Good News from Iraq and Africa
I heard two wonderful stories of good news this morning at Empty Hands Fellowship. The first was from Bill Hargraves on his work in northern Iraq. Though Bill could be kicking back and playing golf in his retirement, he is instead helping the Kurds rebuild what once was the breadbasket of the Middle East. Bill is helping to establish the entire agriculture system from tilling the soil to building processing and packaging plants and transportation infrastructure. He said he feels totally safe in the north of Iraq and the rebuilding progress is stunning.
The second was a report from my dear friend Freddie Haddox. Freddie runs Mamushi Farms, a certified organic farm in Franklin, TN. Worth noting is this: Freddie’s farm is the same land that his ancestors were granted at the close of the “Civil War,” when they were freed from slavery! To make a long, but very interesting, story short, Freddie was kind to an old man from Cameroon, West Africa, who then “adopted” him into his family. The old man died and left land in Cameroon to Freddie as a rightful heir. Freddie is planning a trip to Cameroon to check out his land and teach the farmers there to farm organically - and prosper!
I share all this with a moral to the story… you never know where your kindness will take you. It could be war-torn Iraq, or poverty-stricken West Africa. For you it may be around the corner to a nursing home. Whatever and wherever it is, know this for sure: when you are faithful with little, God will give you much. He notices, and smiles.