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Kendra in Dumps of Nicaragua

Kendra in Dumps of Nicaragua

One morning Jesse Correll and Andy Rotunno stood in the Gleanings warehouse discussing new products arrivals and upcoming shipments to Gleanings Christian ministry partners. A voice message came in from Kendra Doutt of Feed the Hungry, Nicaragua:

I have to tell you this story. Many years ago, I found a little boy in the dump underneath a box. He had fallen from a truck and lay dying there in the dump. The boy’s name was Tony; he was only three years old. We picked him up and took him to the hospital where his health stabilized. We went back to the dump to look for his mother, but all we found was his older sister Stephanie who was there taking care of six other siblings. We learned that Tony’s mother worked as a prostitute and the children were left to live in the dump. We pursued guardianship of Tony, but the state said we were not able to adopt him because he had a mother, and she wouldn’t allow it. Every time we’d return to the dump for food distributions, we’d play with Tony. One day Tony was gone. His grandmother had sold him to a pig farm. The owner agreed to pay Tony’s grandparents eight dollars per month for his work–he was only 8 years old at this time. He was taken to live at the farm where he slept with the pigs and never received any payment for himself other than a plate of food each day. Back at the dump, we’d ask about him, but no one knew where he was, and his family would not tell us anything.

Then, in May 2023, I saw a young man at the dump collecting trash. I called his name, “Tony?” It was him! He escaped and had come back to his old home in the garbage dump. He told me his whole story. I quickly asked him, “Where’s your mother?” He said, “I haven’t seen her in years. She’s gone to the international border as a prostitute.” I asked where his grandparents were. He showed us where they lived there in the dump.

I immediately asked Tony’s grandfather, “Would you give me your permission for Tony to come live with us at the mission and join our Rise Up program where he can work with other youth, be trained and discipled in his walk with Jesus?” He said yes! Tony has been with us since June 2023!

Last week Tony went with me to the dump. Together we distributed food packs to 50 families. In those bags of food were Gleanings oats and soup mix. So proudly and dignified, he cleaned up, dressed up, and he pulled back his long hair, and we went out to the garbage dump, where he helped them pick trash. And when we got done, he passed out those bags of Gleanings food with such compassion. In the picture I sent, you can see that he has plastic bottles in his hands because he was helping the people of the dump pick trash. Tony is now going into the dump communities with us to do ministry.

Pray for Tony and his new life learning to walk with Jesus and to serve his own people with compassion. By God’s grace, Tony has truly risen up like a beloved son, out from the filth of pigs, out of the mounds of trash, to a place where he is now experiencing the love of Christ every day. Pray for Kendra Doutt and her missionary team who serve Gleanings food and the Bread of Life, Jesus, to thousands of children each week in Nicaragua.

Blessings

Blessings

The blessings of the Lord have no limits.  Think of that, unlimited blessings in quantity and without regard to who we are – it rains on the just and the unjust alike.  We count it a blessing to be able to give semi-truck loads and sea-container loads of food to partner ministries.  We love to pray blessings on the food, on the partner ministries and even on the drivers who transport the food.  We pray the food would be a blessing to many who are food insecure and hungry.  Most of all we pray that the food would be a tool to create an opportunity for the biggest blessing of all.  The miracle of lives changed forever.  What miracle are you looking for in your journey?

Privilege

Privilege

Sending food to partner ministries is a big part of what we do, and is a fairly common occurrence.  However, it is far from commonplace.  The ministry of Gleanings for the Hungry  of being a conduit of God’s Blessing is truly a joy.  Take a moment to enjoy these special moments we shared this week, in sending out two separate loads.  The first load was a semi truck going to the Sacramento, CA area to be distributed either in Ukraine or in Mexico by Second Harvest Ministries.  The second load is a sea container going by sea from Long Beach CA to South Africa to be distributed by Container Ministries.

Mission without Borders

Mission without Borders

2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

We are so excited to be able to bless ministries in foreign nations from the abundance the Lord has blessed us with.  Mission Without Borders is serving people in Eastern Europe and loves to share food from Gleanings with the Good News of Jesus Christ!