As the Changing Lives team began to hear of Fizi and the tremendous needs of that area, the idea came from somewhere ‘Why not send a tractor?’ We talked to Georges and Lydia, and an early estimate was for £11,000 to purchase and ship a second-hand tractor to Fiziland. It seemed a vast amount of money for a team of 5 selling a few cards here and there.  We wondered if we could, perhaps, raise £1000 as a contribution. We reckoned without God!

The tractor project proved itself to be an amazing walk of faith. Changing Lives somehow became the catalyst and within a very short time money started to arrive in almost every post.  We opened letters which brought tears to our eyes. One lady was dying, but she had heard of the tractor project and wanted to give a gift. She passed away just a couple of days after we received it.

One Saturday afternoon there was a knock on our door. A lady stood there holding her cheque book. ‘Hello’, she said. I could not work out who she was.  It was an ‘old’ school friend of our daughter’s. They had been in primary school together but I had not seen her for  years and had failed to recognise her.   She told me that she had been in church the previous week and heard God speak to her. She knew God told her to come and bring some money. She did not know what it was for, but she could not rest until she had been.  And even though she clearly had a nasty throat infection, there she was to honour what God had asked of her.

Amazingly, we reached the £11,000 target, but by then the price had gone up and the new estimate was £14,500. By now we were breathless at what God was doing. The manager of the business where we were buying the tractor advised us that prices were going up, but he would honour our order if it was paid in full by a certain date. We did not have the money. We asked if we could pay 50% and after some hesitation he eventually agreed.  But the balance also had a deadline. By now our faith was being stretched to the limit!

It was a wonderful moment when the money was paid in full, on time! Changing Lives always wants to give God the glory for everything, as there is no way that such a small team could achieve so much on their own.  We offered to Him what we could do, and we are in awe at the way He took our offering and multiplied it, touching so many other people along the way.  We say ‘Thank You’ so much to everyone who took part in the tractor project.

In addition to the tractor there was a new plough and harrow.  Shipping the precious container with the items was not without delay and stress, but it was a great day when we heard that it had finally arrived.

We can report that it is now working in Fiziland and making a huge difference.