It’s so hard to capture all that we are processing. I wish I could sit across the table from you and have a long conversation. I wish you could sit with my patient gardener husband, as he shares some of the insights he is getting from our divine Patient Gardener. 

It can feel like an uphill battle.

Here on the Trees of Life farm, the journey of trying to develop resilient, sustainable fruit varieties in this location often parallels what we see God doing in the spiritual Kingdom work in Mongolia.

For example, on our land right now we are battling an infestation of Blister Beetles. These pests have no natural predators, so the only way to fight them—as organic farmers—is to handpick them off the plants and drown them.

For Mongolian believers, there is a similar battle, but against other infestations: the strongly ingrained Buddhist culture, the spiritual power of Shamanism, the materialism that has flooded in. The Gospel can make them resilient against these attacks, but it needs to fit their context; we can’t just bring our varieties from the West, plant them here, and expect them to thrive. As with gardening, it takes grafting and breeding and a slow process of selection and time and patience.

Yet in the midst of the battle, God gives life, and life abundantly.

As I write this, I look out over our land, struck by the contrast of the overgrazed grassland outside of our fenced area, and the abundance of vegetation within. On the ground our project sometimes seems overwhelming and chaotic and messy but it is a place of life and growth and abundance.

And so—one by one—we pick the Blister Beetles off of our fruit tree blossoms and tomato and pepper and potato plants, watch them revive and sprout new leaves, and give thanks to the One who is so patient with us.