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Missionary Chat with Restore Hope-Niger
66 Plays2 years ago
NOTES:
Please join Pastor Victor Morrison as he visits with Emily Guidry-Lewis and Philip Schmidt about the many doors that God is opening with their ministry, Restore Hope-Niger.
Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations
Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church 1700 Milam Street Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to 'Growing in Grace'
00:00:08
Speaker
Welcome to Growing in Grace with Pastor Victor Morrison. This is a ministry of First Baptist Church located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas. We are praying that God will bless you as you listen to this message. If you would like additional information on worship times and ministries at FBC Columbus, you can find out more at our website, FBCColumbusTX.org. And now take your copy of God's timeless word as Pastor Victor gives today's message.
Psalm 67 and Blessings Discussion
00:00:43
Speaker
Welcome back to Growing Grace. I'm so glad you're listening again tonight. You know, the Lord's got some really special things for us in this broadcast. Psalm 67 says, may God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us. That
00:01:00
Speaker
Your way may be known on earth. You're saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you.
00:01:23
Speaker
The earth has yielded its increase. God our God shall bless us. God shall bless us. Let all the ends of the earth fear Him." Have you ever considered, why does God bless us? Is there a purpose that goes beyond just us?
00:01:41
Speaker
I believe passages like this tell us there is a purpose that goes beyond just ourselves. This passage says that God will bless us so that we can then be a blessing to other people.
Introduction to Restore Hope Niger
00:01:55
Speaker
There's no one that I know personally that has that vision, that passion within their hearts than my guests that are here with me this evening, Emily Lewis and Philip Smith of Restore Hope Niger.
00:02:09
Speaker
Now, for those of you in the Columbus, Texas area, these are local people, and so you may even know them. So it is my joy to welcome Emily and Phillip and to hear more today about Restore Hope, Niger. Welcome, so glad you two are with me. Thank you, Victor. Thank you for being here. Thank you for letting us be here this evening.
00:02:29
Speaker
Well, it's a real joy to have you here. And I just wanted to kind of ask you just a few questions, just so that the people of our community could hear what I've heard you say before, but others may not have had that opportunity. So let's just start at the beginning.
Inspiration Behind Restore Hope Niger
00:02:44
Speaker
When did this all start for you? How did you even find out about the needs of the West African nation of Niger?
00:02:53
Speaker
Well, actually it's God's project and it's a pure faith walk because you never know when you become friends with someone or that will lead. And when Daniel was in the States studying, getting his master's degree or pass cross became good friends.
00:03:10
Speaker
And he graduated and then decided to go home to visit. He had plenty of opportunities in the United States. It was going to come, but then he realized God called him home, and that he needed to be there for his people, and everything about him is either about God or his people. I have to help my people.
00:03:27
Speaker
And he was over there and back in June that year of 2019, they had a church fire and we prayed for him and stuff, even in Sunday school. And then it's really on my heart and it's August 4th, which I'll never forget that conversation.
00:03:46
Speaker
I reached out to him because he's on my heart to see how things are going and he called and he was just distressed because here you're in a country that is one of the poorest countries in the world and surrounded by a lot of negativity and a lot of different things Islamic and stuff going on and he's trying to preach to rural communities
00:04:08
Speaker
And he's frustrated because he's trying to give them living water without having the physical water. You know, they're not listening. And I promised him then that I committed, I'll help you try. First we start off, we're going to try to get a water well. And this is going to be easy because I see so many missionaries come through their stories. I'm like, oh, this is going to be easy, right? And that's how it started out. And before we know it,
00:04:31
Speaker
We ended up getting our state and then getting our 5013C. We ended up getting trademark and website and all these steps were over about six months, nine months timeframe. And we never set out to do that. That was like God opening doors. And sometimes you get frustrated because it's like, you felt like a door shut. It's like, no. Well, thank goodness now some of those doors did shut that we thought was shut.
00:04:58
Speaker
because we wouldn't be where we're at now, an international nonprofit missionary. All this was discussed going to a football game Friday night, talking about how we should
00:05:15
Speaker
handle this, you know, should we go under the umbrella of an organization? And we toss that back and forth, back and forth. And Emily and I decided that night that, no, we'll do this 100%. And whatever we get, we'll go towards a Niger 100% profit. No 2% taken out for this or 2% taken out for that. We wanted 1% to go to Niger.
