ON MISSION UPDATE JUNE 2022
TOURING THE DR. JAMES MILSTEAD SCIENCE LAB
This picture is meaningful in many different ways. This picture was taken at the ARC, in the Dr. James Milstead Science Laboratory. "Doc" was accomplished in many fields, a caring husband, father, grandpa, and friend, a Veteran, a Church elder, deacon, and mission chair, an accomplished writer/author, he was well respected around the world as a medical doctor who traveled and served in many countries and Doc was one of the visionaries who launched Hope In The Harvest Missions International, serving as the first Board President.
Now the folks in the picture have never met Doc but they share more in common than this lab - the people standing behind the counter are in-terns for Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships was founded by Don Stephens who says the same thing that Doc would say when Hope In The Harvest first started "people don't know what they don't know" and Doc would say "but we know God is calling". Mercy Ships' mission transcends borders and changes lives, following the model of Jesus. Mercy Ships do not sail into a country, do complicated surgeries and leave - they sail into a country, they do complicated surgeries, they train, they engage and they impact through service and developing the next generation of in country medical professionals. Hope In The Harvest Missions International works to train, engage and impact through service to see a new generation of Christ transformed hearts and agriculture knowledge.
Seeing this next generation of medical professionals in the Dr. James Milstead Lab that many donors and supporters, like you, helped build and equip puts a smile in our hearts.
Thank you for blessing people you do not know, and in ways you did not know were possible. We are looking for to purchase more equipment for the laboratory and if you would like to donate please click the link below to give via credit card or send a check to our office; 352 West Clinton Street, Frankfort IN, 46041
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MEET OUR NEWEST SHORT TERM MISSIONARY
Hello, my name is Mariah Larson. I am 17 years old. I was born and raised in West Lafayette, IN along with my six siblings. I’ve been a member at the Immanuel RP Church for three years. Through mission trips to the ECHO Global Research Farm in Florida, I learned a lot about sustainable agriculture methods for third world countries. This year, God has placed on my heart the desire to go and serve him in Liberia with the Hope in the Harvest mission. I first heard about the mission years ago during a VBS fundraiser for the Sebald’s to help them purchase orange trees.
My plan is to serve with the mission from early September to the middle of December. I hope to work on the demonstration farm, caring for the animals, especially the goats, and learning agriculture techniques like grafting. I also hope to help Holly with her women’s ministry, in particular by teaching women how to sew. At some point, I hope to go out into a village with Bill and help teach a Farming God’s Way Training. I am incredibly excited to serve God in this way and am incredibly thankful to all those who support me financially and through their prayers.
If you would like to donate to Mariah and her work that she will doing in Liberia you can do that two ways; send a check to HITHMI, 352 West Clinton Street, Frankfort IN 46041 and put Mariah in the memo or by credit card and click the link below:
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CALL OUT FOR OUR NOVEMBER 2022 LIBERIA TRIP
Travis Sheets will be leading a team to Liberia in November. The timeframe is 14 days and dates will be narrowed down once the team and airlines are confirmed. Tentatively departure will be November 4th and return November 19th (again dependent upon airlines).
All inclusive costs are estimated to be around $2,600.00.
This trip will be multifaceted; from agriculture development, pastoral mentoring, small business ventures, to meeting and working with the team in Liberia - you are encouraged to join. Are you interested?
Here is what you need to do now;
1) Contact us at HITHMI.board@gmail.com say I want to join the trip in November.
2) Make sure your passport is current and does not expire until after January 2023
3) Approximately $1,900.00 will be due to Hope In The Harvest, August 26th for purchase of airline ticktes.
4) Remaining $700.00 will be due to Hope In The Harvest, October 24th.
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CAN YOU SMELL THE SWEET CORN
Harvesting sweet corn is never easy, no matter where you are, but for these guys they have not spent summers growing up around the "patch, watching multiple generations in the family shuck, clean, and process sweet corn - processing sweet corn is another first at the ARC. Most Liberians never allow their corn to fully mature before they harvest it. Mainly because someone will steal it if the corn stays in the field that long (or anything growing to eat). Liberians eat what in the West we call field corn, by roasting immature corn over an open fire - sort of like popcorn on the husk. Not great, unless you are Dan Lutes (HITHMI second Board President) who could never get enough of it. These guys worked together to process some of the corn and it will be a wonderful treat at a future meal.
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THE 3RD AGRICULTURE CERTIFICATE CLASS
We do not often see much of Missionary Anna Glenn in pictures because she is usually taking the pictures but this time we see her doing what she is wonderfully gifted to do - share her love of agriculture. Under Anna's direction the agriculture certificate program continues to thrive and bring nonacademic students/farmers/business folks to the ARC for agriculture training. The topic was food processing and preservation and the students learned how to take the excess bananas and other fruits that would normally rot and make them into chips and candy - Yumminess!
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KONAH'S COMMUNICATION
One of the goals that set the ARC up is to find a lasting solutions to farmers' problems in Liberia. In order to help Liberians grow what they eat, the approach will take many dimensions so that eventually the answer will uncover itself. Our approach that we know works best is to present Farming God's Way Workshops and in June we conducted three new classes. One of our classes was in Sanniquellie, which is the capital of Nimba County (equivalent to a USA State) the attendance of the workshop was eighty persons, where about fifty percent of the population was Nimba County Community College students. We are moved to see these students at a state college have interest in our program.
Peter and I have decided to work with each of workers for about week to really understand the nature of each worker's work and figure out how many hours each section could possibly be worked. The goal is to work with each of them to see how long will it take one person to do the very same work. From this exercise, it will put us in a better management position to reach a balance decision as it relates to work efficiency. The decision to work with each group continued each week. It is leading us to put in place another way to increase efficiency. The goal is to help the workers realize that there is need for improvement in every sector.
As the rain is starting to come the field work - planting is almost to an end. The two plots that remaining are the irrigated plots.
We are very grateful to God for the level of work being done at the ARC. It is not close to perfection but the process of transformations is just starting.
We are grateful to God for what He is doing in Liberia. Many Liberians are investing into agriculture. It is our prayers that one day Liberia will produce her own food of all kinds.
Prayer concern:
- for the ARC to recruit people that are willing to work hard to raise the standard
- for the workers who stand for change
- for our funding to remain steadfast in challenging economic times around the world
Praises:
- thank God for the animals manager, he is working hard to make a difference
- assigned students are harvesting beans
-thank you my friends, strangers who may come to visit some day, and all supporters of Hope In The Harvest - we work together for the good of all God's Kingdom.
In kind service and glory to God -
Konah