This month we worked on the little farm in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Our ministry hosts, John and Heidi started this farm to give children a safe place to come learn, heal and receive the love of Christ. They currently are working with an anti human trafficking organization called destiny rescue. They rescue under aged girls out of the sex trade, give them a safe place to heal, hear about Jesus and learn life skills. The last Friday of the month, we planted different vegetables with them and learned how to make fertilizer.
This month we weeded pineapples, built mud huts, planted peanuts, milked goats, ate lunch on the floor of a bamboo hut, had a beauty for ashes retreat for ministry volunteers and played games with children in a hill tribe every other Saturday.
This month the lord has been taking me through a lot of healing which has made this month difficult for me, but I also have a more intimate relationship with Jesus.
The first day of ministry was actually very memorable for me. I asked the Lord that morning what he had for me that day? He said, I’m going to speak to you through ministry. Our very first job on the farm was weeding pineapples. I began searching for pineapples. At first, they were very hard to find because of all the weeds.. Once I knew what they looked like, I could see the difference between the leaves of the fruit and the weeds that surrounded them. I had a hoe in my hand and I began cutting out all the weeds that surrounded the pineapples which left nothing but the soil that was helping them grow and the leaves of the fruit visible. Then the Lord began speaking to me. this is what I’m doing in your life, Jamie. I’m cutting away all of the weeds from your life, so all that’s visible is the fruit. I love when he speaks to me like this because I’m a very visual person. He always makes everything so simple to understand, which he did in the bible when he used parables to help us see the deeper meaning.
John 15:1-2““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
As I fall more in love with Jesus, my desires become his desires. As I realize that his heart for me is freedom and Love, I long to lay at his feet whatever is keeping me from knowing him more.
It’s this love that brings hope, restoration, freedom and truth into our brokenness. Even through the most painful and difficult circumstances, He is faithful to us. It doesn’t mean everything will be easy, but we have a good father who wants to go through the messy stuff with us.
