ON THE GO

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Kids in Kenya doing their classroom work

IN THIS ISSUEA Word from the CEO

Building a Better Packathon

About More Than Possessions

From Skeptic to Sold Out

PRAISESWe praise God for a wonderful Packathon Enrichment Retreat and greatly appreciate all the leaders who dedicate themselves to their events!Our partners around the world, like those in Kenya who allow us to see God’s love in the slums of NairobiThe tangible difference a nutritious meal makes in the lives of children from Haiti to Bangladesh and beyond!

PRAYER REQUESTSFor the exciting and sometimes challenging new doors God might open for us to do ministry in yet another part of the worldThat the life-changing experiences had by six young ladies in Kenya would continue to shape their lives for the LordFor our endurance as we continue in our 50th year in ministry through God’s grace!

Praises & Prayer Requests

Building a Better Packathon cont.

About More Than Poss. cont.

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ON THE GOON THE GOFEED th

eHUNGERMarch - April 2018 Issue

of God’s overwhelming love I felt when singing and laughing with them. Needless to say, this trip changed my life. Throughout my college career I have always felt unsure and unconfi dent in what career path I wanted to take. I have always felt that God had written on my heart the desire to help others and share His word.

This mission trip only solidifi ed my feelings to pursue a career in non-profi t work. I’m immensely grateful to the Nairobi Language Institute and Feed the Hunger for this experience and cannot wait for the opportunity to do it again.

—Kendall, Ole Miss student

FEED

alting God’s greatness. It was a wonderful experience, joining with Christian brothers and sisters from a range of denominations and raising our voices as one.

When we held the fi rst retreat two years ago, the highlight of the weekend was hands-down getting to show how the food impacts both individual lives and entire commu-nities. This time was no different. There were few dry eyes at the end! We heard time and again

from participants that seeing the real effects of food given along-side the Gospel is a life-changing experience.

We never want to take for grant-ed the churches, businesses, schools, and other groups who want to feed hunger and reach souls. It’s our privilege to partner with them, and we’re already look-ing forward to the next time we get together!

Dear Friends and Partners,

Mongolia or Nicaragua? Neither? Both? One of my primary roles at Feed the Hunger is to discover and discern where God might lead us to partner next. Interestingly, these two countries have popped up on the spiritu-al radar in the last month or so.

You’ve probably heard the saying by the great baseball player Yogi Berra: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else.” He also stated the obvious: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Perhaps the more biblical

approach can be found in Jeremiah 6:16. “Stand at the cross-roads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will fi nd rest for your souls.” So this is the action we take. We read the Bible for guidance, we see how the saints of old sought the Lord’s will, and we go to Him in humble prayer.

I’ve found that the Lord’s answer often comes much later than I would like. But delayed answers are an opportunity to grow in faith, endurance, and peace. So we will all have to wait and see if the Lord opens either or both doors. Until then, we press on with the work that He has put before us. And it is our privilege to be on this journey with you.

Blessings,

Joseph Williams, CEO

Jerry Weant, volunteer and mission team member

I’ve been involved with

Feed the Hunger for about eight years. My fi rst packing event was in Flower Mound, Texas. As we packed those boxes, I heard that Feed the Hunger was going to be taking them to Haiti—and I was very skeptical. I’m one of those people who fi nds it really hard to believe in what other people are pas-sionate about. I wanted to see where this food was going, to assure myself that what we were participating in truly was an event that was affecting people and changing lives. Where was the food really going, and what was it really going to do?

The following year I went down to Haiti. On that trip I met a young child named Mislune - above. She was about six years old at that time, an orphan and very small. You could see in her face that her diet contained little nutrition. I played with her, got to know her, and com-municated the best I could because the language was a defi nite barrier.

I’ve been blessed to be able to go back to Haiti fi ve times in the last seven years, and I’ve watched Mislune grow from this young child with physical and spiritual needs into this wonderful young teenag-er. I’ve watched her blossom be-cause of the food that she’s eating every day and her participation in school.

I’ve also watched her worship God. It’s just been incredible to see her passion for the Lord, and she’s become a leader among the children in the area. It’s just been a true blessing in my life to watch her grow up.

From Skeptic to Sold Out

Building a Better Packathon

About More Than PossessionsA Word from the CEO

Article on back third panel

Roundtable discussion at our Packathon retreat

Article on back third panel

Melinda Staples, Director of Field Ministries

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of leading a team of six young ladies to Kenya, where we spent time with children who live, learn, and play in one of the poorest slums in the world. I’d like to share just a little of that powerful experience through the words of one of the travelers.

We spent our time teaching the Gospel, serving food, and soaking up every moment of being with the children through song, dance, and

games. As soon as I stepped foot in the classrooms and saw all their beaming faces, I immediately felt welcomed and my nerves put to rest. I was instantly amazed by how little these children needed to be happy and have fun. We brought a dozen 99-cent balls for the kids to play with during recess in their alleyway. The way they were running around, sharing, laughing, and playing with them you would have thought we had given them gold. . . . I pray that I will never forget how it felt to hug those children and hold their hands, or the feeling

Matthew Byrd, Ministry Advancement

Every Packathon we help our partners host is a special mission outreach—both for the partici-pants and for those who receive the food. We want to follow God’s lead in doing these events, so ev-

ery couple of years we’ve decid-ed to gather our key Packathon partners and FtH staff and Board for a time of fellowship, learning, and discussion about how to make the Packathon most effec-tive.

Our second Packathon En-richment Retreat was held last

month in Myrtle Beach, SC, with over 50 participants from North Carolina and Texas. Though we had formal presentations on the nuts and bolts of hosting, pro-moting, and funding a successful Packathon, the greatest learning opportunities happened at the roundtable discussions and the

meals we enjoyed together. We got fi rsthand insight into the suc-cesses (and challenges) of Pack-athon planning from the ones who know it best.

Nearly every session began with singing praises to the Lord through powerful, older hymns and newer worship songs ex-

Ole Miss students playing with kids in Kenya

Packathon Director Scott

Hahn speaks on the importance of Packathons