The twelve-year-old is small in stature, indicating the possibility of malnutrition early in life. She lives in a squatters’ shanty-town outside Durbanville, South Africa, called Stone Hill.

She and her siblings move from shack to shack, depending on which family in the community will accommodate them, but it’s never permanent.

One of the only things she might be able to count on is that she can at least get one meal a day, thanks to God’s people extending His love and His story in Stone Hill through the gift of meals every day.

Stone Hill is an informal settlement where impoverished families live outside of Durbanville, South Africa.

But even with these provisions, Mary still has her questions. “I don’t believe God exists!” she announced to one of those godly national workers who serve Him in Stone Hill.

Thankfully, there are godly people in her settlement who are able to listen to her heart’s concerns and answer the questions it is asking - the questions to which the answer is Jesus.

There are godly people serving in Stone Hill daily because you have supported the work of ITMI’s Charl van Wyk in the impoverished settlement. Kids like Mary interact with them daily because of your support of Charl’s outreaches, including the daily Project Joseph meal outreach that occurs in Stone Hill.

Since its inception in 2020 as a response to the ministry opportunities presented by the pandemic, we’ve seen Project Joseph create countless opportunities for our partners to share Jesus and build redemptive relationships with people they might not otherwise have even crossed paths with.

It’s not just Project Joseph that has created these opportunities, but all of the instances where our partners reach out with a demonstration of the Gospel. As the unearned gifts mirror the undeserved gift of salvation, many find their hearts responding to the Lord through the preaching of the Gospel alongside such gifts.

It really should come as no surprise that this “works” as a ministry model. It’s modeled after Jesus’ own plan to reach stubborn-hearted, sinful humans who were dead in their trespasses and sins and transform them into unswervingly devoted and faithful followers, even willing to go to their deaths on His behalf.

Throughout history, God’s people have been implementing this method of carrying out their Great Commission as they sought to extend Jesus’ love and grace to those who had not found it yet.

When ITMI considers a partner we generally look for those who are already ministering faithfully and effectively, and then seek to enhance the Gospel’s reach through their ministry by providing resources they couldn’t access on their own.

Since our birth in the 1980s, ITMI has offered our supporters the opportunity to come alongside our partners and provide resources that enhance the Gospel’s reach. This has often included extending undeserved physical gifts to people who are in need.

ITMI’s Charl van Wyk and his team provide meals for 150 children in Stone Hill every day.

With supporters' help, Charl and his team provide meals for 150 children every day. 

These daily meals help prevent learning problems later in life. Charl writes, “Many children that suffer with learning problems later in life, have been found to have experienced deficiencies and challenges that are traced back to their early time of development.”

Dr. Bradley, Charl’s co-worker and brother-in-law, adds,

“Studies show that children who are not nourished, complete approximately four grades of schooling less than other well-nourished children. Subsequently, this causes them to earn less later in life, they are less likely to have healthy families and are 10 times more likely to succumb to childhood illnesses.”

Charl’s prayer, and that of his team, is that the children of Stone Hill would be healthy, and able to read and understand God’s Word. That they would be the next generation of those who obey our Lord’s command, to “disciple the nations.”

As Mary’s tough statements demonstrate, they are hungry for more than food.

Thuto, a Stone Hill youth baptized by Charl and Dr. Bradley in January 2022, teaches Stone Hill children that Jesus loves them.

Dr. Bradley presents the Gospel during children’s church time in Stone Hill.

The daily interaction with Charl’s team is of incredible value for children in Stone Hill like Mary, who need to experience the Lord before they can accept Him as their Lord and Savior.

A great way for them to experience Him is by interacting with His people as they live faithfully following Him. What better way to interact with children like Mary every day than to provide meals - something that every person regardless of age or economic bracket - actively seek every single day.

A great way for children like Mary to experience Jesus is by interacting with His people every day. 

Charl needs our help.

At the beginning of the year, Charl’s ministry received a generous donation that will fund the daily meal outreach in Stone Hill for the next few months.

To provide food for children in Stone Hill, Charl is asking the Lord to provide $700 each month for the last 7 months of the year, or $4900, to ensure the children of Stone Hill receive daily interaction with Charl’s team and proper nourishment through the end of 2023.