SPRING 2016

Unlikely Acts
of Worship
Glorifying God Through
Creation Care

Features
Unlikely Acts of Worship
Plant With Purpose Is Growing

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6

Departments
Directors Corner
Breaking News
Village Spotlight: Los Guineos

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Edvard in Fonds-Verrettes, Haiti, plants

trees as an act of worshipping God.

Environmental Solutions to Humanitarian Problems

DirectorS
CORNER

Environmental Solutions to Humanitarian Problems

The Sower Issue #111

Plant With Purpose, a Christian nonprofit
organization, reverses deforestation and
poverty around the world by transforming the lives of the rural poor.

TRANSFORMATION
When I tell people we
work with farmers,
preconceived ideas
come to mind. For
most Americans, our
image of farming involves men with tractors on large, flat fields
cultivating a single crop.
The farmers who comprise the majority of
our partners are different in almost every way.
More than half are women. None have access
to mechanized farm machinery and if they did,
it probably would not matter because they
are farming steep, eroded hillsides that most
of us would never recognize as farms. Instead,
they use small, often homemade hand tools
and cultivate a wide variety of crops.
Although these farmers dont tend to be part
of our popular imagination, globally they are
not at all unusual. Nearly one billion people
eke out their existence in this way, growing
most of what they eat without irrigation, fertilizer, or machinery. They tend to be among
the poorest and most undernourished people in the world. Of those whom I have met,
most are discouraged and disempowered, focused on day-to-day survival, at least when
we begin partnering with them.
It is easy to see these farmers tiny parcels of
wasteland and their weary, hopeless countenances and imagine that things will always
be this waythat their only hope lies somewhere else. But I believe God calls us to be
people of imagination. We can look at those
farms and start to imagine how a familys life
might change if the hillsides were transformed
into verdant and fruitful gardens full of good
things. It is possible, and may even be easier
than we think! God has given us a multitude
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of tools that can be used to restore degraded

land. We can also begin to imagine what it
would be like if tired parents regained hope
for the future and if children were able to develop and use their manifold talents.
Innovative agricultural techniques and Village
Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), which
mobilize local savings, give farmers a taste of
progress so that they too begin to imagine
what might be possible. Once that happens,
these hardworking men and women become
nearly unstoppable.
Our church partnerships and Bible study curriculum reinforce the idea that not only does
God love them, but also has a purpose for
their lives. This reinforces participants sense
of agency and vocation. Their hope and resolve continue to grow.
This makes for a startling contrast. When one
talks with farmers who have been in the Plant
With Purpose program for a few years, it is
clear they are anything but hopeless. They
have discovered they do have the ability to
change their lives and get to play a role in redeeming their communities and the land they
depend on.They are the ones creating change.
In this issue of The Sower, we get to hear how
some of these farmers have discovered their
calling in stewarding Gods creation. No longer discouraged, no longer merely surviving,
they see themselves as active participants in
Gods work in the world.

Scott Sabin
Executive Director

Executive Director:
Scott Sabin
scott@plantwithpurpose.org
Director of Development
and Marketing:
Christi Huizenga
christi@plantwithpurpose.org
Marketing and Events:
Becky Rosaler
becky@plantwithpurpose.org
Stay Connected:
4747 Morena Blvd. Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92117
Ph: 858.274.3718
Email: info@plantwithpurpose.org
Web: plantwithpurpose.org
Tw: @PlantWPurpose
Fb: facebook.com/PlantWithPurpose
Leave a Legacy.Please consider including Plant With Purpose in your wills
and bequests. Contact Doug Satre:
doug@plantwithpurpose.org.
copyright 2016 Plant With Purpose

GIVE.
PLANT.
GROW.

70 percent of the worlds poor

depend on the land to survive.
But when trees are cut down,
the land stops producing and
families go hungry.

Join Root 7 today at plantwithpurpose.org/root-7

Enter Root 7.Your $7 plants a tree in 7 countries every month. When you join Root 7,
youre doing more than putting trees in the
ground. Youre planting healing, opportunity, and hope for a better future. You see,
trees restore the environment, clean the
water, nourish the soil, protect farms from
erosion, and provide a source of income

and food for farming families. In short,

trees are life to the rural poor.
This spring, join the movement. Root 7
member benefits include a custom steel
tumbler and regular updates on the impact
your trees are making around the world.

