The past six weeks that I have spent apart from Santa
Barbara have given me a much-needed break and a good measure of clarity. The
truth is that I was getting pretty burned out, and what better time to take a
break than when things are heated and potentially dangerous with the neighbors? Now that things have simmered down, it’s time
to get back to work. Exciting changes
are coming to Loving InDeed starting tomorrow! The most important change being made is that
LI is no longer a free program. I have
been wanting to make this change for a while, and this little break gave me the
time I needed to work out the details.
Each widow, with the exception of the two grandmas, will have to work 8
hours a month on the property to remain in the food program. They will report to Rogelio, and he’ll give
them their job—cutting weeds, picking up trash, trimming trees, fertilizing the
plants, picking produce to sell in the market…there are bunches of things to do.
This will serve many purposes.
- It will help my widows to truly feel a part of LI, to feel at home on the property, and to be invested in the ministry.
- It will show the troublesome neighbors that we have no intention of walking away so they better get used to having more of us around!
- It will greatly increase the productivity of the land. We have over 100 trees that are producing beautifully now, but if the weeds were pulled, we could use the shaded land underneath them to plant things on vines--cucumbers, melons, and squashes. I don't want to waste one square inch of what the Lord has given to us!
This picture is of our very first work day back in September of 2016. So much has changed! I can't wait to see all the changes that will come in this next year with all the widows helping us in the work.
The other important change coming to LI is the start of a
visitation program. I want the ladies in
Loving InDeed to be known in the community as givers. As such, I have decided to break the girls
into groups of two and send them out to make home visits. Once every 2 months, each group will have to
set aside some of the food they’ve been given and choose a needy family to go visit
and give it to. The widows get 20+
pounds of food every week, so setting aside a little once every 2 months is not
asking a lot. This will better our
reputation in the community, extend LI’s reach to even more families, and help the girls put into practice good principles of tithing. Tithing doesn’t always have to be cash—you
give back to the Lord a part of what He’s given to you, and in this case it’s
food. When I can, I will accompany the ladies on
their visits which will help me get to know more people in the community.
I am excited to see the program getting better and moving
forward even in the face of all the difficulties we have had in the past year
and a half. God is so good to let me in on
just a little of what He’s doing in Santa Barbara. Please pray for the widows as they adjust to
these changes and pray for me as I go back.
To be perfectly honest, some days I am very excited about it; other days
not so much. King David once prayed that
God would “restore to me the joy of my salvation.” I am praying that God would restore to me the
joy of Santa Barbara. I don’t want my widows
to see any hesitation, discontent, fear, or anxiety in me when I go back. I’d
be lying if I said I didn’t feel those things sometimes, but “I will not offer to God that which cost
me nothing.” (also King David)
