A Much Needed Update on 'Bread for Life Ministries'

A much needed update on

Bread for Life Ministries

is in order, wouldn't you say?

I agree.

Here's a snapshot on what's been going on the past 5 months:

After we finished 2012 strong with a running total

of $20,000 raised for the precious little faces of Uganda,

we realized we needed to get some things in order.

The Lord had placed it on our heart to turn this

sweet-little-orphan-loving-ministry into a non-profit.

As you may know, every non-profit needs an active-working 'Board'

in order to be approved by the Government.

Being already surrounded by an amazing group of

orphan-loving friends it become very clear who the Lord

was putting in place for this ministry.

I am so excited to say, Bread for Life Ministries

has established an exceptional 12 member Board

who LOVES-LOVES-LOVES Jesus,

the fatherless and pumpkin bread.

It's a perfect mix! 

So, over the past few months we have been very busy!

We've had many prayer meetings,

Board meetings and worked very hard

to get all our ducks in a row.

We did all the hoop-la of filling out the applications,

Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Conflict of Interest,

Financial Data, and establishing our EIN.

Does this all sound fun? 

Needless to say, we are now just waiting for final approval

for our 501 (C) (3).

Please join me in prayer that this will come quickly!!!

Another top priority for the ministry is getting

into a commercial kitchen to bake all this yummy bread.

In order to do that, there is another list of hoop-la-hoops

to jump through. 

Certification through the Department of Health,

Food and Handing testing and exams, Insurance,

Approval by the State, Certification through the County...

hoops and obstacle courses all day long. 

After all is said and done...

I take my final exam for the Department of Health:

Food and Handing Safety course on June 5th

After I pass: we will be ready to GO!

BAKE

BAKE

and

MORE BAKING!

It will be so wonderful to be back in a BIG kitchen.

Lot's of flour, eggs and pumpkin....

I can smell the bread now!

Not to mention: setting up accounts with all my vendors,

special ordering for my packing materials,

printed material, labels, stickers, twisty ties...

all the little details that make a delicious loaf of bread

change the lives of many little bodies half way across the world.

It's a BIG DEAL!

All the details I take very serious.

Oh!!!!!!

And not to mention... our new website!!!

Woo-Hoo!

I hope to have it launched by early-mid June!

The address is:

www.bread4lifeministries.org 

Isn't that awesome?

So, In a nutshell, that is where we are.

A little bit of a waiting-game right now but trusting

this will all be completed and official soon

so we can get back to business. We have a job to do!

LOVE.THOSE.CHILDREN.

Im in AWE of the Lord!

His sweetness to bless this ministry with everything

it needs to reach the thousands,

encourage the Body of Christ and spread awareness. 

That's what Bread for Life Ministries is all about.

Helping, Feeding and Loving orphans; one loaf at a time!

"Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,

for he shares his bread with the poor."

Proverbs 22:9

Jonah's Well

This is my Memorial Box Monday 
(A Place Called Simplicity)





I have waited a long time to post this update/video. This is truly the work of Almighty God. No man could have planned it this way. No person could have orchestrated the timing so perfectly. No human can write a story like this. Except God.

Today, In Uganda, Praise, her children and the entire village of Matugga-Bubaale will forever have access to safe, clean water. Why? Because a body of believers from Petaluma, CA stepped out in faith, believing that God is so much bigger than our present circumstances. 

And a precious little boy from Santa Rosa CA, born March 2, 2012, already in the hands of Jesus, will forever play a beautiful part in the lives of people half way around the world.

Why? Because it's all part of His grander plan.

Enjoy this video and see how all these pieces of this amazing story came together. After months of planning, preparing, and fundraising.... the well was completed on the 1 year anniversary of baby Jonah entering the arms of Jesus. - I pray we all see how huge this is. At lease I think it's huge! You can not put God in a box. E.V.E.R.

All the money was raised through a family started  (soon-to-be) non-profit that bakes fresh yummy bread and sells the bread. 100% of all the money raised goes to meet the urgent needs of orphans in Uganda. The ministry is called "Bread for Life Ministries".

