Update

Several months ago during one of our Sunday morning church devotions, my husband chose to read from Matthew chapter five, but verses 14-16 really spoke to me, which says:

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

I really spent a lot of time meditating on these scriptures, but even more specifically on verse 16. A scripture that I have read over and over again, had new meaning. My light should shine before others through my deeds, which should point them to the Father. I felt like my whole world was rocked with verse 16.

I believe that most fellow believers could list several good deeds that they have done in the last week, but what really captivated me, and what I felt God ask me is, “What good deeds am I doing to point others to Jesus?” It’s a question I spent a lot of time reflecting on. I talked to close friends and even my pastor about what this meant to them. I believe it is something God is still unpacking for me. In my spare time, I have been researching scripture on being light and scripture on good deeds; there is so much to learn. For now I feel God wants me to tell you something he showed me over Thanksgiving week. 

Since my kids were out of school and we had family in town, my husband took a day off work to chauffer us around on the water. We went to one of my favorite places here in FL, Egmont Key. One of our favorite things to do when we get to an island is to take a walk and look for shells and sharks teeth and Egmont is known for both; so that’s exactly what we did. We walked all the way down to the end, and as we got closer to the bird sanctuary I noticed there were several palm trees that had been knocked down over the years and all that remained were the shell of their trunks. I thought these might make for a neat little tide pool, so I went to investigate. It was kind of dark in the hole and not thinking I whipped out my phone and tried to use it as a flashlight. Of course, it was the middle of the day and there was plenty of sunlight so my flashlight did absolutely nothing; I had to laugh at myself for thinking otherwise. In that moment I felt God tell me there is a lesson to be learned here, especially since he has been revealing things to me about being the light. The next few days I spent some time thinking about this silly experience and asking God what he wanted me to learn and this is what I got. Are you trying to shine your light brighter than God’s light? WOW! Ok God. I got the message loud and clear. I am admittedly a doer. I like to come up with a plan and execute it. There are many times I sign up for something that I clearly should not have, but because there was a need and it was for a good cause, I signed up for it. I can find myself so busy doing good deeds and living out my faith that I do not wait on God’s assignments for me, I see an opportunity to be Jesus and I take it. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place that just being Jesus is what we are supposed to do, but I’m talking about signing up for a big project without even consulting God, because it is a good thing to do. Our culture shouts, “Just be a good person and do the right thing.” So for me, I have to resist the temptation to say yes. I have to resist the temptation to let myself get in the way of God and what he wants to do in me and through me. 

Let’s face it, we all want to be used by God, and he wants to use us. He wants to do something great through me and through you, but it is not going to look like your neighbor’s assignment. He has something just for you. Jeramiah tells us that God has plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. For me, I have the most joy and peace in my life when I know I am working on his assignment for my life. Have you taken time recently to ask God what your daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or long-term assignments are? He is the one with all the answers. He wants us to seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness. I want to pray for all of us today. 

Lord, you and you alone are good. We are nothing without you. May we live in a place of surrender and a place of peace knowing that we live for you. Use us God to do your will today and every day moving forward. Teach us God to rest in your goodness. Teach us to not strive and keep us from trying to outshine you, because your light is so bright and you are so perfect. Stir within us a desire to spend so much time in your presence that our faces shine just as Moses did. Lord may it not be about us and what we do but about you. May you use us to point others to you. Thank you Lord for loving us so much that you sacrificed your only son. May we show the same extravagant love to those around us. It is in Jesus name I pray Amen. 

 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. I Peter 2:12

Will you prayerfully consider helping us shine God’s light to the women and children all around the world?  ...... Sierra

As we prepare to go back to Haiti, the team was asked what we wanted to leave in Haiti, to which I immediately said, “Seeds! Both physical and spiritual seeds.” I want to leave the physical seeds that will bear fruit for the families of Haiti and I want every child I come across to know the love of God; to know that they are seen, they are loved, they are special, and that God has a plan for their life. Isn’t that what we all need? To know that someone sees us and someone loves us, to feel like we have a purpose in life? 

As a mother of two there are countless days that life feels mundane, that if left with my own my thoughts, I can question the purpose of my day to day activities. Though 99% of the time I choose to dwell on better things, let’s be real, we have all been there. What’s the meaning of life? What is my purpose? Why am I doing the same things day in and day out? 

