A poultry project helps transform a community in Honduras
Pastor Jose Maria had been ministering in San Pedro Sula for 28 years when he felt called by God to move to the countryside.
“I received a revelation of God to come to this area of Honduras,” he said.
He began asking God about ways to help the community, and for doors to be opened to present the Gospel.
An answer came when he met Christina Ayala, program manager of Samaritan’s Purse’s animal and agriculture projects, at a community meeting in Santa Ana. Together, they began connecting with families in the area to see who was interested in participating in a chicken program.
“When Samaritan’s Purse came, we saw an answer from God,” Jose said.
Santos Enamorado was one of the first recipients of the chicken project. Santos had been struggling to provide for his wife Elba and four sons. His father abandoned him when he was a young boy, and he never had anyone to teach him how to farm. With no education or technical training, Santos could only grow meager crops of beans and corn. As a result, the Enamorado family ate only tortillas and beans every day, causing them to be weak and malnourished.
Santos spent all of his time out of the home caring for his crops or looking for jobs in the community. He felt exhausted and hopeless, but God gave him a gift. Jose Maria started a church in the area, and moved next door to Santos. They quickly became friends, and the pastor told him about the opportunity from Samaritan’s Purse to learn how to run a chicken coop.
“I was interested because they were talking about God,” Santos said. “We heard the salvation plan and that seeking after God was a good thing.”
Samaritan’s Purse gave 50 chickens and materials for building a coop to Santos. Soon, he had eggs and meat to bring to his dinner table.
“The future looks better because I know I can raise chickens on my own,” he said. “I feel like I can have a better life now. Before I use to send my kids to buy eggs somewhere else, but now I have them in my home.”
As Santos’ coop produced more eggs, he began partnering with Jose Maria to reach out to other hungry families in the community. Every few months, they organized large meals at the church using food from the Samaritan’s Purse projects to help those in need and to provide an opportunity to be witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“I am very happy to work with the pastor to help the community with this new project,” Santos said. “This has changed my spiritual life. I now understand more about God’s love for me, and it has helped me to tell my kids to look for that love too.”
Samaritan’s Purse also helped members of the church build a chicken coop, large enough for 250 chickens, to continue their ministry. Many of the people who attend the fellowship meals have never attended church or heard about Jesus Christ.
“When people see the church helping with their physical needs, they become more open to the Gospel,” a church member named Darwin Leaba said.
