■lO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 27, 2003 B Kids Korner Children Harvest Seeds Of Truth, Hope Planted On The Farm MICHELLE KUNJAPPU Spirit ... MLU; , With this in mind ’ for the P ast NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster severa [ y ears Donough has been r 0) “?K .° nOU r 8 eCSa gathering volunteers, funding, farm as the best place for scrip- ad 4 ors for the ‘-Spiritual tural truth to take root and yield ~ r fruit in the hearts of homeless children and adults. s,nce June 2002 - Donough and Donough, a welder for Case three farm family volunteers in- New Holland said the Bible is re- vhe two inner city children to a plete with references to agricul- f arm f° r monthly visits, ture vineyards, shepherds and At the farm, the children not sheep, good or locky soil, sowing only come into contact with agri and reaping, and the fruit of the culture but also meet and build yl/vr? _x \AC-s r/j/nj on p hpyvnk -f M* cpQkUhC Wf’ -me /rv>n f-,<n> vr CA^ ; v&* ■f'jfrrfh ir,r-> t> hqnt -to <- JuV n;<c * hor~>p- /■ /?#'£<*> <£ kOtf/P' '\Nc tioj-fo r?fL a ths.no/fni tjtt Xp nc tx'nu* Pa h JzhWrftfjcrrj c x?h<? nccn /w/»* , r> ;<jii tC I&.X t/Oft c >ft Z: I'lO <• 4/fy \/\rcr py Mve a honso ha,Kz fo ftp on heni 5 -tcoit fhlhk <pu for Th<//% \/]C‘ f'! n/\frhi A / Donough has many letters from the children who have enjoyed their weekend of learning at the farm. relationships with caring adults. The children play games, read, milk cows, ride horses, muck out stalls and barns, or go fishing during the weekend. On the farm, Donough teaches object lessons in a unique way. For instance the children help with sowing and harvesting, pre paring the meal in the kitchen, and tending the animals. “The kids get to see how a healthy family functions,” Do nough said. This contrasts sharp ly with the harsh environment experienced by many homeless children. In addition to watching a fami ly unit, the students leam from several “object lesson stations” planned during the weekend. Robert enjoys reeling in his first fish. After milking a cow, students discuss principles from Hebrews 5 about growing from “milk” to “solid food” in gaining discernment. Waking the children at 4 a.m. to help milk is a valuable experi ence, explained Donough. “It’s grafted on their hearts forever it’s “udderly” impossi ble for them to forget,” he said. After milking the cows, Do nough, the volunteers, and chil dren spend time reading and dis cussing a passage to connect scripture with an experience. “Later, when children buy milk at the store, what’s going to pop into their heads? Donough asks. He believes the on-farm experi ence and the scripture connection or at least the principle will be re called.” Another object lesson station includes a fishing trip. For 8-year-old Robert, catching a few fish caused an adrenaline rush he will never forget, Donough said. The tugging on the end of Rob ert’s fishing line also resulted in “plowing” his heart,” or prepar ing him to be receptive to the Spiritual Fruit Farm’s teaching. Donough sits down with the kids to explain that “Jesus said, ‘Follow Me, and 1 will make you fishers of men,' and I help them work through what that means,” he said. The ministry vision, which Do nough began working on in 1999, came as a result of study of the Bible, rather than agricultural background. Through study Donough began to see how agriculture il lustrated spiritual realities, and that through farming he could “take that which is physical to teach that which is spiritual,” he said. “Our heart needs to be plowed with praise and fertile with pray er,” said Donough, who cites nu merous scriptures dealing with cultivating the earth. In I Cor. 3:9 the Bible states that “you are God’s field,” which is one of the foundations for Do nough’s idea to integrate the Bible and agriculture. “Our hearts are that field and need to be powered with praise and fertile with prayer to accept the seed, that’s the philsophy. Galatians 5:22 lists the fruits of the Spirit. I’m a spiritual fruit farmer and interested in cultivat ing that in the heart of children in a dynamic way,” he said. As he was studying and begin ning to correlate agriculture and scripture, Donough was involved with children’s ministry at Water Street Rescue Mission, and “in that room with 20 kids, some with behavioral problems, is what I’d call rocky soil,” he said. “My goal is to take them from that environment and put them in an environment where the soil is fertile,” he said. No behavior problems have been reported when the children are onl the farm. “Everything is new and differ ent and there are only two kids at a time,” Donough said. “With just two children, I know where they’re at psychologically and spiritually and can adapt the cur riculum.” Although the ministry reaches only a small number of people, it is worth his time, Donough said. “1 believe this way is better than food stamps,” he said. For more information about the ministry and the planned phases, the website address is www.spiritualfruitfarm.org or call Donough at (717) 392-2421. Even the compost heap yields object lessons. Here Do nough explains how “mistakes” can become the most fertile soil for future growth. Gary learns to ride a horse with Mary Stoltzfoos’ help. The Stoltzfoos family sits down to dinner with Spiritual Fruit Farm volunteers and students. Jared, left, and Robert discuss becoming “fishers of men” with Donough.
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