This week God used my son to remind me that I am seen not only by God but by my family and by others. As I drove my son home from basketball practice, I asked him what his high’s and low’s of the day were and after he finished telling me, he asked me how my day was. This is how our conversation typically starts out on the way home from school. I told him how I worked on some things for our pastor and was able to get a lot accomplished. To which my son replies, “It is really cool that you get to help build a church Mom.” We talked about the beautiful gift it is that God is allowing us as a family to serve His Kingdom in this way. I was in awe that my son actually thought I was cool. I mean you hear all of these stories of when your teen’s stop thinking you are cool so that in and of itself is a miracle; so let’s stop to celebrate that! Can I get an Amen?! But it was beautiful that my child knew that God was using our family in mighty ways. I am planting seeds right here in my home, it was a reminder that my kids are watching; they see everything; the good, the bad and the ugly. God reminded me that every action we take has potential to make an impact on someone else’s life. Through every single person or thing God puts in my life, I have the opportunity to plant seeds. Sometimes through words, sometimes through actions, sometimes by just being available to whatever the Spirit is calling me to. 

When I think about Chalinda, the child that I blogged about last month that made such an impression on me, I remember praying fervently over her every time she was in my arms. That she would know who’s she is and that she would grow up and be a strong and mighty woman of God. That she would not see her situation as a hinderance but as a blessing. That she would allow God to use her for His purpose, and that even though she might always be smaller than those around her, that she would do BIG things. These prayers that I prayed both in Haiti and still to this day, are seeds. What a beautiful gift it is to pray over our children, even when they don’t know it and to pray for other children or even family and friends when they don’t know it. I know that one day I will see the fruit of these prayers over Chalinda and over my own kids.

I encourage you to take some time to think about the seeds you are sewing, be encouraged by it and continue to be intentional. It doesn’t have to be big, it can be small. Celebrate those seeds and ask God to water and nourish them, and that there would be a great harvest. 

Still other seed fell on the good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Matthew 13:8

Sierra Phoenix

When I am on a mission whether domestic or  international and I find myself complaining, I am almost always reminded of these words “I came to serve and not be served.”  The King of Kings and Lord of Lords; the person with the most authority both here on Earth and in Heaven came to serve. He came to serve not only the people during his time on Earth, but every generation thereafter. He came to live out the Father’s mission. He even said he did not consider himself to be equal with the Father. These profound statements have shaped me in so many ways, especially in the last few years. When I think of people with authority in my life, I don’t look to them to serve me, but I think of how I can serve them. 

My love for serving people and serving the kingdom stems from having this modeled to me from a very early age. I learned the beauty of serving others rather than being served. I cannot imagine a life without serving others, it’s a part of who I am and I pray that it is a part of who my family is and will be for generations to come. 

Even though serving God and serving His people is a part of who I am, I cannot tell you how many times in my adult life I have signed up to serve someone or something and I find myself complaining. Even typing this out makes me laugh at how fickle I can be as a human. Something that I volunteered to do because I felt the prompting to do so, then leads to me complaining because it wasn’t what I expected or it wasn’t what I wanted, or I really would rather spend my time doing something else. It is in those moments I hear His words “I came to serve and not be served.” I am reminded to work as if I’m working for the Lord and not for man and to do all things without complaining and disputing. Isn’t that hard?! ALL things without complaining or arguing! Who can do all things without complaining?! If you look up the definition of complaining Google will tell you that it is the expression of dissatisfaction or annoyance about something. So, one might argue that we are born with instincts to complain. If a baby is hungry, or tired, or needs a diaper change, they cry about it. It then carries on as we age and we just find more things to complain about. How about arguing – all things without arguing? Our culture is constantly shouting at us to speak up and use our voice to draw attention to problems, which only leads to complaining about how things are not what they should be and arguing with one another about what we think or how we feel. But what if we didn’t and instead we really did everything without complaining and arguing? What if we just gave it to Jesus and truly accepted that He is sovereign over every single detail and that our voices are not always meant to be heard? What if we really were slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to get angry? Can you even imagine a world like this? Or let’s bring it closer to home, what if your family or we the church truly brought peace and love to every situation? It’s incredible to even think about and imagine!     

