Can you find the two kids in this photo? One of the kids has a mother who has a goat who just gave birth to the other kid in this photo…
Termite Technology
David’s Fourth and Final Photo Blog from Ethiopia
Dear Friends,
During two lovely days of this trip to Ethiopia, I’ve had the blessing of visiting very poor women who’ve received two or three goats from Heaven’s Family. The goats—always at least one male and one female—are absolutely free, but there’s a catch. The women have to agree to pay us back in kids.
That may seem a little extreme unless you realize that I’m talking about goat kids.
If a woman receives three goats, she has to give us back three. Those offspring are then given to another poor woman, who must make the same promise, so that the blessing never stops. It is a PPPP…a Perfect Perpetual Pay-it-forward Plan!
The recipients are selected by village committees, in part, by their neediness. The goal is self-sustainability. Women generate income by multiplying and selling their goats, by selling goat milk, or both.
This is the kind of project that Diane Scott, who directs Heaven’s Family’s Food Ministry, loves. She calls such projects “Food on Hoofs.” To date, we’ve invested $10,000 that has provided 200 goats for about 80 very poor Ethiopian women in four villages. Some are believers and some are not, but those who are not are being targeted by our partners. The goat recipients whom I met certainly heard about Jesus when we met with them (and their goats). A few of their photos are below.
Thanks so much for joining me on this Ethiopian journey! And thanks for helping Heaven’s Family help build Jesus’ kingdom and care for the “least of these” in this ancient land.
David Servant
Founder and President, Heaven’s Family
One happy goat owner
Another one
Yet another one
Ever wonder how very poor people brush their teeth? Now you know. They use sticks.
What appears to be a tree trunk behind the person in this photo is actually a termite house, ubiquitous in southern Ethiopia’s semi-arid regions. Why do termites build tall, vertical cylinders on the tops of their mounds? Those cylinders act as chimneys, convecting hot air upwards, which creates a suction that pulls air through tiny windows at the base. It’s termite air conditioning. How did Ethiopian termites figure out such technology? Not so easy to explain by evolution! But given enough time to keep evolving, perhaps termites will eventually be constructing skyscrapers with elevators!
