2016 Spring Sower

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SPRING 2016

ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO HUMANITARIAN PROBLEMS

DEPARTMENTS

Director’s Corner

Breaking News

Village Spotlight: Los Guineos

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FEATURES

Unlikely Acts of Worship

Plant With Purpose Is Growing

EDVARD IN FONDS-VERRETTES, HAITI, PLANTS

TREES AS AN ACT OF WORSHIPPING GOD.

UNLIKELY ACTS

OF WORSHIPGLORIFYING GOD THROUGH

CREATION CARE


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When I tell people we

work with farmers,

preconceived ideas

come to mind. For

most Americans, our

image of farming in-

volves men with trac-

tors on large, flat fields

cultivating a single crop.

The farmers who comprise the majority of

our partners are different in almost every way.

More than half are women. None have access

to mechanized farm machinery and if they did,

it probably would not matter because they

are farming steep, eroded hillsides that most

of us would never recognize as farms. Instead,

they use small, often homemade hand toolsand cultivate a wide variety of crops.

Although these farmers don’t tend to be part

of our popular imagination, globally they are

not at all unusual. Nearly one billion people

eke out their existence in this way, growing

most of what they eat without irrigation, fer-

tilizer, or machinery. They tend to be among

the poorest and most undernourished peo-

ple in the world. Of those whom I have met,

most are discouraged and disempowered, fo-

cused on day-to-day survival, at least when

we begin partnering with them.

It is easy to see these farmers’ tiny parcels of

wasteland and their weary, hopeless counte-

nances and imagine that things will always

be this way—that their only hope lies some-

where else. But I believe God calls us to be

people of imagination. We can look at those

farms and start to imagine how a family’s life

might change if the hillsides were transformed

into verdant and fruitful gardens full of good

things. It is possible, and may even be easier

than we think! God has given us a multitude

of tools that can be used to restore degraded

land. We can also begin to imagine what it

would be like if tired parents regained hope

for the future and if children were able to de-

velop and use their manifold talents.

Innovative agricultural techniques and Village

Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), which

mobilize local savings, give farmers a taste of

progress so that they too begin to imagine

what might be possible. Once that happens,

these hardworking men and women become

nearly unstoppable.

Our church partnerships and Bible study cur-

riculum reinforce the idea that not only does

God love them, but also has a purpose for

their lives. This reinforces participants’ senseof agency and vocation. Their hope and re-

solve continue to grow.

This makes for a startling contrast. When one

talks with farmers who have been in the Plant

With Purpose program for a few years, it is

clear they are anything but hopeless. They

have discovered they do have the ability to

change their lives and get to play a role in re-

deeming their communities and the land they

depend on. They are the ones creating change.

In this issue of The Sower , we get to hear how

some of these farmers have discovered their

calling in stewarding God’s creation. No lon-

ger discouraged, no longer merely surviving,

they see themselves as active participants in

God’s work in the world.

Scott Sabin

Executive Director

THE SOWER ISSUE #111 Plant With Purpose, a Christian nonpro

organization, reverses deforestation an

poverty around the world by transform

ing the lives of the rural poor.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

Scott Sabin

[email protected]

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

AND MARKETING:

Christi Huizenga

[email protected]

MARKETING AND EVENTS:

Becky Rosaler

[email protected]

ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO HUMANITARIAN PROBLE

TRANSFORMATION

STAY CONNECTED:

4747 Morena Blvd. Suite 100

San Diego, CA 92117

Ph: 858.274.3718

Email: [email protected]

Web: plantwithpurpose.org

Tw: @PlantWPurpose

Fb: facebook.com/PlantWithPurpose

Leave a Legacy. Please consider inclu

ing Plant With Purpose in your wills

and bequests. Contact Doug Satre:

[email protected].

copyright © 2016 Plant With Purpose

DIRECTOR’S

CORNER


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PLANTWITHPURPOSE.ORG

BREAKING NEWS

PLANTING HOPE GALA

Mark your calendars! The 2016

Planting Hope Gala is taking place

on Saturday, October 8. Join us at

Omni La Costa Resort and Spa for

an evening of celebrating the life-

changing work taking place through

Plant With Purpose.

THE JUSTICE CONFERENCE

Join us June 3-4 in Chicago as we

engage in the conversation based on

Amos 5:2 of letting justice roll. The

Justice Conference endeavors to call

followers of Christ into a more inten-

70 percent of the world’s poor

depend on the land to survive.

But when trees are cut down,

the land stops producing and

families go hungry.

Enter Root 7. Your $7 plants a tree in 7 coun-

tries every month. When you join Root 7,you’re doing more than putting trees in the

ground. You’re planting healing, opportu-

nity, and hope for a better future. You see,

trees restore the environment, clean the

water, nourish the soil, protect farms from

erosion, and provide a source of income

and food for farming families. In short,

trees are life to the rural poor.

