ADF Newsletter
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD.
ADF Newsletter Volume 21 Issue 2
DUSTIN SMITH TO SPEAK AT ADF SUMMER MEETING Dustin and Becky Smith, along with their 3 children, have served in Southeast Asia doing rural church planting and community development work for the past 5 years. Their work is with an unreached tribal people group in a very remote part of the country. Both Dustin and Becky spent significant time in Southeast Asia as children. They are back on furlough in the United States for 9 months and are enjoying sharing about their ministry as well as reconnecting with friends, family, and supporters. Come to our summer meeting on August 13 to hear about the work Dustin is doing among the tribal people in Southeast Asia. FROM THE BACK 40 STOP THE WORLD AND LET ME OFF! I remember an old country-western song by this title. Have you ever felt that way? Our world today is full of anger, confusion and chaos. This is true at home as well as abroad. There is more than enough hate to go around. What an opportunity to inject into this climate the love and peace that only a relationship with Jesus Christ can bring. This is our chance to be salt and light to the hurting and angry people of the world. Our witness needs to be coupled with ACTION. We can do that through agricultural missions. The world is angry, yes, but it is also hungry. We can help meet the needs of the hungry and allow the love of Crist to deal with the angry heart. I remember the title of another old song: “What the world needs now is love, true love.” Yes, the world needs to know the love of Christ. Come join us as the ADF meets August 13 at Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, MS. Don Blasingame, Editor
July 201616
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE This spring I had the opportunity to take a class, "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement". This course is a missions class on steroids, and not for the faint of heart! It is, however, the best overview that I have ever seen on God's historical, cultural, and strategic work in making His name known worldwide. Throughout the 15 week class I was struck over and over again how strongly agriculture is woven into the fabric of cultures worldwide. And how vital it is to feed the body as well as the soul. In getting to know the other members of the class, many of whom are active missionaries, retired missionaries, or college students soon to embark in the mission field, I was also struck by just how little most people know about agriculture or how to put food on the table! Because success in agriculture is so tied to the welfare of so many, and ultimately their receptiveness to the Gospel, we have a unique opportunity through ADF to support Christ's mandate to "….go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit……and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you". Our agricultural roles will vary according to need and situation and can range from simply providing prayer and encouragement to making trips and offering technical advice. ADF is working worldwide in places like Bangladesh, Honduras, Thailand, Vietnam, Nicaragua, and Malawi to name a few. Even as I write this two of our members are preparing to travel to Myanmar to answer the call for help by a missionary who is at work there. My Perspectives course roughly divided folks into 2 groups: "goers" and "senders", which is a functional categorization. Everyone should be either one or the other, or both (likely at different seasons of our lives). However, within these two general groups, I believe that a third category exists that spreads across both "teachers". Many ADF members do agriculture Continued on Page 2
SUMMER MEETING TO BE HELD AUGUST 13 ******** Mark your calendar now for the ADF meeting to be held Saturday, August 13, at Longview Point Baptist Church, 1100 McIngvale Road, Hernando, MS 38632
PAGE 2
ADF NEWSLETTER
President’s Message continued from Page 1
professionally; all of us I believe are interested in agriculture at a deeper level than simply growing a tomato plant in a window box. We all have something to teach, knowledge to pass on, and experience to share. So, I urge you to get involved in ADF. Not just passively, but actively! Whether you are a go-er or a sender, a teacher or a pray-er, our Lord has clearly given us our marching orders, and He has
VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2
promised to be with us throughout the process. So come join us at our summer meeting at the Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, MS as we worship together, and enjoy the company of the Mississippi Agriculture Fellowship. Mr. Dustin Smith, an IMB missionary who is home on leave will be our guest speaker. I look forward to seeing you there. Terry Kirkpatrick
Cow Enables Mentally Disabled Son to Contribute to Family’s Livelihood In the March 2015 meeting of Agricultural Development Foundation, a project presented by the Mennonite Central Committee in Vietnam was approved to provide help to families who have been affected by Agent Orange. The project was designed to give a cow as a loan to a family or individual living with the effects of Agent Orange. Once the cow has a calf the calf is to be given to another household living with the effects of Agent Orange as payment of the loan. In a recent update on the project, it was reported that there were 14 pregnant cows and 8 that had given birth. One of the families that received help through this project was the family of Mr. Ho Huynh Xuan Loc. Mr. Loc has expressed his gratitude to ADF for the support given their family by providing a cow. The family includes 5 children (two boys and two girls who all live far away) and a mentally disabled son, age 33, who lives at home with Mr. Loc and his wife who is blind. When Mr. Loc was a young adult, he volunteered to help in the war effort by providing support services. During that time he ate food and drank water in a mountainous region that was contaminated by Agent Orange and has been living with the effects of that ever since. The family has relied mainly on subsistence farming for their livelihood and it has been very difficult to pay for the ongoing medical care for their son. Mr. Loc says that the cow which was provided through ADF has enabled the family not only to have additional income but has also been a great help for their son. His mental age is much younger than his physical age of 33 and his normal routine used to involve just playing at the house like a young child. He sometimes threw rocks into their neighbors’ houses and people often avoided him because his behavior was rather unpredictable. But he has taken a strong interest in the family’s cow and really likes to help care for her. This has allowed him to help in contributing to the family’s livelihood and also has redirected his energies toward positive, productive activities. This is just an example of the many ways in which people are helped by the projects funded by ADF.
“ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25: 37 & 40
PAGE 3
ADF NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2
SUMMER MEETING AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD. Longview Point Baptist Church 1100 McIngvale Road Hernando, MS August 13, 2016
9:00 a.m.
Board of Directors Meeting
9:30 a.m.
Registration and Fellowship
10:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks and Prayer
10:10 a.m.
State Reports: Alabama Arkansas Louisiana Mississippi Texas
10:30 a.m.
Report on consultant visit to Myanmar …….….…………. Jim Watson
10:45 a.m.
Business Session:
Minutes of previous meetings ……………….… Richard Parish Financial report ………………………….……… Joyce Watson Project Requests…………………..………… Terry Kirkpatrick Other business ……………………………… Terry Kirkpatrick 11:15 a.m.
Speaker ………………………………….………….….…..Dustin Smith
12:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 p.m.
Mississippi Agricultural Fellowship Meeting
~CONTACT INFORMATION~ Communications for the newsletter may be emailed to the editor at [email protected] Information about mission activities for inclusion in the newsletter is welcomed. Telephone communication may be made to Don Blasingame at 662-323-5646. ADF Office address: 1153 Owens Road, Terry, MS 39170 Telephone: 601-857-8544 Website: www.adfmissions.org
Agricultural Development Foundation, Ltd. 1153 Owens Road Terry, MS 39170
“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Psalm 103:2
To: Agricultural Development Foundation, Ltd. 1153 Owens Road Terry, MS 39170
I would like to :
Please accept my:
___renew my membership
___membership contribution of $50
___become a member
___gift in the amount of $__________
Name____________________________________________________________________________ Address__________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip____________________________________________________________________ Phone_______________________________ Email______________________________________
ADF Newsletter Volume 21 Issue 2
DUSTIN SMITH TO SPEAK AT ADF SUMMER MEETING Dustin and Becky Smith, along with their 3 children, have served in Southeast Asia doing rural church planting and community development work for the past 5 years. Their work is with an unreached tribal people group in a very remote part of the country. Both Dustin and Becky spent significant time in Southeast Asia as children. They are back on furlough in the United States for 9 months and are enjoying sharing about their ministry as well as reconnecting with friends, family, and supporters. Come to our summer meeting on August 13 to hear about the work Dustin is doing among the tribal people in Southeast Asia. FROM THE BACK 40 STOP THE WORLD AND LET ME OFF! I remember an old country-western song by this title. Have you ever felt that way? Our world today is full of anger, confusion and chaos. This is true at home as well as abroad. There is more than enough hate to go around. What an opportunity to inject into this climate the love and peace that only a relationship with Jesus Christ can bring. This is our chance to be salt and light to the hurting and angry people of the world. Our witness needs to be coupled with ACTION. We can do that through agricultural missions. The world is angry, yes, but it is also hungry. We can help meet the needs of the hungry and allow the love of Crist to deal with the angry heart. I remember the title of another old song: “What the world needs now is love, true love.” Yes, the world needs to know the love of Christ. Come join us as the ADF meets August 13 at Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, MS. Don Blasingame, Editor
July 201616
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE This spring I had the opportunity to take a class, "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement". This course is a missions class on steroids, and not for the faint of heart! It is, however, the best overview that I have ever seen on God's historical, cultural, and strategic work in making His name known worldwide. Throughout the 15 week class I was struck over and over again how strongly agriculture is woven into the fabric of cultures worldwide. And how vital it is to feed the body as well as the soul. In getting to know the other members of the class, many of whom are active missionaries, retired missionaries, or college students soon to embark in the mission field, I was also struck by just how little most people know about agriculture or how to put food on the table! Because success in agriculture is so tied to the welfare of so many, and ultimately their receptiveness to the Gospel, we have a unique opportunity through ADF to support Christ's mandate to "….go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit……and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you". Our agricultural roles will vary according to need and situation and can range from simply providing prayer and encouragement to making trips and offering technical advice. ADF is working worldwide in places like Bangladesh, Honduras, Thailand, Vietnam, Nicaragua, and Malawi to name a few. Even as I write this two of our members are preparing to travel to Myanmar to answer the call for help by a missionary who is at work there. My Perspectives course roughly divided folks into 2 groups: "goers" and "senders", which is a functional categorization. Everyone should be either one or the other, or both (likely at different seasons of our lives). However, within these two general groups, I believe that a third category exists that spreads across both "teachers". Many ADF members do agriculture Continued on Page 2
