Samaritan's Purse has supported churches in Asia so they can help their communities grow nutritious gardens.
Samaritan’s Purse and our partners around the world have taught pastors practical skills that have thrown open the doors for
ministry in their communities.
With approximately one in five people worldwide suffering from chronic malnutrition and cyclical hunger, simple farming and
gardening principles have huge potential to impact families both physically and spiritually. This is particularly true because the
majority of these vulnerable people are already farmers with access to land. What they often lack is knowledge about how to restore the productivity of their soil, which crops to plant, and how to properly harvest and cook the food for their families.
A pastor from India named Prakash said his entire perspective on ministry changed as a result of agricultural training offered by
Samaritan’s Purse: “I realized that I do not need to have plenty of money so I can work for the Lord. If I have this small piece of land I can plant vegetables and other crops and raise farm animals, then the land will prosper and give glory to God.”
Prakash shared that he is committed to teaching others what he has learned and that he “will use this training to share the
Gospel with unbelievers.”
In Nepal, Indonesia, Myanmar, and other parts of Asia, the generous support of Canadians has provided training in simple
sustainable agriculture to hundreds of Christian leaders. Recognizing the abundance of God’s creation, these lessons teach, for example, how to use local materials to create organic fertilizers and pesticides to increase crop yields.
Timoti, a recent trainee, said, “Before we were just worshipping God in the church…but the people in our community did not know what we were doing.” He now has a mental picture of having a Bible in one hand and a hoe in the other. “If we teach this information to others, all people in the community will have a good view of our church.”
Another pastor shared his idea of how he would put into practice what he had learned: “I have a vision to make garden beds in the
shape of a cross. When it is time to harvest, I will invite my Buddhist neighbors to help and they will ask me what shape it is.
This will give me the opportunity to share what Jesus did on the cross for them!”
See how Samaritan’s Purse has also helped families provide food for themselves in Cambodia.
