Participants:
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR210025S
|
00:01 Stay tuned to meet a woman
00:02 who's on a mission to deliver health, 00:04 wellness, quality education 00:06 and religious activities to impoverished children 00:09 and the elderly in Belize. 00:11 My name is Jason Bradley, 00:12 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:37 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:39 My guest today is Ash Reynolds, 00:41 Founder and President of Read and Feed Belize. 00:45 Welcome to Urban Report, Ash. 00:47 Hi, thank you so much for having me. 00:49 I'm really excited to be here. 00:51 It's great to have you here. 00:52 I love what you're doing with Read and Feed Belize, 00:54 and I'm looking forward to our viewers 00:56 finding out about all the wonderful things 00:59 that are taking place. 01:00 But before we dive into what Read and Feed Belize 01:03 is all about, 01:05 I want us to look at some scripture. 01:06 This is coming from Matthew Chapter 25, 01:10 and we'll begin in verse 34. 01:12 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 01:15 'Come, you blessed of My Father, 01:17 inherit the kingdom prepared for you 01:18 from the foundation of the world: 01:20 for I was hungry and you gave Me food, 01:22 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, 01:24 I was a stranger and you took Me in, 01:27 I was naked and you clothed Me, 01:29 I was sick and you visited Me, 01:30 I was in prison and you came to Me.' 01:32 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, 01:35 when did we see You hungry and feed You, 01:37 or thirsty and give You drink? 01:39 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, 01:42 or naked and clothe You? 01:43 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 01:46 And the King will answer and say to them, 01:49 'Assuredly, I say to you, 01:51 inasmuch as you did it 01:53 to one of the least of these My brethren, 01:55 you did it to Me."' 01:57 And I believe that Read and Feed Belize 02:00 is doing just that. 02:02 And so, why don't you tell us a little bit about 02:04 Read and Feed Belize. 02:05 What is that? 02:07 Well, like you said, it's really a ministry 02:09 and we're striving to deliver health, 02:11 wellness and quality education to children 02:14 and elderly that are really in need. 02:17 And it started because my grandma, 02:20 she actually found it, 02:22 Carmelita village, 02:23 which is the community that we serve. 02:25 I'm going to try to make a long story short, 02:28 but during undergrad 02:30 I went to Belize just to visit my family, 02:33 and the electricity went out. 02:34 And that also includes water in Belize. 02:37 So my cousin and I had this like 02:39 fun activity planned for the kids in the field. 02:42 And the kids came, 02:44 and some of them didn't have shoes, 02:45 some of them didn't have adequate clothing. 02:49 And then I, you know, talked to people 02:50 and I also found out some kids go to bed hungry. 02:54 Troubled my heart, came home, 02:57 and I decided to write different churches 02:59 for Sabbath School lessons, 03:00 because they also all didn't have 03:02 adequate school supplies. 03:04 So in my mind, I was like, 03:05 "If we get Sabbath School lessons, 03:07 that'll cover two birds with one stone." 03:09 We're sharing the love of Christ, 03:10 as well as giving them their own reading materials. 03:13 Yes. Yeah, so. 03:14 That's beautiful. 03:15 And you said your grandma founded. 03:17 It was Carmelita... Village. 03:18 Village? Yes. 03:20 We have a picture of your grandma. 03:21 Yeah. 03:23 So let's take a look at your grandma. 03:24 Okay. 03:25 Yeah, that is my grandma, Emma Reynolds. 03:28 And she's just an amazing woman. 03:31 Philippians 2:4 says, 03:32 "Let each of us not look after our own interests, 03:35 but also to the interest of others." 03:37 And she was really a woman who did that. 03:40 She was known in the community as the woman 03:41 who's always cooking something yummy, 03:44 and sharing and reading. 