Sowing Seeds

Mark 4:26-29
"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."

In a remote city where residents harbor hostility toward the Christian faith, Access Partners has helped a team of female Christian workers scatter seeds of the Gospel among local women. By selling unique products through a small handicraft business, this team has formed relationships with women who beforehand had never heard the truth of Christ.

AP has coached the team through their first year of operations, refining products, establishing wholesale relationships and mobilizing church-wide support for the project. The most difficult work to be done, however, could be achieved only by the team itself: forming relationships. In a town where women are hidden from the public eye and where the attitude toward Christians is unwelcoming, this team certainly has had their work cut out for them.

Read a recent update from one of the team members, Angela*.  She delivers encouraging news about the team's business and how it has allowed them to create relationships with local women and share the Gospel of Christ:

We are so very grateful to all those who help support your (Access Partners') efforts. Because of how you partner with us, we have been able to expand D-Company* and make it truly a great opportunity from which D-City* women can play a culturally appropriate, yet active, role in providing for their families. When our project really got off the ground, the women on our team had a total of three relationships with women  (By "relationship" I mean that we were able to show up at their house and have meaningful conversations with them). Four months later our ladies had relationships with 156 women. We didn't know where to begin. The task was so great.  So we prayed.  And God answered. We didn't know how we were ever going to penetrate the concrete walls within where D-City women lived, but God did. He did it. He wanted D-City women to hear His name; the name of Jesus.  And they have. We have had opportunity after opportunity to share stories of God's love and speak about Jesus Christ. As yet, no women have come to follow Jesus Christ, but they have heard.  

God's Word tells us that our responsibility is to scatter the seed. God causes the growth. We have scattered the seed.  Now we must wait and watch Him cause the growth. The great thing is that we know He will. For the first time, D-City women have heard the name of Jesus. That is an amazing thing.

Please join us in praising God for using this team and their business to scatter Gospel seeds among the women of their town. Pray that He would bring forth good fruit in those who have listened.   

 * For security purposes, we have created pseudonyms for this team's business, location and team member.