God has definitely been giving us help on the farm! I just want to praise Him for the direction and wisdom He has been giving us as we do our best to fit into the plan He has for Victory Acres. We have so many directions that we could go with this wonderful place, but our heart’s desire is that everything we do and what we become fits into the plan of God’s kingdom. I believe with all my heart that God can and will use Victory Acres to bless and benefit the kingdom for years to come!
Some of the ways God has been helping us in tangible ways is through the donors who are so vital to the work here. Many of you have given, and we are so appreciative. You really are a huge part of the hand of God extended to help those in need. Thank you so much!
You may be asking, “What is happening in the way of ministry at Victory Acres?” It’s a good question. While our ministry of taking in long-term ministry guests from the city has been put on hold temporarily, we are still actively involved in ministry. In order to resume our ministry to long term guests, there are some factors that need to be addressed:
- Adequate farm personnel.
- Adequate on-farm housing.
- Organized and supervised activity for ministry guests.
When we first arrived late June, a lot of work needed to be done – cleanup, organization, and liquidation – to name a few. In order to adequately support my family, my time on farm has been limited to two days a week. Eventually, I believe there will come a time when I can be more present on the farm. Being here regularly will be important when we have ministry guests at the farm. With all that needs done to get the farm up and running, ministry mentoring will need to be shared by others. We need helpers that can be here solely to invest in people, and we are praying that God will provide those helpers.
Housing is another factor. All we have for housing at the present are the seasonal cabins. The house trailer that sits across from us has issues with mold and is being removed to make way for our farm store upgrade and more parking. We are praying that God will provide more adequate, year-round housing for our guests and helpers.
We must have productive work for ministry guests to do while they are here. We now have the greenhouse up and running, and we are working to put things in place every day that ministry guests can be a part of. Once again, we are looking at different options for this; developing a wood workshop could make this possible. We are looking at options for this including a digital woodcarving, CNC routing machine. Growing the gardens once again could also keep people occupied productively. There are many options, but we must build these things slowly, lest we lose people in the mix.
So, where does this leave us? I believe for the moment that we must do the ministry we can do. We can minister through volunteer opportunities where we can bless others with a farm experience that is God-focused. We can host ministry retreats, like the Urban Leadership Retreat that will be here in May. We can share what God is doing in little ways. We can make Victory Acres a productive place of hospitality and healing for all who come to join us. So, I believe ministry is and can still happen here even in this season of renewal, but it may look a bit different than it did in the past or what it will in the future.
In the meantime, we are asking God to send us the team of helpers that we need.
Right now at the farm we are:
- Planting and ramping up the greenhouse.
- Building beds in the hoop house for improved vegetable care.
- Cleaning and continuing liquidation.
- Enjoying gathering eggs from the new hens.
- Planning for the new farm store upgrades
Martin Hunt, Farm Manager