03:46 And what's interesting is that 03:49 she stopped having a formal education 03:51 in the third grade, 03:52 but she learned to read from her Bible. 03:54 Yeah, yeah. 03:56 And people would come to my family's house, 03:58 and you didn't have to be family, 04:00 but if you needed an encouraging word, 04:02 or you needed food, she was your person. 04:04 So, yeah. That's awesome. 04:06 But I bet, you know, even though 04:08 people weren't family per se, 04:10 they felt like family 04:11 when they went to your grandma's house. 04:13 Absolutely. 04:14 It sounds like you really took a look at the situation, 04:17 what was going on in the area, the needs, 04:20 and you met those needs. 04:22 So, tell us a little bit about the journey? 04:25 The journey has been one 04:28 that's been full of great successes, 04:31 but also a lot of challenges. 04:33 Okay. 04:35 I'll give you like a quick example. 04:38 So with those Sabbath School lessons, 04:39 I thought it would be great to take school supplies, 04:41 you know? 04:43 I put all these crayons and markers in suitcases, 04:46 you know, you get two luggages free. 04:48 So I had to pack them. 04:49 And I got to the airport in Belize, 04:51 but I didn't know about duty 04:53 and I didn't know about customs. 04:55 So they're like, "This is going to cost you." 04:57 Remind you, I'm an undergrad. 04:59 So I said... 05:01 The guy's looking and he sees all the lessons, 05:03 he sees the crayons. 05:04 He's like, "Are you a Jehovah's Witness?" 05:06 And I was like, 05:08 "No, but I am a witness for Jehovah." 05:10 And then he was like, "Okay, let her go." 05:12 So I didn't have to pay. 05:13 So, there's been a lot of things 05:16 where I've just seen like God 05:17 provide in ways that I just, 05:20 I wouldn't have imagined. 05:21 And we actually have a video 05:23 that has a lot of the projects included. 05:25 So, I'd love for you guys to see that. 05:27 Absolutely. 05:29 Let's take a look at that video right now. 05:40 This is their cooking area. 06:30 Crayons, glue sticks, 06:35 folders, notebooks. 08:19 Wow! 08:20 That was a lot of moving parts. Yes. 08:22 So unpack some of that, what was going on? 08:25 Because it was like from this scene to the next. 08:27 I mean, there's so much movement 08:29 taking place in Belize. 08:31 Read and Feed Belize is busy. Yes, it is. 08:33 And again, that's like nothing but the Lord. 08:36 Because in the beginning, I envisioned it, like, 08:38 okay, the kids are hungry, 08:40 like what could we do to kind of help in any way? 08:44 But then, so much flourished from it. 08:47 So, we kind of have it broken down 08:48 into three different projects. 08:50 We have Project Read, Project Feed, 08:53 and then Project Outreach. 08:55 So what you saw in the video, we visit the elderly, 08:59 the kids will even make them cards. 09:01 And what's so magnificent about that aspect, 09:06 is just how many people get involved. 09:08 So, even though it started 09:13 as just one thing, 09:16 you see it grow. 09:17 And you see people like, 09:18 you know, just having a heart for service. 09:20 Amen. 09:22 And I love what you just brought out there 09:23 that the kids are making cards for the elderly. 09:26 So now you're getting the children 09:27 involved in ministry. 09:29 And so they're doing a good deed 09:31 writing these cards out for the elderly, that's huge. 09:34 And I love how it started with the Sabbath School lesson 09:37 because they're learning about, 09:39 you know, the Bible and learning 09:41 important spiritual lessons. 09:43 That's crucial. 09:44 When did you develop such a passion for people? 09:49 That's a good question. 09:52 I don't know how to answer that. 09:55 I would say, like I saw my parents, 09:59 they're still like very giving, generous people. 10:02 My grandma, my aunt, so I think 10:04 my family has a lot to do with it. 10:08 I worked in health care before, 10:09 which is very isolating. 10:12 And I do have an answer. 10:14 I have an answer. Okay. 10:16 I'm thinking back. 10:18 I volunteered a long time ago at church to help out. 10:23 And I thought they were going to say, 10:25 "You could send emails, or something like that." 10:27 No, no. 10:28 They were like, 10:29 "Can you lead out Sabbath School?" 