When I think about Jesus’ small but impactful statement “I came to serve and not be served” I am reminded of just how sinful I am by nature. How as a daughter of God I am called to put aside my feelings and my emotions to serve the people I call family and friends, and the people I don’t even know; I am reminded of how I am called to value their life, their time, their priorities above my own. I am called to be less than. I am called to love in a way that only the Spirit can do through me.  

In Haiti during a Sunday morning church service they wash each other’s feet. One by one the congregation comes up, removes their shoes and dips their feet into a basin of water while the person behind comes to wash and then dry their feet until every person in the room has had their feet washed.  It is a beautiful image of Christ washing his disciple’s feet and a beautiful reminder of what it looks like to be Christ here in the flesh. 

When I give of my time, my talents, and my finances, God really starts to show me who He is. He reveals a little more of His character to me and allows me to reveal His light and His glory to those around me. So my prayer today is that the Lord would use me, that he would use Fish Co. to shine His light on the widows and orphans and that he would use the people of this world to come alongside Fish Co. and partner with us to fulfill His plans for His people! Amen

Sierra Phoenix

From the very first time I met my friend Hannah McFadden, she shared her heart for missions. She had just turned 30 and knew that she wanted to be on the mission field full time. When I look at my life now, as a 34 year old, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Oh how beautiful the idea of knowing what you want to do with your life; this is something I have never been confident of. 

As I continue to grow, I do know that I want to continue cultivating my relationship with the Lord and I want that to always be my priority. Psalms 37:4 says: 

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

By passionately pursuing God, His desires become our desires and He will provide what we need to accomplish His good works here on Earth. It is so easy to get caught up in our plans. I for one, love a good plan. I love knowing all the details. I love planning out the plan and then executing it to my expectations, but I think it is one of the reasons the Lord doesn’t just lay everything out in front of me. He knows I will take it and run with it and make it my own instead of waiting on Him – His timing and His direction. I want to know everything. I want to feel in control so that my expectations are met and I’m not left with disappointment. The only problem with this is, I only have self-control, I cannot control anything or anyone other than myself. My patience in waiting on God is crucial to me being obedient to what His plans are for my life. 

I love that Hannah is living this out right now! She is stepping away from her current job to pursue the desires that God has given her and to walk in obedience. She is going to become a full-time employee of Fish Co.! There has been one big thing stopping her in the past and that is her paycheck. We all know that we need a steady stream of money coming in to pay the bills each month. We at Fish Co. are praying and believing that one of our awesome friends/partners would be willing to pay her salary. We are praying and believing that God has already prepared a way for her. She is boldly stepping out in faith and obedience into the unknown; knowing that God is her provider. I couldn’t be more proud or more blessed to walk alongside her in this journey and to call her friend. 

Cindy and Hannah work so hard at their day jobs working 40 plus hours and spend most evenings focusing on Fish Co. They both know that God wants Fish Co. to have their full undivided attention; however, they do not want to take away funds from the donations that are received. They do know that they want to continue to be able to say that 100% of the proceeds go into the organization. Would you join us in praying that God brings the right person, people, business, or church to support both Hannah and Cindy full-time? Imagine how much more they will accomplish when they are able to fully focus their time energy and talents on Fish Co.? Thank you for your loving support through prayer!

Lord, we are committing to walking out your plans for Fish Co. Guide us and direct us. Use us Lord as your vessels! As Cindy so beautifully said, here we are Lord, use us and send us wherever you see fit. May we live lives fully surrender to your ways. Amen

I met my husband on my first day of college in 1984.  Our eyes met as we stared at each others reflections in the two way mirror on the wall in Psychology 101 and  it was love at first sight.  I knew he was perfect for me after our first date, but when I went home to meet his family, that sealed the deal.  That's when I really fell in love.  His mom and dad became my other mother and father instantly.  The first time we met they welcomed me into their family and home with such genuine love and affection and I was hooked.  I knew that I wanted not just Dave, but his family in my life.

Dave is a Florida boy and his family lives in Fort Myers.  We lived in Tampa at the time and I so looked forward to those trips home to visit his mom and dad.  I loved every part of every moment I got to spend with them, the warm welcome hugs, the peaceful calm of their home, the way they lovingly joked with their kids, the constant questions about where I was from, what was my family like, what did I want to study.  Where did I want to live? How did I feel about politics, religion, and Jesus?  I loved the attention and love they so freely gave me, I still do.  