This spring, join the movement. Root 7

member benefits include a custom steel

tumbler and regular updates on the impact

your trees are making around the world.

GIVE.

PLANT.GROW.

tional lifestyle of ‘living justly’ as we seek

to live out our faith as disciples of Jesus.

Plant With Purpose is honored to spon-

sor the event. Visit thejusticeconference.

com for more details.

RECEIVE THE SOWER BY EMAIL

If you would like to receive the Sower

by email and save a tree, please send

an email to info@plantwithpurpose.

org with your name and current email

address under the subject of eSower.

Or simply follow the steps on the en-

closed envelope.

UPCOMING VISION TRIPS

If you haven’t visited one of Plant

With Purpose’s programs, we’d love

for you travel with us. Additional trips

for 2016 are in the works. ContactBecky Rosaler for more information:

[email protected].

Dominican Republic: August 8-12

Tanzania: September 2-10

Haiti: October 17-22

Mexico: Fall

Join Root 7 today at plantwithpurpose.org/root-7


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A question we often ask partnering

farmers is how their relationship with

God has changed since Plant With

Purpose began working with their

communities. A common reply is,

“We are now planting trees.”

In my American mindset, I dismissed

these responses, thinking that some-

where along the line, something was

missed. Maybe they misunderstood the

question. Tree planting is an environ-

mental activity not something that re-

flects a maturing relationship with the

Lord. Something must have been lost

in translation.

The significance of these statementswas lost on me. It was not until travel-

ing to Tanzania and hearing first-hand

responses that the categorization of

activities and their impacts began to

make sense. To Plant With Purpose

partnering farmers, the act of plant-

ing trees is an act of worship. It is an

outward expression of their faith, a way

in which they are honoring God and

walking in obedience.

A THEOLOGY OF CREATION CAREWe could base this tree-planting theol-

ogy on Paul’s writing in Colossians 3:17,

“And whatever you do, whether in word

or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord

Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father

through him.” However, we see from Gen-esis to Revelation, the Scriptures talking

about creation and offering insights into

God’s relationship with the physical works

of his hands. God puts Adam in the garden

and tells him to tend and keep the land.

After the great flood, the Lord makes a

covenant promise to never flood the earth

again. The songs in Psalms offer perspec-

tive on how the trees and the hills praise

the Lord while the heavens declare the

glory of the Lord. Proverbs render guide-

lines for the ethical treatment of animals.

Paul’s letters recognize Christ as being be-

fore all creation. And in Revelation, John

closes with the new heaven coming down

to earth where the Tree of Life is central in

the coming kingdom.

Plant With Purpose participants across the

seven international programs understand

this insight. God created the earth. He

cares about creation. We were given the

responsibility to steward it. So of course,

planting trees is an act of worship.

CONNECTED TO CREATIONFar off the main roads in the Domini-

can Republic, Andrés Gonzalez lives in

a jewel-toned house with his wife and

seven children. Andrés’ farm is a multi

story agroforestry plot reminiscent o

Eden with bananas, coffee, cassavaand cacao growing together. The edge

of his farm drops steeply to a stream

below. Andrés sees it as his responsi

bility to protect this water source. “I’m

a watchman of water. If you don’t have

water, you don’t have life.” But it is not

only the water Andrés is protecting

He shares, “Genesis 3:19 says, ‘From

dust you came, and to dust you wil

return.’ So by taking care of the land

we are taking care of ourselves.” These

profound words serve as a reminde

of our roots and our connection to the

land. Andrés honors God by taking

care of God’s creation.

THE TREE PLANTING EVANGELISTHalfway around the world in Tanzania

Isaya Mongowi is taking on the task o

reforesting Mt. Kilimanjaro. Isaya shares

“I used to be the poorest of the poor.” Be

fore partnering with Plant With Purpose

his property resembled a desert. The land

took the brunt of years of deforestation

ISAYA DEDICATES THIS TREE TO PLANT

WITH PURPOSE. IT WAS THE FIRST ONE

HE PLANTED ON HIS PROPERTY IN 2008.

UNLIKELY ACTS OF WORSHIPGLORIFYING GOD THROUGH CREATION CAREBY BECKY ROSALER, Marketing and Events Coordinator


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and poor soil management. Isaya began

implementing the sustainable agriculture

techniques he learned from Plant With Pur-

pose. This included planting trees. These

trees added nutrients to the soil, while

protecting the soil from harsh rain. Today

he shares, “We have seen many changes

to the environment. My land now looks

like a forested garden. We get everything

we need from our property including corn,

sweet potatoes, bananas, and eggs.”

