by Mohammadjon Mamatkulov | Nov 6, 2023 | Gleanings Stories
Ron Wagner (former Gleanings staff member, 1997-2007) invited Fritz Meier and Andy Rotunno to fly up to Saskatchewan, Canada and visit the farmers who donate peas and lentils to the Gleanings soup mix production. Each of us went separately for ten days, Fritz in June and Andy in July. What a privilege to meet so many of our donating farmers face to face. As we drove around the beautiful golden province, we realized that we are not merely individuals working for charitable business connections, but we are communities collaborating together to save lives in the name of Jesus. What an encouragement it was to see how expansive the Body of Christ is, and how the Lord has brought us together from across the nations to bring the hope of Christ to so many.
First we visited Hutterite colony farms. These unique communities are so family-oriented, hard-working, hospitable, and generous. Their leaders agree to give truckloads of product to Gleanings each year. When we were there, they invited us into their homes for coffee or a farm fresh meal. They gave us extensive tours of kitchens, vast gardens, shops, and new construction sites. Once we were invited to stay overnight in the colony and spend the evening singing praise and worship together with families. It was such a blessed time, and we were so excited to invite them to come visit Gleanings one day.
We also visited one of our main grain processing partners, Simpson Seeds. We met with their administrative team and shared stories about the impact of the lentils. Jordan, the general manager, said that Gleanings is a perfect fit because we are aligned with the company’s core values. Mr. Simpson shared that Gleanings is a missional extension of Simpson Seeds’ vision, which is to “nourish the world.” It was easy to see that Simpson Seeds is not just a business, but a community. They have processed millions of pounds of lentils on Gleanings’ behalf.
Finally, we visited a small church in a tiny town, invited by good friends (and donating farmers) Kent and Darla Pierce. During the service, Andy shared about children whose lives were saved because of the Gleanings food—peas and lentils grown in their fields. They asked us to stay for an additional question-and-answer time. Farmers in the church promised to give truckload volumes to Gleanings no matter what the coming harvest looks like.
From the rural fields of Saskatchewan to the small town of Dinuba and the many remote nations of the world where Gleanings food is served on a daily basis, communities that love Jesus are committed to feed the needy of the world physically and spiritually. We are one in Christ.
by Mohammadjon Mamatkulov | Oct 10, 2023 | Gleanings Stories
“We have a dream to make our own soup mix right here in Colombia!” It was October 2019 in a small
upstairs office in Bogota, Colombia. Fritz Meier and Andy Rotunno sat listening to Julian Camargo
share a vision for the future. “Yes, we want to import containers of Gleanings soup mix to
minister to Venezuelan migrant families, as well as the needy people of Colombia,” Julian continued.
“We also believe that we, the Colombian church, can work together to rescue wasted food in
Colombia and make a healthy soup mix here, to help us share the love of Christ.” Read more
by Mohammadjon Mamatkulov | Sep 19, 2023 | Gleanings Stories
The wait is almost over as our Called + Equipped DTS (Discipleship Training School) students are already arriving! Get ready for an incredible season of growth, transformation, and God’s mighty movement! We’re filled with anticipation as we eagerly await the arrival of these passionate individuals who are ready to embark on a life-changing journey. Together, we’ll dive deeper into faith, learn about our God given purpose, and witness the power of God’s love in action. Stay tuned as we share stories of testimonies, adventures, and the incredible ways God moves through our DTS students!
by Souper | Jul 7, 2023 | Gleanings Stories
I had the privilege to travel to Nicaragua last month. Since the COVID pandemic began I have not
visited any Gleaning’s partners, so I was excited to once again be with the people who use our food.
Nicaragua is a beautiful country with many poverty issues. The two organizations we visited provide
food for over 150,000 children in their feeding programs. We saw our peaches and soup mix at every
place we visited. I felt the Lord speak to me about going as a servant. If every glass of water given to
a poor person is given as unto Jesus, then I work for these people because I live to serve Jesus. Instead
of coming as the person who donates food, I related to people as someone who loves them and is
committed to making their lives better in any way I can. It was a precious time. The Lord connected me
to some beautiful people in a deep way. – Fritz Meier
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by Mohammadjon Mamatkulov | Jun 22, 2023 | Gleanings Stories
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Ps. 127:1
Now we are transitioning from making soup to processing peaches and nectarines. Every year there is excitement on base as we prepare for our summer staff and summer teams to arrive and serve. As we visit fruit growers and equipment companies, we connect with various people in the farming industry. Everyone faces challenges. We have the opportunity to listen and pray with many of our friends who run businesses here. Gratefully, we are receiving much favor and we appreciate everyone who helps us to succeed in producing the dried fruit. At the same time, we pray for all our donors. May the Lord lead and guide them to successfully run their businesses, to employ their workers, and to be a blessing in our community.
Let’s labor to the glory of God this summer and let’s build His house!
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by Mohammadjon Mamatkulov | Sep 28, 2022 | Gleanings Stories
Champions of service, Bethany Middle School returns for the 3rd time this year, making Gleanings part of their bonding during the 2nd week of the new school year. This was the first visit for about half the students. We sure love having this team here! They produced 21 pallets of Soup Mix, which equals 311,752 servings; 2 pallets of black beans were also packaged.
With a team this large the kids could be found working projects all over the base including landscaping, and repairing peach trays, and most likely other projects as well! God bless you for blessing the hungry with your service!
