A note from the founder, Jo Spencer

In 2011 a decision was made that would change the trajectory of my life mission. My older daughter, Jaeklynn,  had wanted to go on a mission trip to Haiti and wanted me to go with her.  I had never been on a mission trip, locally or internationally.  At the time I was also praying for God's direction on how to guide my younger daughter towards her God path.  So I went to the informational meeting, signed up Jaeky and myself, and then spontaneously signed up my younger daughter, Bailey,  who was 10 at the time.  Bailey was definitely not happy with me about that!  But, as only God can do, on the trip she instantaneously fell in love with Haiti and the people, and she wanted to continue going.  Due to her age, I accompanied her each year because she was too young to go by herself,  but somewhere along the line, God began to make a change in my own heart.  I found myself drawn to the women as we walked through each village.  I saw their struggles, not only just to survive, but to find value and purpose and encouragement. I know first hand the power of scripture to give me the promises and hope and encouragement that God offers, yet so many did not have access to the Bible due to the very low literacy rate.  They had no access to God's love letter!  Nor did they have any form of even verbal encouragement.  I became more and more burdened about this.  At one point, a small group of women I was talking with asked if I could please just stay there and teach them.  Oh how I wanted to!

 

Then, in 2014, as we were walking through a mountain village, I came across a beautiful, shy young woman named Sedli.  She was quiet and reserved, and I was completely drawn to her.  I pulled over the translator and began a conversation with Sedli.  As we talked, I asked her what her dreams were.  I watched as her eyes lit up, and this shy girl became joyfully animated.  She said that she wanted to be a doctor, but she only had a second grade education.  Well, it "just so happened" that we had a female doctor accompanying us on the trip.  This was no coincidence.  I ran and got her and went back to Sedli and introduced her to Mer, a female doctor!  Sedli completely came to life.  She and Mer  made a wonderful connection, but as they were conversing, the village champion came over and began sternly talking to Sedli.  I asked the translator what was being said, and he relayed that the village champion was chastising Sedli for saying such "foolish things" and told her to stop talking nonsense about things that could never happen.  I watched Sedli's countenance completely fall.  She stopped talking, wouldn't make eye contact with us, her shoulders slumped and smile faded, and this beautiful girl walked away.  The life had been sucked out of her, and I was heartbroken.  I wanted to tell her that with God all things are possible.  I wanted to share with her that man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart.  I wanted to tell her all the things that God had shown me through the years, through his Word, but she was gone, and I knew that the village had very little access to the powerful Word of God.

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I came back to the States and began praying for Sedli, that she would find value and hope and promise in Christ.  That is when the seed for the Sedli Project began to sprout.  I knew what God wanted me to tell Sedli, if only God would allow me to find her again.  The next year, as we walked the village I prayed and watched - but no Sedli.  The following year, as I was helping some women at a water pump, I asked if either of them happened to know a Sedli.  One of the women perked up and said, yes, Sedli was her daughter!   This was God's fingerprint that I would pick the very place where Sedli's mama was! The mama ran to get Sedli, and I ran to get the translator.  I knew exactly what God wanted me to tell her.

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When she arrived, she was the same shy, beautiful young lady.  I told her I remembered her and had prayed for her for the last two years.  I told her I remembered that she had wanted to be a doctor, and she sheepishly nodded her head.  Then I said the words God had given me two years earlier: "You may indeed be a physical doctor one day because with God all things are possible, but you can be a doctor right now, this very day, because you can be a doctor of souls, leading others to the Great Healer, Jesus Christ. Sedli, you can be a doctor, one that makes a difference for eternity."  I waited as the translator finished, and I watched a smile slowly spread across her face, and life and hope took over her countenance.  That moment  was the birth of The Sedli Project, empowering women with Truth of Christ.

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I wanted to get the life-giving Word of God into the hands and hearts of women who have little or no access.  I wanted to empower them, value and esteem them, equip them and support them as they, in turn, would take the empowering truth of Christ into their communities.  I wanted to support them in any way I could to share this life-giving, life-changing truth: you are loved by the King, and He will never leave you nor forsake you!

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My prayer is that one day I will run into Sedli again and share with her the impact she has had on countless women across the nations.  Unbeknownst to her, she has indeed become a doctor, a doctor of souls through her namesake, The Sedli Project!

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