hands for the soil

In this month's mission focus I am excited to share about my very special friends Pat and Cheryl serving in Haiti. Pat ran a successful, and award-winning, nursery and landscaping company here in the States. He is very gifted at working the soil, and plants seems to thrive under his care. Cheryl is a nurse with such a loving heart, and is the type of lady you want to run and hug every time you see her. When God called them to Haiti, they were not certain exactly for what purpose, but they knew to simply be obedient.

Pat and Cheryl moved to their home in Haiti and started being themselves: Cheryl caring for the needs of the people around them, and Pat started working the land. Everytime I read an email from them or a blog post, I see how much the Lord is using them on their mountain in Haiti. When God calls someone to a new area of ministry, he doesn't change their gifts: He uses the ones He has already given them.

Pat working the ground soon after they arrived in Haiti.

When they first moved to Haiti, Pat was working the ground where black beans has been planted all over near their home. Now, he has his own garden and puts his hands to do what the Lord has naturally gifted him to do: work the soil and make things grow. Just as a note, to get water to the garden, it has to be put in a bucket lower on the mountain and carried by hand up to their garden. It truly is a lot of work! Following is a bit from his latest post:

This "jarden" just keeps growing, both in size and the plants are growing too.  The onions especially get everyone's attention. They can't believe they are filling out.  They think the soil here is not good enough to grow onions.  I always thought you could grow onions in the driveway!  All I've done different is water them. Today I added another row of carrots.  Seems we can eat them faster than we can grow them.  A local farmer showed me the banana leaf trick.  Plant your seeds and the banana leaves serve as a temporary shade structure until they are big enough to mulch.  The sun is so intense here everything needs some protection until it is established.  And a thick layer of mulch helps keep the soil cooler and moist.  The little nursery is ready for the rain to come too!  I got lots of little trees to plant in the erosion control ridges I've dug across the field behind the house.  Trees for food, animal forage, nitrogen fixers, shade, firewood, leaf mulch and eventually a start on reforesting this barren place.  I have my plans for growing things here, and really believe that this is part of what we've been called here to do.  But the bigger part is just doing it and letting people notice that it can be done and it's not really that hard or expensive. We are starting to get  opportunities to teach how others can grow their own produce plus some for sale without investing a lot more than time and energy. 

The "jarden" with banana leaves.

Another view of the garden.

I just love these people dearly. They truly have a heart to follow the Lord and reach the people around them. Pat and Cheryl are not only teaching their people in Haiti about Jesus, but they are teaching them a better, more sustainable way of life.