharing what is next for Feed Their Tummies with our generous little Bentonville Sessions community this past weekend.

We coined it our “Congo Launch Party.” It was the perfect pause in this advent season.

We have walked with our heads down, praying for guidance and wisdom for months and months. We have been in our own season of waiting. And, now, during the wait of Advent, we celebrated the first steps forward toward a launch of long-term, local-church-led work in a country so dear to our hearts. It was a beautiful night.

I’m so hopeful for what’s to come. I can’t wait to continue to share how this all unfolds. Thank you all for being a part of this story of Hope.

*Photo Credits: Mike Rusch

**If you are interested in coming alongside us as we launch this new program in Congo, you can learn more and give financial gifts HERE.

November 3, 2015

Seeking Restoration. {plus, 3 pirates and a puppy}.

Last night, we gathered in our little farmhouse, here in a little town tucked into the northern corner of Arkansas, to dream together about pursuing restoration for lives across the globe.

Honestly, this is all a little surreal.

When Dave and I said that first hesitant yes to adoption all those years ago, we had no idea that God was setting into motion a plan to would bring together a tribe of justice seekers poised to impact communities in central Africa.

This morning, as I reflected on the evening and on the work that has led to this point, I just sat in awe.

I could share dozens of examples of how God provided every dollar for our feeding program, how He brought people into our lives to mentor and guide and partner and how He is aligning hearts and details to create long-term change in this country and for these people we have come to love.

When I opened my computer this morning aiming to share all He has done and is currently doing, I stared at an empty screen for some time seeking the right words.

Then, to distract myself, I started uploading photos from trick-or-treating the other night.

As I looked through the photos of my little munchkins and reminisced on the fun of that night, I felt a sudden swell of emotion. You guys. God LOVES seeing His kids running to discover the amazing treats waiting for us behind each new door. Treats including authentic community and passionate worship. Treats including serving the least of these and watching the Kingdom unfold right here on earth. He laughs in delight as we experience his absolute best for us.

I imagine God sat on the precipice of Heaven last night, captivated as He watched his beloved kids wrestle through hard questions and share painful stories. Listening with a broad smile as we offered prayers of thanksgiving and sincere pleas for wisdom. In the same way I gush with pride and intense love as I watch my children discover their distinct giftings, I believe He relishes the moments when we come together to seek His unique call on our lives.

And, you know what else I’ve learned? Even when we are the midst of an unfolding of God’s plans, we can pause and soak up the joy of the sweet moments of this life. Including silly holidays and costumes and shrieks of laughter.

Interested in learning more about our work in the Congo? I’d love to share more about how our ministry is evolving and how you can get involved. Comment here or email me at jenny@feedtheirtummies.com to learn more!

September 12, 2015

When He asks you to move, you move.

Photo credit: Jason Lloyd

Many times over the course of the past several years, Dave and I have found ourselves trusting God to work out the details as we blindly placed one foot in front of the other in faith. Often, we had no clue what He was up to, only that the call on our lives was undeniable.

When He asks you to move, you move.

You may have doubts and be afraid of failing. You may think that you are silly for thinking little-ole’-me can make any difference at all. You may stall. But, eventually you pull up your big girl pants, put your head down, and DO THE WORK. {Let me be clear: it is work. You can’t just walk into His calling on your life without a hefty dose of hard work}.

Feed Their Tummies was founded with a step forward into the unknown. That first food delivery was simply a response to an urgent need for food. Nothing more. It was not strategic, there were no marketing plans in place or long-term goals established. Yet, in that response, He was working. He was revealing His heart – an abundant well of love for His children.

As the details came together- the non-profit status, the partners on the ground, the provision – we learned that God has graciously invited us into this work. None of this was happening because of us, our efforts were valuable yet not essential. Therefore, when we find ourselves caught up in striving or allowing exhausting ambition to creep in, we mercifully fall back on this freeing truth: He is more than able to do this without us. We can open our hands and release it all to Him.

He’s got this.

When doubt was at an all-time high last year, God clearly revealed His desire for us to keep stepping forward. As we earnestly prayed for discernment, JD, a stranger at the time, was preparing to launch a concert series in our town and asked if Feed Their Tummies would accept the proceeds. JD was entirely unaware of our pleas for provision and wisdom, of our asking “should we keep doing this?”

God’s answer was a resounding, “yes, keep pressing on.”

His plans are bigger than we could have imagined at the time. Now, in large part because of that little concert series {since named The Bentonville Sessions}, we are feeding nearly 200 children three nutritous meals a day, every single day. That stranger and his sweet wife, Julia, are now dear friends who work alongside us each month to raise funds and advocate for these children across the globe.

As I type, JD is traveling with Dave across the Atlantic in order to finally meet the children this work benefits.

