Impact Updates from Around the World - July
Take a quick trip around the world with us and catch a glimpse of what God is doing through One Collective communities.
Finding His Voice with the Wheaton Symphony Orchestra
Years before Adam stood alongside the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra, someone chose to listen to his story.
Adam, who performs under the stage name Benza, first connected with The Jungle, One Collective's community center in Cowley, a low-income neighborhood tucked within the affluent city of Oxford. The Jungle exists to create a place where people are welcomed without judgment, encouraged to discover their God-given gifts, and reminded that they are deeply loved by God. Through years of friendship with Catalyst Lola Chapman and the team, Adam found a community where he could continue his recovery journey, grow in confidence, and discover that his story mattered.
A gifted poet and rap artist, Adam wrote a spoken-word piece called Changed Man to celebrate his graduation from a local recovery program. When asked how long it had taken him to write, his response captured the depth of his journey: "Two hours... plus a whole lifetime before."
In 2024, Lola shared Adam's story while speaking to students at Wheaton College. The students were so moved that when the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra toured England this spring, they chose to make an unexpected stop at The Jungle. They composed original music to accompany Adam's performance before joining him again later that evening at St. Andrew's Church for an evening of worship, C.S. Lewis reflections, and stories of life change.
The concerts were unforgettable, but they weren't the miracle.
The miracle was years of faithful relationships that helped Adam discover his identity, his gifts, and the confidence to share his story. As Benza stood surrounded by the orchestra, it was clear this was more than a performance. It was a celebration of God's redeeming work through a community that chose to walk alongside one man with patience, hope, and the love of Jesus.
Your partnership makes stories like Adam's possible. By investing in local leaders and places like The Jungle, you're helping create communities where people are known before they are applauded, restored before they are celebrated, and empowered to use their God-given gifts to inspire others.
Click Here to watch Benza perform "Changed Man” with the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra
When One Gift Keeps Giving in Nicaragua
For more than 10 years, One Collective Nicaragua has partnered with One Egg to provide protein-rich breakfasts to children in the rural community of Masatepe. Today, the program serves 90 preschool through sixth-grade students, helping ensure they begin each school day with the nourishment they need to learn and grow.
For many of these children, an egg represents far more than a healthy breakfast. It provides consistent nutrition that supports their physical development, the stability of knowing someone cares for them, and a tangible reminder that they are deeply loved by God and by people around the world who believe in their future.
This year, the flock of 922 laying hens reached the end of its peak egg-laying season. But thanks to God's provision and the generosity of faithful partners, the story didn't end there.
Together, generous supporters gave $10,000, unlocking a $10,000 matching grant to purchase a new flock of 1,000 chicks. Because of their generosity, the One Egg program will continue uninterrupted for the children who depend on it.
Meanwhile, the original flock began a new chapter.
Rather than being sold, the hens were dispersed throughout the community, where they will continue to live as pollos de patio—"backyard chickens." Over the coming months, they will continue laying eggs and providing nourishment for 249 individuals and families across Masatepe.
What faithfully served children in local schools is now strengthening households throughout the community.
This is the kind of multiplication we celebrate at One Collective. Your generosity didn't simply replace a flock of hens—it created a new one while extending the blessing of the original flock to hundreds more people. Through your partnership, local leaders continue demonstrating the love of Jesus in practical ways that strengthen families and build healthier communities.
And the story is still unfolding.
As the new flock grows, so does the vision. In 2027, the One Collective team in Masatepe hopes to expand the One Egg program into five additional schools, increasing the number of children receiving a protein-rich breakfast every school day from 90 to 255.
Thank you to everyone who invested in this ministry. Because of your generosity, children are receiving the nutrition they need to thrive, families are being strengthened, and the love of Jesus continues to spread throughout the community—one egg, one family, and one child at a time.
Seeing Image Bearers in Zambia
For years, One Collective Catalyst Ben faithfully invested in relationships in the community of Chibolya. One of those relationships was with Bornface, the team's Director of Security. Together they worked through When Helping Hurts, exploring how the gospel restores our relationships with God, ourselves, others, and creation. Ben was laying a foundation that would one day multiply far beyond anything he could have imagined.
Shortly before Ben and his family left Zambia for a season, Bornface felt God prompting him to begin meeting with a small group of men who were often dismissed as drunks, addicts, and troublemakers. As they studied Scripture together, the Holy Spirit transformed Bornface's own perspective.
"I can't call them junkies anymore," he said. "They are image bearers, created in the image of God."
That simple shift changed everything.
Trust began to grow. The weekly gathering expanded into a Bible study, then into a village savings group, and eventually into a locally owned shoe manufacturing business that is expected to launch in a few weeks. Today, the men continue meeting each week for both discipleship and business accountability.
This story isn't just about a new business. It's about multiplication. Ben invested in Bornface. Bornface is now investing in other men. Those men are becoming leaders, husbands, fathers, and entrepreneurs who are strengthening their families and community.
Your partnership makes this possible. By equipping local leaders, you're helping create lasting transformation that continues to multiply. One Life. One Community. One Collective.
These are just a few snapshots of what God is doing across the globe. Thanks so much for reading!
Lindsey Vanzant
Global Giving Advisor
Lindsey serves as the Global Giving Advisor for One Collective, where her primary focus is to coach financial supporters by connecting their goals, experiences and passions to the work God is doing on the front lines in communities where One Collective serves around the world.
Prior to joining One Collective, Lindsey spent 15 years in various business development and account management roles with Rubbermaid Commercial Products where she most recently led the healthcare division. For the past 11 years, Lindsey has led a local ministry support group for young moms with unplanned pregnancies alongside her local church.
Lindsey lives in Indiana with her husband and four children and loves to travel, explore new places, meet new people, cheer on Hoosier basketball, grow flowers, and spend time with family and friends.