My blog tells the whole story! 

Early June the website will be launched.

www.bread4lifeministries.org 

God is good all the time and all the time GOD IS GOOD!

Praise HIM! 

We are so thankful for Linny and Dwight!

They have encouraged me to step out in faith in a way I never thought I could. Because of that, together, we are making a difference. It's so awesome.

(And fun. Literally!) 

"The Memo" Blog Post

Did you get the memo?

A blog post that rocked my world and changed me forever!

You have to ask yourself, did you get the memo? 

Thank you Linny (from A Place Called Simplicity)

for writing this and being so faithful.

You have blessed many people. 

Click Here

"We Didn't Get the Memo"

Bread For Life ~ 10 Months In Review

This blog post is dedicated to everyone who has purchased a loaf of bread, prayed for this ministry or simply offered precious words of encouragement along the way. Without YOU none of this could have happened. 

‘Bread For Life’ is the Lord’s ministry. I offered Him the one talent that I was confident I had (baking pumpkin bread) and, because of His unfathomable love for the orphan, He has done the rest. In short, ‘Bread For Life’ has raised over $10,000 is less than 10 months! Unbelievable. Or is it? 

BFL was conceived in December of 2011 when I learned that most orphans do not have daily meals,  have no safe place to lay their head., and have nobody to hold them and tell them they are loved. They are abused, abandoned and often left to die. My heart bleeds for these children daily. There is a never-ending cry in my heart to love these children, whatever that may look like. 

After much prayer and seeking the Lord, I kept asking, “What can I do?” Then the idea came to mind, “Well, everyone tells me I bake good Pumpkin Bread” (all credit goes to my mother! It’s her recipe) “I could bake bread and sell it.”

From that moment on, that is what I set out to do and sure enough, people loved the bread. Most of all, however, they loved the cause! Once made aware of the urgent needs of children worldwide, they were eager to help in anyway possible. This is why my heart becomes overwhelmed with hope, gratitude and thanksgiving. Because WE have made a difference for so many lives, already. It hasn't even been 1 year and lives have been radically changed forever!!

Why? Because this is God’s ministry! This is His heart. We get the privilege to be His hands and His feet and through that He blesses us with unspeakable joy. Isn't that the coolest thing ever? I think so!

I also remember the day the Lord spoke to my heart and gave me the name “Bread For Life”. I was walking from my kitchen to my living room and it was as if the Lord said, “Your bread will help bring life to my children. I am the true 'Bread of Life' and you will be used to show them that truth.” Amazing!

I have baked and you have bought.

So without any further a-due, please allow me to share with you all that WE have done together as a team:

** Sanyu Babies Home in Uganda. Over $6,000 donated to this orphanage that takes in babies who have been abandoned anywhere from hours old to 3 years old.  When we visited this past June, my favorite little guy was Philip. He was 3 months old at that time and oh-so-little. Upon my return home, I learned that Philip was abandoned when he was 1 day old on the steps of Sanyu in the middle of the night. The Mamma’s found him wrapped in blankets when they arrived to work that morning. My heart bleeds with sorrow for these little precious bundles of joy. 

** “A Perfect Injustice.” API is a home for young boys who have been rescued from the slum of Kampala and given a chance at life - ‘Bread For Life’ was able to purchase yard equipment (lawn mower and weed eater) for this property so that the high grasses could be cut away. It was able to provide a clear, safe path for the boys and village families to walk to the well to get water and not have to worry about snakes and other creepy African style creatures biting them or hurting them. It also allowed grass to be cut around the home allowing these boys to have a safe field to play sports on. Just what every boy deserves right? I think so. 

** “Redeemer House” Orphanage in Uganda- We blessed the directer of the orphanage Kathy Vaughan with a cash donation for what she needed to better her home. I believe she said she needed to fix (or buy) a dinner table so all the children could eat meals together as a family every night. She also said she had village children she would like to provide for. You can read about Kathy and her story here (click on "About Us"). She is a remarkable and amazing woman that I am honored and humbled to have been able to spend time with. You talk about a woman of faith: this is her. 

