May 5, 2017
Big News!
Have you ever thought you were too young to do anything meaningful? Or not wealthy enough? Or not influential enough?
A few weeks ago, three college girls sent me an email saying they believed a school was needed in the remote village of Mathias. This is the village beyond Thoman that has no electricity, no running water, and no roads leading to it. Yet, there are many children who need to go to school.
We had begun sponsoring children from Matthias, but they were having to walk two hours each way to school. They really needed their own school.
These three young ladies – Mati Spencer, Lynsey Hart, and Callie Watson – told me they would do whatever needed to be done to help Mathias get a school. I told them it would cost approximately $20,000 to build a school. They immediately said they would raise the money.
So, they built a website (www.mathiasschool.wordpress.com) and began raising the funds. God blessed their efforts and within a few weeks all the money was raised! We will begin construction on the school shortly and open the doors this fall to three grades. Every year thereafter we will add a grade.
Lynsey, Mati, and Callie
Thanks to God and His generous people, all the money was raised in a short period of time.
Mississippi Delta
Our work in the Mississippi Delta (Jonestown, MS) is rapidly moving forward. We had our Groundbreaking Ceremony last week for the new Hope Center. This facility will be our headquarters in Jonestown and will contain our dorms for visiting teams, office space, meeting space, and have a kitchen and extra bedroom. This will be our third Hope Center to build and the first one in America.
Preparing to break ground
Above are some of the people who attended the Groundbreaking Ceremony. In attendance were members of the BGM Board, town officials, county officials, local pastors, business leaders, and other civic leaders.
The lady in red is Evelyn. She served in the military for 23 years and then retired. She is smart and hard-working and loves the Lord. About two years ago she decided to invest much of her savings into a store/restaurant in Jonestown. She believed the people in the community were in need of this business. And they were! Naturally, running a small business in an economically depressed area is very challenging. Plus, Evelyn spent her work years in the military and not running a small business. She has been struggling and almost gave up until she met our community manager, Kelly Sayle, and the rest of our team at But God Ministries.I invited six ladies from Oxford, led by Amy Dear, to come to Evelyn’s store and hear her story and learn about her dreams for the store. We ate a great lunch that Evelyn prepared and had discussions with her. The ladies prayed with her and sought God’s wisdom and blessings. By the time these ladies drove back to Oxford, they had already come up with a great plan to enhance Evelyn’s store and partner with her to help make it as successful a business as possible. We hope to have all the enhancements in place by June 1. Evelyn is very encouraged now. I just love it when God’s people come together for a common purpose in His name. As the business becomes more successful, not only will Evelyn be blessed but so will the entire community as they will have a place to purchase everyday products and some will get jobs. It’s a win-win situation!
More Good News from Haiti
Our American and Haitian staff in Haiti share the love of Christ in countless ways every single day. They meet needs, save lives, provide medical care, build houses, get children sponsored in schools, and offer the hope of the gospel, among many other things.
The dad is Tanas. The mom is Saintimene. Last October we sent the baby to an inpatient Malnutrition Center because she was starving and wouldn’t thrive. She was released in April. Now, she is back home with the rest of her family and doing great.
The two older children were also suffering from malnutrition and so were Tanas and Saintimene. All four of them entered our outpatient malnutrition program in Thoman and now they are all doing much better. And they are so happy now!
For follow-up care, every two weeks they walk 4 hours each way from high in the mountains to our Hope Center. They receive checkups and nutritious food. Our staff love seeing them and it’s a wonderful visit every two weeks. I just love how our BGM staff shares the love and compassion of Jesus with this family.
This little fella’s name is Dieunal. He lives in the remote village of Mathias in the mountains of Haiti. Children in his village began being sponsored for school by BGM supporters. He saw those children walking to school in their new uniforms last September and he couldn’t go because he had no sponsor. So, on his own, he walked over the mountain and knocked on the clinic door at our Hope Center. Laura, our missionary, opened the door and Dieunal asked her what he needed to do to be able to go to school. He didn’t ask what she could do for him. He asked what he needed to do. His question broke Laura’s heart and Laura wasn’t sure what to do. But God knew. Soon thereafter a dear lady from Colonial Heights Church became his sponsor. Now he goes to school every day with the other children from his village. He’s getting an education and a meal every day.He’s a serious little boy. He wants to be a doctor. And now, he just might become one.
Economic development and job creation are very important to us at BGM. No coming out of systemic poverty apart from a job. Three Haitians – Nathan, Ruth, and Henry – started a sewing business in our new Job Training Center in Galette Chambon, Haiti. They make hundreds of school uniforms each year. And now, they are making a Deluxe Hammock Chair for a U.S. company called Featherlite Outdoors. Check out their website at www.featherliteoutdoors.com. The new chair is a lightweight, portable lounge chair that is designed to hang between two trees like a hammock. In fact, you can replace the strap bag normally carried for an ENO hammock with a bag, set of much better straps, and a hammock chair for the same weight and size.
As the good folks at Featherlite say, “Don’t sit in the mud. Grab a Deluxe Hammock Chair now!”
Job opening with BGM in Miss. Delta
We are seeking to fill the position of Team Manager for our work in Jonestown, Mississippi. We are looking for a Christian male with a strong, mature faith in the Lord
The Team Manager will work with, and under the supervision of, our Community Manager (Kelly Sayle).
The Team Manager will:
• Host all of our mission teams in Jonestown (During the summer months, teams will stay from Saturday to Friday. During other months, teams will stay either Monday-Friday, or Friday-Sunday.)
• Greet each team as it arrives
• Ensure that the custodian for the Hope Center, where the teams will stay, has cleaned and prepared the Hope Center for the next team
• Coordinate the activities of the team for the week (construction, education, Bible studies, medical/dental, working with children, etc.)
• Ensure that local people who will be involved in the team activities are prepared and ready to work with the team
• Ensure that all materials needed by the team to conduct its activities have been procured and are on-site
• Be handy in terms of repair and light construction
There will also be other duties as assigned. We are looking for a hard worker, a team player, and someone who has a heart for this type of work. There will be long hours but very rewarding hours as we see a community transformed.
If you or anyone you know is interested in this position, please send an email to stanbuckley@butgodministries.com.
Finally
As you can see, God is using But God Ministries in marvelous ways. Also, as you are aware, it takes a great deal of resources to do what God has called us to do. Would you please consider financially supporting BGM and our work in Haiti? Your gift will go a long way in helping us share the love of Christ in very tangible ways in that poverty-stricken nation.
You can give online HERE or send a check to: But God Ministries, 400 Fontaine Place, Suite 103, Ridgeland, MS, 39157.
In addition, I ask for your prayers for wisdom and energy for our Haitian staff, our American staff in Haiti, our staff in the States, and our Board of Directors.
Can’t Wait To See What God Does Next,
Stan Buckley
Executive Director
But God Ministries