10:31 And it was like cradle roll. 10:32 And so you can't help but just like, 10:35 want to nurture, when you're working with kids, 10:38 so I think that's a big part of it. 10:40 Yeah. Okay. 10:42 I'd say that. Okay. 10:43 And how has working in health care, 10:46 or having that background in health care, 10:48 how has that played a role in what you do now 10:52 with Read and Feed Belize? 10:55 The thing that's coming to mind right now, 10:57 I would say is like preventive measures, 11:00 just like how a lot of people go through things 11:03 that they might not necessarily have to go through 11:06 if we like face things in the beginning, but yeah. 11:11 So like the wellness component is, 11:13 like helping to boost the immune system, 11:15 providing them with nutritious meals, 11:17 that type of thing, because it's Read and Feed... 11:19 Absolutely. Got you. 11:21 That makes sense. 11:22 So, what are some of the challenges 11:24 that you've faced with Read and Feed Belize? 11:30 There are lots of challenges sometimes. 11:32 For example, we like to pack, we call them love packages. 11:35 Okay. 11:36 And it comes with the basic Belizian staples 11:38 like beans, rice, flour, 11:40 all that great grandeur, wonderful stuff. 11:43 So I wrote companies in Belize, 11:45 as well as people here have shipped things. 11:49 And I just didn't think out certain logistics 11:51 like the shipping, 11:53 how long does that take? 11:54 Again, customs as well as in Belize, 11:59 a rice company donated, 12:00 but it's like two hours away. 12:02 So, some of the challenges have been like 12:05 the moving parts, 12:06 the financial component, 12:08 and even with that God has provided. 12:09 Amen. Yeah, yeah. 12:11 I would imagine that it takes a huge team 12:14 to mobilize this operation. 12:18 How have you found volunteers, and all of that, 12:22 especially with you being here in America 12:24 and then having people in Belize, 12:26 how does that work? 12:28 Well, again, I have family in Belize. 12:29 So like, Sharon Reynolds, she's like... 12:32 She knows everyone in Belize, 12:35 not literally, but, and she's just again, 12:38 she's just a beautiful heart. 12:40 So she really helped me with volunteers. 12:43 And what's really awesome is some of the young adults 12:45 in Belize, they're very helpful. 12:47 So, we buy things in bulk. 12:49 And again, it became this big outreach thing 12:52 that I didn't imagine. 12:53 So the young adults, they'll get together, 12:55 and you know, they're talking, having fun, 12:57 but at the same time, they're working. 12:58 So they're scooping out three pounds of flour, 13:00 three pounds of rice, three pounds of beans, 13:03 bagging it up, putting it in this package. 13:06 And someone else in the village, 13:08 they'll donate like their pickup truck, 13:10 and we'll stuff them in there 13:11 and go and deliver, so. 13:13 Nice. Yeah. 13:14 What opportunities have come about 13:17 as a result of Read and Feed Belize? 13:22 I would just say a lot. 13:23 And a lot of the opportunities have come 13:25 from some of the challenges. 13:27 Okay. 13:29 For example, we did a laptop drive, 13:34 because with COVID, 13:35 I'm sure many people know 13:37 that kids weren't able to go to school. 13:39 So the kids were getting packets, 13:41 but because they didn't have access, 13:43 some kids weren't able to learn 13:45 how to do the work that's in the packet. 13:48 So we decided to do a laptop drive. 13:51 Wow. Yes. 13:52 Now tell us about the laptop drive, 13:55 in terms of how many laptops can you get, 13:58 and for what price? 13:59 Okay, so, for every $1,811 collected, 14:05 we're able to get 12 refurbished laptops. 14:08 Wow! Yeah. 14:10 $1,811, you can get 12 refurbished laptops 14:15 and send them to the children, that's huge. 14:18 Yeah. That's huge. 14:19 Yeah. 14:20 And so what's being done with those laptops? 