Posts by Don
February 7, 2012 by Don
Has this ever happened to you? That moment when you pass someone or someplace and a flood of memories surfaces like a submarine bursting through the ocean ceiling. That happened to me recently as I was driving near Mwanza, Tanzania and felt compelled to pass by a village where I lived 16 years ago. During those days the plague of poverty and lack of ideas and opportunity brought over a dozen Tanzanians and myself to our knees to pray and then to our knees to work as we filled small plastic bags with soil and seeds. Together we prayed that the thousands of seeds we had planted would germinate to become small trees that would strengthen the environment and generate income for people who were suffering because of poverty.
Not only did those seeds germinate but so did many other ideas as like minded people came together to begin a new ministry called Empowering Lives International. Over 15 years have passed since that first project was initiated. As I drove by that same village recently I felt compelled to pass by the same compound that was once filled with trees and hopeful lives to see, if by chance or providence, I might meet someone I might remember.
Just pulling off the road at that point brought back many memories but I was not prepared for what I was about to see. First of all – the tree nursery that we began over fifteen years ago was still there - BUT - it was ten times larger than before! As I walked in among the neatly arranged rows of small trees, flowers, and colors, I approached a small group of women who were busily filling tubes with soil and chatting as they worked. I greeted each person one by one and felt that I recognized the last woman. I stared until I remembered who she was. A moment that took place 15 years ago came forward in my mind and I asked if she was the one. And she was.
(more…)
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January 6, 2012 by Don
Our Communications Director, Micah Albert in the Kerio Valley in Kenya, terribly missing the target with a traditional bow and arrow. (Photo: Don Rogers)
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October 11, 2011 by Don
Yes, the insects grow big here in Africa.
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September 6, 2011 by Don
After a few weeks of being back at the ELI Children’s Home for holiday, 20 of the children from the ELI Childrens’ Home Ilula and 7 from the ELI Childrens’ Home Kipkaren (Kenya) head back to High School today. It is amazing to see the educational, physical, and spiritual growth that is taking place in these young people. One of the High Schools where several of the children attend remarked that they desire to have MORE of our children in their school. “They have such a mature outlook and demonstrate such respect for the teachers and others – we hope that the other students in the school will follow their example!” Thank you to all of you who pray for and help support the almost 200 Children in the ELI Homes in Kenya as well as the over 1,000 children in the ELI schools in So. Sudan and DR Congo.
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June 8, 2011 by Don
Water is key to life. ELI has partnered with and helped to stimulate a group of community leaders from Simit area in the Kerio Valley of Kenya to come together and use their strength as a group to make a difference in their declining community. Soil erosion and deforestation has had a devastating impact on the village= of Simit and the surrounding region. This week key leaders from the area have assembled at ELI training center in Ilula, Kenya for training and the making of a strategic plan and way forward. A proposal to the government is in process and many other activities are now underway. The people use to say there was no hope – but now – they are feeling and SEEING hope return as tree nurseries are being established and plans for a better future are in place as are community leaders to help implement the directives that come out of the meetings they are having this week.
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April 29, 2011 by Don
The streets were filled with people moving rapidly to and from the market – dodging the river flow of motorcycles and well equipped four wheel drive vehicles.
This city of JUBA at one time was abandoned – no motorcycles and people moved about with great caution –not knowing if a soldier would come out from around the next building or if an airplane would fly over dropping as one child once wrote, “Fire from the sky.” Juba is soon the become the capital city of a new nation called Southern Sudan. After decades of war this city is on a completely new course. Its “personality” has changed from one of fear to one with a future which shouts for continued change as buildings and roads are being remade or built for the first time higher and higher into the sky. Flood control pipes are being pushed into newly dug trenches and scaffolding wraps around new structures on every other corner. People are returning to the city and surrounding areas with great anticipation but there is a problem. (more…)
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April 5, 2011 by Don
The visiting Team from Water of Life Church (Rancho Fontana Calif) has been an amazing help to our work. Their hard work and love for God is evident and a great blessing. Today: Painting Ilula Training Center Dining Hall – Roofing new Button Mushroom Production House – beading jewelry with kids – games at Childrens Home. All are doing very well! Thank you Water of Life!
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January 10, 2011 by Don
Two chickens.
That is all that James Boit owned as he began the year 2010. And yet, through a powerful ELI training, he was able to use those two chickens to make a profit beyond his wildest imagination. I was amazed as I sat at his home and heard his story…
James was a struggling farmer at the beginning of 2010 who heard about an ELI economic training that was coming to his village. He decided to attend. After attending ten weeks of the training, James had enough training, skills, resources, and knowledge to radically alter the course of the year for his family and entire village. He learned a variety of skills throughout the training, but his favorite ones had to do with chickens.
James never thought that his two measly chickens could provide much for his family. Maybe a few eggs throughout the year, but that’s it. But after the ELI training, he saw the amazing potential those two birds held. Through the training, James learned what to do with the eggs that were laid. He was to hatch a certain percentage of the eggs, sell a certain percentage, and eat a certain percentage of them. Then with the new chickens that hatched, he again was to hatch a certain percentage of their eggs and sell a certain percentage. By keeping careful records of each chicken and managing them well, James’ chicken population began multiplying exponentially! With the profit he started making from selling the chickens and their eggs, James bought two sheep. Those sheep then began to reproduce as well and by the end of the year, he had 13 sheep! He sold eight of them and kept five to continue to reproduce in the New Year for him. With the proceeds he made from selling the sheep, James was able to supply seeds and school fees for his entire extended family! Now, as he begins 2011, he is walking into the New Year with 200 chickens, 5 sheep (2 of which are pregnant), plenty of seeds and fertilizer for a crop, and sufficient school fees for his children. James and his family look forward to seeing what God has in store for this New Year as they dream about the profits that will come from beginning a year with 200 chickens instead of only 2! If two chickens got them this far, there’s no telling what 200 chickens will do for them!
The Boit family rejoices and thanks God for this miracle in their lives. They want others in the community to learn the same skills they received, so they have turned their home into a demonstration farm where others can come and learn from them and gain skills and knowledge. As I sat in their yard and saw the abundant blessings around them and villagers streaming to their home to receive empowerment, I praised God! What a joy to get to be part of stories like this.
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