April 20th, 2010 marked the opening date of the Eagles Nest Manna Feeding Center located in Solola, Guatemala.  When the doors opened, seventeen young children and four mothers showed up for the very first meal at this project. As these 17 children walked through the door, one could only imagine what they were thinking.  As with most Manna Worldwide feeding centers, the children who attend are typically under the age of 10.  And like most centers, these kids were on their own to find the place without adult supervision.  As the Blessing was given and the food was served, the children were quiet, their countenance subdued.

April 20th, 2010, was a day these four mothers and seventeen children will not likely forget.  This day marked their first up close and personal encounter with the love of  Jesus.   This newest Manna center will closely follow Jesus’ example of meeting a physical need before fulfilling a spiritual one.  This format will likely be the key to unraveling the mystery these children have locked deep within.  For these children and their families, this center will become a place of hope.  It will be a place where Jesus is proclaimed and His love evidenced. Undoubtably, before the month is over, this center will be filled with 70 children. No longer will the atmosphere be somber, but alive with laughter.

As the children finished their 1st meal, with bellies full, their eyes began to soften.  As they filtered from the building laughter could be heard.  And for those few brief precious moments, everything was right in their world .

This center is generously  funding by East Coast Roofing & Siding (see post: Heart of a Man).

UPDATE : Day 2, The number of children climbed from 17 to 40!

What is in the heart of a man to look upon a child and have compassion for their plight?  Not to long ago, I took a group of individuals from Shore Fellowship Church on a mission trip to Guatemala.  We visited our existing Manna Worldwide feeding center located in the city of Sumango.  At this center, 90 children from the local community come to receive nutritional meals they would otherwise do without.  These children, like most, are warm and friendly.  They are eager to laugh and will engage you with their antics.  However, deep down, these childish displays are their ways of saying thank you.  These children are very aware that the food they receive, comes from the foreigners standing in their midst.  When you experience these children, and spend time with them, it is very easy to love them.

Our journey began in Sumpango, but the real story happened in another small town called Solola.  As part of our trip we traveled into the interior of Guatemala to visit an orphanage in the town of Solola.  The Eagles Nest, as the orphanage is aptly named, sits atop a mountain overlooking Lake Atitlan.  We had come to minister to the orphans.  However, while in Solola, we experienced the poverty that is always present in these towns.  Somehow the conversations turned to the possibility of opening another feeding center on the orphanage’s property.  Within a couple of hours,  initial plans were laid out to begin feeding 70 children on a permanent basis.

It is at this point in the story  I would like to introduce our hero.  His name is Larry Stiteler.  He was one of the individuals on this trip.  Larry owns East Coast Roofing & Siding, Located in Mays Landing, NJ.  As Larry experienced the warmth of the children at the feeding center in Sumpango, and saw the good that comes from feeding these children, I believe God moved upon his heart.  As the plans for opening a new feeding center in Solola were being formulated, Larry stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam.  Larry indicated his company, East Coast Roofing & Siding, would like to be the sole sponsor for this new project. Larry indicated that he wanted to help these children, by giving back a little from the blessings God had bestowed upon his business.  Thank God there are still individuals like Larry who are willing to make a difference in this world.

I am happy to announce, as of February 1st, 2010, the Manna Worldwide / Shore Fellowship feeding center in Solola is open for business.  There are 70 formerly hungry  children now receiving regular nutritious meals.  Thank you Larry Stiteler and East Coast Roofing & Siding for being their hero.

So I leave you with this.  What is in the heart of man, to be moved with compassion, in order to make a difference?

It was the last week in July when I had a conversation with Andrew Even, the missionary who oversees the Manna feeding center in Santiago, Chile.  I had called him to find out the status of the center, to see how many children we were feeding and to see how the current global recession was affecting things for them in Chile.  Andrew painted a bleak picture.  He told me the cost for food was about 30% higher than what we pay in the United States but that the average salary was 40% less than what we earn here.  He said for most people it was a struggle just to put food on the table.  And for the families whose children attend the feeding center their situation was dire, and it was the dead of winter.

At the end of our conversation, I asked if there was anything we could do for the kids.  Andrew expressed that most of them didn’t have winter coats.  But even worse, these kids didn’t have blankets at home to keep them warm.  I asked how much it would take to get the kids coats and a blankets.  The response was about $600.00.  I said I would see what I could do and hung up.

So how do you come up with $600.00 when the funding isn’t available?  I thought and thought, searching for answers.  Then I went to a friend and we kicked ideas around, but nothing seemed relevant.   Finally I prayed about it, and out of the blue the answer came.  Post you need on Facebook.  Within 10 minutes I had a post out there hoping some people would help.  Within minutes other people had read the post and in turn posted it to their sites.  By the next morning, I had commitments for $1200.00!  Praise God!