** “A House of Praise” (This is my favorite!)- BFL was able to partner with a couple from our trip (Craig and Sherry French) and purchase a PREGNANT cow for 24 orphans who only ate one small meal a day and drank from a muddy creak. Praise is a 24 year old woman who took it upon herself to care for these 24 orphaned, hungry, lost and vulnerable children. She receives little to no help in what she does and therefore SHE NEEDS US! It was the greatest and most heartwarming feeling ever when they delivered this cow to her. The look on her face tells you everything. These precious children now have raw milk to drink on a daily basis to help their weak bodies get strong. Since our return home, we learned that the cow gave birth and the children named the calf “Miracle”. Doesn't that just warm your heart? It does mine. (All of this is a Miracle in my book!)

This is baby "Miracle"

** ‘Bread For Life’ helps adoptive families raise money. We have helped a family in their adoption process by donating over $1,900 in order to save a life of a child. I mean, really, who has $35,000 to adopt a child. Nobody does. That is why God brings people like you and I along to help in that process. *If you know of a family in our community in the middle of an adoptive process, please contact me. We would love to help support and fundraise!

** BFL has donated a small portion of money to help a family lay concrete in their home in the Dominican Republic. Because of ‘just enough funds’ a group of woman from Calvary Chapel Petaluma were able to donate the money for this to happen. This is huge. Image living in a home where the floor was dirt. Rain makes mud. Mud creates filth and disease sets in. What a huge blessing for this woman to now have a concrete floor for her and her family. 

(Not actual photo)

** BFL now sponsors a 12 year old boy who lives at “A Perfect Injustice”. A local Petaluma family and BFL has come together in partnership to save this child’s life. This boy, Bob, was on the streets in the slums of Kampala for 9 months after his family abandoned him. We decided to commit to his sponsorship and his future. On a Wednesday, that Saturday morning he was brought into the home. Look at his face before and look at it now! Praise God! I pray Bob is the first of many children ‘Bread For Life’ can sponsor!

Before API

After

(Sorry about the quality of the photos but I think you can see how happy he is how that he is safe!)

I have listed many things here. As I write these all out I am AMAZED at all that WE have done as a team. Do you realize, my friends, that none of this could have happened without your love and support. Do you see how huge this is. A few dollars here and there adds up! It makes a difference! It changes lives! This is proof!

Jesus made it all very clear in His words when he spoke to his disciples. He said, (I’m paraphrasing) “When you do these things, you are really doing them to me. These little ones are so precious to Me that you can just substitute Me in their place - so closely do I identify with them. In other words: It is ME that you are serving. Deny yourself. Sacrifice what is important to you for my names sake and I will make you fishers of men. I will fill you with a love for me that produces faith that will move mountains. Step outside yourself, trust me and watch what I can do.”

My heart is that everyone reading this will grasp and understand what is being shown here. These are not ‘miracles’ that I created or that you created, but really, it’s simply God’s heart at work, stopping at nothing to seek and to save. He just needs willing hearts. He needs people to say, “Yes Lord, I will!”

Throughout these months of sharing with people the heart behind “Bread For Life”, I have seen young children tithe all their money to this ministry. I have seen young girls empty their purses for the needs of the children. I have seen young adult men come to me in tears handing me all the money in their wallets. I have seen older woman write me checks that I could have never dreamed of. I have seen older men come to me, hug me and start weeping because they “get it”. After ‘so many years,‘ they get it now. Only the Spirit of the Lord could produce results like these. I will say this till the day I die, this is the Heart of Christ. This is what it’s all about. ‘Bread For Life’ is the Lord’s ministry and PRAISE GOD He has chosen us to do His work.

Thank you my friends. Thank you for all the support and all the love. And thank you to the mysterious person who pinned a $100 bill on my front porch and said, “Bread For Life.” Thank you! May God bless your heart, fill you with peace and give you a desire and love to serve Him all the days of your life!

