Urban Report

Read and Feed Belize

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

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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.


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Revised 2022-02-21