Kenya (MNN) — Sometimes, the Lord works in mysterious ways. Just ask FARMS International.
Communications Director Tim Landis says the new FARMS program in Kenya started through social media. “God worked it out through connections and conversations on Facebook; it all happened very quickly,” Landis says.
“It’s one of those things where you’d step back and [say], ‘God doing is this because if it were up to our human hands, it would not have happened this way.’”
Watch a video about the new program here.
After communicating online and flying to Kenya for in-person meetings, FARMS began work alongside a local church and five loan recipients. “Back in November, we made a trip to Kenya to meet with them, train them, help them develop business plans,” Landis says.
“[Today,] we’re getting these messages back from them to show us ‘hey, we’re already up and going, we’re ready to go.’”
Some loan recipients grow produce or raise livestock, while others own small stores. “A couple of [recipients] lost their businesses due to due to COVID… God, at just the right time, has come in using FARMS to [revive] the businesses,” Landis says.
See testimonies from the field here.
Pastor Wycliffe, a strong advocate of FARMS’ approach, “started a business of growing maize and beans, and he has a couple of fields [now],” Landis says.
“His dream is to make enough money to start a hardware shop.”
(Photo courtesy of FARMS International)
FARMS International combines Christian stewardship with interest-free loans to help believers work out of poverty and give to the local church. Volunteers from the local church form a committee and serve as overseers of the FARMS program.
“We want them (participants) to grow spiritually, to be well-discipled, well-trained in godly business practices. Some of their earnings from their businesses go as tithe into the local church, building that up,” Landis explains.
“It’s essential that the local church is a part of FARMS programs as much as individuals.”
Support FARMS here to help grow God’s Kingdom in East Africa.
“Part of their (local believers) dream is to expand FARMS in Africa, to go to different places throughout the continent. So if God’s placed it on your heart to give to FARMS to start up new loan programs in various places, that would be great,” Landis says.
Header and story images courtesy of FARMS International.
