A few thoughts on...What does planting have to do with the church?

Is the idea of using agriculture and development as a platform for sharing the gospel scriptural? When I was the senior intern at ECHO, we spent a few weeks looking at all the parables and stories that Jesus taught with that incorporated some aspect of agriculture. There are dozens! And the people he was talking to could relate to the spiritual application because they understood the physical one.

James 2:16 says, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If you one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Matthew 25:40, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Have any of you ever been really hungry? I think it’s interesting to note that Jesus didn’t say, “For when I was hungry, you preached to me.” The gospel is not just words but deeds as well. Isaiah 58:6-7, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked to clothe him?”

Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” which is sometimes translated, “My people perish for lack of vision.” Poverty often is due to a lack of knowledge, but God has given us all sufficiency in Christ. 2 Corinthians 9:8-10, “…so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” A farming method developed in Africa (from God’s pattern) called Farming God’s Way, involves the training of the rural poor of Africa, equipping them to realize the God given potential of the land. The Word of God is coupled with agricultural skills to bring about the Harvest in righteousness & faithful stewardship.

NO technology will be able to break the curse of poverty – both Word and deed
Acknowledge God - 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Bring in the Tithes and Offerings - Malachi 3 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me, in your tithes & offerings.”
Sowing bountifully with joy - 2 Corinthians 9:6 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

God works through the weak things of this world. “A 70 year-old widow in Malawi took the sowing and reaping principle to heart and put it into practice. She was very poor, couldn’t afford fertilizer and didn’t have animals for manure, so she went and dug the soil from the anthills (termite mounds) and placed that in the bottom of the planting holes. She did very well from her small garden and was very proud of her achievements. She was only able to sow a little but she nevertheless sowed and God was faithful to her according to His promise and she received the increase. Compared to her neighbouring farmers, who sowed nothing, they got absolutely nothing. I stand amazed at how much God cares for the sparrows.”

Check out the Farming God's Way link on the right to read more.

The God Who Knows Us By Name

My time in Colorado during the debriefing and renewal program was definitely one of renewal. I felt like I met with God there and heard him speak his love over me. I think the fact that I had to slow down and just be, opened me up to his voice, which is ever inviting me to be with him. One of the things that became impressed on my heart during the week is when I felt God whisper to me, "I have loved you with an everlasting love", something a lover would say to his beloved. I couldn't remember where the verse was, so I was planning to look it up but didn't have a concordance. The next morning during devotional, the facilitator read Isaiah 31:3, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." It was like God was reaffirming what I heard the day before, and I was drawn to him more and more as the week progressed. I have been overwhelmed by the pressure to raise support and the idea that I have to be worthy of people supporting me; I totally missed the fact that he takes pleasure in me. One of the ladies I talked with encouraged me to think about any illusions or distorted concepts I have of God and to ask him to bring truth to those places; truth about himself, truth about me, truth about others. The debriefing process was powerful, but the time I spent with the Lord was what I needed more than anything. There is a lot of transformation that needs to take place in my heart and I don't want to leave that place of wanting transformation. Please pray with me that I will surrender all to Him!

Mission work: Processing required

March 1-6 I attended the Debriefing and Renewal program at MTI (Mission Training International). DAR is a one-week program designed to help missionaries and families debrief their past experiences and adjust to the next transition, whether that is furlough or moving back to the States. For me it was a time to process what I experienced the past 2 years in Cambodia so I can go back to Cambodia with a refreshed perspective. I was also able to process some of the re-entry shock of being back in the United States! The program took place at a Christian retreat Center in the Black Forest, so it was beautiful and really a place that I felt I could relax and be refreshed. I took walks on the trails and had some good conversations with the Lord. At first, it was really hard for me to relax and have free time, but it turned out to be just what I needed.

Our facilitators had all been missionaries overseas full-time, so they could understand a lot of what we all are going through. There were 23 adults in the program and we were split into 2 smaller groups for the week. During the morning sessions, we talked about life on the mission field, including where we are right now, the stresses (I didn't realize how much stress I had until we started listing everything, from little things like unreliable electricity to theft to death of a family member), the transition bridge of going from settled to unsettled to chaos to resettled to settled and what happens during each of those stages, and then soul care (seeking balance and rhythm in life).

One of the main themes during the week was the idea of paradox which are seemingly contradictory statements, both of which are true (like, the pain of what it cost and the joy of seeing God work!).

In the afternoon we each had a one-on-one meeting with one of the facilitators for 45 min to talk about personal experiences and issues. The rest of the afternoon was free, so that was my reading/walk time. I met some AMAZING people, even another former ECHO intern who has been working with moringa in Burkina Faso! Altogether, the program was really beneficial and I feel ready for the next step. If you know of any missionaries returning from the field, I would highly recommend they go through this program!

Down in Florida...

In between missionary programs in Colorado, I was able to spend a week down in Ft. Myers studying at ECHO and spending time with supporters. I also briefly stopped in at my mission agency, NMSI. This was most likely my last time to FL before I go back to Cambodia.

The nursery manager at ECHO graciously did some avocado grafting with me (we collected scion, or budwood, and then grafted them onto small seedlings) so I could get more experience. I also joined the interns one afternoon during their training about how to teach about vegetable gardening, which was interesting after being overseas and doing just that! I also spent time studying in the library (ECHO has lots of great resources) about cover crops and other topics. Another former intern, Rachel Cohen, who has been working in Peru for the past 2 years, was also at ECHO, so we were both able to share with the staff and volunteers during lunch one day about our work overseas. What a blessing to share with the ECHO family! I didn't have to explain about what moringa is because they all know. =) It's always good to go back to ECHO even though it is always changing.

I got to catch up with lots of friends and supporters and it was a huge blessing. My body enjoyed the warmer weather, too! Then it was back to Colorado for the Debriefing and Renewal (DAR) program at MTI...