From Monticello to Mora

Submitted by
Samantha Wainright

Can a small town like Monticello really change the world?
The answer is, yes, we can.
In the town of Mora, in the far north region of Cameroon, Africa, there is a village who knows the name of our town and many of its residents. They know us because we have changed their truth from one of despair to one of new life and great hope.
In July of 2020, God connected me with a 26-year-old man living in Cameroon named Martial. At first, I doubted the authenticity of this connection, but after much prayer I decided to step out in faith. I had been praying for a way to help those around me and those far from me, and, as always, God heard my prayer.
In the first week of knowing Martial, it became painfully evident the horror he and his village were living in. Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group, is all around them. There are regular raids where mobs with machetes overwhelm schools, markets and passersby to inflict as much pain and death as possible.
In the middle of all this is Martial, an educated young man, who has decided to dedicate his life to serving the hurting children all around him. When I first met him, he was living in a one bedroom no bathroom mud building with 12 children. He did not know exactly how he would care for these children, but God gave him direction and he has been faithful to follow it.
I could not help Martial on my own, so I turned to social media and to my church (Monticello Church of the Nazarene) for support. I did not know what to expect, I felt insecure about asking at times, and sometimes worried that no help would come. Then miracles started happening one by one. Through my church family, friends, acquaintances and complete strangers, God was working in mighty ways.
Through the faithfulness of his people, right here in Monticello, God has accomplished the following in Mora:
• Provided a 4-bedroom 2-bathroom house complete with a new roof.
• Transportation to deliver 150 Operation Christmas Child boxes to Mora and surrounding villages.
• Provided life-saving surgery and medical treatment for 8 children and 1 adult (including pre-op, post-op, transportation, and follow ups).
• Provided a 5-acre farm which generates hundreds in earnings quarterly as well as food for all 12 children.
• Provided equipment and inventory for the orphanage-owned ice cream shop which generates $50-$100 daily.
• Provided electricity, clean running water and access to internet for the orphanage.
• Paid school fees, purchased uniforms and purchased school supplies for the 12 orphanage children as well as 13 additional village children.
• Provided critical care for an abandoned newborn who will now join the orphanage family.
The total funds used to accomplish all of this: $7,000 ($4,800 provided by our fundraising efforts, $2,200 provided by their own earnings).
I want to say thank you to everyone who has joined in on this giving mission. Lives are changing because of your goodness and faithfulness. People on the other side of the world are getting to know God and praising his name because of you.
I share all of this to encourage anyone reading, that God is alive, he is working, he sees you and you can do unimaginable things. You see, with God all things are possible. With God, a war-torn town in Africa can know the hope and love of Christ through his people. With God, a child soldier can laugh on a school playground. With God, a 26-year-old can care for 12 children. With God, a town like Monticello can help change the world.
If you would like to learn more, or feel led to participate in this giving mission, please feel free to call/text (850) 766-2772 or email samdrogers326@gmail.com.