The
second band-aid is stationed quite beautifully on the top of my right
foot. I happened to leave a good
chunk of my skin on the side of a small mountain on the farm. I wish I could say the reason I fell
had to do with a large lion charging me (I am currently reading The Chronicles of Narnia and find my
thoughts resting on lions as of late).
But sadly, no, my reason for falling up the mountain was simply that I
slipped on some leaves; apparently hiking while wearing flip-flops is not a
wise thing to do.
And
since I have left part of myself on the farm, it is only fair that I describe
to you, my faithful readers and supporters (thank you oh so much), the farm and
what my team will be doing this month.
As briefly mentioned in my previous blog, the farm is an incredible,
large piece of land that boasts a small mountain, a few little ponds, banana,
mango and lime trees, amongst other incredible things including a scenery that
was described as coming straight from the latest Pride and Prejudice movie. In other words, it is a beautiful
place where many teenagers, such as Cristofer (continue praying for him
please!), have found a safe haven from the lives they currently live.
Some
will come to stay for a day, a week, a month, or even indefinitely. The farm is a place for love, laughter,
peace, hard work, and learning of the Father’s love from a man who loves
deeply, Tony. Both Tony and his
wife give of themselves every moment of every day to these boys who respect
them more than I thought possible.
Tony has made it clear, he does not call the time he spends in Los
Pinos, the community the boys are from, “ministry” nor does he call the time
the boys spend on the farm ministry.
No, instead, he simply calls it life. Tony has made the conscious decision to constantly be
seeking after God and serving His children by simply loving and helping
relentlessly; not on an 8 to 5 basis.
What a lesson this has been for me to learn what ministry is! For some reason I have come to see
ministry as something I can turn on and off, but am learning that ministry
never is truly turned off. In
fact, ministry is a work used to describe something that we, as believers, should
never stop doing. My ministry does
not stop when I leave the church doors or a home after door-to-door. No, my ministry does not stop because
my life does not stop.
Well,
now that I have stepped off of my soapbox, I would love to tell you what life
will tentatively (leaving the proper room for the possibility of change) will
look like this month of April. Our
main focus is the boys. Henry
lives on the farm and is an eighteen-year-old Christian who seeks to be
discipled and aid in helping the other boys from his community. Christopher will be staying with us for
the month, read blog numbero uno for details pertaining to him. There are several other boys and the
possibility of a few girls that will come for several days a week. I am yet to meet many of them, but
cannot wait to! We are also
spending time sprucing the farm up.
This will include the addition of a tire swing, a lot of painting,
building a garden (with the boys so that they can have a means of food,
discipline, and so much Biblical stuff rapped in that project), and a few other
odds and ends. I am coming to
learn that the most powerful thing I will be doing this month is interceding on
the boys’ behalf (which is something you can join me in!).
Ironically, band-aid two is keeping me from being able to wear any shoes other then my Old Navy flip flops. Looks like I will be doing more hiking with them!
