Langano Project Update from Mike Rogers
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 4:44 AM
Subject: Update
Hey All,
Nathan, Mackenzie, Hannah and I made it home safely Sunday night and about finished with jetlag. It is GREAT to be home and have the family together again!
This is just a quick email to let you know I am planning a return trip to Ethiopia within the next few months. My main purpose will be to survey the Langano Farms project. Specifically, to plot out the total area, indicating existing vegetable location, fruit tree locations, water source, greenhouse, multipurpose building, etc. as well as plotting future desired projects on the farm such as chicken house, grinding mill, “prayer gazebo”, windmill water pump, small eatery, etc. Moreover, I would like to start the planning for the chicken house and get a preliminary survey done for that so we can request drawings and begin cost estimating.
Does anyone know a surveyor that may want to join me on this trip? I believe God has that “someone” out there who can help me with this master plan and engineer this project. If not, I will get some sort of surveying equipment/GPA system and will map it out. My goal will be to download this data onto a computer and create drawings to share with others as this project grows.
I know I just returned home but I am eager to get back to Langano and work on the project with Kaweti and the others there.
The team I would like to take will be about 7 to 12 people. I need to debrief with SIM-USA next week and will then obtain information/costs. If you are feeling called to join me on this trip, please email me and let me know so I can pray about it with you. I don’t plan to waste a lot of time there and would like to make it there and back within a week.
The Langano Farms project is about showing Christ’s love by serving others and expecting nothing in return…(God does…and DID the ultimate…for us, so we therefore do for others), teaching others to help themselves through education and skills training, and about having fun. Life is too short to hate your job and I can assure you that Langano Farms is a great place to work and love on others.
In addition, Langano has a clinic / foster care program for babies, elementary school and sports camp which I will plan to show you also. In addition to anyone having (vegetable, fruit, chicken, egg, fish) farming, landscape engineering, building/architectural/construction and surveying experience, I would love for some church leaders to join me on this trip to see if Langano is a place where their congregation would like to invest…whether it is the community development project, clinic, school or sports camps program, the investment will pay returns like you have never seen before. I can only share with you in private about some of the things going on around Langano…the stories about new Christians coming to faith through visions are absolutely jaw-dropping…top leaders in the community becoming new believers in Christ…you will be amazed by it all and this trip will be life-changing for some. So, please prayerfully consider making this trip and do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.
Lastly, I am about to email tree pictures to those of you who sponsored them. Others have also donated to the community development project and I will include them on the next batch of fruit trees we plant…thank you so much for the support!
In Christ,
Mike
Mike Rodgers
Langano Community Development Project Director