Well, I cannot believe the time has come for me to close Catalyst Pops for its first season.  The Lord has blessed this endeavor more than I could have ever hoped.  I am so thankful to every individual who supported me and this beautiful mission.  My soul rejoices when I reflect on all that has been accomplished.  It overwhelms me to announce that Catalyst Pops will be sending $2,620 to World Help.  The money will be directly used to provide clean water to people all across the globe.  Over 170 lives will be saved through this one mission, this one summer.  How He exceeds our expectations!

"May we find ourselves awake and doing a world of good." - Noel Yeatts

I may not be doing a world of good, but I know I am now fully awake.

Dipping and decorating my final summer pop!

My last Catalyst Pops package of the summer!

I don't even know where to start!  Today, I journeyed to Hawesville, KY to make a Catalyst Pops delivery.  A sweet friend of mine wanted to support my mission by seeking out friends and family to place orders.  At first, I was concerned due to the drive, time, and gas money.  Would enough orders be placed for the trip to even be worth it?  I forgot my God was a big God.  I forgot He likes to surprise His children.  I forgot the power of generosity.  Today, I made a simple three hour road trip to deliver 575 cake pops!  My, how many lives will be saved because of this friend's willingness to be His servant and because of the giving spirits of dozens of strangers.  Through this mission project, people have amazed me.  More than anything, my God has amazed me!

Ephesians 3:20 - "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory..."

Amazed.  Thankful.  Inspired.  These are the words that come to mind when I reflect on the past several weeks.  It saddens me to think that I will be taking a break from Catalyst Pops in one single month.  I have so enjoyed this incredible journey I have walked with the Lord this summer.  This adventure has brought me smiles, laughs, and tears.  It has been a whirlwind of excitement!  I am beyond grateful for the support of so many different individuals.  He is good all the time.  All the time, He is good!  I just finished creating my CCP (Catalyst Cake Pops) August calendar.  Lots still lies ahead!  I'm excited to finish out this season of Catalyst Pops strong.  Soon, I will begin a time of reflection, prayer, and planning for the future of this mission.  For now, I will give my all to these final few weeks knowing that I will significantly miss these moments.  Such moments are saving lives.  Such moments are making a difference.  Such moments are changing the world.

"You see, I believe we have a choice.  We can choose to be safe and lead a really boring life.  Or we can choose to lead a life of significance - a life that takes risk for the sake of changing the world."  Noel Yeatts

Oh, how the Lord has blessed my risk.

What an exciting day!  I woke up this morning to deliver my very first Catalyst Cake Pops orders.  God is moving in a mighty way.  I am so thankful for friends and family who share my vision and passion for this misson.  All that has been accomplished in this short amount of time would not be possible without my God and such incredible support from fellow believers.  He amazes me always.  I pray that throughout this entire journey I will never fail to take in the amazement of His work.  I look forward to what the rest of this summer holds for Catalyst Pops.  Thank you to everyone who has placed an order.  You truly have played a part in saving a life.  For that, the Lord will bless you!

A mega Catalyst Cake Pops bake day occurred just a few short days ago.  250 cake pops were rolled in one day!  Some were rolled to fill family orders while others were rolled to be displayed at my brother's high school graduation party.  Although it took several hours, I had a blast!  The oak displays were made by my boyfriend, Paul Taylor.  Any party, shower, and event orders will be accompanied by oak stands for display purposes.  Summer is officially here!  Therefore, Catalyst Pops orders are now being accepted.  Our summer goal is to raise $1,000 to provide clean, safe water to dying people around the globe!  Please prayerfully consider supporting the mission of Catalyst Pops.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?"  And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”  Matthew 25:35-40

Where do I even begin?  I returned from Ghana, Africa one week ago today.  Although it is nice to be back home in the beautiful USA, there are so many things I miss about the country of Ghana.  Out of everything, I miss the smiles most.  I have never seen such beautiful expressions of joy.  Even in their extremely poor conditions, the children overflow with pure happiness!

