The Room You Didn’t Know You Had (But God Did)

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had that dream — the one where you discover a hidden room or an entire wing of your house that you somehow never knew existed. It’s surprisingly common, and supposedly it represents untapped potential.

Well… that’s probably one dream the Sowers4Pastors staff doesn’t have.

Why? Because they are firmly in the “use what you’ve got” camp — and then use it again, and then maybe repaint it and turn it into something else entirely.

Case in point: the old office space.

This particular space has had more career changes than someone in their twenties. At various points, it has been a storage room, a temporary living space for Kirstin (back when “no shower” was apparently just a minor detail), an office, and — once again — storage.

But now? It’s stepping into its newest role with confidence, purpose, and a fresh coat of paint.

The space is being transformed into an apartment for longer-term visitors.

And not just any apartment. This upgraded version now includes a working shower and a repaired bathroom sink — luxuries that earlier versions of the space could only dream about. It’s functional, practical, and, most importantly, right where it needs to be: on the ministry property.

You might be wondering, “What about Mary Faith’s house? Isn’t that already used for hosting?”

It is — and it’s been a huge blessing. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. For starters, it’s a rental, which means its long-term availability isn’t guaranteed. And for nexters (which absolutely should catch on as a word), it doesn’t provide housing for male interns or certain long-term guests.

The newly revamped space solves all of that. It’s owned by the ministry, located right alongside the coffee farm and vehicles, and perfectly positioned to support the day-to-day rhythm of ministry life.

It’s also incredibly practical. When the mechanic comes to service the ministry vehicles, he may stay for weeks — or even months. A freshly updated on-site apartment is far more cost-effective than extended hotel stays, and infinitely more convenient.

In fact, the timing couldn’t be better. A new intern is arriving this evening and will be the very first to stay in the newly repurposed space. Nothing like a soft opening with a real, live human.

Of course, a project like this doesn’t come together on its own. A well-earned shoutout goes to Nathan and Michael, who jumped in to help Brandy get everything ready. From painting to general elbow grease, they brought both skill and willingness — two things that tend to make any project go faster (and look better).  And all of this? It’s happening in the middle of everything else. Because, naturally, there is always an “everything else.”

 Work continues on the coffee farm, where the long-awaited rains have finally arrived — just in time for fertilizing. At the same time, the team is moving from backpack and dental team season straight into medical teams and VBS teams. It’s less of a slow transition and more of a full-speed relay race.

In fact, members of the upcoming medical team are already beginning to arrive, with plans to serve in four different communities next week. And immediately following that, the VBS teams will jump into action.

It’s a full schedule. A meaningful one — but definitely a full one.

Brandy summed it up simply: “Please pray for safety, endurance, and that we would serve in the way God wants us to serve. Pray that we will be a light and show the love of God.”

Because at the end of the day, whether it’s a repurposed room, a backpack distribution, or a medical clinic, it all comes down to the same thing — faithfully using what God has already provided.

No hidden rooms required.

 - posted by Christi

Digging Moats and Building Dreams: Brandy and Rachel's Unexpected Home Delay

 If you’ve ever built a home, you know the road to completion is often filled with bumps, delays, and unexpected surprises. But when Brandy and Rachel set out to build their new home, they probably didn’t anticipate one particular twist — the need to dig a moat! Yes, a moat — the kind that usually surrounds fairy tale castles. So, let’s start this story the way all good fairy tales begin. Once upon a time…

Early on, construction was moving along smoothly until a water leak was discovered in the basement. Now, as nice as an indoor swimming pool sounds, Brandy and Rachel weren’t quite ready to make that design leap. Initially, the water was blamed on the lack of a completed roof. But when the roof was done and the basement continued to fill, it became clear that something bigger was at play.

Enter the builder, who suggested they dig a trench. (But come on, let’s keep calling it a moat — it adds a little magic to the story!) This mighty moat ended up being about 8-10 feet deep in some spots and about two feet wide. But digging wasn’t easy. The house is being built on top of a limestone foundation covered with only a few inches of topsoil. And while limestone might not be as tough as granite, it’s certainly no walk in the park to dig through.

Thankfully, Sowers4Pastors has a jackhammer handy, normally reserved for bridge projects. For weeks, the jackhammer worked overtime, chipping away at the limestone. The water had been seeping through the stone, getting stuck in cracks, and pooling in the basement. After the moat was dug, French drains were installed, and work had to be paused to let the basement dry out.

