Hands of Little Shepherd

God from a young age has given me a heart to serve, help, and minister to those around me. When I was 12 years old, I started volunteering in the church nursery, sound booth, childcare for other events at church, and soon was a sub Sunday school teacher and would help with ESL. When I was 14 years old, I had my real world first job. I was a lifeguard and swim instructor. I was able to serve the community in numerous ways through this job but my favorite was working with nonverbal autistic children from elementary through high school age and teaching safe skill around water. Moving into camp ministry I served in many different rolls…. Cabin Leader, Head Cook, Housekeeping, Program Staff/Lifeguard, etc. I had told the director to place me where he could not fill a position and I would do it. It was challenging and I learned a lot through this experience. From there I moved into custodial work at a church, and I loved it. I got to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the church members by preparing the building for each event so that it may look and feel inviting and safe. Allowing one to feel comfortable to receive what God has for them. I have also been given the opportunity to minister on mission trips to Haiti, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. I was able to help in camp ministry, weddings, homeless shelter, garbage dumps, church ministry, after school programs, widows, and agriculture though my time oversees in missions work. I have worked my dream job of farming. I was able to care and train animals, teach youth, and serve and teach many others. To my current work of being an assistant teacher at a childcare/preschool and a dinning service assistant at a nursing home. Two opposites jobs but similar. Both serving those in need. Both vary rewarding and challenging at times.

In each of the experience God has allowed me to work He prepares me and gives me different skill, knowledge, and grows my heart for what He has for me in the future. It has not always been easy, comfortable, or all roses, in fact it been pretty much the opposite of easy, comfortable, and roses. However, life is a journey, it is not meant to be easy but is meant to be a journey one step at a time. It is meant to shape me into the person God wants me to be for His perfect plan.

For me in this journey of life some of the hardest things for me to work through and overcome is; rejection, and now the fear of rejection, and through that the fear of the unknown have been my biggest roadblocks. In almost every piece of the puzzle above of my life I have faced a form of rejection and it can be crippling at times. The days or weeks that something traumatizing has happened and your body remembers, and you try to move on with life, but it can take everything you have to keep placing one foot in front of the other to keep moving forward. I had one of these times just recently. I felt myself struggling with everyday life, with work, with moving, with just functioning each day. There was this weight, this anger, this fear of it will happen again, I will be unwanted and rejected yet again, the body working against itself so tight that PT struggled to get the muscle to let go and relax, the pain, and so much more. I put together what was going on with my body with a prior event and kept pushing through, but it was “HARD”! Trying to continue through life normally with all the above stuff happening in you and more is not an easy task. I was not perfect but I did work to remember these things:

YOU ARE A DEARLY LOVED CHILD/DUTHER OF THE KING!

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7

I Samuel 2:1-25 NKJV. And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

James 1:12 NLT. God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love.

Luke 9:23-24 (NLT) “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hold on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

“If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a multitude of experiences that are not meant for you at all, they are meant to make you useful in His hands.” – Oswald Chambers

It has been said that it is impossible to forgive a man who deliberately hurts you for the sole purpose of destroying you or lowering you. If this be true, you have but one hope: to see this unfair hurt as coming by permission from God for the purpose of lifting your stature above that place where formerly you stood. – Gene Edwards 

Honestly, what is written above is the truth and I believe it. Yes, I have HARD days and it hard to move forward, or understand totally what is happening to me, or why my body responds and remembers what it does, BUT it is part of God’s perfect plan. I have an understanding that has been gifted to me that others may not have or have the ability to understand or relate with. I can use this gift and ability minister to help others and encourage others through the strength and help of my Heavenly Father.  

Yes, it HARD to overcome and move forward at times but through each struggle and trail that I endure. It ignites my passion even more for the vision of having a ministry to minister to single girls, single moms, and widows. I am so excited to see how God continues to grow and guide me through this journey of life – the good, the bad, the fun, the hard, but ultimately for his glory. And that makes the struggle, the hard, the bad bearable to know that He is molding me into someone who can relate and understand with the wounded sheep that need encouragement and reminders of who they are, that they are not alone, they are not rejected, and they are dearly loved.

Please join me in praying for the future, the journey God has instore, and the continued development and vision of Hands of Little Shepherds Farm and Ministry.

Snap shot into some of the long term goals of things being worked on for the Hands of Little Shepherds Farm and Ministry.

Theme Verses

The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 28:8 (ESV)

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Mathew 5:16 (NLT)

Mission

The mission of this farm share and model the message of Jesus in a safe, innovative, interactive and relational setting. To glorify God through reaching a needy community. We believe that God’s Word, the Bible, provides the world with a message of hope for eternity. Through belief in Jesus death and resurrection, every person can have a personal and real relationship with the Creator of the world. In this, believers are able to live a new life filled with hope, love, and new purpose.

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT)

Vision

Farm Name: Hands of Little Shepherds

– Training dearly loved children to be little Shepherds that are used by and will bring glory to our Heavenly Shepherd. To be a support for single mothers, widows, and single women as they navigate life and to provide encouragement and accountability in there walk with Christ and living for Him. –  

Single Women’s Housing Ministry:  Hadassah’s House (Single Women’s House), Elizabeth’s House (Single Mother’s House), Ruth’s House (Widows House)

– A safe place for widows, single moms, single teen moms, or single women to live surrounded by a loving and supporting community and with opportunities to fellowship with other women and grow and heal. – 

Perhaps you were created for such a time as this! (taken from Esther 4:14)

Little Shepherds Discovery Center: Day Care Center (For the children living at Elizabeth’s House and for single moms in the surrounding community.)

Farm’s Gift Shop

The Shepherd’s Café: Farm’s Food Shop