Marge and Jim  represent so many things to me, they truly do fill the role of mom and dad, mentors and friends.  Don't get me wrong I love my parents so much, my mom and dad, they were amazing, but every kid could use a second set, am I right?  At the time Marge and Jim provided the stability of loving parents in the rocky world of an uncertain 18 year old, while also providing sage wisdom and advice.  They were, and still are people I can run too, a warm embrace, friends I can bounce ideas and dreams off of.  I am truly blessed to have them in my life.  They were and are a reflection of Jesus to me.

Last February when we were planning our trip to Haiti my other mother, Marge, called me to tell me about a dream that she had.  God had spoken to her in the middle of the night and told her that she was supposed to plant gardens and provide food for starving people.  My mother-in-law is in her 80s and not in particularly good health and she wasn't taking any mission trips anytime soon, so she pretty much knew that God was asking her to give financially towards these gardens, not physically.  When she called my husband to tell him of her dreams, she had no way of knowing that just a few days prior we had changed our plans for our trip and we had decided to plant gardens in Haiti due to an extreme shortage of food.  God is so good.  A need arose and He was already providing the answer.  As soon as she heard about our plan to plant gardens she knew that she was supposed to provide the funds.  Within 2 days my other mom and dad wired the funds to cover both of our new gardens. 

And what a blessing those gardens are.  Those gardens are a constant reminder to me that God blesses obedience.  My mother-in-law is just that kind of person, God speaks and she obeys, and her obedience blesses others.  I grew up on a farm in Michigan and my parents were master gardeners.  We were surrounded by little farms and farmers who were very proficient at growing food, but I have never in my life seen anything like the way these gardens in Haiti are growing.  It's what I imagine the garden of Eden was like; trees so full of fruit that the branches hang low.  Okra and beans falling off the vine.  It has been just 8 months since we planted the gardens and trees in Montrouis, and even Makencia says that she has never seen such abundance.  She has piles of yucca and pumpkin to use in soups and stews, tons of moringa and okra to add to her cooking.  Today I received these pictures of the current crop of papayas and bananas.....more than 20 papayas to a tree.

Only God!  Well, God and my other Mother.  God has blessed me with knowing Marge and Jim for 36 years now, for 36 years they have filled my life with such love, such abundance, and this garden represents what they mean to me and God's love in my life.  Even having a second set of parents to call my own shows me just how much God loves me.  He loves me enough to give me another Mother.

If you don't have another Mother you should get one, I highly recommend it.  Just wait until I tell you about my "Dad 2.0, who is always Number 1 in my heart.  Love you so much, Marge and Jim!!!!!  

xo,

Cindy

Have you considered going on a mission trip but feel overwhelmed by the amount of time you have to take off work, the funds that it requires to get you there, or finding childcare? Before I went on my first mission trip, I could have given you many reasons why I couldn’t go. All the above plus some would have made my list. However, after going on a trip I can give you all the reasons to go! To tell you that it will be life-changing for you, is an understatement. God wants to use you! He wants to take you to Haiti, and He has something special in store for you!

As a follower of Jesus, I would say that I do my best to put Christ at the center of my life. However, there is NOTHING like a mission trip to put that in perspective. Almost everything we do is centered around being Jesus; it starts early in the AM and goes on into the late hours of the evening. It is hard, and exhausting but God fills you up with this supernatural energy. I remember at one point feeling like I am not cut out for this. Between being physically and emotionally exhausted I thought, how am I supposed to keep going? I remember telling my husband I don’t know what I was thinking. I am not built for this! But God knew and he became my strength in my weakness. James 1:27 tells us to take care of the widows and orphans, and that’s exactly what you’ll be doing by joining us! 

On our first night in Haiti, we were asked the question, why do you think God brought you on this trip? I can tell you, I knew some of the reasons when I showed up, but even after coming home I continued to learn more about why God had me go to Haiti. He continues to show me the impact that we as a team and the personal impacts I made on some of my teammates who I now consider friends.

On this mission trip you will make friends that will last a lifetime. Friends that become more like family. Serving with a group of people on the mission field accelerates relationships. We break bread together, we worship together, we serve together, we pray together, we are all in together. To me, serving on a mission trip is a beautiful representation of the body of Christ and how the early church in the book of Acts is described. It says they broke bread together daily; it says that they devoted themselves to the teachings, and it says that many were added to their number. We are the church! Each one of us has special gifts and talents that God wants to use to edify His people, not only here in America but in the lives of the Hattians and people of the countries that you visit. 

