Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  
2 Corinthians 9:10-11

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Last May, I had the incredible opportunity to visit our partners in Malawi and see all God is doing there. I was blown away. The need was immense, with many people living on less than $.27 per day, but the church is responding in big ways through a holistic understanding and practice of the Gospel. There are many stories to tell, but one story stands out as an incredible example of God providing for us in mundane and miraculous ways. 

In the impoverished outskirts of Lilongwe, Malawi, there is a relatively small church that identifies and meets the tangible needs of people in the community. At the time, they were feeding people, teaching children, and empowering women, but they ran into capacity issues. The church building needed to expand in order to facilitate classes and the growing number of people who were coming to faith in the community as a result of the compassion and justice work they do. They had one issue, though: they did not have any money to pay for the expansion.

In a service one day, the pastor asked the congregation from the front, “Who can buy one roofing panel?” Family by family started raising their hands—enough to cover all the roofing. By breaking down each of the needs of the project, they learned that all of the assets and expertise to do the expansion project already existed within the congregation. They even had a brick-maker in their church who used their own soil to mix with water and make their own bricks!

This church taught me that no matter the problems we face, God is often at work, bringing the resources we need to face them head-on. When we offer our skills, expertise, time, and resources to the work of the church around the world, we become part of God’s provision for others. We build hope together. 

Next Steps

Think back and reflect on your life. How has God provided for you in tough situations? Where did that provision come from?

How can you be part of God’s provision for others during COH this year? If you haven’t signed up for seed-packing yet, you can sign up here. You can also donate to the work of our Global Partners here.