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 his 2017 commencement speech at Harvard University, Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg said, “Taking on big meaningful projects is the first thing we can do to create a world where everyone has a sense of purpose. The second is redefining equality to give everyone the freedom they need to pursue purpose.” Zuckerberg also had some words of wisdom for tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. “Let me tell you a secret, no one does when they begin. Ideas don’t come out fully formed. They only become clear as you work on them. You just have to get started,” he said. “If I had to understand everything about connecting people before I began, I never would have started Facebook. Movies and pop culture get this all wrong. The idea of a single eureka moment is a dangerous lie. It makes us feel inadequate since we haven’t had ours. It prevents people with seeds of good ideas from getting started.”
I am often reminded and encouraged by the fact that, the little things we do along the way are powerful. Small, consistent,even persistent tasks, lay the groundwork for big God-inspired returns.
In over 25 years of existence, we have moved from programs of betterment (feeding and clothing the poor) to a shift in individual development (teaching how to fish) and, of late, we have taken a more radical approach – moving from individual and community betterment to community development (that is, teaching how to refill the pond or “sustainable” development)
Development is not a matter of simply drawing up an ideal blueprint, but, rather one of pragmatically devising a way of proceeding within the constraints and possibilities of the realities on the ground. Our values in this regard can be summarized as:
• Empowering people vs. enabling the poor
• Preserving dignity vs. creating dependency
• Doing things with people vs. just doing things for people
Beulahland Ministry farm base will serve multiple purposes: A vehicle for presenting the beauty and credibility of the gospel of Jesus Christ, providing services, creating much needed jobs in a region where unemployment is over 60 percent, while simultaneously generating revenue for continuity as we reduce hunger and improve lives!
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“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.”
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 frica continues at a lethargic pace: Lack of food; environmentally unsound energy procurement as well as shortage of energy; insufficient educational opportunities together with costly brain drain. These are but some of the socio-economic “plagues” characterizing the continent.
Yet, the main drama does not lie in the occurrence of these factors as such. It lies in the vicious circles of which they form a part, and which tend to go on and on. For each of these factors are at the same time cause and effect of a destructive process: the African “impasse.”
 Each of these factors goes back to poverty: spiritual, economic, coupled with poor leadership. Poverty is the root of the African dilemma. Poverty is the absence of options! Poverty creates poverty.
Africa has enormous potential, not only to feed itself, but to eliminate hunger and food insecurity, so, why can’t Africa feed itself? The answers are numerous. We believe our Lord has given us a model to accomplish His work efficiently and has blessed its reach exponentially.
 Five years ago we embarked on a journey to build sustainably, and to curb dependence. We purchased 250 acres of virgin forest land among the marginalized Baka Pygmy community in the East Region of Cameroon to use in developing a major base for ministry and sustainable development. With a little more investment this year and perhaps next year, this project will be able to move towards sustainability!
While church planting and discipleship will continue to be the fulcrum of Bread For Life, strategically developing ministry bases across different regions will be our legacy, if Jesus tarries. Through these regional bases or campuses we envision thousands of young people trained and released as transformational leaders and agents of change. We envision these bases as ministry bases, but more than that, we envision them as models that will serve multiple purposes year round:
- Integrated farm (animals, birds, fish and plants).
- Training & Research
- Agro-Tourism & Recreation
- Allied Industries (processing abundance)
- Youth Camp
- Sustainable Ministry Base:
Used for ministry functions, providing services, creating much needed jobs in a country where unemployment is over 60 percent and simultaneously generating revenue for continuity.
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“You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem,
or a wrong that you want to right.
If you’re not passionate enough from the start,
you’ll never stick it out.”
― Steve Jobs
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 am often asked, “How did you know God wanted you to do what you are now doing?”, “How did you know God wanted you to start a Sustainable Ministry Base?” God speaks to us through various means and ways. Often, by the revelations of His word, by the dictates of reason, through the voice of our conscience, through the events of providence, by casual appeals, by the influences of the Spirit. The list is endless. We just have to be sensitive to His voice.
