by Joachim Hill-Carrizo Springs, TX
Father's vision for New Hope Farms is quite a lofty one. His vision encompasses the world. Father has divided up the property of New Hope Farms so that different regions of the world are represented by the specific areas of the ranch marked by Father: Russia, South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa. As we set about our work on the farm, we can't help but think of the different parts of the world. Of course, in the beginning stages of New Hope Farms, everything exists on the symbolic level. It's a real pioneer experience. We truly are being given the responsibility of making Father's providence a reality-a true Completed Testament Age mission.
I was attracted to New Hope Farms because of Father's vision of ending world starvation. I worked as a foreign missionary in Africa for seven years. Three of those years were in Ethiopia when communism was just beginning to take over and I saw many people dying of starvation before my very eyes. I would approach people with desire to witness and all they could do was point to their starving children and ask for food.
The actual farming that is being done at New Hope Farms is also in the formation stage. We've built two greenhouses in which we can plant crops which will be protected from insects. We will be growing only organic foods.
We are in the process of teaching ourselves how to farm under the difficult conditions of very hot, dry weather. During this formation stage when we are not yet able to distribute our own crops to others, I thought it might be a good condition for us to do something symbolically to feed people in another nation. This way the spiritual world will see that we are united with Father's vision and help the ranch develop as Father desires. With this in mind, Mr. Kim and Mr. Han (the central figures of New Hope Farms), along with their wives, joined my family for a journey to Laredo to visit a minister, Reverend E.J. Robinson. Laredo is right on the Mexican border. Reverend Robinson's "mission from God" is to take care of the tens of thousands of refugees who are camped in Mexico, just 10 minutes from the border. He crosses the border to visit any of the five camps, some with 80,000 people, to distribute beans and rice to the people there. They are mostly women and children. In the winter he brings across blankets. I had written a letter earlier this year to members around the country asking them to send any blankets they might have, and several members responded. So, we met with Reverend Robinson, equipped with boxes of blankets, 100 pounds of beans and 25 pounds of rice.
Reverend Robinson was happy to see us. We followed Reverend Robinson into Mexico and within minutes we were in the middle of a camp of refugees. Reverend Robinson only had to beep the horn of his car and soon we were surrounded by at least one hundred women and children. We stopped our cars and began to distribute the bagged food which we brought. The women were so grateful for the pound of beans and pound of rice they received. The children all received candy. As I gazed upon the faces of these people and saw the shacks which they lived in- with dirt floors and no running water-I found it hard to believe that this scene was merely one hour and forty minutes from our house in Carrizo Springs. Mr. Han commented that this was what it was like in Korea right after the war. All of us were truly touched by the course of the day.
I would like to thank all of the brothers and sisters who sent clothes and blankets. I am planning to make this trip once a month-as a condition to end world starvation. It's very important not to forget the purpose of New Hope Farms as we labor through this formation-stage time. Anyone is welcome to come and make this trip with me. Also, $22.00 buys 50 pounds of beans. If you should get inspired to help buy some beans or rice for these brothers and sisters of ours in Mexico, you can send a check to me and I will bring it to them for you. May God bless each of you in your missions.