Sowing Seeds in Winter

Winter so often feels like a time of stagnation and hibernation. As a farmer, I feel like time is wasted in the winter. It's the perfect time to get more work done, but it's always too cold, or too wet, or too snowy, or too windy. While we sit uninspired staring at so much frozen potential, Jesus continues to water the seeds we planted in better weather. He tends to His garden even when all we see is stagnation and hibernation.

The tent one of the families was living in was damaged in the storm.

This winter, like last winter has presented so many challenges. It has broken our hearts and forced us to confront Jesus in the least of these. We have witnessed the catastrophic effects of hypothermia on an elderly lady from the camp where we've been ministering. We have seen people in our community lose access to their homes due to the treacherous conditions caused by ice. We've seen people stranded and in need of supplies just to get through a few more days of winter. Mary's House has been left without water for about a week, and is now without a toilet. Thanks be to God, we still have propane for heat and the electricity has held through the entire storm. While our little inconvenience has had major impacts on our daily lives, it is hard to imagine living in a tent with no electricity or water and making it through this unprecedented ice storm and sub zero temperatures.

Last year, we saw someone's camper float away in the flood a few miles from our land. We had tornadoes, where our neighbors found themselves in shipping container shelters and a portion of London demolished in the wake of the tornado. We found ourselves in an Airbnb in several occasions just to escape the extreme weather. We sustained major economic damage, including losing our outdoor kitchen and storage and our driveway last winter storm. But worse than that was the constant battle against giving up, against being angry at the situation, against losing hope. We've come to understand that the weather in Kentucky is not to be trifled with. Underestimating the weather here is deadly.

The aim of the Catholic Worker movement is to provide the spiritual and corporal works of mercy to anyone in need. We cannot neglect our responsibilities to "shelter the homeless" and have decided to put on our property an emergency cabin for those affected by extreme weather. In the times when there are no extreme weather emergencies, we can use the cabin to house a local family in need, someone from the community who finds themselves displaced, or a person in need to transition back into society. This will be a community-wide endeavor and we will be seeking the support of our local community to get the building on our property and to get it ready for guests.

As the new year unfolds, there is no telling what emergencies may arise or who God may bring to our doorstep. We need help. Getting the building on the property will be relatively easy, but we need to pay this building off in order to maintain operations on the farm. We can only carry this financial burden for a short while. We've been gifted a donation for the down payment and need another $6,500 to pay off the cabin. Please consider making a donation toward our community's emergency cabin here.

Our little mission has grown exponentially this year. We are currently caring for several families and beginning to make connections throughout the community to find and help others in need. Your prayers and financial support are more important than ever, and any prayer requests you have can be sent to mammahenn@gmail.com and we will add them to our nightly petitions. Thank you and may God continue to bless you and your families.