 

 

Buried deep within me, the mission of Catalyst Pops journeyed to Africa.  During my adventures, the Lord continued to reassure my plan to kick-off Catalyst Pops once I returned home.  I know with everything in me that He is calling me to awaken Americans to the desperate needs of the surrounding world.  He is calling me to be the voice of the sufferers far away.  He is calling me to be the voice of the thirsty. 

 

How the Lord works never fails to amaze me.  During one of our days in Ghana, our team took a short 5 1/2 hour drive to the African village of Hodzo Wodome.  The poverty I witnessed at this village was unfathomable.  It was so difficult for me to grasp the reality that humans actually live in such an environment.  I was given the opportunity to pump water from a well for the villagers.  Never would I have imagined getting to do something on this specific trip that directly aligned with the mission of Catalyst Pops.  Out of all the amazing experiences I had in Ghana, nothing compared to using my arm strength to provide clean, fresh water to Ghanaians within the African bush.  This is exactly what Catalyst Pops supports.  This is where my heart lies!

 

 

 

Now that I have kissed the faces, heard the voices, touched the hands, there is nothing holding me back from dedicating my time, energy, and effort to saving the lives of those around this world. 

 

"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal."  Albert Pine

 

Do something immortal.  Place a Catalyst Pops order and save a life today! 

 

 

 

  My dearest friend is graduating college this weekend.  I cannot believe how fast time travels.  It truly is incredible.  For one of her graduation gifts, I made a batch of Haiti pops.  She will be receiving 20 cake pops and a slip of paper stating that $15 was donated in her name.  So, not only will she be left with some sweet treats, but she will be left knowing that the donation provided someone in this world with 20 years of clean drinking water!  A life was restored through this one gift.  How exciting this time of baking was for me!  After months of planning and praying, I was finally able to create a fully complete Catalyst Cake Pop package!

 

I will be on a plane headed to Africa in three days!  I am beyond excited to begin this journey!  Meeting some of the children and families that I hope to serve through this mission project will be something that I know will strengthen my faith and courage.  May I be your hands and feet, Lord.

 

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."  Hebrews 13:16

 

May we never forget to simply do good and share.

 

Over this Easter break, I further planned for the start of Catalyst Pops.  With the help of Colton, my baking assistant, I tested my Uganda Pop.  This pop is a sweet lemon cake with a white chocolate coating.  It is quite the refreshing treat!  Recently, I was reading in the book of Ruth.  Ruth was a woman of boldness.  She stepped out in her faith.  She leaped into the unknown, and the Lord blessed her as a result.  Although I do not know what the future of Catalyst Pops looks like, I desire to be bold and faithful similar to Ruth.  I could feel the Lord calling me to take the next step for this mission.  In obedience, I placed orders for hundreds of business cards, cake pop sticks, and baggies.  Currently, I am waiting to speak with the health department to discuss food licensing and such.  Taking all of these steps makes me all the more excited for June!  I cannot wait to begin doing the work He has called me to!  May I be bold.  May you be bold. 

This weekend I experimented with the Nepal Pop.  The Nepal Pop is a chocolate fudge cake with a milk chocolate coating.  Thanks to my family and friends, I had many taste-testers!  It's exciting to dream about the future of Catalyst Pops.  I am grateful that He will lead me on this new beautiful journey.  Oh, how sweet this is!  May I be your hands, Lord.

The Mission

Every 20 seconds a child dies from poor sanitation conditions. Two million deaths from unsafe drinking water occur every year. Albert Einstein once said, "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." May we do something. Today. Now. The mission of Catalyst Pops is to restore lives one pop at a time! Through your generosity, you can save a life. For an average of $15, a person can be given access to clean water for 20 years. 100% of the profit from Catalyst Pop orders are directly donated to provide safe water to impoverished communities around the world. Water is the catalyst that changes everything for the poor. Water enhances education, increases safety, spikes crop production, improves health, and provides the opportunity to share about the Living Water. You can make a difference. Consider placing a Catalyst Pop order today!

Abby Harnack,
Catalyst Pops Organizer