The Marketplace History Part 2

You know how some people are afraid to answer God’s call because they are afraid God will send them to Africa? Guess where He sent me? Not just to Africa, but South Africa.  How this went down was that I felt God wanted me to step into the international arena. So I thought Lou and I would just go on a short term mission trip to Nicaragua and see what God says. Lou loves to build and I could use my organizational skills to help with the build. Can you guys hear God laughing?! I woke up in the middle of the night and heard, “I didn’t ask you to go there.” Oh dang it. Ok, so I guess we weren’t going anywhere. I told Lou what God said and I grabbed the brochure to put it away and it fell open. I looked down and saw the South Africa trip. Noooooo!!!! OH DANG IT!!! I am going to South Africa!  So off we went. We worked on a project while we were there building veggie tunnels to grow spinach in bags. It was sustainable in that one person had a job gardening and this was a regenerating project. I watched people being told they would be the gardener and would have a job. They smiled and listened to their assignment carefully. Empowering people with a job, not only gives them a way to provide for their family it is so much deeper than that. It gives them the ability to be the change agent in their own life. I remember having a conversation with a couple of team members in the galley at the back of the plane. The question was what did ‘God say to you on this trip.’ Before I could think, I opened my mouth and said, “God wants me to affect change on a large scale.” What?!! I am the Director of Finance, what kind of change could I really affect?

When I got home I started researching sustainability. I took online classes that involved group participation from people all over the world. I felt God say, “I need you to learn.” This is Part 2 of #tmpHIStory. I call this my study phase. While it didn’t seem important at the time, this was so essential. Imagine a tree in the winter time. Above ground it doesn’t look like much is happening but below the roots are getting stronger and going deeper. Stay tuned for Part 3...