“We’re taught that God created the earth

and we are commanded to take care of

it. Planting trees is one way we do this,”

shares Isaya. His tree nursery holds hun-

dreds of seedlings, which he gives away

for free. He calls these seedlings his bible—

small objects holding countless lessons

and valuable in their worth. Neighbors and

friends are drawn to the transformation

they see in Isaya’s life and in his land. Isaya

instructs them on how to plant trees and

even provides environmental education to

the children in the local school. Tree plant-

ing is now part of the local curriculum to

which Isaya declares, “I love this work.”

ACTIVATING THE LOCAL CHURCHEnvironmental stewardship is a core val-

ue of Plant With Purpose’s staff. A walk

through rural Dominican communities

with Country Director Carlos Disla can

turn into a waste management lesson

as he encourages children to properly

dispose of their trash. This value filters

through staff to churches and creates

change in the communities.

In Mexico, the local church is orches-

trating community-recycling programs.

The team in Mexico is developing a

new curriculum called “Manos a la Tier-

ra” (Hands to the Earth), which teaches

the biblical basis for creation care.

In Thailand, Mrs. Rom Lamai shares

that because of Plant With Purpose’s

involvement in her community, “We

better understand about making our

village clean with the idea of ‘reduce,

reuse, and recycle,’ as well as planting

and taking care of trees in our village.”

Plant With Purpose’s emphasis on en-

vironmental restoration has influenced

the culture of the Lutheran Church

in Tanzania. They are embracing the

church’s role in stewarding creation to

the extent that each child who goes

through confirmation plants a tree.

In just a few months, Plant With Purpose

has been changing perspectives in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pas-

tor Kasongo Kategere recently shared,

“When we were invited to a training

on the ‘Theology of Work,’ as a pastor

and teacher of the Word of God, I was

surprised to learn a new discipline that

we have ignored for decades. After the

training, I realized that work is compul-

sory for Christians. God, by His unfath-

omable love, placed man in a naturally

pleasant environment. Like Adam, he

asked us to cultivate and keep it. De-

spite my advanced age, I decided to

accept the tree seedlings from Plant

With Purpose. I just planted more than

820 trees. I know these trees cannot

benefit me now, but they will be useful

for later generations.”

LEARNING FROM THE FARMERSPlant With Purpose partnering farmers

challenge me to ask the question, “Is

environmental stewardship part of my

worship?” To some degree I can answer,

“Yes.” Composting, recycling, keeping

my shopping in check, buying at farmers’

markets, and being aware of single-use

plastics are resource decisions that filter

through my mind and daily drive my ac-

tions. As I look to Plant With Purpose’s

partnering farmers, I realize there is room

for growth. Will you join us in embrac-

ing a theology that includes creation care

and discovering new ways to glorify God

through stewardship of his creation?

CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP:

Tune into an Earth Day webinar by Scott Sabin on April 22.

Can Faith Be Green? a sermon by Timothy Keller

Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God’s People by Scott Sabin

Saving God’s Green Earth: Rediscovering the Church’s Responsibility to Environ-

mental Stewardship by Tri Robinson

Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action by Matthew Sleeth

Earthwise: A Guide to Hopeful Creation Care by Calvin B. DeWitt

Our Father’s World: Mobilizing the Church to Care for Creation by Edward R. Brown

Search “environment” on Q Ideas’ website (qideas.org)

Invite Scott Sabin to speak on the topic at your church.


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2015 PROGRAM

MILESTONES INCLUDE:

3.28 million trees planted

838Village Savings and Loan

Associations (VSLAs)

equipped and saving

25,000families trained insustainable agriculture

349church partnerships culti-

vated

PROGRAM GROWTH Virgilio, a partnering farmer from the village of Palmarito, Mexico, shares, “I thank Plant

With Purpose for the support we have received. This community has taken a positive

turn!” In rural communities, the needs are great. Yet, as more and more families under-

stand the solutions Plant With Purpose offers, engagement increases and programs are

rapidly expanding. The fruit of these partnerships and the growth of the program are

encouraging. Change is taking root as hillsides are now covered in lush trees, families

are enjoying hearty meals, and church congregations are living out their faith together.

The growth of Plant With Purpose programs is fueled in part by our focus on effective-

ness and efficiency. By constantly seeking to improve the program and finding ways to

provide the most transformative service at the lowest cost, the program cost per family

has decreased by 35 percent in the last year, allowing us to reach even more families.

U.S. REGIONAL EXPANSIONOur team is constantly amazed at the dedication and heart of

supporters who invest in the mission and vision of Plant With

Purpose. Donors and volunteers are instrumental to the pro

gram, and we are thankful for the important role they play in

empowering farming families.