00:05:40
Speaker
And Emily and I both work. So we figure, you know, we got income. So why do we need income from our nonprofit organization? And that's going to be going forward. That's like... Same thing, going forward. Yes. As we grow. Well, I can definitely see why you would describe it as, this is a God thing. This is something on God to open up. You never dreamed that this would be happening. There's one man, Daniel, right?
00:06:08
Speaker
from from niger and he was there studying in seminary and then from there it just has developed open up over the years and then the first time like after um we found out like okay we get our 501 3c and then it's like we're googling okay we get trademark like okay are we gonna
00:06:26
Speaker
We did the actual 501c. We studied, we did everything. Wasn't no attorney involved. We're like, okay, we're broke. How are we going to do this? Did the actual paperwork, the legwork. And Emily is the one who gets credit for that. She should have been a lawyer because she did all the research on how to get this 501c3. And I was amazed. And the thing about it is we got our reply
00:06:53
Speaker
And we said we needed to do an amendment to what we had already presented to the IRS. And I was sitting there that evening and I said, you know, Em, I said, if this is the only thing that they found out of all this paperwork that we had to do, surely we might have this thing.
00:07:16
Speaker
And so we said, well, we're going to get it sent in as quick as we can. We had a deadline, but we got it sent in sooner. And we made sure we did that. And sure enough, about a few weeks later, we heard back that we were approved. And it was amazing. Well, I've been through that 501c3 process with our church. Our church applied for the one. And I remember there are a lot of questions and there are a lot of steps and a lot of paperwork. So anyway, I think that's awesome.
00:07:42
Speaker
But one thing that stood out to me is you're not just trying to gather donations to help Niger. Have you two actually been to Niger? And then if you have, tell us a little bit about what you did when you went there and what you saw, why you were there.
Challenges Witnessed in Niger
00:08:01
Speaker
Yes, we've been there. And it was really an eye opening experience, you know, to visit a third world country. And for me,
00:08:10
Speaker
I've never been out of the country. I've been visiting places in the states and the like, but as far as going out of the country, that was my first time. Like somebody said, I really did it big when I went out. I said, I sure did.
00:08:25
Speaker
We're not talking just going to Canada or Mexico. You're all the way around. In Africa, you know, and I said, so, you know, it was good, Victor. It really was. The thing about it is you go over there and you're looking at everything and you're trying to see how you can fix it. That was my, you know, so much to digest.
00:08:49
Speaker
and to take in to see how you can help those people over there. And it's just, it's amazing, you know, and to see people that really need help. You know, in the states we have, we're blessed, truly blessed in the states. We have all the resources we need, you know, but those folks over there in Africa are, you know, need help and they need hope in Africa.
00:09:17
Speaker
That's awesome. Well, I know that that listening to this are many men and as men, we want to fix every problem. And there's some problems that are just colossal and are very difficult to fix. Men are here to fix things. Men want to fix things and you can't fix things. You have to have to go over there and do what you can the best you can and knowing that you left it better than it was before you got there.
00:09:45
Speaker
Well, I'm wondering, Emily, like you're a mother, you have children, so you have a very tender heart. I've seen that in action before. So tell us, how would you describe the needs that are in the villages of Niger?
Addressing Malnutrition and Education
00:10:01
Speaker
Did you actually hear any of the locals talk about their pain, their challenges, or their blessings? Maybe they have a lot of good things as well, but give us a feel
00:10:13
Speaker
of what you heard and what you saw there. What are the people going through? It's really harsh. The elements is harsh and malnutrition and that's where we're helping to do this, I guess, farming and everything and planting and help with the nourishment and also we're trying to do a training.
00:10:34
Speaker
education and stuff to give them education because they're wanting to learn and there's no schools in most of these rural areas. You can't even really it's hard to get to by vehicle to get there and so and that's just it makes you want to cry and the one good thing too and
00:10:52
Speaker
is we started two goat-solidary chains in the area at the time. They haven't had any of those. And then to see the lady smile on their face, because you don't think, oh, well, being part of a goat-solidary chain, getting them set up with that makes a world of difference. But it does. And they were telling us how, you know, that's life and death, 360 difference, just with the goats, and now we're seeing.
