Planting Seeds

It's mid-November and I am pouring over the new seed catalog, dreaming of the fruit that will come through all the wonderful seeds we plant this season. I see the vibrant colors, the high yield potential of these seeds, the food and livelihood these seeds will produce, and I'm excited to make my investment.

Now, what shall I order...the satchel bag from India? the beads from Kenya? some Peruvian snowmen? maybe a cow for a Rwandan family?

"What kind of a seed catalog is this?" you ask.

It is the 2013 Christmas Gift Catalog of ICCM and SEED, providing 107 gift ideas with global impact. ICCM is the International Child Care Ministry of the Free Methodist Church. Through ICCM, over 21,000 children are being sponsored in 30 countries. SEED (Sustainable Empowerment through Economic Development) uses global partnerships "to create local livelihoods for people who may not have other opportunities in their local settings." It is also a program of the Free Methodist Church.

Through the ICCM/SEED Christmas Catalog you can provide water filters to families, purchase a chicken or goat for a child, provide a scholarship for a college student, or sponsor one of 1000 children who are registered and just waiting for a sponsor. Or you can purchase products made by artisans in livelihood groups on three continents. Both ICCM and SEED bring hope and dignity to people around the world.

In a couple of weeks a friend is hosting a Livelihood Trunk Show, where she will have available for sale what you see in these photos, as well as many other hand-made goods. She is passionate about supporting women in developing countries to empower them and use their creativity to provide for themselves and their families. 

So here are some options for you:

- Grab a catalog and start shopping! Think about who you'd like to bless by ordering gifts through SEED and ICCM. With each purchase you will be blessing the creator of the gift as well as the one who receives it. And you will be enriching the lives of people around the world.

- Host a Livelihood Trunk Show! Give other people a chance to touch these gorgeous products, to hear the stories of the artisans, and to bless others. 

- Share this post or whatever links you want with your friends. Give them a chance to get involved too.

- Sign up to sponsor a child or receive Tuesday's Child (ICCM's weekly e-mail) or join SEED's mailing list.

- Pray. Pray for these ministries, for the lives impacted by them, for individuals you read about on the websites, for how the Lord would use you.

The seeds we plant today through this catalog will bear fruit for years to come. So let's get busy and choose our seeds!