August Newsletter

Hey everyone, I am excited to share some milestones that we've achieved this past month! The team and I start each morning with the prayer that God would be in the midst of our work and allow it to bear fruit, and it is exciting to see how many doors have been opening.

Feed Mill Construction Progress

Recently, we completed the first phase of our feed production mill where we will be testing cost-efficient recipes to feed the animals on the orphanage's farm.

Below are a few pictures from the completion, along with a link to the photos showing the construction process coming together.

Feed Mill Pictures

Feed Mill Construction Pictures

Cost Savings on Feed Production

Recently we produced the first week of feed needed for our experimental group of 25 chicks. The total cost to make this recipe is 65% of what it currently costs to purchase equivalent feed, while fulfilling all chicken nutritional requirements. We expect the price to continue to drop as we refine our recipes.

Our purpose behind this project is to reduce ongoing feed costs so that the orphanage has more money to pour into its core mission.

The orphanage has a large farm that provides sustainable income for their mission of rescuing children from human trafficking, local jobs, and an abundance of food to a country where many consider eating to be a luxury.

Feed costs on the farm are expected to rise to around $250,000 per year by the end of 2024. By producing all their feed themselves, the orphanage could save around $100,000 annually—possibly even more. These savings can then be reinvested back into their mission, helping to rescue more children, feed the hungry, and bring more people to Christ.

Please pray that God would be in the midst of this and that the project would save many lives.

Tilapia Tank Progress

We're also making significant progress with the tilapia tank and filter designs. Caleb Cooke has made what we believe to be a major breakthrough in the design of the filter’s trigger mechanism. We'll be running tests on this over the next month, and we believe this is one of the final pieces needed to make the filter fully operational.

Current Tank and Filter Design Snippet

LWA Engineering Internships

This past month, we welcomed several interns from the engineering university here in Honduras.

They have all been an amazing addition to the team and I am extremely thankful to have them around and for the many ways they have contributed.

Recently we also said goodbye to several team members who are returning to school and starting full-time jobs. It was sad to see them go, but I am incredibly grateful for the ways they were able to serve while they were here.

Some of the ways they used their engineering skills to help the orphanage include:

Completing an abundance of engineering calculations and research that have been foundational to our progress.
Improving the tilapia filter design and running several tests
Using Excel tools to optimize animal feed recipes significantly
Helping to improve mechanic shop efficiency
Working on automating water quality monitoring in the tilapia tank
Much more

Upcoming Goals

Coming up we have some major goals we hope to accomplish. These include:

Finalizing the designs for scaling up feed production across the entire property.
Completing the tilapia filter and tank setup, and beginning to farm tilapia.
Continuing discussions with Sonlight to bring solar power to the property after receiving an initial quote and proposed design
Enhancing the efficiency of the onsite mechanic shop.

Prayer Requests

That the kids on the property would accept Christ and grow closer in their relationship with Him.
That our team would grow closer to God and be reminded each day of the "why" behind what we do.
That God would open many more doors for this work.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:58

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

-JD Crawford