Exciting Days - It is OFFICIAL, We have gone NUTS!

Yes indeed we have officially GONE NUTS!

Have you ever wondered where macadamia nuts come from? 

We have begun our first Macadamia Nut harvest on the farm.  See 15 second video here: https://www.facebook.com/mitchchar/videos/10206323087176090/

Harvest, husk, sort, crack and eat!

400 trees in harvest now-preliminary estimates for the first crop will yield enough funds for farm operating 1 year, purchase of 1200 tree expansion, and buy foods for local feeding programs. PRAISE JESUS! It is working!!! Self sustainable, job creating, kingdom impacting!

This is step one into creating a local program for the local people to assist us with accomplishing the below ministry efforts with our strategic partners:

Preschools (and Primary School coming in 2016):  Education is vitally important in the impoverished world.  Preschool sets the foundation and plans are in place to expand into Primary(elementary) education by 2016.  Currently 4 preschools running full time – 2 in Swaziland and 2 in South Africa.

Feeding Sites and Bible clubs (annual kids camps):  Food is key to survival and learning.  Proper nutrition brings life and increased function and focus.    Food provides a way to bring some of the poorest of the poor children into a safe place where we can have clubs and programs geared towards who Christ is, how He loves them, and His plan for their lives.  Approximately 1750 kids currently involved at 12 locations, each with a church, local pastoral partner, and volunteer cooks.

Pastors and Leaders training:  Equipping and training local Pastors to break free from tradition and cultural beliefs/teaching.  Multiplying impact for Kingdom minded growth.  82 local pastors are now connected in some fashion with +-40 in consistent ongoing training.

School of Ministry:  Working with young adults and even a few grannys in a consistent weekly training and learning time- discovery of who they are in Christ.  We also teach practical skills like writing a resume, balancing income and expenses, and customer service.  19 students in the group meeting 3 hours weekly. 

The Farm: 50 Acres with 400 macadamia trees(1200 more on order) and a variety of fruit trees.  Much room for expanding crops and turning income which will decrease foods purchased for community feeding programs and offset additional feeding program needs.  Will also serve as a home base for teams, skills training, job creation, interns, missionaries and one day; an orphaned children’s home.   Goal is to create sustainable ministries for years to come.

Teams: Hosting multiple short term mission teams each year that serve for 1-2 weeks.  Connecting them to our normal daily ministry activities reaching the community in a deeper way. (construction, teaching, training, feeding, bible studies, medical, skills training, etc.)

Local:  Devotionals and motivational talks with students at schools, staff at schools and staff at local clinic.  Outreaches into the local farm communities for discovery bible series.  Weekly prayer for sick and home visitations.  Women's bibles studies for cooks at locations of children's feeding sites. 

Internship (Coming 2016):  Young Christian adults from USA and Europe joining with us for 10 months-1 year as we present a cross cultural dynamic training program to them and local students.  Giving them opportunity to apply their learning into practical ways to pour into the community.  They discover who they are and help others in the process.  Duplicating, returning home and reaching the world from South Africa.

PRAISE JESUS!!!

Thanks for sending us, we are THRILLED to see His vision coming to fruition here.  There is still so much to do, but we have great encouragement in seeing all He has done and you have equipped!

Mitch & Char

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

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Have PEACE!

Hello beautiful friend!  As you are sitting in the USA(or wherever you may be today), we wanted to send a brief note out about Peace.  Here in South Africa this week there have been many riots, uprisings and killings.  Have Peace.  Foreigners are the targets.  Have Peace.

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

It is called "xenophobia"(fear of things foreign or strange-and manifests in people groups) and has been making into the news channels across the globe.  We are so grateful for caring friends that have messaged us, or sought additional information, those that were concerned with our welfare.  Have Peace.

We are completely fine and feel totally safe.  What has happened is that in some of the larger cities, many local South African black people(this is not an offensive term here, it is politically correct to say black/white) are upset that other black people from other African countries have come in, started businesses and are "taking jobs away from the locals".  (sadly many of the locals have not thought to start these businesses or do not want to invest the time and energy into them, but are lashing out at the foreigners).  Have Peace.

The issues are calming down already now, and we are confident that the Lord will use this to bring nations together.  His promises are true.

On a lighter and much more agreeable subject; things are rapidly progressing here in the region.  Pastoral training has been going great- last week, 32 persons age 17-72 were in attendance.  This week we jump in with a group of 20+ young adults in school of ministry with partner churches.  Devotionals with small farm villages have been highly valued and next week we are delivering foods to the Spark Foundation kids.  The preschool is completed in Swaziland Khanyasile(section 19), and harvest is upon us on the macadamia farm.  Initial projections show that the harvest of our very first crop will be enough to cover operating costs for the year, and order 1200 more trees for planting and expansion (from the 400 current) next year.  By this time next year, we hope to be generating local money to buy local foods to feed local people.  IT IS WORKING!!! Praise GOD!

We love you, and are so grateful for your friendship, your prayers and your support.  Thanks for sending US!  We are blessed!

Mitch & Char

P.s. – the BEST support you can give us is Prayer and a word of encouragment! 

If you like, supporting our ministry financially is easy and gifts are tax deductible.  The fastest way is to make an online donation via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations  and select our name from the list.  You have flexibility to set up automatic monthly gifts or one time gifts.  You can also mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Mitch & Charlotte Hildebrant.

Don't forget to keep tabs on what the Lord is doing in Southern Africa at www.mitchionary.blogspot.com  and www.facebook.com/mitchchar

Fwd: No Foolin, just an update!

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