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| One of my favorite little LI munchkins |
Loving InDeed has blossomed beyond my wildest dreams, and it’s getting ready to explode even more! I have such exciting news to share! So let me back up a little and explain what you and I have already accomplished together and where we're headed from here…
Loving InDeed was never meant to be a long-term welfare type of program; my goal has always been to help people become self-sufficient. There are several steps in that process. The first is to get the widows out of the emergency situation that they are in--their kids are horribly malnourished, and they do not have the means to provide for them. LI has been working on that with weekly food deliveries, medical care, vitamins, and food supplements. We're making progress, although some of the kids were so malnourished when we started that they still have a ways to go. LI has also provided blankets, kitchen supplies, school supplies, clothes, and a host of other things to help improve their quality of life.
The next step is to teach the ladies to read, write, and do basic math. We started to tackle that back in February. Let me tell you--it's hard. Imagine being in your 40's and not even knowing how to hold a pencil. I'm so proud of them for even being willing to try!
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| Before (shack on left) and after (right) shots of Esperanza's home |
The third step is repairing their homes to make them safe and weatherproof or providing new housing for those in extreme situations. So far, through LI I have built one home, completely redone another, and purchased land for another construction. That home will be finished by mid-July, at which time I will begin the repairs to the other existing homes that have serious safety issues.
So now it's time to move on to the last step--teaching the ladies a skill that they can use to make their own money. In order to do that, we have to have place in which to work--a secure space where we can install and leave the necessary equipment. Up to this point, the church in Chicol has graciously allowed me to use their building to run Loving InDeed, but we have outgrown that facility. It's time to have a place of our own, AND I HAVE FOUND THE SPOT in a tiny village called Los Arroyos-- "the streams" in English, an appropriate name for this fertile little nook. The little piece of land in the photo below could be the future site of the Loving InDeed ministry center! I've been to see it twice now, and the more I think about it, the more I love it. It has road access, mature fruit trees (lime, orange, mandarin, guava, and coffee--oh my!), lots of lush greenery, a two-room house with electricity, access to water (I'd own part of the river on both sides!), and no noisy neighbors! I'm praying about it and seeking the advice of some knowledgeable people, both local and American, but it's hard not to get excited. The ministry center has been in my heart and mind for two years now. The thought that it could become a reality soon just amazes me! So once again, I need you. First, please pray for wisdom! Buying land is a huge step. I also need to reach a decision about which skills to teach as that will be a major determining factor in regard to the size of the land I need. I have ruled out animals, as much as that breaks my heart. They’re not lucrative unless you have a big farm, and I could never kill a farm animal. Gardening is too dependent on the weather which has been very unstable these past few years. Hail, flooding, and drought are all too common around here. Small greenhouses might be an option, but it would be more for each individual family's use and not to make money, per se. So right now I'm thinking of things we could do indoors or with limited outdoor space. Candle-making was suggested to me. There are lots of people out in Santa Barbara who do not have electricity, and there is no one out there who makes or sells taper candles. The demand is high, and the candles are inexpensive and simple to make. Another idea is raising bees and selling honey. I’d need to do a lot of research about that before starting and it takes a while to get the production of honey going, but it does seem to be lucrative and require little space. I've also considered sewing/embroidery projects and cooking/baking. Obviously, I need supernatural wisdom as these are pretty big decisions that will affect a lot of people.
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| The river is to the left, and the property stretches to the other side of it. |
Secondly, I need money. I have been saving for the land for a while and have a significant chunk on hand, but I am still short about ten thousand dollars. When land is up for sale in Santa Barbara, it usually goes fast, but I know that if God is in it, He’ll provide. If you’d like to help, you can visit www.cten.org/lynnannmurphy and click on the donate button to make a tax-deductible donation. Any amount helps!
Thanks again for your confidence in me, your love for people you’ve never met, and your willingness to sacrifice to help others! I know times are tough in the states too, and you work hard for what you have. It makes me appreciate your donations all the more. May God bless each and every one of you and multiply back to you the blessing you have been to me!