I feel like there is someone who just needs a bit of encouragement. Someone who has some reservations or fears about going to a third world country during a pandemic. I get it. But to you I ask, do you believe God is sovereign? If you really believe that with all your being, then you know He is sovereign over your health and well-being. Our God is a big God, and He wants to use YOU, He wants you to surrender those fears and doubts and He wants you to make yourself available. He wants YOU to GO into all the nations. He wants YOU to be his hands and feet. If you choose not to, He will find someone else and you will miss out on the blessing He has for you. So, come join the Fish Co. family and be available for God to move in and through you! 

To wrap up why you should go on a mission trip with Fish Co.: 

1. It’s an opportunity to be undistracted and put Jesus at the center of all you do for a whole week!
2. You get to live out James 1:27 and Matthew 28:19-20
3. You get to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a country who desperately needs your gifts and talents to edify His people
4. You get to make new friends and adopt a new family
5. You get to grow outside of your comfort zone
6. You get to make an impact on the lives of those around you 
7. You’ll have once in a lifetime opportunities (only God knows these)
8. God wants to use you
9. You get to see the world through other’s eyes
10. I know you want to, so what are you waiting for? You won’t regret it!

I can’t wait to serve alongside of you! 

-Sierra

A recent study by an international non-profit found that 4%, or 20 million, of India's population of children are orphans.  Most of these have been abandoned by their family. In fact, it is estimated that only 0.3% of these kids are children whose parents are actually deceased.  Which means that this was a choice,  leaving these children for someone else to care for is a choice.

Or, is it?  What could possibly cause a parent to leave their child; to  abandon them?  What reason could justify walking away?   My kids are all grown.  They have careers, some have families, lives of their own, but they will always be my babies.  When I think back to when they were small I had such a fierce, protective love for them, I still do.  I can't imagine anyone or anything ripping them from my arms.  I would never, ever have abandoned them for any reason.  Or, would I? Could I ever have been so desperate to provide for them that I was willing to give them up?

Would I sell my last goat to put clothes on their backs?  Would I give up my home to give them an education? Would I go hungry to see them fed?  If I had to, would I give them away to save their lives?  Yes, I think I would.  Knowing what it feels like to be a mother, to love someone so desperately, you know that you would do anything to take care of your children.  Anything!

I know that it could only be pure, raw, desperation that would lead a mother to hand her child over to someone else to care for and raise.  Knowing that makes me so very, very honored to be called by God to provide homes for these orphans in India.  I feel such a deep sense of gratitude that God chose Fish Company to be a part of the solution to these homeless little ones.

We kind of fell into our first project in India, the Madicherla Church/Orphanage, located in the Andhra Pradesh region in Bapulapadu Mandal.  In 2014 ICM launched the Women's Initiative and Fish Company was asked to be a part.  We participated in a women's conference in Virginia where the proceeds were used to purchase and build a church and orphanage in a small village.

At that time the Indian government was not at all interested in Christian orphanages, as a matter of fact, it was forbidden.  The government had a long history of controlling religion and Christianity was something they wanted nothing of.  In a country where almost 80% of the population practices Hindu, and another 18% practices Islam, Buddhism, and Sikhism, the 2% of Christians are really, really a minority.  But several years ago something amazing happened, Christian groups began entering the country and evangelizing India.  First they sent missionaries to share the gospel and love of Jesus.  Soon the Christian population grew and God began raising up pastors from within the Indian culture.  Those pastors developed congregations and those congregations needed a place to worship.

Enter ICM.  International Cooperating Ministries is a ministry that strikes when the iron is hot.  A window opened in India where the government relaxed their laws related to building houses of worship and ICM dove in and built thousands of churches in a very short period of time, including a church in Madicherla with a small orphanage attached.  Soon the government not only noticed the church/orphanages that ICM had built, but acknowledged that these structures, these houses of worship and homes for children, were having a huge positive impact on the villages where they were located.  The church started taking on responsibility for things that the government had been unable to.  The number of homeless children living on the streets was reduced, which resulted in a reduction in crime.  

