The rice, beans, and sugar all came in 100lb bags, so we had to portion each out into one hundred 4lb-bags and one hundred 1lb-bags [we didn’t have bags big enough to fit 5lbs in one bag]. As we packed, and tied, and counted bags as we went, we realized we had well over 100 portions worth. How'd that happen??
We packed up the original 100 bags as planned and found we still had food to give. We didn't have extra of everything, but we figured giving them something is always better than nothing. So we packed up the remainder in bags to also hand out.
And remember that little adventure to Managua I mentioned in my last post that Brant and Alejandro went on? Yeah, that was to buy 50 pairs of shoes, men's, women's, and kids; picking each pair out individually. These were also handed out with the food.
Over the last couple days in town, we went with the local pastor, Hipolito, members of his church, as well as the other missions team from Canada around town, in small groups to the outskirts of town to hand out the bags gift bags to each family on our list. These families were intentionally picked out by their pastors and we entered their houses with love, praying over them and inviting them to the three-day Crusade at the end of the month.
It was very eye-opening to see how different people on the outskirts of town live, even from those who live In town. These people are not forgotten! Even when we came to an empty house, we sought them out to give them the gift we had for them. One instance, we wound down a narrow path down the side of a hill to the river to give food to a lady who was busy doing her family's laundry in the river. She was so grateful and I can only imagine how she felt having been sought out to receive a present.
It still amazes me that we had so much to hand out! But our God is in the multiplying business: whether it is fish and bread in a boys lunch, fish in Peter's net, faith in Him, money in our accounts, or energy to get through the day despite getting little sleep.
What do you need multiplying today? Have you talked to God about it?
