It’s spring, and love is in the air.

‍

One of my greatest joys is seeing FARM STEW trainers around the world fall in love and get married, and you are helping make that possible. These are not just weddings—they are signs of stability, dignity, hope, and a future that your generosity is helping to build.

‍

Over the last few months, I’ve received marriage announcements from four African FARM STEW trainers: Abraham in Burkina Faso, Ayinalem in Ethiopia, Cyprien in Burkina Faso, and John in Zambia.

‍

‍

My heart sings each time I hear the news.

‍

Why? Because many young Adventist Christians long to marry and build families, but poverty—and sometimes costly cultural marriage expectations—make God’s plan for establishing a family feel impossible. That breaks my heart and God's.

‍

Through your support of FARM STEW, that reality is changing—starting with our own trainers. You are helping raise up consecrated men and women who learn and teach FARM STEW Temperance lessons on the health benefits of moral purity.

‍

Your generosity allows FARM STEW trainers to support their own families and strengthen churches. Now you understand in part why African leaders say, “Where FARM STEW goes, the church grows." It starts with strong families. We're building them, one marriage at a time.

‍

Your $37/month gift ($1.25 a day) will train, equip, and coach an entire family to exit extreme poverty and embrace an abundant life in Jesus. And your gift today will be doubled, up to $25,000, thanks to a matching challenge from a generous member of the FARM STEW family.

‍

It costs $444 ($37/month x 12) to train, equip, and coach an entire family to exit extreme poverty.

‍

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION

‍

With all these weddings, I cannot help but think about another wedding. In Revelation 19:7, John writes: “the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” Verse 8 adds that His bride is “arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright ... the righteous acts of the saints.”

‍

Every handwashing station, every child nourished, every girl in school, every family freed from addiction or despair, every Bible verse shared to illustrate the practical gospel—these are “righteous acts” which Jesus uses to prepare the hearts of many for His return.

‍

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

‍

Let me share the impact of these “righteous acts.” See Video.

‍

Abraham Konate, who married Mireille on April 12th, is an agronomist and a passionate follower of Jesus in Burkina Faso, a West African country where Christians are the minority. Because of your support, he is serving remote communities where practically every family is struggling to survive.

‍

Abraham leads a team of 12 FARM STEW trainers, reaching 1,135 families, and works tirelessly in these vulnerable villages. He teaches them how to raise, harvest, and create value from crops.

‍

Women he trained started an enriched porridge business to help child survival using the same recipe taught in the FARM STEW Meals training, made from soy, corn, millet, dates, and peanuts. They were making it by hand, pounding it in a wooden mortar, but after their community became FARM STEW-certified we provided them with motorized equipment as a reward. Production has increased with the new power!

‍

‍

The porridge came just in time, as last month, in a remote village called Dédougou, Abraham identified a little boy, named Gilbert, who was severely malnourished.

‍

His family had been displaced from their home and Gilbert's mother Delphine was desperate. “When we arrived in Dédougou, I had nothing left to feed my son," she said. "I watched him waste away day by day; his body grew weaker and weaker, and I felt completely helpless."

‍

But then FARM STEW trainers arrived in the community. Delphine joined a group where she learned to make rainbow porridge, design a vegetable garden in a small space, and more.

‍

The impact on Gilbert’s health was immediate, visible, and measurable. “[Our] FARM STEW trainers didn’t just give us food—they gave us knowledge,” Delphine said. “Thanks to their advice on hygiene and fortified porridge, my child has regained his strength. My son has started running and smiling again.”

‍

This is what happens when you give: families are empowered, and the least of these are served!

‍

You help FARM STEW trainers show up where almost no one else is able to go—and they stay, teaching the practical gospel, until desperate families and weak children can stand on their own. You are not just helping people survive—you are helping them thrive in every dimension of life.

‍

People are thriving not just physically, but spiritually too.

‍

On Sabbath, May 23, in a FARM STEW community in another district of Burkina Faso, 38 people were baptized. What made this especially remarkable was that 35 of those baptized were Muslim women. Before the baptisms, the husbands and family members of the women were visited and consulted. The husbands even gave permission for their wives to be baptized, which Pastor Ben Ouédrago, president of the church in Burkina Faso, described as “a great miracle from God,” especially in an area where evangelism can be very difficult.

‍

As our Zambian leader, Hillary Zebron, says, “FARM STEW is Christ’s method on steroids:” meeting needs, building trust, and opening hearts to Jesus.

‍

Today, thanks to your support, more than 350,000 people in over 25 countries have been trained by local leaders like Abraham. Again and again, you are part of the same transformation story.

‍

When people are provided:

● Knowledge,

● Practical tools,

● Biblical encouragement,

● Skills for enterprise, and

● Community support,

‍

they move from:

• Hunger to nourishment,

• Disease to health,

• Poverty to productivity,

• Hopelessness to faith, and

• Dependency to self-reliance.

‍

‍

This is not theory—it is the fruit of your investment, proven over a decade in 25 countries.

‍

The opportunities before us right now are extraordinary! The doors are open. Now your financial partnership is needed now more than ever.

‍

Your gift will continue to be stewarded to:

● train, equip, and deploy local trainers like Abraham

● provide seeds and help families establish kitchen gardens and flourishing fields

● launch savings groups, enterprise training, and equipment for certified communities

● improve sanitation and prevent disease

● support menstrual hygiene education and supplies

● bring lasting hope through the practical gospel.

‍

‍

OUR SHARED COMMITMENT

‍

Speaking of stewardship, we just got back our 8th consecutive, squeaky-clean audit. We are committed to transparency and accountability, as well as keeping a very low overhead. All of our financials are available here: www.farmstew.org/financials.

‍

We want to earn and maintain your trust, including for legacy gifts.

‍

It costs just $444 to train and coach an entire family—only $37 a month.

‍

In Scripture, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6–9) reminds you that Christ is actively preparing a people for Himself even now. As lives are transformed, He is preparing His bride.

‍

Would you prayerfully consider a special “wedding” gift to help us reach this $25,000 match?

‍

Through your generosity, you are equipping families to exit extreme poverty and embrace an

abundant life in Jesus. A gift of:

● $37/month transforms one family (or you could choose to sponsor more families)

● $444 equips a family for lasting change ($37/month x 12 months)

‍

Every gift matters. Every gift is doubled, up to $25,000. Most of all, every gift you give represents empowerment for stronger families, thriving churches, and hearts prepared for Jesus’ soon return.

‍

With gratitude, your sister in Christ,

Joy Kauffman, MPH

Founder & Executive Director

‍

P.S. Please don’t miss your part—your gift today will be doubled up to $25,000 and will alleviate suffering and prepare hearts for eternity. Give today or make a monthly pledge at farmstew.org/give to empower a family or families.

PSS: I shared this letter with Abraham to make sure I got the facts right. This was his response: “As a future donor to FARM STEW, I pray that God bless all those who give of their money so that others live a life of dignity. I'm very grateful to FARM STEW. God bless!”