These churches with orphanages had such an impact on the villages and the surrounding area in which they were built that the Indian Government actually requested orphanages be added to the other existing churches. The Indian Government actually requested that Christian orphanages be built in order to care for their orphaned population.  Enter Jesus.  

We knew God was calling us to be a larger part of this story so about 4 years ago we took on 2 more orphanages, Medara Metla and Duburuvaripalli.  The orphanages in India are unique in that instead of being a separate building, or a building attached to the churches, they are a part of the church structures.  In order to better protect the orphans their home is usually located on the second story above the church and often is sandwiched between the church and the parsonage.  I love how protective these people are of the orphans God has charged them with.

Our most recent project in India was just fully funded in April of 2020 when Bay Hope Church partnered with us to build a church and orphanage in Chalmeda, which is located near the city of Siddipet in the State of Telangana.  The Chalmeda church was founded in 2007.  Like many areas of India this village struggles with issues related to poverty, disease and high illiteracy rates.  The orphanage will be led by Pastor Abbugari Raju and run by the members of his congregation.  We are blessed to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people of Chalmeda.

4 orphanages in India. While it makes me sad to think that these 4 orphanages are just a tiny fraction of what is needed to provide homes for these children.  I am also so happy to be a part.  When I look at what God has accomplished through Fish Company in such a short amount of time I am amazed and awed.  That He would use us to help His beloved, His church, His orphans. I can just picture Him looking across the land and asking "Whom shall I send?"  and then I picture myself like a little kid in class with my hand raised high in the air, jumping with excitement saying "Here I am, Lord, send me!  Pick Me!  Pick Me! Let me be a part of your solution."  

I am humbled that God is using our little ministry to change this world, and I am humbled that we are being entrusted with the care of these children.  Won't you please consider partnering with Fish Company to help?  I promise, you will be blessed.  

When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, He responded (Matthew 22:37-38)

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Paul also confirms the importance of love in Galatians 5:14 where he states that the entire law is fulfilled by keeping the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

That’s it! That’s all God wants from us! To love Him and love others, then all the other commandments will naturally follow. When I first came to this realization, I began to wonder how the bible defined “love”. There are so many scriptures that I can reference, but my life scripture is I Corinthians 13:4-8 because it gives such a beautiful description of love in the form of an action.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but it rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always, trusts, always, hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.

For me, it is so easy to get caught up in myself and in all the things I have going on, or the things that I am feeling, or the things that I want – lots of me and not a lot of anyone or anything else. So when I read the scriptures from Matthew and Galatians, I am motivated to love better, and I Corinthians 13:4-8 keeps me grounded in what that should look like. The Word says we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), and that everyone will know that we are His disciples by how we love one another (John 13:34-35 paraphrased). I want to love you and love others well. When I am faced with conflict, or a parenting decision, or just a hard decision, I do my best to reflect on my life scripture. 

Based on James 1:27, Fish Co. has chosen to be intentional about loving on women and orphans. They love with their actions. Through your donations of time, money, and talents (including all of our wonderful prayer warriors), God continues to amaze us with how He provides at just right the time! 

One of the orphanages that Fish Co. supports in Haiti is in desperate need of a new building. This will provide a space to house both the orphans and Makencia’s family under one roof. It will also allow her to have quicker access to the orphans and a safer environment, compared to the current situation where they are housed in multiple structures. 

Would you prayerfully consider how you can join Fish Co. to accomplish what God has called us to?

It's amazing the difference a month can make.  About two months ago we received this picture of two of our boys standing next to papayas growing on the trees in the field at Makencia's orphanage.  It's hard to believe that these are papaya trees that we planted in February isn't it?  I have to admit, when we started planning our gardens in Haiti I was skeptical about the soil.  You see, I grew up on a farm, I know how important good soil is.  The ground in Haiti is rough, unforgiving; it feels rocky and dry to the touch.  I wondered how little seeds would be able to push their way up through that harsh soil.  I had my doubts, but God clearly told us to plant fruit trees and gardens, so we planted fruit trees and gardens.  I am so glad we were obedient.  

Either these seeds are magical, or God is blessing them, I think both.  In either case, appearances are deceiving, I was wrong, these seeds were planted in very, very good soil.  

In Luke 8 God's word tells us that it is very important where seeds are planted.   