14:22 Software is being installed where the kids 14:24 could actually access more online learning material, 14:28 especially during COVID. 14:30 In that way, the kids who don't have electronics, 14:33 they could log into their class 14:34 so they're able to complete their work. 14:38 So again, it was a challenge, because the first drive, 14:43 we couldn't get the laptops there in time. 14:47 But the blessing is that, 14:48 like it gives us more time to collect more 14:50 so each kid could be properly equipped. 14:53 Yes, yes. That's awesome. 14:55 What are some of the churches 14:57 that have helped you in this process? 15:01 Burr Ridge has been a church that I went to go speak at. 15:04 And they were like, "Yeah, we'd love to support," 15:08 which was awesome 15:09 because it's going to be a true blessing 15:11 for the children, 15:12 as well as Vallejo Drive Seventh-day Adventist Church. 15:15 And we actually have a project that they have been, 15:19 we call it Project Backpack. 15:20 Okay. 15:22 They have been in it 15:23 from the beginning collecting school supplies. 15:26 It's brought us together as a church family, 15:28 just to work together and prep for everything, 15:31 and I'd like to show you guys that too, 15:33 if that's okay. 15:35 Absolutely. We have that video. 15:36 Let's check out Project Backpack right now. 15:58 Cereal, bar, cookies, granola bars, 16:02 coconut, peanut butter, granola bars, 16:04 macaroni, beans and that's it. 16:09 God is good. 16:18 To set the crews in action for community day. 16:26 This is where lunch will be served, 16:27 the little table. 16:29 If you're happy and you know it, 16:31 praise the Lord. 16:32 Praise the Lord 17:09 Thank you! 17:15 Wow! 17:17 Another great thing that Read and Feed Belize is doing. 17:20 Now, tell us more about Project Backpack? 17:22 Okay. 17:23 So Project Backpack, like you saw, 17:26 was just that at the beginning. 17:28 It was just supposed to be a backpack. 17:31 But it turned into this project 17:33 where so many hands got involved 17:35 to get the kids the backpacks. 17:38 So again, that was Vallejo Drive 17:39 Seventh-day Adventist Church. 17:41 And how it started is, I shared the story 17:44 with a lot of my friends at church. 17:46 I was like, "Oh, guys, this is happening, like, 17:49 what can we do?" 17:50 And you know, we're working together, 17:52 thinking of different ideas. 17:54 And so it started as just like a basic drive like, 17:59 you know, we encourage 18:00 certain parents at the church like, 18:02 "You're buying your kids school supplies, 18:03 if you could buy an extra box of crayons 18:05 and stuff like that." 18:06 As you saw in the video, it turned into this day 18:10 where we all got together 18:12 and it wasn't just the basic school supplies, 18:15 like, we were able to stuff each backpack 18:18 with crayons, markers, paper, 18:21 canned food, rice, beans, sanitizer, like... 18:26 Wow! All kinds of things. 18:28 Yeah, it goes to show I was thinking this little 18:30 and God was like, 18:32 "No, we're going to hook them up, so to speak." 18:35 Yes. So we got to give a lot. 18:37 So He was seeing it on a much larger scale, 18:41 and He brought that into fruition through you. 18:44 And through all of the churches 18:46 that supported this initiative as well. 18:48 What's your vision for Read and Feed Belize? 18:52 My vision is that it will continue to grow. 18:56 Like years from now, 18:58 I just want each kid to know that 19:00 they're valuable and special, 19:03 and I truly believe that 19:05 education can change the trajectory of our lives. 19:08 And I wouldn't be here today 19:09 if certain people didn't pour into me. 19:12 So I see it like this thing that keeps growing, 19:17 and we serve one another, 19:19 and we share Christ's love ultimately. 19:23 So for example, in the video, you saw, like 19:25 property, where we had the outreach day 19:28 where the kids got their backpacks? 