Mobile Loaves & Fishes Blog

"Draw Close" Music Video on the #Homeless & Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Draw Close from Kristopher Rutherford on Vimeo.

Stubborn Mules and a Plow Cart- Korpophoreo Project/MLF

A lot of folk have been asking me recently where my interest in growing things came from.  My answers have meandered through the profound effect the writings of Wendell Berry have had on my thought life and on into the first gardening experience I had (only a few years ago) where it just felt right to have my hands in the ground.  But in retrospect, I might have gone much further back into my life history.  Life on a farm and in connection with the soil have been a part of my life as long as I can remember.   Both of my maternal grandparents grew up on family farms in the South.  Both got out of farming as soon as they could.  But the stories they told us kids of life amongst the animals and the fields stuck with me through college and graduate school; a path that was supposed to land me far far away from farming, and into a cushy office job.  Against the odds both of my grandparents got off the land and into successful “city” careers.  Against even greater odds I have gotten back to the land and into a newly emergant “city career”.  And for that, I thank God.  In this blog I thought it might be interesting for readers to hear one of the stories of my granddad.

For much of his childhood years, my granddad lived on a marginal farm in a very rural part of Arkansas.  With his brother, father, and step-mom, he grew up in a two room shack.  He and his brother slept on the screened in porch or, if it was cold, in the kitchen near the wood stove.  It’s hard for me to believe, but my granddad didn’t sleep on a real bed more than a handful of times till he enlisted in the Navy at 17 (“the earliest you could sign up”, he always says.).  The following is one of the stories he likes to remember about “those days”.  It’s a “morality tale” the way he tells it, but I think you’ll enjoy it nevertheless.

Here’s the backdrop: their farm was in the lowlands between the tree covered hills.  This being the area right around creek, it was usually the most nutrient rich and crop- friendly.  Farming in such spaces is not, however, tractor friendly (even if they could afford it).  The family farm depended on two fabulously stubborn mules.  The mules pulled the plow that tilled up the ground and the cart that was usually occupied by my Great-Granddad.  My Granddad and his brother walked along the outside, clearing the path for the mules or removing large stones that were pulled up by the plow.  In the wake of the plowing, you could see the rough shape of the rows that were usually planted in corn sometime in the early summer months of May or June. 

The days were long, hot, and very humid.  After each long route through the bottomland, the mules expected to be given a break to rest beneath the shade trees that lined the outside of the bed rows on each side.  After several long rows were successfully tackled, the mules expected to be turned to the side and directed to the watering hole up the hill.   This was the normal run of things; normal enough that when things were even a little different, the mules set things right.

On one particularly hot and humid day toward the end of the planting season, my Great-Granddad was pressing the mules harder than normal.  The result was one of the more comical stories my Granddad tells.

Row after row, the mules were pushed on, and then turned to make another run.  They were given breaks, but it wasn’t at the frequency they were used to.  Each row they expected a break, but they were pushed two or three rows before getting their desired stop.   They were given water but not as often as they’d grown accustomed to.  At the end of a particularly long streak without water for the mules the afternoon sun was at its peak strength when my granddad turned the reins, signaling another bed to the plowed up.  Turning widely, the mules caught the cool shade of an outstretched tree.  They stopped.  My Great-Granddad shook the reins, but to no avail.  They were ready to break and it didn’t matter what he did.  Seeing their stubbornness rising up, and by all means wanting to let them know who ran things at the farm, he dismounted and began to slap the animals on their backside.  A switch was soon acquired but no amount of such well worn “tactics” succeeded in budging them from their spot beneath the tree.

Off in the distance, my Great-Granddad spied a mostly dead tree that he had been meaning to cut down.  For such purposes he always carried an axe on the cart.  Axe in hand, and with more anger than good sense in the hot sun, he cut up a good amount of firewood that he then spread beneath the two mules.  Well satisfied with himself, he then lit the wood on fire.  The mules on this day, however, got the last laugh.  They casually pulled up several feet so that the cart was squarely over the fire… The mules were sold a few weeks later.

As with all my Granddad’s stories, this one has a point, in fact it has several.  “Be mindful of those who are under your care” is the first one.  Here’s another: “when encountering a particularly stubborn problem, don’t get so consumed with your ‘highly effective’ solution that you forget how you got into the situation in the first place.”  And lastly, “be humble, even a mule is smarter than you on certain occasions.”

