Agricultural Missionary Conference

ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) hosts an inter-denominational agricultural missionary conference in November each year at their facility in N. Ft.Myers, Fl. The most recent gathering just ended on Nov. 14, and Hope Seeds was in attendance. ECHO and Hope Seeds are strategic partners working together in a common goal of helping the hungry of tropical nations feed themselves in a sustainable way. ECHO has been active in this ministry for over 20 years, while Hope Seeds is now starting it’s fifth year of service. 

In attendance during this most recent gathering were over 170 agricultural missionaries, representatives of mission agencies, or students preparing for the mission field.  Information and seed was shared with anyone who needed or desired some useful varieties of herbs and vegetables.  It was during this time frame that we met some new faces (Mr. Robert Woolford of Guyana) and reacquainted ourselves with missionaries we met in previous years. 

The country of Haiti is always well represented with Christian workers from many denominations, and this year was no exception with over 21 ministries attending.  Hope Seeds provided to each a box of 100 Nutrition Packs.  Each Nutrition Pack contains an educational pamphlet inside a zip-lock bag with 10 varieties / species of vegetables.  Over 21,000 packets are now in Haiti being put to use by motivated workers doing their best to help people grow their own food.  And even more important to us is they are sharing the love of Christ while they do this. 

 Hebrews 3: 13:  Encourage each other every day, as you have the opportunity.  The ECHO conference provides way to do just that – encourage each other.  And you have been a part of this with your continued support of Hope Seeds. 

Garden at Hope Seeds is flourishing… Tomatoes, fennel, collards, lettuce, arugula, ginger, bananas, basil, cucumbers, beans….The garden is an important part of our work to teach people in all parts of the world that God did not turn his back on humanity, but designed  ways for us to care for the earth and feed ourselves (and each other).  Hope Seeds promotes three concepts which utilize what God has provided for food production within each country.

Land Stewardship – composting, land enrichment and crop rotation.

Inter-cropping – a system designed to grow a variety of plant materials which stimulates beneficial insects and organisms.

Genetic Preservation – the saving of one’s own seeds as they are identified for crop improvement and adaptability to specific regions or purpose.

  We would like to take you on a photo tour of our garden – Click Here.  And if you are in Florida during the year we invite you to call and arrange a tour of our facility.  See what happens when some seeds get planted… 

Research Garden Techniques (clockwise): Composting of plant material, Basil and tomato inter-cropping, Seed pods from the Moringa Oleifera tree.

Volunteers come to the Hope Seeds warehouse three mornings a week to package seeds, making them ready for shipment.  Depending on the time of year, 20 – 40 volunteers give 3 hours each week to get these packets prepared.  This year, so far, over 300,000 packets were done in some 4500 volunteer-hours.  This is a major portion of the over 500,000 packets prepared and shipped by Hope Seeds thus far in 2003.  Volunteerism is alive and well here at Hope Seeds. 

Youth groups from the Bradenton, Florida area also provide valuable hours of donated labor.  Pulling weeds and spreading mulch in the garden, harvesting and processing seeds, and packaging seeds all contribute quality for making the ministry effective.  We take this opportunity to acknowledge these local youth for generously giving time:

            West Bradenton Baptist

            Christ Presbyterian Church

            Palmetto Christian School

            Good Shepherd Lutheran

            Hope Lutheran Church

If your church is interested in being involved in this way, please call or visit.  We value our volunteers very much. 

 If you do not live in this area and would also like to be involved in this work, please visit Support and Involvement, or call us and we can come up with some creative and useful ways to plug-you-in.  

The second chapter of Matthew shares the epic event of wise men from the East bringing gifts to the Christ Child.  Gold is the first mentioned, and we all know that gold has been a valued mineral used for currency and trade. The gifts of frankincense and myrrh are not so common in our world today.

Gold is given in token of kingship; frankincense is given for holiness; and, myrrh is to symbolize the suffering the newborn would endure in his earthly life. 

Frankincense (Boswellia thurifera – latin name; lobonah – Hebrew name) is a handsome tree with leaves similar in color and shape to mountain ash.  The wood is hard, heavy and durable making it useful for many purposes.  The resin of the tree is harvested during the winter months and then is useful as the finest incense known in the world.  It is mentioned many times in the Bible as pertains to worship in the Holy Temple.  This tree grows in the Himalayas of India and in areas of northern Arabia and western Asia.                   Frankincense Boswellia thuriferau

Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha – Latin name; mốr – Hebrew name) is a large bushy tree which grows near the Red Sea and in the southern areas of Arabia.  The trunk can become quite large proportionately and has knotted branches.  The outer bark is thin like paper, and is easily pierced.  When piercing happens a thick white gum oozes from the tree, which hardens and turns a red color upon exposure to the air.  Useful as a spice and medicine for thousands of years, Myrrh was used in the holy anointing oil of the Tabernacle.  Myrrh was also used as part of the mixture for purification of the dead, as was the case for the body of Jesus after the crucifixion.