19:29 Yes. 19:31 That's like my family's farm. 19:33 So in my mind, I say, wouldn't it be great 19:36 if one day we could build like a community center, 19:39 and maybe there's a sort of like outpatient clinic there, 19:44 and the kids could have like 19:45 their own computer lab where they have these resources 19:48 that we might take for granted. 19:49 Yes. 19:51 That could really just help, build and grow and contribute. 19:55 I also think it would be amazing 19:57 if we could have like sustainable farming, 20:00 so certain kids who are great with trade, 20:04 I think it could be something spectacular event. 20:06 Yes. Yeah. 20:08 Yeah. That could be huge for sure. 20:10 And so your family already has the property, has the land. 20:15 But you want to get a building put up there? 20:19 Yeah. Yeah, yeah. 20:20 It will be helpful for the kids, yeah. 20:22 Absolutely. 20:24 How has leading out in Read and Feed Belize, 20:28 how has that been for your spiritual life? 20:32 Wow! That's a... 20:34 It's been one where it's like you have to keep faith. 20:39 Not only that, learning that, 20:42 praying that my will aligns with God. 20:46 Like years ago, 20:48 I wanted to have like a dream for my own life. 20:52 Now, I'm a marriage and family therapist associate. 20:56 Okay. 20:57 I told you before that I worked in health care, 20:59 but I wasn't doing things 21:04 to bring glory to God, 21:05 it was more so, 21:06 I just wanted it to be successful. 21:08 Got you. 21:09 So as far as this go, it's a lot of prayer, 21:13 and a lot of trust, 21:15 and really believing that 21:16 all things are going to work together 21:18 for good even when it's like, 21:20 "What's happening?" 21:22 Yes. Yeah. 21:24 So it's really brought me closer to Him. 21:29 It's really increased my faith, 21:31 because I really have seen miracles 21:33 that I just never would have imagined. 21:35 Yes. 21:37 Are there any testimonies that you can share? 21:41 Absolutely. 21:43 Well, through COVID, 21:44 we've delivered like over 1,500 pounds of rice, 21:48 beans, like just the kids, 21:51 God is still providing even through the pandemic, 21:54 like we couldn't fundraise, like, He's amazing. 21:58 He really, really is. 22:00 Again, laptops were donated. 22:05 The elderly, like people are still able to go and visit. 22:08 So, there's a lot of just blessings 22:11 that have flowed from. 22:13 So the pandemic didn't stop things, 22:14 God just rerouted, redirected, 22:17 and still had things going forward. 22:19 That's awesome. 22:21 With that being said, 22:23 with those things going forward, 22:25 and all of that stuff, 22:26 and all the moving parts that are involved, 22:28 what are some of the needs of Read and Feed Belize? 22:32 Well, we're definitely 22:33 still trying to collect laptops, 22:36 as well as we're doing an online reading program. 22:40 Okay. 22:41 So it's been really cool with the church 22:43 that you saw in Project Backpack. 22:45 What we're doing is, 22:46 we're linking a child to an adult 22:48 or a child that's older than them, 22:51 and the idea is they meet online, 22:53 and you read to them. 22:55 It could be a Sabbath School lesson, 22:57 some sort of spiritual thing of the reader's choice. 23:02 And the idea is not that we can teach to read, 23:05 per se, but, you know, exposure is really good for the kids. 23:09 And there's something beautiful about saying, 23:12 "I'm just going to invest my time with you, 23:14 like, you know?" 23:15 So the kids feel special. 23:17 And there's been fun things that's happened, like, 23:20 you know, they switch stories, like, 23:23 "What's your favorite food?" 23:24 And it'll be like a Belizian dish 23:26 or an American food. 23:28 They'll talk about Natalie, she's eight years old, 23:32 she goes to Vallejo Drive Seventh-day Adventist Church, 23:34 and she's matched 23:36 with one of the kids in Belize who's five. 23:38 And so they were talking about animals, 23:40 and it's beautiful to watch. 23:42 Yeah. 23:44 I love that because you're exposing them 23:45 to a different culture. 