I hope this week finds you healthy, happy, and with your collective “mule-carts” in one piece.  We at the Korpophoreō Project are plowing up our beds this week in preparation for the Fall planting.  I just put in the first crop of broccoli, potatoes, and swiss chard.  

Till next time…Keep it green and growing.

Steven Hebbard

Good Soil Developer

The Korpophoreō Project/MLF                 

www.mlfnow.org/how

www.Better-worldmakers.org

Life may not seem easy, But the solution is simple

I met Gary several years ago on a street corner.  He was panhandling to support his heroin addiction.  Coming up on a year he has been sober from this debilitating disease.  He now lives in one of our RV's that is part of our Habitat on Wheels program (www.mlfnow.org/HOW).  He is a guest blogger and he too is transforming the world one human at a time.

-Alan

   My name is Gary and I am a very grateful recovered Heroin addict. It is only by the Grace of a loving and forgiving God that I can say ‘that’ today, because left to my own decisions and free will I would still be suffering in the disease of addiction by using or no longer be here to share my story of recovery with others. Since November 1, 2008, I have not found it necessary to use heroin or other illegal drugs and only prescribed narcotic medication when necessary.
 
   The abstinence from heroin use has been a fairly simple decision for me given the knowledge of the harm and destruction it has caused me both physically and mentally. The diseases I created in my liver through precarious I.V. drug use over the last 38 years are evident in my physical appearance and my abilities today. Daily I awaken, and retire at night, with a feeling of lethargy. My ability to think with clarity and make decisions without hesitation has been affected. I refer to it as my “..foggy, drug – affected mind”.
 
   The mental anguish and humility create isolationism to not let others know I suffer like this, until I try to express or converse in detail. - i.e.: While I am clear at present what I want to say here and how I want to express it, I am reaching for the words that I could recall before by referring to a thesaurus. This is why sometimes it may take longer to write a simple letter. First, I want to say something exactly how I feel it and second, I do not want to say something that may be misunderstood and taken wrong. Anguish, humility, frustration and embarrassment are just some of the mental nuisances that create a feeling of guilt. Others may consider this commonplace in everyone’s life. The guilt is there for me because I know of the harm done to myself for continuing to use drugs and alcohol for so many years. When I do ‘get it right’, I allow my ego to take over and I have learned, in sobriety, this is just Edging God Out of the glory of my recovery.
  
    I only share all of this because I pray it may help others to think about the decision to use, or continue to use such toxins that will negatively affect them later in life; if it has not already. My God gave me the ability to love and share with others as a beacon of His love for them. The guilt and resentment created, by me, through long – term drug use reflected the wrong picture of my God’s reason for placing me in others lives, it has also left me feeling empty and alone in this world before now. I am grateful my God so loves me that today I have several individuals that express unconditional care and concern by trying to help me regain my direction in this life. I say “this life” because I feel this is only a temporary assignment until I fulfill God’s original intent, which was to live and share happiness with Him in Eternity.
 
    I write these contributions with the desire that others will become more understanding and compassionate to those suffering from addiction, and for those who have found recovery to be more empathetic to others that have reached the extremes of degradation I did. It took me a long time to reach this point in life to finally decide I was finished, but I know there is a reason I have suffered. If my suffering was nothing more than an example to show other addicts what would happen from continued drug use, or help others to see it more clearly, it is worth it to me. My God does not make mistakes. I have lived the life He intended for me from the day I was created, by Him. I will remain loyal to Him and walk the paths He places in front of me. I have not worked this program to perfection; I am making progress. I cannot expect to undo what I have done in almost 40 years of destruction in just a few short months. I have made some mistakes, but I am still sober and still learning.
 
   This morning I prayed to my God to give me the strength to carry on with the assignment He has given and the clarity to see it, without hesitating. I feel I can accomplish this by surrendering to His will for me daily and allowing Him to direct my life as He desires. No man has ever walked this earth and lived a perfect life. Even Jesus Christ questioned God why He would forsake Him, but submitted to His authority knowing it was God’s plan. I was created for His pleasure and I want to make Him happy. Because of the free will He has given me, I may be unsteady at times, but those individuals He placed in my life today I consider His angels. I know they have been sent here to guide me, as long as I let them.
 
