Yesterday morning Jen and were in Washington D.C. at an annual meeting for a group called The National Association of Theater Owners (NATO...not the North Atlantic Treaty Organization :). Bill Hopkins from Variety International had flown in from LA in the day before. We were presented with a check for $100,000 as a donation from NATO to Variety International's Children's Fund, with the funds designated to the work in Haiti!!
I'll try to get a copy of the photo so that you can see the "big check".
The donation will be used to initiate the well-drilling effort throughout Pestel. Earlier this year after Dr. John Lane had visited the area, he came away with the recommendation that we should drill for wells in Pestel. We then approached a couple of well-drillers in Haiti, and in order for them to go out to Pestel we needed to be able to commit to a minimum of 10 wells, which could run from $5000 to $10,000 per well. So we knew we would probably need something like $100,000.
Through a series of 'unrelated' events, NATO contacted Variety International a couple of months ago because they wanted to make a generous donation to VI. After learning about the Haiti Project they met with folks from VI in Los Angeles and announced that they wanted the donation of $100,000 to go to the work in Pestel.
When Jen and I received the email about the donation (which we were asked to keep under wraps) we were simply floored (and are still!). The amount was exactly the amount we had written up as needed to engage the well-drillers. And there was no doubt whatsoever that this funding was to be used for this purpose.
Can you see how God works sometimes?
Our new organization, Thriving Villages International, is committed to continue running on God's timing and provision. That means you are not likely to see us doing typical fund-raising efforts. We have learned through these sorts of experiences, and so many others (for those who have been following along, you likely remember many of them!), that God desires TVI to proceed in a fashion different from most. It's part of the challenge as we seek to be faithful and wait patiently, and its a part of the joy of receiving donations that come from the heart. People and organizations give as they are prompted and their timing has been incredible.
It is not always comfortable, but it is right.
And boy, when you receive these sorts of confirmations!!!
Keep in mind: we did not seek out NATO. In fact, I will admit that I had never heard of them. NATO did not know of our desire to well-drill for the exact amount.
Now that's pretty awesome!!
Ben
--
Thriving Villages website
Thriving Villages blog
http://thrivingvillages.blogspot.com/
