And That's a Wrap Folks!

10 years ago Dannean and I started this blog as a memoir to the biggest life decision we had made together since getting married... Our life relocation to the small agricultural community of Walkerville, 30km south of JHB.

This blog has subsequently documented many ups and downs, wide berths and close shaves, hits and misses, on our road less traveled. So in deciding the title of this last blog post linked to our 10 year vision, I wanted to try choose one that would encapsulate them all. 

Here is a sampling of some of the titles that came to mind...

- Following your heart will mess with your head!

- Perseverance is to vision, what wings are to a bird...

- Don't try see the big (long term) picture with a small (short term) lense.

- A good marriage pays the best dividends... And is also recession, depression and obsession proof!

- An honest apology, good question or great book, can change your day, year or life!

- A day without God's Spirit, is a day lived without wisdom or glory... Wasted.

- Life without the Bible is like buying a new car, and then never reading the manual... Sooner or later you're going to regret it.

In truth, all these possible headings have a story in their own right, however the title I chose in the end, remains true to why we started this blog to begin with... That is to document and share our participation in building a transformed community, as outlined in the associated vision that we drafted and shared 10 years ago.

Without getting lost in the detail, I'm not sure if we can even now, clearly define what this transformed community would or should look like... However, without complicating matters, I will try to simply review the theory above with the application below.

In this regard, and with reflection, one might say that the 3 red circles above are in fact the core outputs (fruit) in my mind, of a transformed community, being...

 - a community of families

 - led by faithful husbands and loving fathers

 - who work for themselves and provide for their families

 - who in turn are led by God the Father, Jesus the Word, and Holy Spirit.

The blue circles on the other hand, are more closely linked to what one might say are the building blocks or key inputs of such a community, and include...

 - growing food (farming),

 - educating kids (schooling),

 - transfering skills (training) and 

 - worshiping God in spirit and truth (church)

Accordingly, much of this has been the core focus of our efforts over the past 10 years, all with varying degrees of success. 

For example, over the years I have emersed myself in a variety of vision associated activities including; 

- Small scale farming studies and work (Farming God's Way and UCAN Grow)

 - Business start-ups (Mbuzi, picnics4all)

 - School start-up (Eduship), and

 - Church start-up (People of the Way)

On the news front, my contract as farm manager at the Field Berry Farm has been extended for another year, Dannean will continue homeschooling Connor and Izzy, and Tristan will start grade 9 at a private school down the road... and we have another dog called Jaxie! Who must be the cutest and naughtiness baby Jack Russell in the whole of Walkerville...

But Jaxie is more than just a picture of cuteness... in a way she's a metaphor of the vision we dared to write, and then dared to live... That is, much of what we have tried and tested has been fun, but also messy and costly. Almost like school fees in the transformation journey, much of which has been on a very personal and individual basis, rather than on a corporate and community basis. 

In this regard, I therefore thought it appropriate that I share some pictures from previous blog posts, that best capture both some of the inputs and outputs of our journey these past 10 years...

In conclusion I must say... My faithful wife, gracious God, and loving family, have given me the space and grace to scratch almost every itch I developed in the pursuit of our vision over the past 10 years. For this I am immensely grateful and indebted. 

I must also add, lest their be any confusion, that the majority of these scratched itches of mine, have resulted in little more than trial and error. Which in turn, has tested our personal convictions and relationships to the max - as also described and highlighted in numerous posts over the years. However, these have also been invaluable school fees in helping us continuously do better.

Finally, as regards the next decade, our hearts must first and foremost remain faithful and true to God. What this means for the work we have begun this past decade, I cannot tell, however what I can say with much faith (because Moses said it first), is...

Thanks for reading, and we can't wait to see (and maybe write about😆) what God is going to do this next decade... Until then...

Favor, grace and glory!

Power, Pipes, Pumps & All...

This is the first of my biannual blog posts... A forced habit documenting some of our (by now) decade old relocation to the south of JHB. It's quite weird saying that, because of just how much has happened over these 10 years. But I suppose this is a universal truth, and underscores how life can feel like both a marathon and a sprint, at the same time. For example, I remember moving to Walkerville like it happened yesterday, but ask me when was the last times I slept through the night... I have no idea!?

I won't back up too far for context, other than to say, 4 months ago (just before I started my current job), I had been unemployed for 11 months... Needless to say, those were 11 looooooong months, but only in so far as I was unemployed. Life carried, and it was still full of joy and grace and purpose... Although we certainly needed some practice at being able to see and appreciating it, for the challange it was! The truth is, perspective remains one of the best gifts God can offer any of us... However very rarely, if ever, does it come without a cost.

So to cut to the chase, allow me to pick up where my last blog post ended...

On a related note, and to end where I started, the job front remains a bit foggy, but something that has been clear in my heart for the past 3 months, has been my desire to farm chickens on the Berry Farm (where we live). This culminated in my finalization of a funding proposal and business plan to that effect, which has managed to raise sufficient interest to merit another months R&D, at which time I will either become a chicken farmer, or something a little more conservative and predictable. Over to you Lord.

Well, the jury is out, and after a rather nail-biting finish, I do have a new job, but I'm neither a chicken farmer or something more conservative and predictable (hang no!). In fact, I was appointed the Berry Farm manager on the 13th February this year, and have been learning lots, sleeping little, and loving the opportunity, ever since! I must add, it didn't come without some birth pains, as Dannean will testify, and felt like we had to go in for an emergency C-Section at one point... being 1 day away from relocating back to PE, and moving in with my parents (as much as I love them)! Of course, that definitely wasn't how the story was supposed to end in my mind... But God clearly never grows tired of keeping us guessing, and despite his grace never failing, nor does his desire to test our faith and resolve! 

With reference to the scripture below, it certainly felt like a day (or a couple months!) of trouble, but it also certainly feels now, like we have been set high upon a rock!

Anyway... back to my new job.  I know we've all heard or used the phrase 'Dream job', but I can tell you that I have indeed found (or rather received) mine for now! And while it's no Sunday afternoon stroll, it's certainly not a Monday morning rat race! I mean, being able to walk out of my front door, into my 30 hectare office, working with an endless variety of farm and community challenges, while using all the talent, gifting and wisdom God supplies, feels like such a blessing and privilege. And so, after 4 months in the saddle, it remains as energizing and rewarding as I'd hoped it would be... Although I must add, I have never lived on less sleep and more prayer!

But work aside, 2025 has been very memorable for many other reasons thus far too, including;

Hiking with friends and family to the top of the Tugela Falls in April...

Catching up with old friends from far away lands down under...

Baptizing and making young disciples...

Seeing my kids growing up, my folks growing old, and my wife growing more beautiful💕

Celebrating with family from afar... and 18 years of marriage far away from the children!

And of course... learning to manage a farm... Power, Pipes, Pumps and all!

   

In conclusion, life probably is a lot like a box of chocolates afterall... you never know what you're gonna get! However... With God... And Jesus... at least we know, that we're always loved, always protected, always provided for, and always accepted. And that's something no job, not even a dream job, can even give... or compare with!

Until December. 

Strength and grace✝️💟