The Human Farm

For the past few days I have been in Minas de Oro under the care of the Diaz family. I am staying at the house of Guillermo. Minas de Oro is an old mining town surrounded by a circle of pine covered mountains. The elevation is high, so it is cool here. I sleep really well at night. I am reading the book "The Human Farm" by Katie Smith because I have more free time here in Minas. The book tells the story of Elías Sánchez, a Honduran man who started a model farm called Loma Linda to teach campesinos improved farming methods. I am amazed to find myself interacting with people who played a part in that story. Guillermo was Elías' boss at the ministry of natural resources here in Honduras, and he played a part in bringing the ideas of "The Human Farm" here to Minas de Oro, eventually resulting in the organization I am working for: Tierra Nueva. The main point of the book is that Elías focused on changing peoples hearts and minds before trying to change their farming practices. The book tells how this style of people-centered development work spread around Honduras and the world. I am soaking up all this experience and history each day as I interact with the people here, and I love it. It is humbling to see each day how God is taking care of me here, and preparing me for each next step.