00:11:17
Speaker
And help me or help the listeners to understand what do you mean when you say a goat solidarity chain? What does that mean? What kind of things, what's happening there with that?
Impact of Goat Solidarity Chains
00:11:29
Speaker
What happens is like we'll take a group of women and this time we had one village was 18 a group and each group has five women in there and usually each women have about seven kids is on average there so I mean you're helping a lot in each one of those groups they get a male goat and then two female goats and of course before you know it
00:11:52
Speaker
you have a whole little herd where each of them will end up having their own herd out of the group. And then they also will give a goat to another lady. And then there's two women that go around to different villages and stuff, and they check on them spiritually, mentally, physically, the ladies. Well, a lot of these people, they've never heard the Bible. They've never heard stories about it. And so they're also telling them stories and ministering to them.
00:12:20
Speaker
That's really, that is just awesome. I'm just thanking the Lord how he opened that door going back to how it all started and how, you know, what's happening now. It's just amazing. But those needs, like you were describing earlier, they must be staggering. You know, you said there was malnutrition, the lack of education. The kids didn't have a school to go to. And they don't have running water. They don't have electricity, lack of water. Those villages, they're ambassadors, you know, for water wells.
Plans for an Education Center
00:12:50
Speaker
So that's kind of what I was wondering next was give us an idea of some of the actual projects or things that y'all do or you've seen done or maybe you're planning to do that actually make a practical difference in the lives of the people.
00:13:05
Speaker
Well, the few that we've, um, complete out was a two solidary goat change. And also this time we started with, um, basic medical, like portable nebulizers. Cause you never think about that, but we started off with some and they're all like, okay, we need some more because of the dust and some of them that have asthma and stuff. So we want to try to get with people in the medical field. Okay. How can we do that? And it takes everybody cause they need everything really. And there's no infrastructure.
00:13:33
Speaker
there at all in Dangaduchi where they're wanting to do the farm. And so that's where, there's three people, there's a living water group that's doing it and also East West Ministries and some other, they're like donors and different people are taking part of it. Our part, we're gonna do the education center is our part. And that's what we're raising funds this year. It's about 20,000, they said, just to do education building.
00:14:00
Speaker
Wow, that's not very much for an education, but $20,000. Wow, okay. Now what kind of things will they be studying there? I'm assuming education, they're gonna be training, they're gonna be helping. Right, well see they'll have a training center and then they have like the women's education. And like for the women's, and that's what we're about, like really empowering the women and stuff and helping them is the sewing, sew making. I mean, the sky's the limit, but they're also getting the gospel too. Okay.
00:14:28
Speaker
And then the men will have their regular education.
00:14:33
Speaker
It must be so fulfilling for Daniel being, you know, from there to see these kinds of ministries and opportunities now for people that didn't have that before. So it must be exciting for him to see that. It's really exciting. It's exciting to get there. And like last year, we got to see the garden, which was bare. And then go back this year. It's like, you know, when you give them a little money in water, I mean, it's like, whoa.
00:15:00
Speaker
Phil, if I saw you nodding, yes, what did you see in the garden? I saw corn, I saw onions. They had some goats there as well. It was just structured for somebody to live in, to take care of the garden. It was a whole different
00:15:20
Speaker
look on it from last year. And it just was amazing, you know, you see crops and everything being tested and tomatoes. I forgot about tomatoes. They were good. We ate some of the tomatoes and they were really good. So, you know, and it's a process of irrigation. They have to have more to irrigate. And they, the guys that Daniel has out there now,
00:15:43
Speaker
are helping him to irrigate and keep the water running and everything like that. And they dug little trenches along the rows to transfer the water down the rows to keep it watered. So yes, it was really an eye-opening experience this time to see that garden flourish.
00:16:05
Speaker
And they do everything by hand. Oh, yeah. So we see all that is by hand. They're still trying to get like tractors or different type of farm equipment and stuff. It's all done by hand. So you see acreage like that's like, Oh, okay. Yeah. Well, you know, I'm not sure that here in South Texas, we can wrap our minds around not even having water, not having the tractors and equipment to work the land. So it's just all by hand and that sort of thing.
00:16:32
Speaker
I'm wondering for those of us who are here, are there any ways that people living here in Columbus, Texas or this area, how can they partner with you?
