missing home

So far my time in America has felt a bit surreal, kind of like a vacation, kind of like a furlow, kind of like an adventure. But it hasn't felt like home. I have enjoyed the slow pace life of rural Michigan and the new experiences of farming. I have enjoyed the time with family and the time to decompress from urban living. But it is not home. Actually, I have been missing home. I have been missing my friends and spiritual community. I have been missing the sights, sounds, and smells of Amsterdam. The city, though foreign, was my home and I am missing it. As I sit here I can hear the trams. I can smell the canals. I can feel the wind upon my face while riding my bike. I can see the diversity of faces walking through the streets. I can taste fresh bread and cheese. As I sit here I remember the laughter of friends, walking to the market with the kids, talking to people at Zolder50, and eating apple tart with Eric. It is strange to think we are not returning to Amsterdam. It feels like its about time to go home...

fruits of the labor

been harvesting.... turnips, onions, collard greens, swiss chard, radishes, lettuce, and spinach

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

catching up

Been lagging on my blog posts...

Here is a brief update.

A week ago Lindy and I visited Asheville, NC. It is a possibility we may move there in the fall. We are exploring partnering with a local church with the goal to do outreach and church planting amongst Asheville's new age/environmentalist population. Asheville is a small mecca for new agers and neo-hippies. It is kind of like the Bolder, CO of the East.

After that my Dad, brother, and I went fishing in Canada. We caught some nice fish. As well as got some black fly bites... The pic is my dad holding up a pike my bro caught.

At the farm we had our first harvest week. We harvested spinach and radishes. Been cleaning lots of yummy spinach...

I also butchered my first chicken. I've been wanting to learn how to butcher a chicken for a number of years. For two reasons really. One, to know how to clean a bird. You never know when that skill may come in handy. Two, to better understand where my food comes from and how it goes from a living creature to my dinner table. I wanted to experience what it is like to take the life of the animal I have eaten all my life.

That's my quick update.

church in rural michigan

I like this picture - a pristen church with pickups out front. This is church in Rural Michigan. The church to the right is a Christian Reformed church in the town of Ellsworth. It's the church we have been attending. The format is very traditional, but the messages are meaty. The pastor and his family ministered ten years in Tawain and six years in the Phillipians. Funny how we've met international missionaries in rural America.

It is also funny that Ellsworth is historicaly a Dutch founded community. The church originally had its services in Dutch! It's still attended by many people with Dutch ansestry. We can't seem to get away from those Dutches... :)

playing for change

This is smooth!

planting

Been planting... planting potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and lettuce. Here I am on the potato planter. Below that is Ryan pulling the potato planter.

After we planted the plants belonging to the Brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts) we had to collar the plants. Meaning we had to put cardboard tubes (pieces of toilet paper roll) around the plants to keep the "cut worm" from getting them.

As I was placing the toilet paper rolls over the plants (I was doing this on my hands and knees for about two hours) I was thinking about spiritual metaphors.

I thought about how planting requires a person to be on their knees. Then I thought about sowing God's Word and how it requires us to be on our knees, in prayer.

I thought about the young plants susceptibility to the "cut worm". Then I thought about young Christians and young churches susceptibility to spiritual worms. Worms such as pride, disunity, unbelief, and lust.

I thought about the toilet paper rolls role as a protective barrier to the worm. Then I thought about the importance of spiritual protection. Protection such as prayer, humility, the truth of God's Word, and accountability.

Next I began to think that church plants and plants have a lot of similarities. Young plants are vulnerable to nasty pests such as the cut worm. So are young churches. For a young church to survive (even an old one) it has to be protected. Protected with an Ephesians 6 kind of protection, as well as a John 17 kind of protection, and a James 5 protection, also a Hebrews 3:12-14, and a Hebrews 12:14-16 type of protection.

As I was thinking about all this I thought it would make for a great sermon. I could entitle it "The Kingdom of God is like a Toilet Paper Roll".

chopped

Before

After

Before

After

Happy Mother's Day Mom and Grandma!

protesters

These are some dangerous protesters

impressed

I am impressed; impressed with the level of community at the farm. Neighbors help each other here. They share tools, run errands for one another, and lend a hand with personal projects. I can’t say I have ever experienced the level of neighborly care that I have witnessed here. In Amsterdam we lived in extremely close proximity to our neighbors and yet people stayed to themselves. Neighbors did not talk to each other much or even acknowledge one another. Here, neighbors live quite a bit apart from one another, yet they stop by for a chat, offer help with a task, or stop to see how things are going. It's a beautiful thing. It’s a real community.

I am also impressed with the bartering. The people in the area barter for all kinds of stuff. They barter for their marketing, farm work, mechanical work, pickled products, and baby sitting. And I am sure there is more. The community trades their services for other services and it works. It’s an alternate economy. I am impressed.

in the field

Been running electrical fencing.

Saw a flock of wild turkeys. They were doing a funky war dance.

Starting to get ruff farmer hands.... and farmer tan....

the hoop house

Worked on installing hoop house ventilation today. Notice the lower right side of the picture, see how the plastic is rolled up. We installed the roll up system on both sides of the hoop house. But I will tell you, it gets hot in those hoop houses!

Today I learned how to do the chores for April. April is a milking cow. Because she is pregnant we can't milk her yet. In June she will give birth, after that we will be drinking plenty of fresh milk. It will be great for the kids to see a baby calf born!

I also seeded flats in the green house. Seeding flats is a bit monotonous and it makes your hands very dirty. I was planting seeds in peat moss mixed with a manure compost... yummy.

On a different note, I just read the book "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" by Rob Bell. In an artistic and broad stroke style Bell tells describes God's redemptive story from Adam and Eve to the present. It is an inspiring and insightful read. If you are not a Christian, but want to learn the overall story of the Bible, this would be a great book to pick up. It is a quick read, but once you are done with it, you will know more about the story of the Bible then most Christians do.

Till next time...

weed control

Today was flame weeding...

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The one I used looked a bit more like this... :)

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we're back

We are back in the U.S. of A! And I am farming...

Today was my first day on the farm. I learned to drive an 1951 Farmall Tractor. I used it to cultivate strawberries. It was cool.

For those of you who don't know, I am volunteering at a family farm this summer. We thought it would be nice to use our transition back to the States as an opportunity to learn a new skill and also decompress from city living!

The farm I am working at is Providence Farm. I am working with young farmers who are Lindy and my age with kids our kids age. If you haven't heard, there is a bit of a renewal in small scale farming among younger people. Here are a couple articles and websites about it:

Why We Farm, A Young Farmers Manifesto
The Young and the Landless
Freshman Farmer

We are looking forward to learning some new things and hopefully someday become more self-sufficient ourselves. I am also enjoying the feeling of being worn out at the end of the day. :)

More to come soon....

gifts

We are departing with special treasures of memory. Over the past couple weeks we have received wonderful gifts from our friends and church community. We have received letters, Amsterdam shirts, books (including an ESV Study Bible!), a serving dish (for Lindy's good cooking!), pictures, words of encouragement and thanks, dinners, lunches, and a party. The past two weeks have been a true blessing to us. The gifts and memories we will carry with us always.

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Last night Lindy and I received a new gift. Sokol organized a night out with the guys. It was a good gift, especially the steak dinner! Sunita organized a night of pampering for Lindy (message, nail painting, and other girl stuff!). We have been lavished with love. It has been very special to us.

Of all the gifts, the most unique gift is.... Russian dolls of the Watkins! What a treasure! Can you guess who made them? Oh, and you will notice, there is a baby in the bunch... Yep, a new baby is on the way!

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