Expansion's Medical Director, Marietta Thompson, lay sleeping in her room during a mission retreat in Kenya. She awoke with a start and asked her sister Jeanette, "Did you hear anything," then she picked up her journal and pen and wrote everything God placed in her heart that night. "He began downloading to me as I wrote. God told me these teens in Kenya are His pearls of great price, then showed me how we women have so many treasures buried deep in our closets. He asked me a simple question. Would we be willing to sell our treasures to provide hope and a future for His precious kids?"
In the morning, Marietta ran this 'God Plan' by the team's leadership. Believing the Lord was leading, they all agreed to press forward with a plan they called 2 Mustard Seeds. One mustard seed would be a Kenyan teen receiving a high school scholarship from their local church, and the other seed would be a matching scholarship provided by the 2 Mustard Seeds sale of women’s donated treasures, thus allowing twice as many students to be helped.
"When He brought the story of the mustard seed to mind, I thought of those tiny seeds growing into a great tree." Providing education for someone otherwise unable to attend school is like planting a mustard seed. The gift of education, when fully grown, becomes a tree of opportunity that can lift an entire community out of poverty.
"I don't believe the vision has come into fullness quite yet. I still hope for a shop where women's treasures will be sold year-round. But until then, we'll continue to hold our annual 2 Mustard Seeds sale."
Since 2013, the high school sponsorship program, including 2 Mustard Seeds matching funds, has provided 1,484 scholarships for Kenyan teens. Come shop at the 2 Mustard Seeds sale this week, August 25-27, and plant seeds of hope for beautiful futures.