Through the Agriculture Program at Missionary Training School and in partnership with Equipping Farmers International and ECHO, participants learn best practices for sustainable agriculture while also learning how to teach those principles to others. In the "most diverse square mile in America", with over 13,000 refugees from 60+ nations, time is dedicated to cross-cultural evangelism to diaspora populations within the GFM Community Garden. Here's one of their stories:

“You do good, and you go to heaven. You do bad, and you go to hell.”

- Ben*, a Burmese farmer tending to one of the plots in the GFM Community Garden

Hearing Ben share about the need to be pure in heart reminded me of Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” I affirmed him by agreeing that we really do need a pure heart if we want to go to Heaven. However, I asked if he knew the rest of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus describes the ethics of the Kingdom and puts flesh on the bones of what it means to truly have a pure heart. 

Together, we read Jesus’ teachings on anger and sexual immorality and discussed how Jesus exposes our hearts by showing how our outward acts of sin come from corrupt hearts… ones that are certainly not pure. I asked Ben if he had these sins of anger or lust in his life. He said, “yes.” I replied, “So do I.” We acknowledged how, if this is true, we both have a big problem on our hands. While we might not be outwardly committing the “big sin”, the sin motive is still dwelling in our hearts. 

Admitting that we are imperfect, I asked Ben how we might rid our hearts of sin and be utterly cleansed of it. He suggested meditation being a helpful way to clear our minds and remove our sin. He carried on, saying “If we are angry, we can meditate and become unangry. If we are lustful, we can meditate and become lustless.” I noted, however, that this meditation will not do us much good before God, who can see down to the depths of our hearts. Regardless of how clear our minds are, God is concerned for our hearts that are still full of anger and lust. We need a deeper cleansing. Without God, we are still impure. 

We turned from the Sermon on the Mount to John 14. He was familiar with verse 16: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” I was able to share that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ, and He is the only one who can cover our sin. The blood of Jesus alone pours into the deepest canals of our hearts and cleanses us to be pure in His sight. By grace, through faith, we are truly saved. 

I still meet with Ben every week. The GFM Community Garden has opened incredible doors to not only provide a place for New Americans to grow produce from their homelands, but to cultivate community and intentional relationships.

Pray with us: that the Gospel of grace sinks deeply into Ben’s and our own hearts as we seek to rest secure in the finished work of Christ. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [Ephesians 2:8-9]

Are YOU passionate about using agriculture, farming, and gardening techniques to help share the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Through the Agricultural Program at Missionary Training School and in partnership with Equipping Farmers International (EFI) and ECHO, participants will learn best practices in sustainable agriculture based on the Foundations for Farming principles while also learning how to teach these same principles to others. The program culminates with the opportunity to participate in a one-month overseas internship with EFI, allowing them to be equipped and ready to serve the nations in both word and deed.

Our NEW Agriculture Program launches January 2025. Applications are NOW open - learn more and apply!