Sowers4Pastors is Grateful - for You!

Sowers4Pastors would like to thank everyone who was able to follow their very specific instructions on how to pack boxes of backpacks this year. For those who took the extra steps to follow the guidelines to the letter, it was and continues to be incredibly helpful. But not just these individuals. To ALL individuals who helped make the containers of backpacks happen this year, the crew would like to say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

For those of you who don't know, the actual process of packing a container is a well-thought out process, based on years of experience accrued by the crew at Sowers4Pastors. For example, 700 medium packing boxes fit into each of the shipping containers. Allen knows this from having carefully calculated how many boxes can fit without having empty spaces. He figures out how many boxes fit up & down and how many fit left to right. He knows that having uniform boxes makes the loading process take half the time!

Allen understands that people could get cheaper boxes, but having the extra strong boxes in a uniform size is extra helpful. Each box ends up getting moved between 5-6 times before reaching its final destination. There are photos of battered boxes on pickups by the end of the journey, but the heavy duty boxes make it across the finish line.

Having the boxes packed to the point of overloading is also beneficial. By stuffing the empty spaces with usable second-hand clothing, the boxes are more stable when the contents settle. The boxes on the bottom of the container are carrying about 350 lbs on top of them. Everyone who did this on their end saved volunteers at the receiving sites countless man-hours of reopening boxes and stuffing them. The phrase “super grateful” came up a lot when discussing this. 

Super grateful. The same phrase was also repeatedly used about those who couldn’t follow or didn’t know the preferred packing method. Super grateful. For those who were unable to use the medium packing boxes from Lowe’s, stuff any empty spaces with donatable used clothes, and tape around the entire box so that tape touches tape, your efforts are very much appreciated, too. Some people are simply unable to carry and transport the heavier boxes. Others may not have had time to follow the packing instructions. Some simply didn't see this video until it was too late. To all of you, the crew would like to say, "Thank you so much for contributing to the effort in whatever way you could. All efforts help Honduran children go to school and hear the Gospel!"

Also, thank you for labeling each backpack. This is the only way you can ensure that your child receives everything you intended for him/her. Labeling the outside of a packing box is not enough. In this most recent container alone, the port authority workers opened about a half dozen boxes while inspecting it. Their technique is as follows: They open boxes, dump the contents, and then throw them back into other boxes.

Everyone with Sowers4Pastors does everything in their power to get your gifts to the right children. They cannot guarantee that loose items in boxes will get to the intended recipients. There are ten Honduran men who can’t read English working to separate out clothing and backpacks. (This is after the port authority has finished with it!) Loose clothes can’t be guaranteed to go to the designated child. If you have items you would like to send your sponsored child that will not fit in the backpack, Allen recommends putting the extra items into a duffel bag and making sure that the outside of the bag is clearly labeled. The backpacks we pick are appropriate to the child's size, so they can carry it to school - but some sponsors find that the amount of donations they want to send their child does not fit in the backpack - so they send a duffle for their child with the backpack inside. The duffle is then packed in a box, surrounded by loose clothing that will be donated to pastors' families and families in need.

Again, Sowers4Pastors wants to say: Thank you to everyone who took the time to purchase items for your child/children. Thank you to everyone who stepped up and upped their game of packing boxes. Allen and Trish said they are seeing a big difference. They are super grateful.

Allen and Trish are also super grateful to anyone who has been praying for the other containers. Allen explained, “We’ve been having all sorts of issues with the container of food ready to be shipped to us from Ohio. We’ve had problems getting duty-free shipping for every container. We finally got it for this one. Then there wasn’t a physical container available and loading was pushed back. We finally got that - for which we are very grateful.”

The contents of this container were being stored at a nursery in Ohio. The nursery needs to begin ordering all of its spring plants, which means they needed the food moved out. It was a major imposition for the nursery, and the on-again/ off-again scheduling while we were trying to get a physical container was also hard on the volunteers.

There is a second container of food in the same location that still needs to be packed. COVID concerns have caused packing events to be downsized or postponed. Duty-free shipping still needs to be obtained for this container, too.

COVID-19, two hurricanes, port issues, and an international shortage of containers have caused mounds of problems. Please pray that Sowers4Pastors will be able to get the two containers of food in a timely manner.

And again, to everyone who helps make this possible, Sowers4Pastors says, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

- posted by Christi