Luke 8:14-15 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

You can take a perfectly good seed and plant it in worthless soil and the environment it is planted in will choke the life out of that seed.  But, if you take that same seed and plant it in good soil, it can't help but persevere, prosper, and produce an abundant crop.

This picture was taken just about a month after the first picture.  As you can see, the growth in 30 days is unbelievable.  These papaya trees, much like the kids at Makencia's orphanage are prospering.

The soil in Haiti can be deceiving.  While at first glance it looks rocky and dry, but when you start digging in it with your hands you realize that it is a dark rich soil, and those rocks are filled with vitamins and nutrients, and those nutrients provide exactly the right environment for fruits and vegetables to grow.  And grow is exactly what these gardens are doing.  In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined how prosperous these gardens would be.  

Planted in the right environment children will grow and prosper too.  At first glance you might assume that because the environment looks harsh or lacking that children might not prosper at an orphanage in Haiti.  These children absolutely started life at a disadvantage; after all, they are orphaned, many of them are disabled in one way or another ,and they don't have some the same advantages financially that we have in America.  But, again, looks can be deceiving.

The children at Makencia's orphanage are growing and prospering thanks to donations from friends like you.  We are so unbelievably blessed to be able to partner with Makencia and her family.  Together we have created an environment where these children are being cared for physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Makencia's family has lovingly given their home, their hearts, their lives to care for these 30 precious children, and Fish Company has come along side her to make their world a better place, by helping with funding, and installing things like wells, water filtration systems and gardens.  Our next goal is to partner with a church from Texas to complete the two story building that will serve as the home for these sweet children.  

These children have been planted in the right environment.  They are loved, cared for and prospering and we are blessed to be a part of that.  Please consider giving to Fish Company today and helping the children at Makencia's, as well as all the children at our 14 orphanages around the world.   At Fish Company when we do our part in making the world a better place we call that "giving our fish."  Please pray about how you can "give your fish too."  

When I think about how time and time again Jesus would look on a crowd and have compassion for them, I think to myself, “that’s how it’s supposed to be.” Have compassion for those around you, and meet the need. I think about when Jesus fed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish! Jesus had just received the news that his friend had been killed and He wanted to be alone, so he withdrew to a solitary place; but the people ran to meet Him. Instead of being frustrated or overwhelmed, He met them with compassion. He healed the sick and he taught them. As evening was upon them the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the crowd away so that they could eat. To which he responded “You give them something to eat.” As you continue to read the story, (which can be found in all 4 gospels) the disciples found 5 loaves and two fish in the crowd. They brought the bread and fish to Jesus. He gave thanks and broke them and miraculously everything was multiplied to feed the people.  It is a beautiful story for so many reasons, but I love that Jesus told his disciples that they were the solution to the problem. 

We the church are the solution to the problems of today’s world, and for me, meeting the need of the people physically is the gateway to meeting the need spiritually. Jesus modeled this time and time again throughout the New Testament. He would go out of his way to meet the needs of people, the woman at the well, the woman who bled for 12 years, the centurion, and his biggest sacrifice of allowing his own death on the cross to save all those who believe. As Christians it is easy to preach, but the most impact will come from our action! For example, would you rather someone tell you they love you, or show you that they love you? Jesus modeled pure selfless action. Examples of this are shown time and time again in the bible. 

Fish Co. is all about taking action and empowering the women and children with the tools needed to succeed on their own. They never show up empty handed. 

Here’s one example of how your donations bless others. When serving on a mission trip with Fish Co. most mornings begin with breakfast, followed by a peanut butter and jelly sandwich assembly line. It is so fun to sit around a table sharing in a task that is going to be the highlight of someone’s day! The kids go wild for these sandwiches; they even have a song they sing before we distribute them. 

Something as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich allowed the kids to open up and listen to why we were there. A PB&J provided them with a special treat that filled their bellies. It allowed us to serve them and it allowed us as a mission team to bond over some seriously sticky hands. God is so good and I for one cannot wait to be back at the table with new and old friends, slicing bread, slathering on some peanut butter (or jelly), and bagging hundreds of sandwiches. 

