A SEASON OF PREPARATION

As we stand in the thick heat of summer, some things sit quiet on the farm (except the lawn mowers and weed eaters!) Some garden rows sit bare with no blooms, no fruit, no green popping through the soil just yet. But underneath that surface? There is movement.

We are in a sacred season of preparation, both in our garden and in our hearts.

Before the first seed is sown, before the first harvest can even be imagined, there’s work that must be done. The soil must be cleared, nourished, and prepared.  The weeds, some visible, some hidden, must be dealt with. Compost is added, rows are mapped, and irrigation is checked. To the untrained eye, it looks like nothing. But to a gardener, it’s everything.

The same is true in the Kingdom.

We are currently in a preparation period in our ministry. It may not come with exciting headlines, but we know God is tilling the soil of our hearts. He’s clarifying his vision. Uprooting things we didn’t know we were tangled in. Teaching us how to steward time, family, and calling in deeper ways.

We’re preparing to go again. To say yes to long-term missions. To plant ourselves for the long haul. As 2026 approaches and a new year unfolds, the Lord is stirring in our hearts to go to Africa, the Philippines, and Costa Rica.

We are exploring the idea of what we are calling “Micro-Farming” and how small things could make a big impact in the nations. We are developing a plan for micro-farms that are productive, small, and easily replicable.

But right now, we’re learning not to despise the hidden seasons because the roots grow first. You can’t see them, but they matter most.

So friend, if you’re in a season where nothing seems to be breaking through the surface, don’t lose heart. Preparation is progress. And just like our fall garden, when the time comes, fruit will spring forth in abundance because the ground was made ready.

We’re honored you’re walking this journey with us. Your prayers, your encouragement, and your support are part of this preparation, too. Let’s not skip the season that makes the harvest possible.

Joy in the Unseen

This past month, we had the absolute joy of welcoming a group of students from the School of the Blind to the farm, and their visit left a lasting mark on our hearts. Their joy, the kind that bubbles up not from what’s seen, but from what’s felt, touched, tasted, and breathed in, was something to behold. With their hands deep in soil, the sweetness of peaches on their tongues, and the fragrance of fresh herbs in the air, they reminded us of something profound: there is beauty in the unseen. So often, those of us with sight forget to fully experience what’s around us. But that day, we saw the farm through a new lens —one of wonder and gratitude.

May we never lose our wonder.

That day on the farm was a holy reminder that the most extraordinary things aren’t always visible to the eye. Wonder is found in the warmth of the sun on your face, the scent of basil crushed between your fingers, the burst of a ripe fig on your tongue, and the laughter shared over tomatoes still warm from the vine. These students showed us that beauty isn’t limited to what we see; it lives in what we experience, what we feel, and what we cherish.

May we slow down. May we press in, and may we never, ever, lose our wonder.