Our Farm Needs Tools!

As you already know, we bought a farm! We are so excited about this new endeavor and thrilled to report that progress is already underway. Our friends in Harbel have cleared and prepared the “upland” and the “lowland,” and the cultivation of both sites is ongoing. It is their hope to plant rice and vegetables for now, but in order to do so they are in need of both seeds and tools to farm the land.

(Here are several of the workers and their families with the land waiting to be cleared behind them.

You'll recognize Emmanuel in the center in a bright orange shirt, 

and Abraham, the pastor of the Harbel church third from the left in a yellow shirt.)

Emmanuel shared a wish list with us, and we would like to invite you to participate in this exciting project! As the weather warms Okay, it’s not warming yet, but as our hearts long for spring, we dream about planting our own gardens and watching the trees and fields around us blossom with new life. How appropriate that our brothers and sisters in Liberia are experiencing the same joy and anticipation as they plant their own ground this spring! We may not get to work side by side, but as they work their soil and we till ours, we are participating in the same in-breaking of the kingdom of God in our own communities. This is inspirational, incarnational work, everyone. What a blessing to be a part of it!

We invite you to share with us in this exciting new endeavor. The Harbel church is in need of many supplies, from seeds to wheelbarrows to pinkerlins (don’t ask me what a pinkerlin is, I haven’t got a clue!). Please take a moment to peruse the list and see if there is anything that you would like to contribute to the Harbel farm. Every gift counts! $10 will buy two calculators and $150 will buy rain boots for all the workers. A small gift is just as much of a blessing as a large one.

You may mail your donation to us at:

One Body One Hope

c/o The Baarts

589 13th St. Cir. SE

Sioux Center, Iowa 51250

You may also hand in your donation to any of our OBOH board members (Brent De Jong, Grant De Vries, Julie Bajema, or Aaron and Nicole Baart). Or you may donate online by going to our Facebook page and clicking DONATE. If you would like to earmark your gift for a specific purchase, please do so by writing the item in the memo line of your check or including a note with your donation.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers!

1. Seed rice - 3 50kg bags 95.00USD for each bag. 285.00 total
2. Tools - 15 shovels 8.00USD. 120.00 total
3. Pinkerlin - 5 pcs 20.00USD. 100.00 total
4. Twine rope - 12 pcs 5.00USD. 60.00 total
5. Cutlasses - 12 pcs 5.00USD. 6o.00 total 
6. Wheelbarrow - 10 pcs 40.ooUSD. 400.00 total
7. Tape rule - 100m 2 pcs 45.00USD. 90.00 total
8. Calculator - 2 pcs 5.00USD. 10.00 total 
9. Shaping file - 6 pcs 5.00USD. 30.00 total
10. Rain boot - 10 pcs 15.00USD. 150.00 total
11. Hand-glove - 10 dozens. 48.00 total
12. Tub - 10 pcs 10.00USD. 100.00 total
13. Weighing scale - 1 pc. 75.00 total

We bought a farm!

Some people buy zoos (did you see that movie?)... We buy farms. Well, we bought one farm. Well, our friends in Liberia bought a farm and we were able to participate in their new ministry enterprise by providing the funding for 8 acres of land near Harbel. Woo-hoo!

As you may remember, One Body One Hope dreams of partnering with all of the sister churches of Abide in the Vine Disciples Church. One of those churches is in Harbel, near the Firestone plantation south of Monrovia. Pastor Abraham is the shepherd of that amazing congregation, and one of their dreams is to become self-sufficient by living off the fertile land that surrounds their village. While we were in-country several weeks ago, four members of our team were able to visit the land and survey the potential in the soil, nearby water sources, etc. The land looks excellent and it's a done deal! The congregation of the Harbel branch of Abide in the Vine Disciples church is now the proud owner of a nice chunk of farmland. Let the plowing begin!

Here Emmanuel (in the orange shirt) is presenting David Bweh, the owner of the land, with the first check. (Also pictured are Emmanuel Sumo, the art teacher at the Vine School System of Christ, and Prince, a friend and member of the church).

From left to right: Abraham (the pastor of the Harbel church), David Bweh, and Emmanuel.

Deacon Bundor

It is with a heavy heart that I post today. This morning we received news from Emmanuel that Deacon Bundor passed away on Saturday. Taken from Aaron's email to the board:

"Deacon suffered from a bowel obstruction and could not get surgical help from the hospital in time.  It ended up costing him his life.  I am reminded again how incredibly fortunate we are to have the access to medical care that we do.  Bundor was 53.  He leaves behind a wife and kids.  Emmanuel was very saddened by this due to the HUGE role that Deacon Bundor played at Christ Our Hope and at Dumbar Farm Church.  Emmanuel said he was his right-hand man the past number of years and every time he left for missions or traveling to the other congregations, that Bundor was always in charge and never failed to provide for all the children’s needs in his absence.  He administered the financial goings on of that whole congregation and worked there nearly full-time with little other means of income the past several years."

(Deacon and his dear friend Elijah. Deacon is on the right.)

Those of us who had the pleasure to meet and work with Deacon will remember a quiet, humble man who was quick to help and passionately dedicated to the children of Christ Our Hope, the Dumbar Farm church, and the Lord. He was slow to speak but steeped in wisdom, a rock in his community. He was a fervent disciple and a genuine servant. 

We ask that you remember Deacon's family in your prayers, as well as the community as a whole. Deacon's loss will be greatly felt, and our hearts go out to our friends who are grieving so deeply right now. We mourn with them and pray that God will comfort them in this time. We also pray that God will raise up leaders to help fill the gaping hole that Deacon leaves behind.

Thanks for praying.