Also along on this trip is Lamar Stockton. Lamar serves as the International Operations Director for Help One Now, an organization Dave and I greatly admire. Lamar and Chris Marlow, Help One Now’s founder, have become valued mentors and friends. Over the course of this past year, long discussions concerning how to care well for the vulnerable, how to empower local leaders and how to transform communities have taken place.

These discussions have laid the foundation for this trip. Feed Their Tummies and Help One Now have dreamt and planned together about joining forces to do good in Congo.

You guys. The depth of answered prayers here are beyond my ability to articulate.

When we first stepped foot on that Congolese soil together, Dave and I knew our lives were forever changed. We knew we would make it our life’s work to serve the people of this beautiful country, particularly her children.

We absolutely believe the impact of our work will be far greater by doing this together with the Help One Now team. And, we are so fortunate to already be working with a strong and capable local Congolese partner, Mwangaza International. This trip is the first step into understanding what it is that we are all being called to do together.

Although this is not easy and the unknowns can easily evoke fear (we really have NO idea where any of this will lead), this work is worth it.

It is worth all of the sacrifices.

It is worth the headaches.

It is worth facing fear in the face and telling it to stand down.

Simply because they are worth it. The precious ones we serve. The ones I see each time I look into the eyes of my daughter. She too was once abandoned and alone, shared beginnings, rooted in the deep ache of this broken world.

We can’t look away.

We have to step into the hard, we have to move forward in our small role, desiring restoration and hope.

Follow along on this journey as we share stories of hope, struggle and progress…

Follow Lamar on Instagram HERE.
Follow me on Instagram HERE (Dave doesn’t “do” social media, I’ll be sharing his images and stories as he sends them my way).
Follow Feed Their Tummies on Facebook HERE.

Join us in praying for their time in country. Prayers for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and protection are very much appreciated. If you could also pray for the hearts of my babies, I would be so very grateful. Sylvie, in particular, is having a hard time understanding this trip. Her little heart is aching…she is missing her daddy and this trip to “Africa” has evoked strong emotions of confusion and fear and grief in her little heart.

I am so expectant of what God is up to. Good things are in store, friends. I can’t wait to share more.

April 17, 2015

The Farm.

Remember when I mentioned that we were starting a local outreach of Feed Their Tummies in the form of a blueberry farm?

It’s happening. Tomorrow is planting day. We have been furiously working in the fields to prepare. We have prayed over the rows of freshly turned earth. We have asked for discernment and direction over the course of many, many months. We have researched and studied and ordered crops.

The plants have arrived.

We have been frantically watching the forecast. As of yesterday, the rain chance for Saturday was 100%. Today, it has gone down to 50%. We are trusting that God has a big plan for these fields. Rain or shine, we will get the plants in the ground and we will wait for the BLOOM.

I shared a little more on the Feed Their Tummies blog about The Farm. I thought I’d share some of that post here, as well. {Read the full post HERE}.

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When the land was purchased, there weren’t ideas for how it would be used. No grand visions. No knowledge as to why we were being offered such a great deal on the property.

Now, we know.

Now, we know that God would bring an agricultural expert into our lives as a great friend and mentor. Now, we know that God would give Dave a vision for the land. Now, we know that this land would become a field – ripe for planting. A field full of the exact nutrients in the soil necessary for blueberry fruit to grow.

I asked Dave, “why blueberries?“

I half-expected a simple answer about how we loved the fruit. Instead, he said this: “Blueberries are a crop that will yield fruit over a long period of time. If you nurture them and properly care for them, the investment will span decades. Just the way we are investing in the lives of the children in our program. We aren’t looking to solve long-stemming issues of hunger and poverty with a short-term investment. We are committed to the long-haul with these kids. We want to sow seeds of truth and righteousness and love. The fruit that will result will be long-lasting: eternal. “

Now, we know that this land will become the Feed Their Tummies Blueberry Farm. The yielded fruit will generate profits to feed vulnerable, orphaned and abandoned children in our program.

Now, we know that this farm will not only benefit the children across the globe, but also families right in our own community. Now, we know that God would bring a partner organization to come alongside us through The CALL: an organization committed to mobilizing Christian families to foster or adopt children in our state.

“One of the most common struggles Foster Parents face is helping the children in their care learn to enjoy healthy food options. By providing the families an opportunity to get the children involved in picking the blueberries and making the berries readily available to the Foster Families, this program will help get children in foster care excited about eating fruits and vegetables and improve their nutritional intake and overall health.”

— Ann Meythaler, NWA CALL coordinator
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We are praying that God uses this project to His Glory. These are not just blueberries. This is not just a farm. This is more, much more. This is an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ. To literally feed the hungry. To feed tummies. To heal hearts.

Love always wins.

** I’m linking up with today Suzanne Eller’s #livefree linkup where the conversation topic today is BLOOM.