Now, let’s see what we can do in the next ten months!

Blessings  

"And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful."

Titus 3:14

4 Days till departure

The Meeting - Time to 'DIG'

"Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD."

Psalm 107:43 

We recently held a meeting at our house to discuss “Bread FOR Life.”

We had five (A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.) husband & wife teams over for some

homemade chili and cornbread, fellowship and PRAYER.

A total of 12 adult and 3 children in my teeny-tiny little house.

Snugly, comfy and sweet!

We had no formal agenda, nor did we have anything written down to talk about.

Probably not the ‘smartest’ idea when you hold a meeting however,

we knew the Spirit would lead and I wasn’t worried about a thing!

We just knew we wanted to pray, talk and pray some more.

(The Lord has done such an amazing work in these folks

that it was easy to trust the Lord to speak powerfully through them).

I felt that I really needed to meet a group of mature Christian people

and seek wisdom in a multitude of spirit-filled councilors.

There has been such a stirring in my heart over this ministry

and I have been prompted to seek out prayer and bring together a ‘meeting of the minds’.

A time to sit around and talk about things

and see what the bigger picture is with BFL and what is the ultimate goal.

BFL was birthed in my heart out of the love for the orphan and a desperate desire

to raise awareness and money so that their basic needs could be met.

That was the prayer boiling over in my heart.

Out of that, ‘Bread FOR Life’ started and has truly made a huge impact on people’s lives.

(including my own)

As we sat talking, my pastor asked me a very profound question

that I think got everyone thinking.

He asked me,

“What is the big picture here? What would you like to see happen as an end result?

If you could have 'utopia' for this ministry, what would that look like?”

I basically said,

“Well the obvious would be to put a plate of food in front of these children and they could eat.

But then my heart asks, what about tomorrow? Where do they sleep? Do they have water?

Are they safe?... the questions go on.”

I then stated,

“You know, it’s funny, I wrote a blog post about this exact question.

It said this, ‘I want to move to Africa. Adopt a village.

Drill a well (water is LIFE). Build a church and a school.

Teach farming. Grow food and love LOVE; L.O.V.E. the people.’

I guess that would be 'utopia' for this ministry.”
(I wrote about the here: "Faces In Another Land")

I believe with everything in me that at that moment, things changed.

The Lord started to impart vision to us.

ALL OF US.

We started talking.  Things started to become very real to us.

There was an overwhelming sense of excitement in the room

that can only come from the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you know what I mean?

Have you ever experienced something like that?

When 12 people can come together in AGREEMENT and start bouncing off idea’s and then start seeing things very VERY clearly, and you know someONE else is running this meeting.

All we needed to do,

was come together and pray.

Ask the Lord to guide and direct our meeting.

We don’t need an agenda.

In fact, my agenda would have directed this meeting to who knows where.

What I am here to tell you today is that my God is on the move.

He is getting ready to MOVE BIG TIME!

As people shared idea’s and tears flowed (mostly mine. It’s just what I do.)

and hearts were being touch, the Lord was blessing us with a VISION.

A vision for His Kingdom, His children, His Church and His Glory.

What a Glorious place to be!

All I have to say, is when I go to Uganda in June,

I know I will be wrecked.

I will be broken.

I will be battered.

I will be undone.

And that is exactly where I want to be.

Because THEN I will be willing to do

WHATEVER. IT. IS. HE. HAS. FOR. US. TO. DO.

And by the way, these 10 people will be more-wrecked.

They will be more-broken.

They will be more-battered.

They will be more-undone.

Nobody will ever be the same again.

Church, are you ready for us?

Things are shaken… hold on!

It's time to DIG!!

In EXACTLY 3 months,

‘Bread FOR Life’ has raise a total of

$5,700!

I’ve always said:

“If we are willing, HE IS ABLE!”

I believe it more today than ever!

“He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;

there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.

They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;

he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.”

Psalm 107:35-38