Bringing Sustainability

If you had told me ten years ago that I would be able to identify several different patterns of fly-fishing hooks, I would have said that you were crazy. As a little girl, my dad took my sister and me trout fishing every year. We survived it, but I wouldn\’t say we looked forward to it any more than we looked forward to having our knotty hair brushed. We would get up early and drive for what felt like forever to the bait and tackle store to get worms and bobbers, then proceed to the creek or stream we would sit at for the next million hours of the day. At least it felt like a million hours waiting for a fish to bite at the worm or the canned corn we slid on to the hook. Fishing wasn\’t fun for me then — instead, it was an opportunity to hang out with my dad and sister and enjoy their company.

I still don\’t love fishing, and I\’m not touching any worms on purpose. However, I find these tiny hooks wrapped in materials to resemble a bug fascinating. My understanding of fly fishing is, at best, surface level and consists of the basics, but after helping out with GBFF for several years in our US office, I have learned more about these little flies than I ever thought possible. I can tell you about the sizing, I can identify a handful of patterns on my own without any help from Google, and I can count out dozens of them super-fast. I know you have to practice fly fishing a lot to catch something, and I understand it has a lot to do with casting those little bug imposter hooks quickly above the water, so the fish think they are real. I still get hung up on the idea that our Creator made fish smart enough that we have to work so hard to catch them.

In 2016, Geppert Brothers Fly Fishing Foundation was born, creating a quality product to create a better quality of life. GBFF was launched as a microeconomic development business to bring sustainability and prosperity to Cambodia. As the foundation was established, the Geppert family was intentional about building it in a way that it could give back specifically to children who grew up in one of the New Hope for Orphans children\’s homes and who need scholarships for university. Sam and Matt Geppert share a passion for serving Jesus, a deep desire to see Cambodia changed by the Gospel, and a love for fly fishing. I\’ve enjoyed serving GBFF alongside the two of them, and I\’m so proud of their dedication to this work.

Today, 14 fly-tiers have mastered the artisan craft of creating flies. Together they make 20,000 flies each month with the most intricate detail. Until now, those flies went from Banteay Meanchey Cambodia to the United States, where they would exclusively end up in fly shops along the Madison River in Montana or the mailboxes of faithful monthly fly box subscribers.

This month we are preparing to re-launch GBFF with a new sales distribution plan that will allow us to sell flies directly to fly fishers themselves.

We believe that through this new avenue, we will see the mission of GBFF come to pass, and it will multiply both in Cambodia and around the globe.

Please join us in praying for God to continue guiding GBFF, for Him to bless the hands who tie these flies every day, for the young adults within NHO who will soon receive a scholarship from GBFF for university, and for this microeconomic development initiative to continue to multiply both in Cambodia and in the nations.

We believe that we will see the Kingdom come through, even just one fly at a time!

GET INVOLVED

PRAY

Pray for the 14 Cambodian GBFF team members to provide a model of how Christ-centered businesses can release righteousness and positively impact their nation.

GIVE

Consider being one of 35 to commit to giving $100 per month over the next 18 months to reach our goal of financial sustainability throughout Cambodia by 2023.

GO

Are you passionate to see the gospel spread through business? Visit seapc.org/kingdomfirst to learn how to engage and equip emerging business leaders in the nations.