Heifer Update for August 2022
Setting small farmers free of hunger and poverty. That is what LUMC is very good at. This past month was exceptional. Donations for the month were 1 Pig, 2 Gifts of Honeybees and 4 Heifers. Then there were matching funds for 1 Sheep, 2 Flocks of Chicks, 2 Heifers and 3 Gifts of Honeybees. That should make 15 families very happy and eventually self-sufficient. Thank you from the LUMM/Heifer Project.
Due to the Covid outbreak, more families have and are falling into poverty. The estimate is that the poor and hungry will double. More families than ever are in a desperate, daily struggle to have enough to eat – even to survive. My staff took this very seriously and have some excellent advice.
“Chickadee” and her Flock – Queen Bee and her hive, are anxious to help. Good advice – Both are inexpensive and can do wonders in a short time. Let’s put them to work.
Heifer Update August 1
We are still in the process of collecting bail for “Spit Monger”, the Alpaca. She longs to go to the rough, mountainous areas of Latin America. There she can furnish offspring, wool, meat, and milk and other gifts, to a poor hungry family. There her wool can be used to make blankets, ponchos, carpet, and rope. The Alpaca fiber is about three times warmer than sheep or any other kind of wool.
Don’t forget the LUMM Breakfast this coming Saturday morning. I will be giving an update on July’s activity of the Heifer Project. Exciting!
Heifer Update August 8
Here it is folks, the last month of the “Heifer’s Most Wanted”. “Spit Monger” the Alpaca, was bailed out after the 9:30 service Sunday. So, pick out your favorite before time runs out on us. It will be such a blessing, for the escape from hunger and poverty, for a poor hungry family.
Families like Mayra Jimenez of Mexico, or Geeta Devi of India, or Delta Chakwera of Rwanda, or Hem Vi Savi of Cambodia, or Josephine Mutuku of Kenya, to name just a few. They have all found their way out of poverty and hunger because of your gifts through the Methodist Men’s Ministries and Heifer International.
Please help us put more families here and around the world on the path away from hunger and poverty.
Heifer Update August 15
The “Heifer’s Most Wanted” is coming to an end. On September 1st a New Program will take its place. It has been an exciting and rewarding program. Many poor, hungry, small farmer families have been given a new start in life, thanks to your generous donations. Just to see the smiles on the children’s faces tells me what a blessing we have been to many.
Heifer International is continually starting new programs to coincide with livestock production. One such program is “Heifers Chocolate Forever” which recently trained 300 participants in Ghana. The training was for income supplement enterprises like poultry, beekeeping, and soap-making. Rose Yeboah chose soap, she said “We use soap every day.” She borrowed $357 to start. Her first month she produced 54 units of soap. Soon she was making ten times that amount. She repaid her loan within six months. Rose says of Heifer’s support and training, “No one has ever done anything like this for me, I am excited about my success.”
Heifer Update August 21
This is the story I wrote and shared at the monthly breakfast and meeting of the Lakeview Men’s Ministries.
“One of the countries served by Heifer International is India. India is about 1/3 the size of the US and has a population of about 1.3 billion. The alarming statistic I found was that 4,500 children a year will never reach their 6th birthday. This is because of hunger and malnutrition.”
“So, this week a knock came from my door. I opened it to see a man and woman, a boy about 14, a girl about 10, and Dad was holding a small child in a dirty, tattered blanket. Dad and Mom were also wearing dirty and tattered clothes. I could see they were hungry, so I sat them at the dining room table. Opening the refrigerator I found 3 pitchers of milk, a couple blocks of cheese, a variety of meats in abundance, dozens of eggs and 2 jars of honey. On my way back I picked up a blanket whose fibers were woven from the wool of an Alpaca. But, when I got back to the table they were gone. Looking out the window, I saw them walking down the path, away from hunger and poverty. They were also leading the Heifer that I had tied out front for them. And then, I WOKE UP! But I woke up smiling, realizing that the Lakeview United Methodist Church, through the Methodist Men’s Ministries and Heifer International had changed the lives of another poor and hungry family. I realized we had just given a child the chance to become a 6 year old. I realized we had just lowered the death count in India by one. And that, my friends, is where we start – Number 1.
Was it only a dream?
Heifer Update August 28
This week will mark the end of the “Heifer’s Most Wanted” program. Next week I will give the results of the four-month program. Thursday September 1st will be the start of a new segment, which we will call “Bees ‘N Seeds”. We have promoted bees in the past with outstanding results. Around the world, bees play a crucial role in increasing food security for farming families – and can help them escape hunger and poverty. Bees provide honey to eat and sell – more crops through pollination – a better environment for all.
The seed package is new to us, so let’s learn about it together. This gift includes a variety of fruit and vegetable seedlings and saplings along with education about healthy soil. Each donation of “A Gift of Garden Seeds” will provide firewood and food, nutritious fruits and vegetables that improve health. This gift will also enrich the soil and purify the air. A family with a thriving garden can supplement their diet with delicious fruits and vegetables. And, passing on the seedlings lets communities continue the cycle of sustainability. A gift of garden seeds ensures a healthy, productive future while fighting poverty and hunger.
