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News Bulletin From Jae & Debra Evans |
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April 2008 |
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In this Issue Special Links
How to Donate
MCM Web Site
Contact Us Praise Report: Please join us in thanking God for the following items: For the construction and the new vehicle for food transport at the Food Center. For new small group leaders being trained and more children attending small groups. For more kids in attendance in the high schools life skills training and Christian Clubs. Prayer Requests: Please join us in praying for the following items: That God will continue to develop in us an intimate relationship with Him. This is first above all else. For Debra`s continued improvement in strength and health, and for the complete healing of her cancer. That God will continue to touch those who are willing to support us monthly as we work in South Africa. For the continued success in the completion of the Food Center and distribution to feeding programs within the community. For many to be drawn to God`s word in our small groups and high school programs. For our new small group leaders and interns to be strong in their witness, attend church, and for their daily protection. That God would be glorified in all our work, words, and ways. |
I can't believe another month has gone by. It always seems that as soon as I write one newsletter it is time for the next one to be written. But I guess that is is a sign that we are staying incredibly busy here. I am still amazed at what God is doing with the ministry here at MCM. There is just so much going on that I never even thought could happen and it has been just 3 short years.
Things slowed down a bit at the Food Center this month. I think it is just not taking into account how long it takes to get all the finishing touches done. I also believe that a lot of our slow down was because of all the Holidays they have here in South Africa in April. Well, the bottom line is that we did not start making soup yet and we still haven't got all we need in the bakery to start baking bread. The good news is that we have started to bake rusks (you can read more about this below).
Debra continues to do well. She still has her good days and some bad ones, and lately she seems to have more fatigue than normal. Overall, I still think she is getting stronger every day. She is convinced that she will do well with the doctors and scans when we return to the states in June. Please keep praying for her to completely overcome this cancer.
On a more fun note, we had a few days where we were able to get away from it all and do a little camping. We spent two days at a nature reserve that is not to far from Paarl, and had a great time. We really aren't the experienced campers, but I think we did pretty well in spite of the wind, rain, strange night noises, and one incredibly large (no huge) spider. We probably won't be able to do much more of this since the cost of fuel here is getting so expensive. We are paying about Rand 9.50 for a liter of diesel. If my calculations are correct that works out to a U.S. dollar price of nearly $5.00 a gallon. That sure makes a big dent in our monthly budget now.
One final highlight of the month that I just have to include - This month we started a Video Venue for the Edge in Africa. Let me explain what this is. Debra and I have been receiving DVDs of the weekly sermons from our home church in Vista California, North Coast Church. We used to just watch them at home every week, but realized that there may be others within MCM or the community that could benefit from this great teaching. So borrowed a projector, hooked up a sound system, and now every Sunday evening we show the videos as the Edge in Africa venue of NCC. We meet in the "Upper Room" of the MCM coffee shop and have a small but dedicated group that meets together for the teaching. This has been a real blessing to all of us especially Debra and I. It isn't like being back in the states at NCC but close.
We are baking in the Food Center! Although it is not bread, we are doing rusks. It is so great to see the whole Food Center really coming together. Every time I walk into the place I keep thinking that just a few months ago this was just a big empty warehouse.
Rusks are a hard bread product kind of like biscotti. They are very popular here in South Africa and most people eat them by dipping them in their coffee or tea. This is part of the JEPSA (JEsus Peace South Africa) project that MCM assumed responsibility for around the beginning of this year. The rusk baking part of the Food Center now has become a part of the MCM sustainability program. The basic idea of the sustainability program is that the ministry can develop enough for profit operations, like the rusks and water bottling, to help cover the ongoing operations costs of other ministry projects like our Feeding Program, Discipleship Program, etc. Our goal is to ultimately eliminate the dependency on foreign support and become totally self sufficient as a complete ministry operation.
Along with the rusk operation we also now have 8 full time staff at the Food Center. The staff spend most of their time now baking rusks, but we are scheduled to send some of them to receive training on the soup production and bread baking operations in just a couple of weeks. I hope that by the time our two new BIG soup pots arrive (mid May) we will be ready to start our soup production and distributing soup and bread to the local feeding programs we currently support. So stay tuned, May should be a very big month for the Food Center.
By the way we are still looking for help to cover the cost of the Food Center, including equipment, food, and operations for the first year. So if you would like to make a contribution please make your tax deductible donation payable to Hands Across the Waters (our U.S. mission sending organization) and make sure to mark it Feed the 5000 and please note that you heard about it from Jae and Debra (so we can thank you personally). Send your donation to: HANDS ACROSS THE WATERS PMB 359 3525 Del Mar Heights Rd San Diego, CA. 92130 OR If you attend North Coast Church, simply drop it in the offering - but be sure to mark it "Edge in Africa - Feed the 5000 project"
Another big project that is very close to full operation is our new water bottling project at the MCM farm near Porterville. Getting all the pieces in place for the water bottling has been a huge effort. Beginning with getting all the water infrastructure at the farm in shape. This means that everything from rebuilding the large dam, running a whole lot of new pipe, and even digging a new channel for the stream from the gorge, had to be in place first. Once all that was done it was then a matter of installing the holding tanks, numerous filters and building the bottling room in the old pack shed. Actually the bottling room will become the new kitchen for the camp when we have the resources to build a separate building for the bottling operation.
Now that all the building is done and the bottles, labels, caps and boxes are all in place. It is now time to start filling the bottles and getting them packed and ready for sale. As I mentioned, the water bottling operation is part of our overall sustainability project along with the Food Center. The neat part is that we already have our first order for over 2000 bottles to be delivered this coming week. We also have a rather unique marketing strategy where we will sell the water at a price that makes it possible for organizations to use bottled water sales as part of their fund raising. I will keep you posted on how all this works out.
Just a final note on the water and the rusk operations as a for profit part of the ministry. I want to make it clear that this is being done to fund ministry projects for the poor and underprivileged. Just as the Feeding Program is helping us 'earn the right to be heard' the water and rusks help us to 'minister in the market place'. Based on what we are seeing already, God is using this to open new doors and more hearts for the ministry.
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