Breaking News
Planting Hope Gala
Mark your calendars! The 2016
Planting Hope Gala is taking place
on Saturday, October 8. Join us at
Omni La Costa Resort and Spa for
an evening of celebrating the lifechanging work taking place through
Plant With Purpose.

The Justice Conference

Join us June 3-4 in Chicago as we
engage in the conversation based on
Amos 5:2 of letting justice roll. The
Justice Conference endeavors to call
followers of Christ into a more inten-

tional lifestyle of living justly as we seek

to live out our faith as disciples of Jesus.
Plant With Purpose is honored to sponsor the event. Visit thejusticeconference.
com for more details.

Receive the Sower by Email

If you would like to receive the Sower
by email and save a tree, please send
an email to info@plantwithpurpose.
org with your name and current email
address under the subject of eSower.
Or simply follow the steps on the enclosed envelope.

Upcoming Vision Trips

If you havent visited one of Plant
With Purposes programs, wed love
for you travel with us. Additional trips
for 2016 are in the works. Contact
Becky Rosaler for more information:
becky@plantwithpurpose.org.

Dominican Republic: August 8-12

Tanzania: September 2-10
Haiti: October 17-22
Mexico: Fall

plantwithpurpose.org

Unlikely Acts of Worship

Glorifying God Through Creation Care
By Becky Rosaler, Marketing and Events Coordinator

Isaya dedicates this tree to Plant

With Purpose. It was the first one
he planted on his property in 2008.

A question we often ask partnering

farmers is how their relationship with
God has changed since Plant With
Purpose began working with their
communities. A common reply is,
We are now planting trees.
In my American mindset, I dismissed
these responses, thinking that somewhere along the line, something was
missed. Maybe they misunderstood the
question. Tree planting is an environmental activity not something that reflects a maturing relationship with the
Lord. Something must have been lost
in translation.
The significance of these statements
was lost on me. It was not until traveling to Tanzania and hearing first-hand
responses that the categorization of
activities and their impacts began to
make sense. To Plant With Purpose
partnering farmers, the act of planting trees is an act of worship. It is an
outward expression of their faith, a way
in which they are honoring God and
walking in obedience.
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A THEOLOGY OF CREATION CARE

CONNECTED TO CREATION

We could base this tree-planting theology on Pauls writing in Colossians 3:17,

And whatever you do, whether in word
or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him. However, we see from Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures talking
about creation and offering insights into
Gods relationship with the physical works
of his hands. God puts Adam in the garden
and tells him to tend and keep the land.
After the great flood, the Lord makes a
covenant promise to never flood the earth
again. The songs in Psalms offer perspective on how the trees and the hills praise
the Lord while the heavens declare the
glory of the Lord. Proverbs render guidelines for the ethical treatment of animals.
Pauls letters recognize Christ as being before all creation. And in Revelation, John
closes with the new heaven coming down
to earth where the Tree of Life is central in
the coming kingdom.

Far off the main roads in the Dominican Republic, Andrs Gonzalez lives in
a jewel-toned house with his wife and
seven children. Andrs farm is a multistory agroforestry plot reminiscent of
Eden with bananas, coffee, cassava,
and cacao growing together. The edge
of his farm drops steeply to a stream
below. Andrs sees it as his responsibility to protect this water source. Im
a watchman of water. If you dont have
water, you dont have life. But it is not
only the water Andrs is protecting.
He shares, Genesis 3:19 says, From
dust you came, and to dust you will
return. So by taking care of the land,
we are taking care of ourselves. These
profound words serve as a reminder
of our roots and our connection to the
land. Andrs honors God by taking
care of Gods creation.

Plant With Purpose participants across the

seven international programs understand
this insight. God created the earth. He
cares about creation. We were given the
responsibility to steward it. So of course,
planting trees is an act of worship.

THE TREE PLANTING EVANGELIST

Halfway around the world in Tanzania,
Isaya Mongowi is taking on the task of
reforesting Mt. Kilimanjaro. Isaya shares,
I used to be the poorest of the poor. Before partnering with Plant With Purpose,
his property resembled a desert. The land
took the brunt of years of deforestation

and poor soil management. Isaya began

implementing the sustainable agriculture
techniques he learned from Plant With Purpose. This included planting trees. These
trees added nutrients to the soil, while
protecting the soil from harsh rain. Today
he shares, We have seen many changes
to the environment. My land now looks
like a forested garden. We get everything
we need from our property including corn,
sweet potatoes, bananas, and eggs.
Were taught that God created the earth
and we are commanded to take care of
it. Planting trees is one way we do this,
shares Isaya. His tree nursery holds hundreds of seedlings, which he gives away
for free. He calls these seedlings his bible
small objects holding countless lessons
and valuable in their worth. Neighbors and
friends are drawn to the transformation
they see in Isayas life and in his land. Isaya
instructs them on how to plant trees and
even provides environmental education to
the children in the local school. Tree planting is now part of the local curriculum to
which Isaya declares, I love this work.