The funds were sent to Andrew.  And as you can see from the picture, the children were extremely blessed.  Here is a copy of Andrew’s email that I received.

Scott,

Just wanted to say thanks to you and everyone at SF for the huge help for winter gear for our MANNA kids.  They were so excited and thankful!  We were able to get coats, blankets, hats, gloves and scarves for all of the kids plus some sweaters.  We were also able to purchase a propane heater and hot water heater for the center with the remainder.  God helped us make the money go a long way!  I was able to be there to give out the things to about half of the kids one day.  It was like Christmas but even better!  Thanks again to you all for making it possible.  Praise God for Shore!

Andrew Even

So for everyone who contributed, blessings and a big thank you.  You did a wonderful thing.

As the days at the feeding center passed, our team enjoyed getting to know the children.  We played games, made balloon animals and spent time sharing meals with them.  However, as the children came and went, everything remained status quo for this little boy, his sadness was ever present.

Our last day at the feeding center was a day of celebration.  We had planned a party for all the children, their families and the local dignitaries.  The meal for the day was not the usual fare of rice and vegetables.  This days meal was fitting of a celebration.  There were sodas and portions of meat, breads and vegetables, and even a cake for dessert.  After the meal, we presented gifts to everyone.  Pens and watches were given to the dignitaries, while clothing, toothbrushes and candy were given to each child.  After the meal and the gift giving, the center was hopping and everyone was enjoying the moment.  For these people a day like this was an oddity.

As the party continued, I stood alone away from the main group snapping photos.  I was just enjoying the moment.  It was then I felt someone take hold of my hand.  As I looked down, I gazed into the eyes of the little boy with the wounded spirit.  Our eyes locked, never wavering.  As we stood hand in hand looking at each other, he started to smile.    At that moment I could feel the warmth of tears as they welled in my eyes and I began to weep.  No longer was there sadness in his eyes,  but a glimmer of joy.  We couldn’t communicate verbally but his eyes and smile spoke volumes.  As we stood there, hand in hand, the commotion of the party seemed to fade away and it just the two of us.  He stood there patiently, perfectly contented to hold my hand.  We stood together for ten minutes hand in hand.  For those brief precious moments his lifeless eyes were gone and everything seemed OK in his little world.

Our feeding center continues to operate on a daily basis.  The number we feed is up from 65 to around 100 children.  We feed these kids two meals a day.  Without this food, many would not survive.  The sad fact is that for every 100 we feed, there are 100 more who stand at the outside gates of the feeding center, hoping there might be a little food left over.  We would like to feed these kids also, but we are constrained by limited finances.

Local artist, William McKensie, is one of those individuals who has adopted this philosophy.  Bill, as he is known to his friends,  has watched his art move from  small local showings, to major galleries in New York and Toronto.  With a strong Christian faith, Bill openly shares his God inspired dream of using his talent to feed hungry children around the world.

As McKensie’s paintings have gained popularity among the art communities,  he contributes a major portion of each sale toward feeding children through Manna Worldwide.  Because of Bill’s heart for children, and the growing popularity of his art, there are 70 children in Honduras who are no longer hungry.  Each day these children are being fed because God gave one individual a talent, that he chose to use for His glory.  God has given Bill a big dream. His goal is to feed 250 children daily from the proceeds of his artwork.  With 70 children counted, he is well on his way to reaching that goal.

As a nation, we always rally to help when there is a natural disaster or catastrophe.  But what about the day to day heros?  We all have God given gifts and talents.  The question is, are we using those abilities to make this world a better place?

To view the art of William S. Mckensie:    http://wsmgallery.com

Finally the doors were open.  Each child was checked in and in a matter of minutes it was down to business.  No longer did you hear any bantering.  Now there was only the occassional voice breaking the silence as they quickly began to consume the meal that was set before them.  This food was a matter of need,  of sustinance, and from their expressions, you could tell the importance it was in their lives.

The whole process took less than thirty minutes.  They came, they ate.  As soon as the last morsels were consumed, the laughter started again.  Then they were gone.

This was my first trip to visit the Sumpango feeding center in Guatemala.  It was part of a survey trip for Shore Fellowship Church to assume control of the financial sponsorship for this individual feeding center.  As mentioned, these kids get fed 1 meal, 3 days a week.  We would like to see them fed a minimum of 5 days a week.  The optimal plan,  to increase the number of children, and feed them  7 days a week.  However, this goal can only be attained through increased financial support.

Watch “the children of Sumpango” video: CLICK HERE

If your heart is telling you to help, don’t wait! You can make a 100% tax deductible donation by clicking the following link:  CLICK HERE

You can be a hero today!  You can make a difference!