Beulahland farms is the result of God’s constant nudges. The reality on the ground calls for sustainability. The mission is too big and the task too great not to do whatever it takes to reach those who are living in the greatest poverty of all.
We are thankful for the ways God continues to answer prayers. We were recently blessed with a tractor. This will be a game changer for us. It will take about $25,000 – $30,000 to ship and clear this tractor and several other donated items in a forty foot container to Douala. These include things like a printing press, farm tools, school supplies, office equipment, household stuff, etc. We were recently blessed and encouraged by a gift of $10,000 towards this. We are trusting God for the rest of the funds to come in so we can ship in April 2020.
One of the major challenges we have faced the last five years is that of drought. We initially focused on short term crops with the goal of generating income to fully develop the land. This was unsuccessful. We recently found out pineapples can do well in drought and we  have planted over 50,000. We recently harvested the first 10,000 and sold them for about $4,000. Our goal is to plant 400,000 within the next six months. This will help with salaries and enable us reinvest in more land preparation. It takes about $1,200 to fully develop and plant 20,000 on an acre of land. Would you prayerfully consider if this is an area God may want you or someone you know to be involved in?
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With over 2,000 verses in the Bible dealing with the sick, the hungry and the oppressed, no biblical instruction is clearer or more often repeated than our responsibility to the downtrodden, who Jesus called “the least of these” ( Matt 25:40).
 The problems poor people face aren’t solely material in nature. The material poverty that shows up in our world is really the result of something much deeper: broken relationships! We are all wired for relationships with God, self, others, and creation. Unfortunately, since the Fall, our relationships haven’t worked the way God intended. And for some people, this relational brokenness bubbles up in material poverty.
Consequently, our approach to addressing poverty has to be ‘wholistic’. This perhaps is the distinctiveness of Bread For Life Ministries – combining evangelism with social action!
 About five years ago, we embarked on developing regional ministry bases that would address poverty from a ‘wholistic’ vantage point. We acquired 250 acres of land amongst the marginalized Baka Pygmy community outside Dimako to start the journey of developing a fully integrated sustainable ministry base. Although an uphill journey, it’s been an exciting adventure in faith! We are beginning to see some results!
I am personally grateful to all our prayer warriors and financial supporters for their investment into the incredible task ahead. I am asking God for more than ever and believe that He will be faithful to multiply our collective influence for the cause of the gospel.
We serve a God who is faithful and multiplies our gifts, resources and efforts in ways that are far greater than we can imagine. Beulahland farm is an example of His faithfulness in remembering the poor but, also positioning them to realize life to its fullness (John 10:10).
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Alfred Lord Tennyson correctly noted, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” We believe that prayer makes a powerful difference in our ministry! We are so thankful for friends, like you, who pray for us. If you are not part of our prayer network, would you consider putting us on your prayer list?
Simply identify an issue you are passionate about (Church Planting, Poverty Alleviation, Evangelistic Outreach, Literature, Orphans, Agriculture, Leadership, etc.) Bread For Life will furnish you with its literature and help to point you to other resources to help your effectiveness.
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Let’s face it: Poverty is an overwhelming and complex problem. Sometimes it is hard to know the best way to help the poor. Often we create a culture of dependence. Instead of empowering the poor, we keep on enabling them.
If you or your church have ever wondered: “How do I help the poor without hurting them or perpetuating dependence?” Our sustainable farm could be a way to do this.
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Visitor from South Africa
with project director Dr. Tita
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An initial investment of about $1,000 will enable us develop an acre of virgin forest land, and buy 20,000 pineapple suckers. Within a year, this initial investment will yield $4,000 to $7,000 and at the same time, the suckers will triple to over 60,000 for the following year’s planting. This process will continue. This is a truly a GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING!
A one time gift or investment for initial land preparation and planting of pineapples can be sent to:
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Bread for Life International:
4438 Pleasant Dr.
Rodgers, AR 72758
• www.breadforlife.org
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For recurring monthly support:
Commission To Every Nation
Po Bx 291307
Kerrville TX 78307
• 893-896-8326
• www.cten.org/BreadforLife
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