We remember the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child as a traditional part of celebrating the Savior’s birth.  The sap and gum of two different trees, were part of the worshipful offering given to the newborn King of great monetary value.  What valuable possessions would you be willing to give to the newborn King if you were one of the wise men?  Perhaps the answer is best given to us in Matthew 25: 40  by Jesus himself when he says “What you have done for the least… you have done for me.” 

S.E.E.D. visits Hope Seeds

On Friday, November 7, 2003, Frantz Clotaire along with his wife Doris and their two sons, Daniel and Manuel, paid a visit to Hope Seeds office in Palmetto. Frantz and Doris run an organization in Haiti called S.E.E.D. (Service – Evangelization – Education – Development), founded in 1992 and located in Les Cayes, the garden area of Haiti. Hope Seeds has been supplying some of the vegetable seed needs for S.E.E.D. for the past three years, and during this visit some more cabbage and beet seed was presented to him.  After a walking visit and tour through the Hope Seeds garden, discussion revolved around future needs and programs for Haiti. The types of things which have worked in the past are:

1.Agriculture seminars for local farmers and students

2.Providing quality seeds for a small price, which helps establish a sense of value for the seed and decreases the attitude of dependency

3.Trained and motivated workers doing agricultural evangelism make a difference in Haiti.  S.E.E.D. and Hope Seeds are strategic partners in Haiti, and we count it a blessing to be associated with the work of Frantz and Doris Clotaire, and his entire staff of teachers.

Tex - Cuban Corn produces outstanding results in Haiti!
So goes the report of missionary Russ Montgomery with Living in Faith Ministries of Tampa, Florida.  He reports that the farmers who received seed of Tex-Cuban last season are harvesting very good yields from strong and healthy plants.  200 pounds of Tex-Cuban seed has recently been shipped to Haiti with more planned for January, 2004.   

This is encouraging, and motivates us to continue the work of identifying superior genetics for those areas of the world which are in desperate need.  Product development and variety trials are the methods toward making this happen, and your support makes this possible.  Thank you! 

Everyone wants your money….Or so it seems. 

Each day someone calls or sends you a solicitation for support, or wanting to sell you something.  It tends to get really aggravating.  We get calls like that every day at Hope Seeds too.  But ours are a bit different.

 We get e-mails, letters, phone calls and even personal visits from people who want financial support and good seed from us.  These requests come from people in Zimbabwe, Uganda, Peru,  India, and many more.  These people are missionaries from many denominations. They are laity who go on short term mission trips.  Some are nationals from a poor country in need of seed to grow food.  Your financial support helps us to say yes to many of these calls.

  We would like to say yes even more often. So, we also ask for some of your money, but we want you to know what we are doing with it.  Sending seed to hungry peoples; sharing information about growing food in a sustainable way; teaching people how to save seed for the future of their community; sharing the love of Christ with a hungry world.  We thank you in advance for prayerfully  supporting us with some of your money.

Haiti – Caymen Tree –  as reported by Michael and Heidi Pender of Family Life Outreach, Cap Haitien, Haiti.

Two hundred years ago, when the Haitians were battling for freedom from French occupation, they made a pact with Satan, that if he gave them deliverance they would dedicate the country to him for 200 years.   That period will terminate on December 31, 2003.

 Christians all over the world are praying against the Haitian government plan to rededicate this country to Satan on January 1, 2004.  The original pact with Satan was made in Cap Haitien under the shade of a large Caymen tree.  The plan was to have the rededication ceremony under the same tree.  That tree has recently died.  Christians in Haiti see this as symbolic of the end of the curse.

 In a country where the economic, political, spiritual and social situations are at an extreme crisis, the battle over this tree has become significant.  Unemployment is at 70%, people are hungry, violence is an every day occurrence, and anti-government protests are crippling common life.   

U.S. Ambassador James Foley stated that the world’s oldest black republic is at a decisive crossroads. He states: “If Haiti falls into its historical past of authoritarian government, misrule, and abuse of human rights, its future will be as somber as its past.” (AP News)  When one visits Haiti and sees these situations, the harsh realities of the 200 year old relationship with Satan are visible.  There are no benefits to such a relationship.

 Psalm 2: 8 says:  “Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”   Does this include Haiti?  Please pray with us:

Dear Lord, Please stop the re-dedication of Haiti to Satan.  Send your Holy Spirit to move mightily in Haiti among its leaders and all its people.  We pray, Dear Lord, for this land of Haiti to be dedicated to you, and we pray for this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ to whom all nations will bow.  Amen

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receive the blessing of God.  But, land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.  In the end it will be burned.                     Hebrews 6: 7-12