Archive of "personal" Category
What $1000 did for Bala
This is a letter sent from the director of NIFES, Bala Usman.
I am posting this because I want people to understand how much we have been given, and how much a little will do. This is a dear friend of our family and the reason we set off to start a coffee company, One Village Coffee, in order to support Non-Profit. We are currently working on starting an umbrella non-profit, Open Hand Initiative (OHI) for all the over looked people doing this kind of work around the world.
Right now there is a partnership forming with the MAMA project and the Nigerian leaders through my father. The reason we want to start this non profit which will be funded through One Village Coffee, grants, personal donations and other business’s is due to the rising interest in the involvement our family has internationally.
We are the connectors to communities around the world and it is time to tell the story of these amazing people do so much with so little.
Here the words of Bala:
Dear Hackman,
Warm regards to you and your family.
Beloved, you are the blessing that God has blessed to see that our vision and dream of transforming Africa through the Nigeria.
This is to personally and formally thank you for the timely gift you sent to help with our Coffee farm development which is a basis of enhancing
thousands being enhanced and empowered to make impact and reduce the poverty level of our people. The said amount came to N116, 300:00 because they gave me some lower denominations for $900@N119 (N107, 100) and the $80 @N115 ( N9,200) and the balance of ($20) was charged
as commission for the transfer from the USA. I feel deeply concerned for and loved by your act of mercy and care for the unknown. May his Love overwhelm you.
This is the summary and briefs for the total sum sent:
The sum of N72, 500 earmarked for the bore hole due to its dept and materials and labor. The boreholes work has started and will be finished by tomorrow.
The sum of N24, 000 earmarked for the cow dung manure, which has been supplied, and
The sum of N12, 500 to pay the workers for the month of December -January 2008.
The sum of N3, 500 earmarked for the fuel towards the watering.
The balance of N1000 I used it to buy phone card for phone calls and 2,800 gas for my car and movement for supervision.
These are the things that we are able to do at the school.
I used the balance to purchase 16 bags of cement @ N1, 530 and used it to floor the 5 classes (N24, 480). We also did deposit N 25,500: for the roof Hedges to cover the open areas of the roof and then fixed the window louver glasses costing N14, 160 against the cold weather to protect the children. The chicken birds were sold and we used them to settle our children fees (N135, 000: 00)
I WILL LIKE to APPRECIATE and keep thanking you for your graciousness and kindness to make us have less tension and more relaxed mind. I am humbled by your thoughtfulness.
I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE THOUGHT OF MOBILISING A TEAM TO HELP BUILD TH OTHER PART OF THE SCHOOL. You talked about working to gather the materials for the building. Sir, Can I know what and what I should begin to gather and put together? We are deeply overwhelmed over your desire and discussion to have people mobilized to support and come build or help work on the building in the school
Grace and I are praying and planning to have some time spending part of my Rest in 2008. Love to your wife and the Children.
Todd Rock’s
Todd Hiestand made me this website and I can honestly say it is the best physical gift of my life. He is someone in my life who understands a deep desire to have a voice. The very basic of a human desire to connect with other people. He has given me a tool to feed the inner part of me and leave particles of meaning along the way, like the cracked pot the servant uses to water flowers as he walks a long a path on his way up to the kings palace. (This is a reference to a story I heard a couple years ago)
Writing has become a very important discipline in my life. Most of the writing in my life has been lyrics, poems, journal responses and papers. There is something about putting my thoughts on a blog for several people to read, critique, comment or just peruse like a person watching the inside of mind work it self into the real.
The practice of bloging is a transition in my life from one form of art to another. I have heard it said that a writer writes, a singer sings, and a painter paints. When I am not expressing myself I am not self actualized or alive.
Some one great said, “we all start as artists.”
How it all began
here is the first letter I sent to Todd Hiestand
via email after my two year stint in TX.
Todd,
I have visited your site several times and hesitate to write, for fear of sounding like one of those guys. You know the over excited one who wants to be accepted into the club.
My Spiritual Journey was rocked many times through out my short time on earth. Most recently when my wife and I moved back to Souderton Pa after spending two years in TX as a Jr. High youth pastor. Our time there we were able to meet amazing people, like Chris Seay and Don Miller, I wont name more, because that is name dropping, and I am am afraid I will sound like “that guy.”
Needless to say our paradigm of how to be the church shifted through living life in a modern mega church mindset. We were able to develop community in our short time there and start a service inside the larger church I worked at called “Teleos.” When I looked of your pictures it reminded me of our times together. I am sure God is doing amazing things in your midst.
Currently we are in the process of developing community with a missional focus. This time it is looking a lot different. One it is growing much faster than anticipated. I do not say this as though that is the goal, we simple tell people that we want this to be a safe environment and all are welcome as we gather to live our loving God and loving neighbor. That is our focus.
The funny thing about the group is that we all have diverse theological backgrounds so we can only agree on the over arching theme of the Gospel, which is great.
Here is my point. You are the only church I can find in the greater Philadelphia area that is living missionaly. Well there is Liberti, and circle of hope, but the guys a liberti are way busy and I went to school with a lot of the people that go to circle of hope and there mission is a little different.
So I was wondering if we could start a conversation. If you are to busy that is cool. I am currently taking a class with Joe Thomas at Biblical and plan on starting in the Fall full time in the lead program.
I would love to come down sometime and share in your worship experience. One of the guys in our group has turned us onto invisible children and we are going to have a viewing at branchcreek. Some of us work there, but “Missio Dei Community” is not a Branchcreek thing. Just a bunch of Ragamuffins, trying to love God and the world. I thought maybe we could do it together some how.
much love
Scott Hackman
This was before The Living Room, which is simular to missio dei.
I enjoy this new blog, thanks Todd.