SUMMER MEETING TO BE HELD AUGUST 13 ******** Mark your calendar now for the ADF meeting to be held Saturday, August 13, at Longview Point Baptist Church, 1100 McIngvale Road, Hernando, MS 38632
PAGE 2
ADF NEWSLETTER
President’s Message continued from Page 1
professionally; all of us I believe are interested in agriculture at a deeper level than simply growing a tomato plant in a window box. We all have something to teach, knowledge to pass on, and experience to share. So, I urge you to get involved in ADF. Not just passively, but actively! Whether you are a go-er or a sender, a teacher or a pray-er, our Lord has clearly given us our marching orders, and He has
VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2
promised to be with us throughout the process. So come join us at our summer meeting at the Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, MS as we worship together, and enjoy the company of the Mississippi Agriculture Fellowship. Mr. Dustin Smith, an IMB missionary who is home on leave will be our guest speaker. I look forward to seeing you there. Terry Kirkpatrick
Cow Enables Mentally Disabled Son to Contribute to Family’s Livelihood In the March 2015 meeting of Agricultural Development Foundation, a project presented by the Mennonite Central Committee in Vietnam was approved to provide help to families who have been affected by Agent Orange. The project was designed to give a cow as a loan to a family or individual living with the effects of Agent Orange. Once the cow has a calf the calf is to be given to another household living with the effects of Agent Orange as payment of the loan. In a recent update on the project, it was reported that there were 14 pregnant cows and 8 that had given birth. One of the families that received help through this project was the family of Mr. Ho Huynh Xuan Loc. Mr. Loc has expressed his gratitude to ADF for the support given their family by providing a cow. The family includes 5 children (two boys and two girls who all live far away) and a mentally disabled son, age 33, who lives at home with Mr. Loc and his wife who is blind. When Mr. Loc was a young adult, he volunteered to help in the war effort by providing support services. During that time he ate food and drank water in a mountainous region that was contaminated by Agent Orange and has been living with the effects of that ever since. The family has relied mainly on subsistence farming for their livelihood and it has been very difficult to pay for the ongoing medical care for their son. Mr. Loc says that the cow which was provided through ADF has enabled the family not only to have additional income but has also been a great help for their son. His mental age is much younger than his physical age of 33 and his normal routine used to involve just playing at the house like a young child. He sometimes threw rocks into their neighbors’ houses and people often avoided him because his behavior was rather unpredictable. But he has taken a strong interest in the family’s cow and really likes to help care for her. This has allowed him to help in contributing to the family’s livelihood and also has redirected his energies toward positive, productive activities. This is just an example of the many ways in which people are helped by the projects funded by ADF.
“ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25: 37 & 40
PAGE 3
ADF NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 21 ISSUE 2
SUMMER MEETING AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD. Longview Point Baptist Church 1100 McIngvale Road Hernando, MS August 13, 2016
9:00 a.m.
Board of Directors Meeting
9:30 a.m.
Registration and Fellowship
10:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks and Prayer
10:10 a.m.
State Reports: Alabama Arkansas Louisiana Mississippi Texas
10:30 a.m.
Report on consultant visit to Myanmar …….….…………. Jim Watson
10:45 a.m.
Business Session:
Minutes of previous meetings ……………….… Richard Parish Financial report ………………………….……… Joyce Watson Project Requests…………………..………… Terry Kirkpatrick Other business ……………………………… Terry Kirkpatrick 11:15 a.m.
Speaker ………………………………….………….….…..Dustin Smith
12:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 p.m.
Mississippi Agricultural Fellowship Meeting
~CONTACT INFORMATION~ Communications for the newsletter may be emailed to the editor at [email protected] Information about mission activities for inclusion in the newsletter is welcomed. Telephone communication may be made to Don Blasingame at 662-323-5646. ADF Office address: 1153 Owens Road, Terry, MS 39170 Telephone: 601-857-8544 Website: www.adfmissions.org
Agricultural Development Foundation, Ltd. 1153 Owens Road Terry, MS 39170
“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Psalm 103:2
To: Agricultural Development Foundation, Ltd. 1153 Owens Road Terry, MS 39170
I would like to :
Please accept my:
___renew my membership
___membership contribution of $50
___become a member
___gift in the amount of $__________
Name____________________________________________________________________________ Address__________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip____________________________________________________________________ Phone_______________________________ Email______________________________________