Sierra Phoenix

If you build it they will come.....  I remember the first time I heard the concept that orphanages create orphans.  I was sitting at a missions event listening to some missionary from across the world share about a project he was working on when I heard him say something that shook my heart.  He said he believed that the construction of orphanages was not necessarily a good thing, he believed that orphanages created orphans.  He felt that orphanages provided a way out for parents who either could not, or would not, care for their own children, and that the construction of the orphanage was just an answer that created more problems.  I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach.  He didn't know what he was talking about.  I felt angry when I heard his ridiculous opinion.  I knew that he didn't understand the true concept of what it meant to be an orphan.  I felt like with this one statement he undermined my mission and made a mockery of God's word. You see God's word tells us to care for all the widows and orphans in the world.  He doesn't say care for the mothers of the orphans, or teach the father of the orphan to farm, although those are perfectly wonderful things to do.  He says "care for the widows and orphans."  He must have known that in this fallen world, this was going to be a problem.  

I went home that night thinking "Wow, Lord, if your own people don't see the need to care for orphans, who else will?"  Was I wrong in thinking these buildings were a part of the answer?  Was I wrong in believing that God was calling me to care for these orphans?  The next day, I did what I usually do when I think someone is crazy, that their beliefs are completely wrong, I searched google and the Bible for some truths.....and I got them.  God provides us more than 100 verses on caring for orphans.  As a matter of fact, it is the only thing he calls "true religion" in the Bible.  Now, why would He tell us to do something 100 times if it wasn't going to be necessary to actually do it?

To be fair, what the gentleman was saying was not that he didn't care for orphans, just that he believed that we should focus our attention on fixing the family unit so that there were no orphans in the world, rather than focus time and money on orphan care. Great idea if those family units want to be fixed, or if the children who are currently orphaned can sit around and wait until we fix the world.  Also, remember, God said care for the orphans.  

Whether it is ultimately the responsibility of parents to care for their own children or not is completely irrelevant here because often times, the parents either can not or will not care for these children.  Which means that the responsibility has to fall somewhere else, the answer has to come from somewhere....and as Christians we are that answer.  God tells us we are.

In a perfect world there would be no orphans; there would be no poverty, sex trafficking, crimes against children, or slavery.  In a perfect world, all parents would love their children, mothers would never die, and father's would never abandon their little boys and girls, and if they did, a great fairy god mother would swoop in and provide a castle for them to live in.  In a perfect world we wouldn't have to worry about building homes to protect orphans, because there wouldn't be orphans.  And, in a perfect world, Jesus would not have had to die for our sins and tell the recipients of His grace that we are now part of his solution to the world's problems.

But, this isn't a perfect world and no matter how you roll the dice, there are still more than 153 million orphans worldwide.  That number does not include the uncounted masses of children living in garbage dumps, or sold into slavery.  We are talking true, abandoned, no one cares for them, alone in this world, orphans.

I believe it is important to build up the family unit.  I believe that if we can help a single mother get a job so that she can feed her kids, we are providing a viable solution so that maybe she won't have to give up her children.  I believe that men can be taught to be fathers.  I also believe that these solutions are not necessarily going to fix the world for every abandoned child.

What about the orphans living in the trash piles in Tanzania?  What about the little girls rescued out of sex-trafficking in Thailand?  What about the children in South Africa who are alone because both parents have died from aids?  What about the babies in Haiti that are abandoned on the roadside because they are thought to be cursed because they are born with six toes?  When the Lord asks whom shall I send?  I say "send me."

You see the problem with that man's solution is that there has to be someone who cares about being a parent to that child in order for focus on the family rehabilitation to occur.  Many of these children have no one to rehabilitate.  Thank goodness that God cares for our spiritual needs and our physical needs.  

God cares so so much.  You see God knew mankind and because of our fallacies He knew He would need to create a safety net for the least of these.  That safety net is me....it's you....it's anyone who claims to be a child of the King of Kings. That safety net is the church, it's Fish Company, it's the body of Christ.  

That safety net is churches that provide food and shelter to children who previously lived on the streets; it's orphanages in India sandwiched between churches and homes; it's gardens in Haiti that provide food and nutrients; it's wells that provide fresh drinking water; it's Hope Centers and sewing schools that provide education; it's Fish Company.  Fish Company is God's answer. 

Please consider donating now and help us make the world a better place for orphans across the globe.  

Chalinda is a 3 year old Haitian who cannot walk or talk largely due to a lack of nutrition when she was younger. See how your donation can change lives. Check out the full blog