Sonoda Foundation
Operacion Donacion Para Nuestro Futuro
Operation Donation For Our Future
Early in 2022, several families were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in their futures. The Sonoda Foundation is collecting & transporting new & very lightly used clothes to Mexico for them to sell at local flea markets. All proceeds are going directly into a fund designed solely to invest in their futures.
Since then, the Sonoda Foundation has been collecting donations from several dozen generous donors, who've showered us with 1000's of pieces of clothing. And the donations have not stopped. We've become their donation collection center for this ministry.
Several families who are the recipients of this blessing have been working tirelessly but extremely gratefully. They've expressed fatigue but shared, "it's a beautiful fatigue of unbelievable blessings, an opportunity of a lifetime". The process of unpacking, sorting, repacking is only the beginning. Then to storage until they gather teams to sell, which requires transporting, unpacking, displaying and selling. Then repacking and transporting back to storage. It's a lot of work.
From Here
To Here
To Here
But this project has become a blessing and a ministry. Not just for the families in Mexico but for all of us here in the U.S.. The bible says: It is better to give than to receive. Despite the blessing of the project, the great reward has been how this has brought our team closer together.
It has also brought blessings to many of our donors. I'd like to share how a particular instance greatly impacted one of our donors. Listen to this testimony from our friend, Teresa Lee.
"A $5 purchase—less than what I have spent on a cup of coffee. When I saw it on sale, I felt a spark of joy—found a great bargain; but looking at this pair of shoes now left me feeling regret and irritated—stuck. But why?
When I received Wayne and Marguerite’s newsletter, the opportunity to donate these shoes felt like a reprieve. I prayed over these shoes, that God would use it to bless someone in Baja; someone who would enjoy them and that these shoes would bring her joy and let her know that the Lord provides, and He loves her. As I dropped off these shoes into the bag, little did I know how God would answer that prayer and more!
A week later, Wayne called me and told me about the impact my donation made. As I listened, I was puzzled—did he mix me up with someone else? Wayne sent me a photo of Isabella wearing those white shoes, and a video of her sister Dulce holding a new blanket I donated—smiles beaming so brightly--smiles so beautiful my heart overflowed with gratitude and tears welled up in my eyes. God is so good!
There are times when God allows me to see how He is working; how amazing and incredible He is; how He answers prayers and works in ways beyond my imagination! This small donation, something that sat unused, nagging at me for too long, God transformed with His power into a testimony. I couldn’t contain my joy and gratitude for how God used me and allowed me to be a blessing and be a vessel of His love and provision. So I excitedly shared this story with my friends in my neighborhood and anyone who would listen. Through this story, I have been able to tell others about what God is doing in my life, about the Sonoda Foundation and the building projects. My friends in response have also donated things to help support “Operacion Donacion Para Nuestro Futuro.”and also expressed great interest in going to help build in the future. I have also looked for other items to donate with gladness and even sold other things to help support Sonoda Foundation's house build in November..
You might be reading this and think, oh a good story about decluttering, but it’s so much more than that. God used this simple pair of shoes to address my heart issues—He has given me freedom and joy and through this small act, He has shifted my thinking and my heart. Many people have heard of Marie Kondo and the term “spark joy.” She teaches people to keep only the things that “spark joy.” The Bible teaches us that material things will lose its luster; moths destroy these earthly treasure and thieves steal it. The only thing that will last are the things we do for God and our investment in God’s kingdom.
When someone asked me if I am happy that I cleared my closet to buy more things, I think, no, I want to clear my closet to let it change my heart and mind to trust our loving God to provide for me, when I need it just as He provided Isabella with what she needs and to bless her with love and joy. I am so grateful to have a part in that.
Teresa Lee
Thank you for sharing with us Teresa
And we know that all things work together for good to for those that love God, and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
