A Very Informative Phone Call - Part 2

This post picks up where the last one left off. To recap Part 1, like an announcer trained in speed talking: Containers are in. Boxes were a mess. Backpacks, shoes, and tax paperwork are sorted. They’re getting ready to distribute backpacks and do some sponsorship program “housekeeping." There. Consider yourself up to speed. Better yet, read the previous post! Now, on to Part 2.

Before the teams start arriving at the end of January, the vehicles have also been getting some attention. The trucks that will transport teams are getting new tires and brake work. Nothing goes to waste, so the older tires are being put on the farm vehicles. It’s much easier to deal with a flat tire on the farm than on the roads to and from the airport or feeding centers. They do what they can to avoid having flat tires when transporting teams. Besides the tires and brakes, the vehicles are getting any other needed repairs. You’re welcome, teams!

The solar panels are also getting an update. With the additional people living and working on the property, the old system wasn’t able to keep up. The old system is still in working order, so it will now be used to power Allen and Trish’s new-to-them home, the bodega, and the multi-purpose building. The new system will be used for Russell and Iris’s home.

Click HERE to see a video of work on the solar power system!

While Russell and eight crew members worked to sort through backpacks and shoes for the children who will be receiving them, additional temporary workers were brought on to help maintain the farm. Since the second harvest was completed, there’s a lot to be done. The men worked to hoe between the trees and remove the weeds. Currently, they are fertilizing the coffee. There’s a big rush to get the fertilizer in before the last rains of the season. The rain activates the fertilizer so it will still be doing its fertilizer thing during the dry season.

Because there just wasn’t enough going on in this plot, Allen has also rented twenty-nine bee hives for the next month. The farm already had two hives of their own. The bees will, well, be as busy as bees while the coffee is flowering. Hopefully, this additional pollination will increase productivity and improve the coffee for next season’s harvest.

Click HERE to see a video about renting bees!

In case you’re wondering where one goes to rent bee hives, that’s a pretty cool story, too. One of the local pastors is known as the area bee master. The bees give him a source of income and helps out the farmers. He rents the bees to people who grow melons and other crops. This man really is an expert in the field. He is known as a queen maker because he has learned how to manipulate the colonies of bees so they produce a second queen - then he harvests the new queens and sells them to those wishing to start colonies. The bee pastor is currently spending about two hours each day on the Sowers' coffee farm.

Allen has also been working to get a number of school projects underway, thanks to a donor who wants his donations to be used for this purpose. Allen was able to find three schools that meet the donor’s criteria and he’s working on getting the paperwork together. These projects will involve building 6-8 classrooms. Eventually, there could be as many as 14 new classrooms built, in multiple schools. The projects will also include construction of multi-purpose buildings and a school cafeteria.

Russell recently made a day trip to Tegucigalpa. The generous group that helped Sowers4Pastors purchase food to provide children with two nutritious meals for a penny had one request. They asked that some of the food go to a location in Tegucigalpa. While there, Russell was able to see Rachel, since that is where she lives, and he dropped off the boxes which came in the shipping container for her family and ministry.

Speaking of the food to feed children two meals for a penny . . . Allen’s birthday fundraiser was a smashing success. Through donations on Facebook and the Sowers4Pastors website, enough money was raised to purchase three containers of food. That equates to 1.5 million meals! Thank you all so much!

 - posted by Christi