Dry basement!

Now that the water’s been dealt with, construction is back on track. But there’s still work to be done. The house still needs electrical wiring, doors, windows, countertops in the kitchen, and finishing touches on the tilework. Most of the plumbing is complete, but they’re still working on connecting the house to the solar energy system that powers the other two homes on the property.

Update: a friend of the ministry from Maryland is coming the first week of December, to complete the electrical work! Thanks so much, Andrew! 

Rachel is optimistically hoping they can be in the new house by Christmas, but she’s realistic about potential delays. After all, they hadn’t factored in moat-digging! Still, they’re eager to move in before the next dry season hits, bringing with it the sweltering heat of Gracias. The new home promises to be much cooler than their current rental, which is feeling a little cramped now that their family has grown by 50% since moving in!

Of course, a bigger house means they’ll need more furnishings to make it feel like home. If you’re looking for a way to help, consider contributing to this cause. Everyone’s excited to be settled into the new space, even if the moat won’t be part of the final design. And let’s not forget Nana and Gampa, who are thrilled at the idea of having four grandchildren living on the property!

 - posted by Christi

Time to Play Catch-Up . . . and Build a House!

Team season is over and it is now what the good folks at Sowers4Pastors refer to as "catch up season." (Note: If you read the preceding sentence out loud, your brain might hear ketchup season.) Catch up (or ketchup) season is the perfect time to think about construction on the property. 

As you may remember, the Sowerses are currently building a third house on the ministry property. Now, building a house is, admittedly, some pretty impressive catching up. The house was originally intended to be Allen and Trish’s new abode but it looks like it will be housing Rachel, Brandy, and their kids, instead. The previous houses on the property were built during snippets of time. A week here. Two weeks there. That drawn out process was the reason it took seven or eight years to complete the house where Allen and Trish are currently living. 

Rachel and Brandy have many skills, but construction isn’t one of them. Allen is a skilled builder, but completing a house is a mighty undertaking and it isn’t the sort of thing that Allen can easily squeeze into an already full schedule. That’s why the family is looking to bring in a contractor to finish the project. 

Here are just a few of the reasons hiring outside help makes sense:

1. The sooner Casa #3 is completed, the sooner Rachel and Brandy can move onto the property. Having more people living there is better from a security perspective. It will also give Allen and Trish more freedom to travel to the States. They will be able to take extended trips to see the rest of the family and visit churches.
2. Rachel and Brandy are currently paying rent in Gracias. Without hiring outside help, it is realistic to assume that it would take, at minimum, an additional two years for the house to be move-in ready. The amount of saved rent will offset the cost of hiring a contractor.
   
3. It will simply be nice to have the family all together. Nathan, Michael, and Levi will have lots of space to run and will be able to spend extra time with their doting grandparents and Aunt Kirstin.
   
4. The setting will allow Rachel to enjoy her love of gardening and the temperatures are cooler than living in a house with a flat cement roof in Gracias. Rachel said their current house has some oven-like tendencies.

Allen has already made a lot of progress on the house, so a contractor will not be starting from scratch. The construction is almost to the point of putting in the skilled-labor intensive finishing touches, like putting in tile, doors and windows, plumbing fixtures, etc.

The layout of the new house should work well for Rachel and Brandy’s family. It will have three bedrooms and two baths, with one of the baths being in the basement. From a practicality standpoint, Rachel likes the fact that it is on two levels with each level being tighter and easier to hear the boys at play. Like many moms of boys, she would like to be able to head off disaster, daredevil schemes, and potential for bloodshed. 

Please pray that they will find the right person for the job. They are looking for someone who will complete the house with the same high standards with which it was started, but at a price that won't bust their budget. Also, the funds being used to build the house are (as always) funds designated for personal use, not funds donated for ministry use. If anyone would like to help turn this construction site into a home in the near future, you can give through the website as support for Brandy and Rachel, with a message in the note section that the gift is specifically for this project.

- posted by Christi

A Behind-the-Scenes Look (Bonus Features!)

Do you remember the pre-Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+ days when we were forced to walk across the room like barbarians and insert a DVD if we wanted to watch a movie? We may not miss the arduous trek to the DVD player, but some of us may be missing the bonus features that came on the DVDs. There was nothing like a good behind-the-scenes look at the making of a movie and a chat with the director to make you feel like an insider. Well, today, it’s time for a behind the scenes look at what’s going on at Sowers4Pastors. Now, on to the bonus features!

