February was one of our best months yet with SO many outreaches in the community! Here’s a look at what our team has been up to...
Elderly
Early in February, our team spent time BLESSING the elderly in the surrounding villages. One afternoon, they built 10 benches by hand! Isn’t that incredible?! A bench might seem simple, but to the elderly in our community, having a bench truly changes their daily life. No longer will they have to sit on the ground while cooking or worry about where they will host visitors. Now, they have a place to sit while doing daily chores. They’re already so excited to host neighbors and the SMI team again.
That’s not all… through the generosity of Crossroads Church, we were able to gift much-needed items to a handful of the elderly in our program. While delivering benches, we also gave out mattresses, solar panels, light bulbs, and radios. We spent time reminding them how loved they are by God and by everyone at Show Mercy!
Jajja Prossy is one of the elderly that received these wonderful gifts. She lives alone and relies on the kindness of neighbors to help care for her. She absolutely loves spending time with the Show Mercy team, and she was blown away by the gifts that she was given. When she learned how to use the radio, her eyes lit up! To her, it’s not just an object, but also something to bring her joy and ease her loneliness. We couldn’t have given those special gifts without every individual that gave through Crossroads Church. THANK YOU!
Keyhole Gardens
This year, we launched a NEW Farming God’s Way outreach through helping build “Keyhole Gardens” in the community! This new garden will completely CHANGE the way families provide food by growing a much more sustainable garden.
The garden is a round plot with a section in the middle for a composting bucket. It’s raised off of the ground, surrounded by a stone fence. The garden is made from local materials and is fertilized through compost, lowering the cost and amount of water needed for the garden!
The agriculture and community development departments are working hand-in-hand to assess families in need and build gardens. These keyhole gardens will provide families additional veggies that they would otherwise have to purchase. Those who don’t have as much access to land will now be able to farm and provide food for their family!
On the initial visits, the team layered maize, decomposing plants, and soil. After securing the garden, the team prayed over each of the families and their new gardens. The following week, they returned to plant vegetable seeds! They planted seeds for onions, carrots, spinach, beetroots, and tomatoes! They also fetched water to be used for the garden. The agriculture department will continue to check on the keyhole gardens and support the families as their veggies grow!
Erin’s Testimony
We love to see how God uses the gifts and talents of visiting teams. Erin, one of our current interns, was so surprised by the opportunity to use her experience in speech pathology. Here’s what she had to say:
“When I came to Show Mercy, I never expected to use my skills as a speech- language pathologist. Then again, we serve a God of ‘you didn’t see that coming, did you?’ I met with a gentleman, Bosa, who suffered a devastating stroke two years ago. Thankfully, he has maintained his physical abilities, though the stroke resulted in severe communication impairment.
I was able to provide education to his family member about what a stroke is and explain the rationale behind the behavior and responses they see in Bosa. I provided them with strategies and techniques to support communication at home, and methods to try for managing his medication intake.
The most important discussion involved speaking about Bosa’s continued value as a person who is deserving of love, care, and attention. We prayed together with Bosa and trust in God’s continued revelation for communication methods to support this family. We serve a big God. He knows Bosa’s every thought, need, and want. We take comfort in knowing this and continue to encourage them in what can often feel like a day to day struggle.”
Children’s Ministry
In February, our team was so excited to return to the schools in our community! They visited various primary schools to teach the bible and lead the children in fun games! One of the schools in particular, Kamu Primary School, was full of students who do not attend any Show Mercy programs. For many of them, it was their first time hearing about God!
They were taught a lesson about the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. They learned about how big and powerful God is! The team led fun games, like “Simon Says” and the chicken dance. As a group, they practiced reciting Matthew 28:18! We are so grateful to reach even more children in our community through serving in the primary schools.