Garry Tupek has turned his hobby of making beef jerky into a way to support people living 8,700 miles away.

Garry, also known as Uncle Garry, a member of Our Saviour’s, donates the proceeds from sales of his homemade treat to one of Our Saviour’s mission partners, Vida Humana. Located in Chimoio, Mozambique, Vida Humana provides a range of services for those in need, including food assistance and care and support for those living with HIV/AIDS. This is a ministry of the Lutheran Church of Mozambique.

Garry’s pastime began about 10 years ago, when he began experimenting with different jerky recipes and flavors. “My small batches were usually devoured quickly by family members,” Garry recalled.    

In 2017, Garry brought along his jerky on a mission trip he took to Mozambique with several members of Our Saviour’s.  

“Pastor Brian sampled the jerky during our travels and loved it!” Garry recalled. “He loved it so much, he wanted several Mozambicans to try it. Pastor Brian declared it an ‘instant hit.’ The jerky didn’t last too long on our trip after that!”

After returning, Pastor Brian shared an idea with Garry.  “He was inspired that we could ‘feed people by feeding people’ using my jerky as the means,” Garry said.  “And that was the start of ‘Uncle Garry’s Jerky for Jesus.’” 

With funding from Thrivent Financial for the meat and ingredients, 100% of jerky purchases go directly to Vida Humana.  Each $5 bag provides about 30 adult meals or 60 children’s meals. As of August 2019, we have sold enough jerky to feed over 26,000 children’s meals in Mozambique! 

With your gift, we can feed more people in Mozambique! Thanks for your support!