00:16:44
Speaker
join with you and with Restore Hope, Niger, in making a difference. Like I'm sure you're already seeing such a difference made, but let's say someone listening right now would say, that sounds like something I would like to use some of the blessings God's given me to help with them, or to maybe, is it possible for them to go?
00:17:06
Speaker
Oh, yes. Um, one thing, prayer, we always need prayer. That's number one thing. Yes. Um, and it depends on like how God puts it on your heart. Some people may be in a financial position where they can give financially. Some may be like their time skills. Cause we're really praying and trying to get this like to the next level and everything. And that just takes everybody's skills sets.
00:17:34
Speaker
to make the body before we can go as now, when we go, we'll probably go, um, are planning a group in 2025 in 2025. Okay. That's the next time you're anticipating going, right? Now we, we could go before then, but as far as like anticipating a group and stuff as 2025 and anybody's welcome.
00:17:57
Speaker
Now would they help in the agricultural uh area or would they help in the education center
Flexibility in Mission Work
00:18:04
Speaker
training the ladies or both or Well, we found out like with this time when we went it's like you can um, try to plan exactly what you're gonna do there, but that may not happen never never ever anticipate just participate
00:18:23
Speaker
We had a lot of different ideas and everything, but as we were leaving the capital area and going out in the field and stuff, the pastors are like, no, we're going to go visit some churches. And that was very interesting, very good experience.
00:18:41
Speaker
Well, you know, Emily, I know that y'all have only been doing this, what, three, four years? And how far God has brought this. And I'm hearing you say, when you step on the mission field, you have to take more than ability. You have to take flexibility and be willing to say, okay,
00:18:58
Speaker
It's not my plans that I'm going to try to force on these people. I'm going to do whatever I can to help because having been on the mission field, you can't imagine how that resonates and how how wise that approach is. So I really appreciate that. And I also think you're doing it the right way by partnering with a national that's from there. And so and didn't you tell me one time that there's something special about Daniel's father?
00:19:27
Speaker
Yes, he's also a chief of the villages. He's the chief for the villages. After the first time, because we went to go see the governor in the area in which we have all the officials blessings of all the national leaders from I mean, from the government, local leaders all the way up the line and stuff. So he tells me goes, I was wondering, all these other people were coming. I was like, why? He's like, my dad's the chief. I'm like, what?
00:19:57
Speaker
That's wonderful. You know, going back to where we started, you said you felt it was just a God thing. And it's been it's been such a blessing to hear how you just unfolded that and layer after layer, you know, by telling us about the specific projects that you're doing, the plans that you have, even the possibility of people going, you know, as a team to help later.
Supporting Restore Hope Niger
00:20:21
Speaker
But let's say there's someone in this area who would say, man, how can I hear more? Or where can I meet Emily or Phillip and talk with them about this? It just so happens that this is coming up really quick, that you're going to have two opportunities to share right here in Columbus, right? Why don't you tell us and invite those that might want to come and hear.
00:20:47
Speaker
Yes, well, we'll be on Sunday night, April the 23rd, 6 p.m., in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church, Columbus. We'll be telling more about this past trip. And then also on Monday evening, April the 24th, at 6 p.m., we'll be at the youth house located directly across the street from the First Baptist Church in Columbus.
00:21:08
Speaker
And that one on Monday is different because it's everybody that wants to volunteer or wants to help or let's see how we can all brainstorm to take it to the next level.
00:21:21
Speaker
That's awesome. Now you mentioned, um, you know how people can help and so forth, but, but then the last time you went, you took some sewing, uh, materials or something. Wasn't that part of what you took over there? We took button sewing, um, basic medical supplies, nebulizers, um, cricket machine. Yes. And school supplies, school supplies, socks, some clothes, clothes, a little bit of everything.
00:21:51
Speaker
I like how it seems like you're giving people a lot of entry points in how they can make a difference. I mean, they're gonna actually be helping local people there in Niger that are going through a difficult time. Well, let's say that someone says, well, I can't make it to those two events, but I would really like to give and I would like to pray. I'd like to keep up with you more. Where could they go to learn more
00:22:17
Speaker
Where could they go to give if the Lord's moving in their heart? And let's say they're saying, hey, I want to make sure that this work continues. Could you give them some direction?
