Bread for the poor

Our World Orphans team returned from South Africa yesterday having witnessed two very innovative churches trying to bring healing to the hundreds of orphans in distress in their communities. It was an absolutely tremendous experience.

This trip was amazing on so many levels, and particularly in the area of self-sustainability. Whenever the subject of orphan care is broached, following closely behind is the topic of financial self-sustainability. It was the first time I saw self-sustainability done well in the indigenous church and represents a shining star in the World Orphans list of international churches waiting for western church partners.

Siva Moodley, the pastor of Christian Life Centre in Durban built a bakery that produces and sells 800 loaves of bread a day to the local poor for 5 Rand (about 70 US cents). The bread cartels sell their bread for 8-12 Rand. The pastor is in the business to help feed the poor, not to make a huge profit and only makes 50 cents per loaf of profit. He is undercutting the bread cartel's prices and stealing market share from the cartels. To get back at him, the bread cartels recently tried to bury his business by giving their bread away to the poor for free in hopes of driving him out of business. Brilliant! The poor get fed, he is still in business and the kingdom advances!!! As a pastor, he was never in it for the profit, but so that the poor would be fed. The cartels ended up fulfilling his goal for him!

It's an example of the Kingdom working well.

This is a church with 7 homes for orphans on his property, over 300 people attending his church and is making a huge difference in his community. They need more western partners. Let me know if you or your church is interested in helping! Jeremiah 5:26-31, Tim