Bonus Feature #1

Auntie Boo with (some) of
her nephews and nieces

Boo is visiting!! For those of you who don't know or don't remember, Boo is Bethany, the fifth Sowers child, and the third daughter, also known as the baby of the family (Even after Bucket Boy joined, she's still considered one of the babies). She is also not a baby anymore, but a mama in the making - she is several months pregnant at this point, and the Sowers are super excited to have her visiting! She hasn't been down in kind of a chunk of time, because of nursing school, getting married, having pets - you know, life.

Family game nights, cookie baking, pizza parties and early Easter egg hunts (so Boo gets to enjoy them before she leaves) are all being planned out to make the most of the time available to hang with Auntie Boo.

Bonus Feature #2

One part of updating child sponsorship information is that when Sower4Pastors do the registration and backpack distribution, there are always a few children who don’t show up. (Sometimes it’s just a matter of the family being off picking coffee. Sometimes it’s because the child is no longer in school or has moved.) After the big registration/distribution has taken place, Sowers4Pastors begins making the rounds again.

The children are marked as “pendiente” (pending) until S4P knows what’s up. If it becomes known that a child is leaving the program, that child is marked as “salidas” (leaving).  Due to the complicated school situation during COVID restrictions, many children didn’t make a conscious decision to leave school last year. It’s just sort of happened. This year, many of those children are returning to school. 

Spanish-speaking staff members set off on motorcycles to track down the “pendiente” children. It’s not a simple process. A teacher

may or may not be able to point them in the right direction. They may have to go to a neighbor’s house to get directions. Once located, the children who will be attending school are officially enrolled in the sponsorship program. They are given a backpack and shoes.

Sometimes, there are backpacks that were personalized for children who didn’t show up. Even if the children are not immediately located, those backpacks are stored for a year. Shoes are also set aside for those kids. Several attempts are made to get those backpacks to the intended recipients.

It’s also time to inventory and store the excess shoes from this distribution season. Even though it’s a little earlier than usual, they will soon begin the process of buying shoes for the 2023 distribution. Due to inflation, it is prudent to do that as soon as possible. Backpacks will also be purchased in the not-too-distant future.

Bonus Feature #3

The Sowers’ water is piped through a system of pipes they installed about ten years ago. The water travels through underground pipes about 3.5 miles from the river to the main road. It goes under the main road and then travels another 1.5 miles to the property. The water is from a non-sketchy part of the river, so it’s already reasonably safe. At the property, it is filtered to make sure it’s completely non-sketchy and fit for human consumption. It’s a good system. But, for the first time ever, the main road is about to be paved. 

The water that normally comes from the river will be cut off. The Sowers are not alone in this. Other people also have water pipes that go under the main road. And, the timing is less than excellent. Gracias is starting the dry season and there are two water tanks at “Casa de Sowers” that are used for water storage - since it's dry season, the tanks will start running low even before the work has started and the supply is cut off.

Road workers are currently widening the road and preparing to put down concrete. At some point, everyone affected will be allowed to dig much deeper to cross under the main road. It’s not an emergency situation. It’s just a situation! 

Bonus Feature #4

Trish's house a few years ago before the new metal was put on it.
No, she did not pick that spot for the view, why do you ask?
(JK, she totally did)

Roof work will be happening within the next 2 week at “Casa de Allen y Trish Sowers." (This is not the new home that is under construction - for various reasons that project is stalled at the moment.) The roofs on the property homes normally consist of three layers. There’s the interior wooden roof that looks pretty on the inside of the house, the metal roof on top of that,  and the exterior clay roof that looks pretty and helps insulate against the heat. It’s been about 2 years since Alan & Trish’s roof was removed and a new metal roof was installed. You may or may not remember the saga. There’s been a pandemic and stuff going on, and all. 

Anywhoooo… The clay tiles aren’t nailed on or anything. They are just placed on top of the metal. It’s usually a fine method. But when the new metal roof was put on, it was super slick and the tiles slid off like frosting on a hot cake. Well, they didn’t melt or anything, but you get the idea. For the past two years, the metal has been exposed to the elements. Now that it’s less new and shiny, the tiles should stay put. Hopefully.

Hope you enjoyed this little segment of bonus content!

-posted by Christi.