00:22:29
Speaker
Yes, they can always go to our account as an industry state bank is our account. You can go on our website, which is restorehopeazure.org. Contact Philip or I or anyone that knows us.
00:22:51
Speaker
Well, I am just so glad that you guys took the time to be with us. You know, is there any way that the Growing in Grace listeners can be praying specifically for Restore Hope Niger? Are there any certain things that kind of come to your mind right off to say, okay, if you want to pray for us, pray for maybe this and this and this, you know, two or three things, anything come to your mind?
00:23:16
Speaker
that we get funding for churches. That's one thing that we need that we saw this past visit that we made and we visited some churches out in the villages and the churches they have over there can range from Hutt
00:23:36
Speaker
with rain just pouring through when it rains. So we could use money for churches and things of that nature to help them build a church. They told us that if they had the building, they could get the people to come to the church because they would have a dry place to have worship. And that's one thing that stands out for me.
00:24:05
Speaker
That's really good, Philip. And that's something we take for granted. Here we go in our buildings and worship the Lord. And they do have buildings, but the thing about it is the buildings they have, we visited one church. The building was a pretty good sized building, but they had 500 people coming
00:24:25
Speaker
church every Sunday every Sunday and it started with 25 when they built it was 25 when they built it and then all of a sudden you know time it's 500 they had they had started with some benches in there but then they ended up using cinder blocks for pews okay so that's that's how much they expanded
00:24:45
Speaker
But, you know, they have like this one million watch church we visited in the village, which was a hut, had 14 people. And one of my things, 40 people coming, you know, but it was in a hut. So it's just something that...
00:25:01
Speaker
One young pastor, he's, and it's really interesting and we'll talk about it on Sunday, is how the Islamic leaders in that little area is actually sending his kids now to him for church, Sunday school and everything. And he's also teaching them how to read and write. So it's only a matter, a moment before it's gonna explode. The Lord just opening those doors and it sounds like it's just such a great work.
00:25:29
Speaker
Just one thing I'd like to say is, you know, you're supposed to take the gospel to all the nations. And when you go visit Africa and you see the gospel being presented there, you feel like it has been taken through to the nations. It's an amazing experience to see people that will grow in Christ in Africa.
00:25:52
Speaker
Amen. Thank you, Philip. Thank you, Emily. I appreciate you guys so much just meeting with me and letting us put this word out there. I think you're doing a great work. Keep up the good work. And we're definitely going to close in prayer. I want to remind those of you who are listening that don't forget, if you can come this Sunday night, April 23rd at six o'clock in the sanctuary at First Baptist, we would love to have you and you can hear
00:26:20
Speaker
Not only hear them like you're doing now, you'll also see their slides, right? Yes, we have slides. So see slides and maybe even a video clip or two, but I know that'll be great. And then Monday night, if Sunday night's not a possibility, don't forget on Monday night at the youth house located directly across the street from First Baptist Church in Columbus, also at six o'clock, we'd be glad to have you.
00:26:49
Speaker
And we'll also be doing a presentation at the First United Methodist Church, April the 30th at 10 o'clock. April 30th at 10 o'clock at First United Methodist. We'll be the sermon for that morning. Awesome. That sounds good. I know. Hey, what y'all are doing, it speaks loud and clear. It's a very good word. Thank you. Well, would you allow me to just close us in prayer and let's pray for restore hope, Niger.
00:27:15
Speaker
Lord, I just thank you so much for how it's wondrous, how you work in very practical ways. Emily had no idea back then when she met Daniel that you were gonna touch her heart, touch Philip Smith's heart, and they were gonna begin to put together a 501c3 charity organization that reaches out to the people of Niger.
00:27:41
Speaker
and look at what you've done in just four years. I'm so excited, Lord. Please continue to provide for them. Like Phillip has said, we pray that you would bring in donations for those church buildings so that they don't have to be in just a hut that the rain comes through and so forth. And bless those men that are sharing the gospel. With 500 coming to the services, somebody is really getting the word out there.
00:28:08
Speaker
And all of these practical things are letting the people of Niger know that they're loved. And so I thank you. It's really what I see with restored hope, Niger. I see the love of God in motion. Thank you for that. So just continue to encourage them and provide for them and direct them. We love you. We thank you again for your great work and the opportunity to partner in it. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.
00:28:41
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church, located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.