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How It All Began…

2016 is the beginning of our 7th year in South Africa and it is also the year that we are due to return to North America in April for a 5 month home assignment. As we complete our second 3 year term in South Africa, some of you may be interested in the story of how we found ourselves in South Africa pursuing Farming God’s Way.

It all began in Calgary with a thought and a dream. Dan wrote this in July 2009:

What’s a busy worship pastor doing spending time and energy on missions to South Africa?

A good question. The answer is both theological and deeply personal. On the theological side, it’s clear that worship that is done out of habit or (even worse) a sense of duty isn’t true worship at all. It’s our heart that God is after. Love  the Lord your God with all your heart…

I won’t go into a full theology of worship, but the other side of love is that it’s an action. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching,” Jesus said (John 14:23). And we know God’s heart for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the oppressed. In fact, true believers are those who feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, invite the stranger in, clothe the naked, and look after those who are sick or in prison (Matt. 25:41-46).

How many hungry people have I fed? Not many. How many thirsty tongues have a quenched? Few. How many strangers have I welcomed? I can’t think of any. I’ve done some hospital visitation, and I did prison ministry – once.

Singing great songs to God on Sunday doesn’t cut it. My life needs to be an expression of gratitude for what God has done. And, I might be almost ready to join the front lines of people that are making a difference to some who are among the poorest and most oppressed on the planet.

And so we uprooted our lives in a big way.

In January 2010, Dan wrote:

At the same time, there is a deep, exciting anticipation. Is it a coincidence that the first day of a new decade was also the first day of our new life? As I learn about myself, I’m becoming more aware of my desire for adventure. As we embark on this adventure, I must admit I’m rather intrigued with the unknown. I know just enough about South Africa in general and the Zulu people in particular to know I don’t have much of a clue, but I’m thrilled that, in a few short days, I’ll be immersed in a whole new world as a learner of a foreign language, culture, history and way of life. Our purpose is to be conduits of Christ’s love, hope and grace to a desperate area, but our posture in doing so is humility and enhancing human dignity. And I’m looking forward to the challenge of discerning, with others there, how best to do that. 2010 promises to be an unforgettable year!

It became clear almost right from the beginning of our time in South Africa that agriculture and food security was a theme that God kept highlighting. God drew us to South Africa and then started to reveal how He wanted us to invest ourselves. Dan writes in August 2010:

Celebration Time: We ran our first Farming God’s Way training course, and graduated 5 people. Not a huge class, but a significant start. Of greater significance is that we planted our demonstration plot, which will become a billboard to the community of the kind of results they can expect if they follow through on what we’re teaching. And, since wrapping up the course, we’ve had a number of people from the community asking us to run the course again. As a result, we’re running the course next week, on Wednesday and Thursday.

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In those first 2 years in South Africa, Dan learned as much as he could about Farming God’s Way while having a heavy administrative load at Seed of Hope. The absolute highlight of that time was being invited to join an accreditation process through Farming God’s Way. This process took us to Lesotho in September of 2011 where Dan successfully fulfilled all the requirements for full Trainer Accreditation. Dan writes,

So the pressure was on! Every evening I prepared for whatever I would be training on the next day – a foundational biblical principal such as God’s all sufficiency, a technical topic such as the benefits of not plowing and utilizing a heavy mulch cover, or a management key such as doing everything on time and to a high standard.

The culmination of any Farming God’s Way training is the planting of a training garden – the learners doing on a small scale exactly what we taught, and what we want to see them do on a field scale on their farms. As Primary Mentee, it fell to me to direct the group in this practical component – incorporating all of the theory on a practical level.

Actually, I had fun. It’s a great joy empowering farmers in their learning of achieving high yields with less cost, all the while improving the soil and increasing the soil profile – in contrast to the high rates of sheet and gully erosion we too often see in Africa in general, and Lesotho in particular.

 

 

Later in 2011 Dan wrote more about his dreams for extending the influence of Farming God’s Way:

Farming God’s Way has been described as the gospel with boots on. And that’s how it feels – bringing God’s ways, His freedom, and his abundance to those living in slavery, doubt and fear – with boots on to help in practical ways. Teaching how God can provide abundantly as we’re faithful with what we have in our hand – a hoe and some seed.

The whole experience has helped us evaluate our own FGW program at SOH, reinforcing the necessity of getting practical support and ongoing training to where the people in their fields, once they’ve learned the theory in a FGW training at SOH. We hope to launch phase 2 of our farming training at Seed of Hope by the end of 2012, adding extension training to what we’re already doing. Please be in prayer with us, and for us as we prayerfully plan and prepare.

This is the story of how it all began. Fast forward 2010 to 2016, from a worship pastor to agriculture trainer, God’s ways certainly are surprising. It is incredibly rewarding to know that practically we are empowering people with the skills and knowledge to feed their families. To see people begin to thrive in the knowledge of God’s personal provision for them is truly awe inspiring. We pray and wonder what the next 6 years will bring in following this developing movement. We invite you to join us in this exciting adventure.

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