   I pray somebody that reads this finds their God and takes the time to consider the path He has prepared for them. Decisions are not an easy task and they are a part of the free will we possess. But I hope, just for today, they reach deep in their heart and make the right decision. I thank the employees and volunteers of Mobile Loaves and Fishes for giving a human touch reflecting God’s love especially David, Kay, and Alan, and Austin Recovery for showing me, “I am not alone.”  The Solution? ; “Let go and let God.” I pray my God will continue to bless each and everyone with love, happiness, and understanding. He has me, “one day at a time”.
 
“ God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference…”

~ gary

Lord Save Us From Your Followers #lordsaveus

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Dan Merchant the writer and director of the soon to be released documentary "Lord Save Us From Your Followers".  We bonded quickly to say the least.  I had watched a screener copy of the film the night before and I believe he is hitting on all 12 cylinders as he travels the country wondering why Christians are yelling and screaming at each other and at others.  This film segue's perfectly to a recent blog post of mine titled "Failure of Christians to Serve the Chronically Homeless".  In Austin the movie premiere's on October 2 at the Regal Gateway.  You can check online for the movie times but I really believe that it is a compelling movie that speaks to our times.  Dan is simple like me and really distills it down to "Love your neighbor as you would love yourself".  Pretty simple to me!

I think the film is a must see for all regardless of faith but particularly for Christians so that a dialogue can begin to help transform us into more "Christ" like people.  Enjoy the trailer below!

-Alan

What IS The Korpophoreō Project, Anyway?

The Mobile Loaves and Fishes’ Korpophoreō Project  is nearing completion of our first project of the year!  I know you’re all keen to hear about it so here are the juicy details.   For the last two weeks our work crews have been putting in our first Backyard Farm at the residence of Mobile Loaves and Fishes’ own Alan Graham (for more about the Backyard Farms program see the powerpoint at MLFnow.org/how- under the Korpophoreō Project tab).  Alan provided us the materials and we provided him with what I truly think is a beautiful garden (as yet to be endowed with seedlings, however). 

Our work team also tackled the creation of our first experimental chicken coop Saturday (to be clear, the experimental-part is in the how-to aspect of building of the coop).  I cannot yet designate it with the “Beautiful” seal of approval .  We must await the arrival of the laying ladies for that designation.  As of now, it is a promising future community house for up to six lady birds. 

 

For those not in the know, if you want to get some baby chick-ettes, the time to get your ‘ladies in laying’ is now.  Though it’s hard to believe that cooler temps are coming, Fall and Winter will soon enough be upon us.  And Winter is not a good time for a Barbie-doll-playing chicken-little to be entering the difficulties of fowl adolescence.  Your lady birds should be in the full swing of: know-it-all, text your friends during dinner, tragically misunderstood- young adulthood when the cool weather hits in earnest.  In Central Texas that could be as early as October and as late as Christmas (Crazy, isn’t it?). We’re hoping to finish off the coop and plant the Fall garden in the coming weeks. 

 

What’s next for the Korpophoreō Project?   

 

I’ve been talking with the pastor of a Church in the neighborhood of the Royal Palms RV park (home to several inhabitants of the Habitat on Wheels- HOW- program) to set up a “Farmer’s Market” garden in the grassy meadow near the church.  A “Farmer’s Market” garden is learning garden for the folks in the HOW program that we will sell produce from at the Austin Farmer’s Market or directly to you.

 

 

Does the Korpophoreō Project need anything right now?

 

If this church garden is to be Korpophoreō-ready, we are going to need to fertilize and compost the soil, not to guys and gals to till it in! If anyone out there is wondering how to partner with us, look no further.  We will be hosting our next workday on November 7^th.  Send me an email if you or your church would like to partner with us on this event.  

 

 

Well, that’s it for this installment of the Korpophoreō Project Blog.  As always, send your comments, questions, and garden cares to steven@mlfnow.org

 

Till next time…Keep it green and growing.

 

Steven

 

Good Soil Developer

The Korpophoreō Project/MLF