Diego's Agricultural Education

Over the last week Diego has gotten quite the agricultural experience.  He collected eggs at my aunt’s “small” chicken farm operation (about 300 chickens which seems big to me).  We all learned how to candle eggs a little later (with a flashlight which seems like cheating based off the name.  For those of you who do not know what that is, it is when you check eggs to see if the chicken inside is viable in the incubator).  A little later in the week Diego got to plant tomatoes, but the pinnacle of his farming experience came yesterday when we got a tour of Holly’s Uncle Calvin and Aunt Shelly’s farm in Lindsborg, KS.

We got there Friday evening, had a great dinner, and Diego enjoyed showing Calvin our new map of Mozambique (as well as the opportunity to play farm toys with a REAL farmer).  Saturday morning Calvin took me to his men’s prayer group where I got a chance to share what we are doing with MAF, as well as participate in a good Bible study and prayer time.

A little while after we came back it was time for the tour.  Diego got to help herd cows, ride a tractor, sit in a combine, climb on big hay bales, and finally sit in the driver’s seat of a real cab over engine semi-truck (which is DEFINITELY his favorite type of truck, as compared to a conventional cab of course).

I also really enjoyed getting to know Calvin better.  He almost died (a few times) as a result of heart problems similar to what my dad had.  Once he was saved by a birth “defect” that put an artery in the “wrong” place.  It was good getting to talk about my dad with someone who in many ways understands, and our time there was a real encouragement.

Today we taught a Sunday school lesson and presented at a church that used to support my grandparents on the Navajo reservation, which is pretty cool.  We also met with a mission board at a different church this afternoon, and we are spending the night with another Aunt and Uncle in Kansas City.  Tomorrow we go to Memphis to spend a few days there.  We will get to spend some time with two young men that I had the privilege of tutoring in an inner city high school in Memphis four years ago, so we are very excited about that.  It will be a busy week, including a 5:15 a.m. prayer breakfast, so please pray for strength, that God will use us to minister to those we see, and that we find the partners God has prepared for us.