Organic Farming In The Shadow Of A Volcano

Volcano? In sunny CA? Noooooo...


And no, this isn't about a new organic fertilizer or soil amendment either. It's about my daughter. Perhaps she should explain. I've asked her to write a quick guest post that will explain it all...

Photo Credit

I remember when my mom sat down for the first time with What The Bible Says About Healthy Living when I was in kindergarten. Little did I know where that book would take us. It started with pop tarts and jello being removed from the house and now, twelve years, two houses, chickens,  a beehive, tetanus shots, and a large garden later I am sitting here staring at thirty or forty small plants sprouting in my office, an unfinished bathroom. I am Kate Walker and I am pretty sure my parents have rubbed off on me to an alarming degree.

Kate #175082

This summer my best friend, Rachel, and I are going on a ten week trip to a third world country where we will be working on an organic farm for ten weeks. In normal houses, when a child decides to visit another country, the parents give a ton of common sense advice and are worried sick all the time. On our homestead, Dad gave me a stack of books on the Islamic faith and Mom insisted I learn the correct and sanitary methods of milking animals.

Rachel and Kate 2010

Rachel and I are excited to be able to learn the language, the culture, and more about the people of the area which is in the heartland of one of the world’s largest unreached people groups. An active volcano overlooks a focus group of over six million Muslim people where the first house fellowships in history are being planted. We need lots of prayer and about three thousand dollars more to go ($1500 each). If you would like to give, we would be very grateful (our names and account numbers for giving are by our pictures).  To learn more, follow our trip, or to contact us, visit our blog at This Good Earth. 

Rachel  #175083

Oh, and please pray for our parents, too. It's a faith walk for them as well!

Happy Homesteading! 

Kate and Rachel

So, there you have it. Am I nervous? I have my moments. Am I crazy? Perhaps. I've had plenty of people ask is we (as parents) are sane, read the news, have any clue what people think of Americans overseas, etc. But how do you say no to God? 

We've prayed, and prayed, and prayed some more. As parents, we've set requirements and goals and they've all been met. We've called and met with several individuals who are familiar with the region and they've all confirmed that our daughters desires are not unreasonable. 


I remember being young and feeling that same excitement to go, do something big, serve others, and explore the world. I went across the country and got off a plane not knowing anyone on the other end and having no clue who was going to meet me. Three months later, I came home ready to serve at home. 


It will be fun to hear what she learns on an organic farm in a third world country. Definitely homesteading from a different point of view. In the meantime, I'm going to grow a lot. My prayer life will certainly be deeper than I can ever remember!