God always has bigger plans.
A History
Following their adoption in October 2013, Biruk and Tadesse frequently expressed concern about kids from their hometown of Wuchale. It was then that Biruk came up with the idea for the egg project, and life hasn't been the same since in the Van De Stroet home.
Still, we found ourselves getting more and more chickens in order to satisfy the demands for farm fresh eggs.
Shortly thereafter, Biruk and I began speaking to local groups and churches about his vision to help children in Wuchale. Our mission became threefold:
1. To provide assistance to the EECMY mission in Wuchale through donations and sponsorships, but also to empower residents of Wuchale to build their own means of supporting themselves.
2. To educate others about the differences between first and third world countries.
3. To motivate others—no matter their age—to make a positive difference to those living in poverty, remembering that God can turn small offerings into big blessings (and those blessings flow in both directions).
Following a trip to Wuchale by our Ethiopian friend Abel, we were able to identify the EECMY mission there as a viable conduit for our funding and purpose. Already established in Wuchale, our new friend and missionary Melaku had plans in place to help the community, and he identified a number of ways Biruk's Egg Project could assist. Biruk decided that he most wanted the funding to go toward helping kids who were in need.
While sponsorships were getting started, word spread about the project. Interest grew, and our flock of hens grew. What started out as fifteen minutes of washing eggs at the kitchen sink soon turned into an hour, and we began egg subscription services and weekly deliveries to Canton, SD residents and businesses.
We began looking for a small commercial egg washer and after a number of months found one made at Gibson Farms in Ohio. This sure beat washing eggs by hand! We also found someone willing to sell a used Pepsi cooler so we would have adequate space to refrigerate the growing number of eggs.In the meantime, we knew and understood our responsibility for fiscal accountability, so we asked our friend and social worker Meselu to travel from Addis Ababa to Wuchale to check on the work that the mission was doing. Meselu, who has such a gentle heart for kids and our project, was able to meet Melaku and a few kids supported by our project.
What a joy it is to us to see videos of the kids sponsored by your donations to this project!
Meselu was able to visit with Tadesse and Biruk's Ethiopian mom Alem as well, and Melaku had been able to visit with Alem earlier. She gave her life to Christ during that meeting! Alem is doing fine, and we look forward to seeing her again.
Because of the incredible demand for eggs, we added another small henhouse, then eventually remodeled a larger shed to accommodate a large number of hens. Today we have 600-700 hens. (No one has volunteered to count them for an exact number.) Now we collect 40-45 dozen eggs per day, which is enough to fill a regular kitchen's refrigerator every single day.
Biruk does not handle the chores. It is beyond the amount of time and strength he has. (Don't tell him that last part.) In the summer Tadesse and Elijah feed the chickens (It's better than lifting weights, we say), Jerome and extended relatives do upkeep on the buildings and nests, and I collect and wash the eggs. Biruk continues to act as spokesperson and as biggest motivator to us all.
Meselu was able to visit with Tadesse and Biruk's Ethiopian mom Alem as well, and Melaku had been able to visit with Alem earlier. She gave her life to Christ during that meeting! Alem is doing fine, and we look forward to seeing her again.
Because of the incredible demand for eggs, we added another small henhouse, then eventually remodeled a larger shed to accommodate a large number of hens. Today we have 600-700 hens. (No one has volunteered to count them for an exact number.) Now we collect 40-45 dozen eggs per day, which is enough to fill a regular kitchen's refrigerator every single day.Biruk does not handle the chores. It is beyond the amount of time and strength he has. (Don't tell him that last part.) In the summer Tadesse and Elijah feed the chickens (It's better than lifting weights, we say), Jerome and extended relatives do upkeep on the buildings and nests, and I collect and wash the eggs. Biruk continues to act as spokesperson and as biggest motivator to us all.
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Sponsorship has expanded to include a new group of high school students, and we are excited to start a new initiative for Biruk's Egg Project. Melaku recommended that we buy hens for our sponsored kids' families as a means for food for themselves as well as a means of income. This picture speaks for itself, doesn't it?
We have learned so much—about chicken raising, of course—but more so about the tremendous support of our community and about the way blessings have a way of flowing backwards. We intended to be a blessing to others but wound up being amazed by God's perfect timing, the willingness of His people, and the perseverance of our brothers and sisters in Christ halfway around the world.
Our days are full. Our cup is overflowing. Our God is good.
A Request
A few people have asked how they can help besides subscribing, and we have the following ideas:
We are thankful to you because our egg project would not be successful without you. Message us if you have questions about the project. We would love to give you more information.
Don't forget to follow us on Facebook!
We have learned so much—about chicken raising, of course—but more so about the tremendous support of our community and about the way blessings have a way of flowing backwards. We intended to be a blessing to others but wound up being amazed by God's perfect timing, the willingness of His people, and the perseverance of our brothers and sisters in Christ halfway around the world.
Our days are full. Our cup is overflowing. Our God is good.
A Request
A few people have asked how they can help besides subscribing, and we have the following ideas:
- Pray for the project's mission, and the children, families, and mission staff in Wuchale.
- Spread the word about the project. Our best marketing comes from our subscribers who tell their extended families, friends, and neighbors. Ask us for some business cards for you to hand out to interested people.
- Keep your eyes peeled for another large pop cooler for sale and let us know if you see one.
- Volunteer to be an egg washer occasionally. This job takes one to two hours per day and allows your to get your feet wet--and your hands dirty--with our project.
- Be a church coordinator and gather subscriptions from your church. We can deliver there and you can collect donations for the project.
- If you have experience in marketing, entrepreneurship, law, chicken farming, or ministry, volunteer to be an advisor for our project. Sometimes we have questions that we would like to bring up among a group of interested experts.
- Volunteer to deliver eggs to your place of work or a community you visit weekly.
- Volunteer to deliver eggs to Canton subscribers occasionally (time commitment: three hours).
We are thankful to you because our egg project would not be successful without you. Message us if you have questions about the project. We would love to give you more information.
Don't forget to follow us on Facebook!
**UPDATE: In 2017 we established a board of directors and were granted 501(c)(3) status through the IRS, which enables our subscribers and friends to donate money that is deductible on their income taxes. Our sponsorship numbers increased to 76. With any extra eggs we have, we support other nonprofits in our area.
