Hi Friends,

If you’ve found your way to this fundraiser, you most likely know, love, and have been impacted by our dear Melodie!

For nearly 20 years, Melodie has been a humanitarian worker in North Africa, sharing her life with chosen family and friends there. She has also been sharing her car (among other gifts) with her community for all of those years. If you’ve visited her in North Africa, you’ve likely ridden in her trusty white truck, which she’s dubbed ‘Plain Jane.’ Plain Jane has carried hundreds of people around the countryside in various capacities – sheep transport, beach bus, lunch delivery vehicle, grocery hauler, airport shuttle, and even ambulance a few times. Melodie’s favorite story about Plain Jane involves a baby girl being born in the back seat!

Plain Jane was purchased with donated funds almost 20 years ago, and once she hit 262,000 miles this summer, it came time to sell and raise funds for her replacement.

This car has served so many practical needs, and we have both been personally impacted by Melodie’s generosity with it. If you know anything about her life in North Africa, you know Melodie freely offers rides, errand runs, and even driving lessons to many around her on a daily basis. In a place where women rarely drive and few cars make treks up into the countryside, so much of Melodie’s rural community has depended upon her car alone for transport for day-to-day needs and emergencies.

We know Mel treasures each of you, many of whom have walked with her throughout all of these years. Thank you for your consideration and time reading this message!

Warmly,

Caroline Kimbro Fuhrman and Michelle Bechchar

An added note from Mel: “My friend Marie Brown in Bellingham, Washington spearheaded the raising of money for my now almost 20-year-old truck. I remember her talking to me about the need to be generous and share the use of my vehicle, but also the need to be a good steward of God’s good gifts. As life goes, she died suddenly the same weekend I got the truck. I think she would be proud of all the good deeds that have been accomplished with this well-used, well-loved, well-worn Toyota HIlux.”