A lot has happened since our last newsletter. Since mid-March, as you may have followed on our social media platforms, the HOPE Farm staff worked tirelessly to help our families through an unprecedented time of uncertainty—a time that hit lower income communities the hardest. This pandemic has taught us many lessons and through this time of unpredictability, the one thing that has remained reliable, constant, and true is the love of Jesus Christ.
At HOPE Farm, we began to feel secure and were able to take a breath as school ended. We continued a time of thanksgiving with our families as we celebrated a high school graduate and 12 kindergarten graduates from our three campuses. We began to plan summer activities for our boys accounting for social distancing and safety.
As we took our breath of relief that things were possibly getting better regarding Covid-19, George Floyd found himself pinned on the ground not being able to breathe.
Friends, I am sad, angry, disappointed, and flat-out confused by the injustice of George Floyd’s last breaths on this earth. It has ripped at the core of my heart. Not only are we in the middle of a viral pandemic, but we are also experiencing a cultural and spiritual pandemic, as well. The question we must ask ourselves is HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
Our country has invented its own earthly standards which have not been the standards by which we were instructed to live. The Bible is clear that from God’s throne comes righteousness and justice. These principles are side by side. Justice is the equitable and impartial application of explicit moral character which is constantly being denied in this country. We are better than this America! However, we cannot change the nation until we change the heart of man. For us at HOPE Farm, we continue to stand by our mission and serve the young men and single moms who are part of our program.
God blessed HOPE Farm in big and meaningful ways during the last 13 weeks when moms lost jobs, were unable to find household supplies, were without technology, and were sometimes without nutrition. Through donations and support from you, God met our needs. Through our thanksgiving for all that God has done for HOPE Farm in the most recent weeks, we must believe that God’s hand is on our country and the world, and that one day there will be no room for hate, injustice, or death.
Until then, we pray. We pray in thanksgiving for guidance, our families, our community, and our leaders. We pray for truth, love, and clarity, and we pray for a reset in the hearts of all men and women. We pray for all lives, and, most of all, we pray for PEACE.
