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| brand new pepper flower! |
What a year! Or ten months. So much has changed at Sun Ministries and in our own lives. Just a reminder that the purpose of this blog is to communicate our experience being missionaries to America, and using urban gardening in that context. So here is what has happened since our last post:
- We dropped the three gardens we were working last year. Why? The biggest reason is that it did not fit the vision. Our vision was to come alongside families and teach them about gardening, while at the same time revealing God's glory through His creation. We also wanted to see the hundreds of vacant lots transformed into vibrant gardens, and no longer being a burden to the city and taxpayers. We ended up taking on three defunct community gardens, containing 32 beds. As the year progressed, it became more and more obvious that this was not the way to go about our vision. We didn't own any of the land. The gardens were massive. They were poorly designed. We lacked some basic tools. And we design the gardens to sustain a family. We weren't engaging the vision that had so moved us. So we let the three organizations who owned the gardens know that we could not continue. Fortunately, two of the gardens are still being utilized. However, we ended the summer with no gardens, but still knowing that this vision had huge potential. It was in God's hands.
- We got a house!!! More specifically, we got a Leadership Center. Not only that, but it is perfect for our needs, and God provided the means to get it. What is the Leadership Center? It is our place of transition and training for Sun Ministries missionaries. In the backyard of the Leadership Center, there is an 8 x 24 foot raised bed. It was there when we got the house. So God provided for the vision. Not only that, but we have the chance to truly walk in the vision - to have a garden near our house that will provide for our family (of nine adult missionaries and a baby).
- We got five other buildings!!! Sun Ministries was donated 5 properties. A house, a five-unit building, a large garage, a three story mixed use building, and a small 2-story building. The amazing thing is that these already had a use in the vision to restore the inner cities before we even thought we would be getting them. So that means we now have tons of rehab work to do. Woo!
- We got married!!! Amy and I (Jason) got married right here in Hyde Park (practically our front yard; you can see the spot when you look out the front window) in May. It's quite a story of us finding our passions in this ministry, and God uniting those passions and bringing us together. We are committed together to be missionaries to America starting (and perhaps ending) in Hyde Park. However, getting married in May is not at all good for planting a garden. We weren't able to plant until early June.
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| cherry tomatoes! |
So now we have growing: tomatoes (cherry and roma), swiss chard, Brussel's sprouts, cucumbers, bell peppers and basil. Zucchini will be on the way soon. We had lettuce but it has since bolted. Amy's mom is planting a garden of flowers and medicinal herbs. Several other missionaries are growing other vegetables and herbs. In fact, everyone was growing stuff when we got back from our honeymoon - everyone but us!
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| swiss chard |
Our garden should be considerably easier to manage. And we will now learn how to plan a garden for a family. And most importantly, we will be able to enjoy our garden. We get to watch it grow, and get a closer view of God's creativity in all He's made.