23:47 Yeah. 23:48 And so they're learning 23:50 even if they can't travel there right at that time, 23:52 they're learning about another culture 23:54 and everything, and that's amazing, 23:56 especially with the spiritual component 23:58 as well. 23:59 So, you know, how do people, like let's say, 24:03 a church wants to get you to come out there 24:05 and to share with their congregation 24:07 what Read and Feed Belize is doing. 24:10 How do people reach you? 24:11 What's your website, and what's your email address? 24:13 Okay, so our website is ReadAndFeedBelize.org 24:19 and then our email address is ReadAndFeedBelize@gmail.com 24:24 Nice. 24:25 And they can contact you there, 24:27 they can check out what it's all about, 24:30 and some different projects that are going on. 24:33 We have some more pictures 24:34 that I'd like for us to look at, 24:35 and perhaps you can tell us, kind of, what we're seeing. 24:37 Okay. 24:39 So we'll just go through those pictures. 24:42 Okay, so this is a picture of some of the love care packages. 24:47 Again, there's a book in there, there's food in there. 24:52 And that woman 24:54 who's kind of sorting things out, 24:58 that's actually Miss Jones, 25:01 and she and her daughters. 25:04 So someone in the village actually donated the truck. 25:07 And they'll go through the village, 25:08 and they'll deliver the packages 25:11 to the families of the children that are involved, 25:14 and that's one of the recipients. 25:16 Nice. 25:17 So as you see, she has her little mask on. 25:19 I thought she took it off for the photo, which is fun. 25:22 So again, God has really provided 25:24 even in the midst of a pandemic, 25:27 which is incredible. 25:29 I wouldn't have thought. 25:30 And again, just the fact that thinking of 25:34 how many hands are involved to make this happen. 25:37 Yes. 25:39 You know, the shipping from here to getting, 25:42 and when we ship, it's not just like, 25:44 it's not like UPS, 25:45 we have to pack these big barrels, 25:48 there are a lot of hands, a lot of people involved, 25:50 it arrives, and the team involved in Belize, 25:53 they have to unpack the barrels and pack the bags 25:56 and take it out to the community. 25:59 So it's like a huge overseas assembly line 26:03 and everything like that. 26:04 Yeah, that's a huge operation. 26:06 What can churches do if they want to get involved 26:10 with Read and Feed Belize? 26:12 What can they do to help support you? 26:14 Definitely, if they would like to do something 26:16 similar to Vallejo Drive Seventh-day Adventist Church, 26:19 by committing to Project Backpack 26:21 and it could be like a long term relationship. 26:23 Okay. 26:24 So it could start with something like backpacks, 26:27 and then laptops, 26:29 where they can keep in touch with the children 26:31 that they're supporting. 26:32 Yeah, that would be wonderful. 26:36 What do you see as, 26:40 like the next big thing for Read and Feed Belize 26:43 beyond the building project? 26:46 That's a good question. 26:48 We should pray about that. 26:49 Because I just think that's so big. 26:52 It is. 26:53 And God willing, that would happen. 26:55 But I would definitely have to pray about that. 27:00 I would think an outpatient sort of health care thing 27:03 would be really awesome. 27:04 Because a lot of people go through different things 27:10 that they just don't have access 27:12 to the same adequate health care 27:13 that we do here in the States. 27:15 Yeah. 27:16 So the reading, the feeding, the wellness, 27:19 the health with the elderly, the impoverished children. 27:23 You're doing a great work for God 27:25 and God is using you to do amazing things. 27:27 I want to thank you so much 27:28 for coming on and sharing with us 27:31 what you're doing and what Read and Feed Belize is all about. 27:34 Thank you for that. 27:35 And I can't believe that we are almost out of time. 27:39 But I want to encourage you 27:41 to seek God's will for your life, 27:44 seek His purpose, His plan and His direction 27:47 for what He would have you to do. 27:49 There are so many different facets of ministry, 27:52 and you need to get involved with doing something for Him. 27:56 Until next time, God bless you. |
Revised 2022-02-21