ECHO International Agriculture Conference by Cory

 Nov. 7-9 I enjoyed the conference in Fort Myers, Florida. It was interesting to hear about agricultural and mission successes and challenges from many areas of the world.

I was an ECHO intern in '90-'91 and volunteered some during the next few years between 3 trips to Brazil. 

ECHO has been a huge resource to our agricultural work over the years and the ECHO demonstration gardens and fruit groves give perspective on how things can grow and produce over the years.

Emmanuel Jatau, Community Developer, Asbury Theological Seminary, had a practical presentation on Community Garden Ministry.

He told about Community gardens for displaced people or those in need in Nigeria and Ohio. His Conclusion:

"Community Garden Ministry is a new area in missiological studies and it is my goal that this research will avail new data and generate new knowledge that will help the church to grasp the Missio Dei (the mission of God). It will offer the church innovative resources for evangelism, discipleship and church planting giving people who will not come to the four corners of a church building, but they can come to the church garden that offers them food.

A local home school group has done great providing one of
 the lunches on the farm for many years.

"Community gardens serve as "third places" where relationships and connections happen organically. They are safe places where non-believers can ask questions and have the opportunity of hearing the gospel message in a non-threatening environment."

I am thankful for how Dr. Martin encouraged me and other
 interns to study and to develop a "philosophy of missions"
while we were interns helping to run ECHO.

Avocado trees and citrus under netting to protect from
greening disease