ACTIVATING THE LOCAL CHURCH

Environmental stewardship is a core value of Plant With Purposes staff. A walk
through rural Dominican communities
with Country Director Carlos Disla can

turn into a waste management lesson

as he encourages children to properly
dispose of their trash. This value filters
through staff to churches and creates
change in the communities.
In Mexico, the local church is orchestrating community-recycling programs.
The team in Mexico is developing a
new curriculum called Manos a la Tierra (Hands to the Earth), which teaches
the biblical basis for creation care.
In Thailand, Mrs. Rom Lamai shares
that because of Plant With Purposes
involvement in her community, We
better understand about making our
village clean with the idea of reduce,
reuse, and recycle, as well as planting
and taking care of trees in our village.
Plant With Purposes emphasis on environmental restoration has influenced
the culture of the Lutheran Church
in Tanzania. They are embracing the
churchs role in stewarding creation to
the extent that each child who goes
through confirmation plants a tree.
In just a few months, Plant With Purpose
has been changing perspectives in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pastor Kasongo Kategere recently shared,

When we were invited to a training

on the Theology of Work, as a pastor
and teacher of the Word of God, I was
surprised to learn a new discipline that
we have ignored for decades. After the
training, I realized that work is compulsory for Christians. God, by His unfathomable love, placed man in a naturally
pleasant environment. Like Adam, he
asked us to cultivate and keep it. Despite my advanced age, I decided to
accept the tree seedlings from Plant
With Purpose. I just planted more than
820 trees. I know these trees cannot
benefit me now, but they will be useful
for later generations.

LEARNING FROM THE FARMERS

Plant With Purpose partnering farmers
challenge me to ask the question, Is
environmental stewardship part of my
worship? To some degree I can answer,
Yes. Composting, recycling, keeping
my shopping in check, buying at farmers
markets, and being aware of single-use
plastics are resource decisions that filter
through my mind and daily drive my actions. As I look to Plant With Purposes
partnering farmers, I realize there is room
for growth. Will you join us in embracing a theology that includes creation care
and discovering new ways to glorify God
through stewardship of his creation?

Check out these resources to learn more about what the Bible says about
environmental stewardship:
Tune into an Earth Day webinar by Scott Sabin on April 22.
Can Faith Be Green? a sermon by Timothy Keller
Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for Gods People by Scott Sabin
Saving Gods Green Earth: Rediscovering the Churchs Responsibility to Environmental Stewardship by Tri Robinson
Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action by Matthew Sleeth
Earthwise: A Guide to Hopeful Creation Care by Calvin B. DeWitt
Our Fathers World: Mobilizing the Church to Care for Creation by Edward R. Brown
Search environment on Q Ideas website (qideas.org)
Invite Scott Sabin to speak on the topic at your church.

plantwithpurpose.org

Plant With Purpose Is Growing

Expansion in the U.S. and Internationally

2015 program
milestones include:

By Ellen Noyes and Melissa Coy

Program Growth
Virgilio, a partnering farmer from the village of Palmarito, Mexico, shares, I thank Plant
With Purpose for the support we have received. This community has taken a positive
turn! In rural communities, the needs are great. Yet, as more and more families understand the solutions Plant With Purpose offers, engagement increases and programs are
rapidly expanding. The fruit of these partnerships and the growth of the program are
encouraging. Change is taking root as hillsides are now covered in lush trees, families
are enjoying hearty meals, and church congregations are living out their faith together.
The growth of Plant With Purpose programs is fueled in part by our focus on effectiveness and efficiency. By constantly seeking to improve the program and finding ways to
provide the most transformative service at the lowest cost, the program cost per family
has decreased by 35 percent in the last year, allowing us to reach even more families.

million trees planted

838

Village Savings and Loan

Associations (VSLAs)
equipped and saving

25,000

families trained in
sustainable agriculture

349

church partnerships cultivated

Expansion to New Countries

U.S. Regional Expansion

Plant With Purpose is expanding its programs to meet the needs of

the rural poor through a pilot project in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC). This project officially launched in July 2015 and is
off to an incredibly strong start. Six-months in, Plant With Purpose
DRC has reached the following benchmarks:

Our team is constantly amazed at the dedication and heart of

supporters who invest in the mission and vision of Plant With
Purpose. Donors and volunteers are instrumental to the program, and we are thankful for the important role they play in
empowering farming families.

