Thursday, October 19, 2017

Toilet for Viello

For many of us, the first thing we do every morning when we get up, and the last thing we do right before we fall asleep is go to the bathroom. Have you ever paused to thank God for your toilet. Toilets really are a gift from God.

Can you imagine life without a toilet? Honestly, I can’t.

What if you had the opportunity to provide a toilet for someone who doesn’t have a toilet?

What if you could provide a toilet for an entire village?

We have the opportunity to do just that for our village in Haiti. Viello is in need of toilet facilities. We’re going to provide them with toilet facilities.

This is an important step in reaching one of the "8 Benchmarks" that Disciple's Village is working towards and that we are partnering with them to work towards in transforming the village of Viello.


Our goal is is to raise $475 in the next 2 weeks. If we raise more than $475 it will go to the next Viello project.

This will purchase the materials to build the toilet. Residents of Viello will be digging the hole for the toilet as well as carrying all the materials up the mountain (by "carry" I mean "hand-carry" cinder blocks, rebar, all building materials up the mountain...).

There are two ways you can contribute to this project. You can give on Sunday or you can give online. Just make sure to mark your gift with "toilet." 

To quote Karen Nichols, this is a "no brainer" for us. Let's be generous.

Thursday, October 05, 2017

Watering Thorns

Watering thorns.
Who would do such a thing?
Me.
         - Alicia Britt Chole in The Sacred Slow

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Watering thorns.
Who would do such a thing?
Us.
          - Alicia Britt Chole in The Sacred Slow