In order to sustain continued growth, Plant With Purpose is ex

panding its network of supporters. We are thrilled to announce

the recent hire of two regional representatives. Dave Luebke

man is overseeing partnerships in the San Francisco Bay Area

and Valerie Foulkes is launching an office in Houston, Texas

These regional hubs will act as platforms to engage additiona

churches, donors, and volunteers in providing hope for rura

farming families faced with poverty and deforestation. If you

would like to meet Dave or Valerie, please contact the office at

[email protected].

EXPANSION TO NEW COUNTRIESPlant With Purpose is expanding its programs to meet the needs of

the rural poor through a pilot project in the Democratic Republic of

the Congo (DRC). This project officially launched in July 2015 and is

off to an incredibly strong start. Six-months in, Plant With Purpose

DRC has reached the following benchmarks:

- 11 pilot project staff hired

- 379 families participating (annual target of 179 families)

- VSLA training with Tanzania staff complete

- 10 VSLAs launched (annual goal of 9 groups)

- Tree nurseries established (60,000 seedlings in development)

We anticipate rapid yet sustainable transformation in partnering commu-

nities in the DRC. Foundational work to launch an eighth county program

in Ethiopia by 2017 is being pursued. Plant With Purpose is excited to par-

ticipate in God’s redemptive purposes in new regions around the world.

PLANT WITH PURPOSE IS GROWINGEXPANSION IN THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONALLY

BY ELLEN NOYES AND MELISSA COY


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VILLAGE SPOTLIGHT:LOS GUINEOS, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Honeymoon destinations like Punta Cana,

Puerto Plata, and Bavaro draw many to thewarm tropical waters of the Dominican Re-

public. Santo Domingo and the Colonial

City offer rich history, Spanish architecture,

and nightlife. Tourism undoubtedly drives

the Dominican economy with the service in-

dustry being the greatest contributor to the

country’s GDP. Once a people reliant on ag-

riculture, many Dominicans now migrate to

cities in hopes of finding work. Rural family

farms are abandoned, neglected lands suf-

fer, and generating income in rural commu-

nities becomes increasingly challenging.

When Plant With Purpose began partnering

with the community of Los Guineos in 2014,

Epifanio Antonio Santos was close to calling

it quits. The 55-year-old father of five did not

see a future for his children in the despairing

community. The Santos’s would not be the

first family to seek a new home in a nearby

city; urban population continues to grow as

rural communities diminish.

When Plant With Purpose reached out to

the people of Los Guineos, the communi-ty jumped at this chance for redemption.

While most communities slowly adopt

new techniques and methodologies, Los

Guineos surpassed expectations by a land-

slide. In just a year and a half, Epifanio has

reinvigorated his own farm and now serves

as president of the Neighborhood Council,

promoting community-wide training and

tree planting efforts.

The newly established Village and Sav-

ings Loan Association (VSLA) already has38 members. Through the savings group,

Epifanio learned to manage his mon-

ey, has taken out loans for his children’s

education, and jokes that the local VSLA

has improved his social life! The savings

group serves as a platform for community

development. “Our community has been

able to establish an elementary school, a

high school, a rural clinic, a church, and a

new road,” Epifanio says.

Most importantly, Epifanio and his neigh-

bors recognize that their recent blessingscome from their Creator: “Thanks to Plant

With Purpose I am closer to God. Whenever

we start a meeting, we always put it in God’s

hands. We ought to give something back. He

gives us so much.”

Hope and unity are being restored to the

once despairing community of Los Guineos.

Epifanio shares, “I feel more motivated than

ever to continue working to improve living

conditions of those who are most in need,

those forgotten by the government. If it werenot for Plant With Purpose, I would have emi-

grated from my community. Thanks to Plant

With Purpose I changed my mind.”

For just $1 a day you can provide hopeful al-

ternatives to communities like Los Guineos,

keep families like Epifanio’s together, and

promote long-term investment in farms.

Fill out the enclosed envelope or visit:

plantwithpurpose.org/sponsor-a-village.

BY KIRSTIE HIBBARD, Outreach Coordinator

EPIFANIO SANTOS PROUDLY

SHOWS THE FRUIT OF HIS LABOR.


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Plant With Purpose

4747 Morena Blvd. Suite 100San Diego, CA 92117

Ph: 858.274.3718

Email: [email protected]

Web: plantwithpurpose.org

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SAN DIEGO CA

TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF THE RURAL POOR

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Join the movement.

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Information inside.

FOR PARTNERING FARMERS IN HAITI,

PLANTING TREES IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP.

Documents

2016 Spring Sower