- 11 pilot project staff hired

- 379 families participating (annual target of 179 families)
- VSLA training with Tanzania staff complete
- 10 VSLAs launched (annual goal of 9 groups)
- Tree nurseries established (60,000 seedlings in development)

In order to sustain continued growth, Plant With Purpose is expanding its network of supporters. We are thrilled to announce
the recent hire of two regional representatives. Dave Luebkeman is overseeing partnerships in the San Francisco Bay Area,
and Valerie Foulkes is launching an office in Houston, Texas.
These regional hubs will act as platforms to engage additional
churches, donors, and volunteers in providing hope for rural
farming families faced with poverty and deforestation. If you
would like to meet Dave or Valerie, please contact the office at
info@plantwithpurpose.org.

We anticipate rapid yet sustainable transformation in partnering communities in the DRC. Foundational work to launch an eighth county program
in Ethiopia by 2017 is being pursued. Plant With Purpose is excited to participate in Gods redemptive purposes in new regions around the world.
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Village Spotlight:

Los Guineos, Dominican Republic

By Kirstie Hibbard, Outreach Coordinator

EPIFANIO Santos proudly

shows the fruit of his labor.

Honeymoon destinations like Punta Cana,

When Plant With Purpose reached out to

Most importantly, Epifanio and his neigh-

Puerto Plata, and Bavaro draw many to the

the people of Los Guineos, the communi-

bors recognize that their recent blessings

warm tropical waters of the Dominican Re-

ty jumped at this chance for redemption.

come from their Creator: Thanks to Plant

public. Santo Domingo and the Colonial

While most communities slowly adopt

With Purpose I am closer to God. Whenever

City offer rich history, Spanish architecture,

new techniques and methodologies, Los

we start a meeting, we always put it in Gods

and nightlife. Tourism undoubtedly drives

Guineos surpassed expectations by a land-

hands. We ought to give something back. He

the Dominican economy with the service in-

slide. In just a year and a half, Epifanio has

gives us so much.

dustry being the greatest contributor to the

reinvigorated his own farm and now serves

countrys GDP. Once a people reliant on ag-

as president of the Neighborhood Council,

Hope and unity are being restored to the

riculture, many Dominicans now migrate to

promoting community-wide training and

once despairing community of Los Guineos.

cities in hopes of finding work. Rural family

tree planting efforts.

Epifanio shares, I feel more motivated than

ever to continue working to improve living

farms are abandoned, neglected lands suffer, and generating income in rural commu-

The newly established Village and Sav-

conditions of those who are most in need,

nities becomes increasingly challenging.

ings Loan Association (VSLA) already has

those forgotten by the government. If it were

38 members. Through the savings group,

not for Plant With Purpose, I would have emi-

When Plant With Purpose began partnering

Epifanio learned to manage his mon-

grated from my community. Thanks to Plant

with the community of Los Guineos in 2014,

ey, has taken out loans for his childrens

With Purpose I changed my mind.

Epifanio Antonio Santos was close to calling

education, and jokes that the local VSLA

it quits. The 55-year-old father of five did not

has improved his social life! The savings

For just $1 a day you can provide hopeful al-

see a future for his children in the despairing

group serves as a platform for community

ternatives to communities like Los Guineos,

community. The Santoss would not be the

development. Our community has been

keep families like Epifanios together, and

first family to seek a new home in a nearby

able to establish an elementary school, a

promote long-term investment in farms.

city; urban population continues to grow as

high school, a rural clinic, a church, and a

Fill out the enclosed envelope or visit:

rural communities diminish.

new road, Epifanio says.

plantwithpurpose.org/sponsor-a-village.
plantwithpurpose.org

Plant With Purpose

4747 Morena Blvd. Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92117

Printed in an environmentally friendly manner using soy-based

ink and sustainably sourced paper. SFI and FSC certified.

Ph: 858.274.3718
Email: info@plantwithpurpose.org
Web: plantwithpurpose.org

Join the movement.

Give. Plant. Grow.
Information inside.

For partnering farmers in Haiti,

planting trees is an act of worship.

Transforming the Lives of the Rural Poor

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