The Tierra de Gracia Lutheran Farm in Venezuela was established to train local residents in better agricultural techniques to improve incomes and support a pastor for rural evangelism. The farm acquired 140 hectares of land and has expanded livestock, established orchards and crops, and built infrastructure like fences, houses, and an irrigation lagoon with the help of U.S. volunteers and donations. Under Pastor Armando, the associated rural churches have increased attendance and faith activities, and the farm hosts daily devotions and weekly Bible studies for over 30 people from the neighboring community.
1. “So neither he who plants is anything, neither he who waters, but
God who gives the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:7 This is an overview of
Tierra de Gracia Lutheran Farm in Venezuela.
8. As in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-9, there also are
obstacles to the growth of Christian faith in rural Venezuela.
9. Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod missionaries planted the Word of
God in the hearts of people here in the eastern Venezuelan state of
Monagas 50 years ago.
10. But since then these rural churches have experienced many
hardships.
11. In these rural districts today, unemployment runs as high as 80
percent of the population and typical family income is less than
2,000 U.S. dollars annually.
13. In this impoverished environment, many infirmities result from
malnutrition and contaminated water.
14. Because of these economic conditions, none of the rural churches
can afford fulltime pastors and closed their doors years ago.
15. This is a shame, because the formation of the Lutheran Church of
Venezuela began in these rural parishes as well as Caracas.
16. When members of the rural churches moved to town they formed
the core groups of some of the largest Lutheran congregations in
Venezuela.
17. At one time Sunday attendance in the rural churches of Rio Chiquito
and Quebrada Seca, the two communities hardest hit by economic
problems, averaged 80 people per week.
18. By the late 1990s, however, typical Sunday attendance had dropped
to less than 20 – when there were Sunday services..
19. The rural churches that remained open were only holding worship
services one or twice a year..
20. Still there was a hunger for spiritual as well as material bread..
21. For these reasons, the Lutheran Church of Venezuela has supported
the development of an agricultural mission as a project of Cristo Rey
Lutheran Church of Maturin, Monagas.
22. Dale and Sandra Saville were sent to Monagas as agricultural
missionaries after many years of successful mission work among the
Navajo in the United States..
23. In cooperation with Pastor Adrian Ventura and other members of
Cristo Rey, Dale developed a business plan for a working farm to
accomplish two objectives.
24. First objective: Train rural residents in better methods of agricultural
production and marketing to help them improve their incomes and
standard of living.
31. Dale Saville and the Cristo Rey farm committee spent a long time
looking for the best land.
32. Work on the current site, about an hour's drive from Maturin, began
in 2002.
33. They found 140 hectares of good land, but it was overgrown with
weeds.
34. Fences and a paved road divided the property into two parts.
35. A river formed the eastern and southern boundaries with enough
water to irrigate 67 hectares. Irrigation is critical for crop production
during the dry season.
36. The farm's soil was ideal for irrigation, an alluvial mix of clay, loam
and sand.
37. At first the workers hand only crude hand tools to clear and cultivate
the land.
40. The farm comittee acquired title to the land in February 2004 with
the help of a loan from supporters in the United States. The
congregations of Maturin, Rio Chiquito and Quebrada Seca gathered
for a celebration on the farm.
41. The farm was officially named Tierra de Gracia (Land of Grace)
Lutheran Farm.
42. In March 2004, the farm was able to buy a 75-horsepower tractor
with contributions from churches in North Dakota and Montana.
52. Teams of volunteers from the United States helped build fence as
well as with other construction projects in the last four years..
53. The farm now has,more than 20 hectares of pasture which, enough
to maintain 70 cows, 100 goats and 100 sheep.
54. The cows have been artificially inseminated with Tarentaise semen
donated by a U.S. cattle breeder to improve the herd's genetics..
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, St. Louis, Missouri, along with
Lutheran World Relief, has supplied the funds to buy four more
cows.
55. The livestock program also now includes five sheep and 15 goats. In
addition to producing young, the sheep and goats will graze between
the trees, keeping the orchards clean.. The goats were purchased
with money donated by St. Peter's Lutheran Church of Columbus,
Indiana.
56. There are more than 1,200 citrus trees in the farm's orchards...
57. There are 245 passion-fruit vines and 85 guava trees.
58. Early in 2006, 3,000 new papaya trees were planted to supplement
the production of 2,000 established trees. Papaya is the farm's most
profitable crop and the plan is to plant 500 new trees each month of
2006.
60. José Luís Rivas is the farm's general manager. As of this year, the
farm's administrative committee includes José Luís, Pastor Armando
Ramos, Americo Rengel and Dale Saville, along with Pastor Francisco
Cabarcas and Eduardo Castillo as liaisons with Cristo Rey.
61. A small house serves as the farm's office and visitor's center.
62. A second house serves as a home and office for Pastor Armando
Ramos..
63. Pastor Armando was ordained August 1, 2004, at Cristo Rey Lutheran
Church.
64. Armando grew up in rural Venezuela himself although on the
western edge of the country in the state of Barinas.
65. Since Pastor Armando's arrival in Monagas, the Tierra de Gracia
evangelistic program has made tremendous strides. Roca de
Eternidad (Rock of Ages) Lutheran Church in Quebrada Seca now has
weekly attendance of 20 people. In 2005 there was one baptism and
seven confirmations.
66. Bethel Lutheran Church in Rio Chiquito has increased Sunday
attendance to 27 people. In 2005 there were seven baptisms and six
confirmations.
67. Rundown facilities in Rio Chiquito and Quebrada Seca are being
repaired. A new roof for Roca de Eternidad is nearly complete while
new bathrooms are being built at Bethel.
68. Amichel, Ventura, a deacon at Cristo Rey in Maturin, assists Pastor
Armando in caring for the rural churches.
69. Another member of the evangelistic team is Yumira Valderrey as
Bible school teacher.
70. Volunteers from the United States have helped with vacation Bible
school as well..
71. Eduardo Flores, a member of La Fortaleza Lutheran Church in
Maracay, served as a vicar under the direction of Pastor Armando. He
worked with the youth of the rural churches and provided musical
accompaniment during worship.
72. The youth of the rural churches in Rio Chiquito and Quebrada Seca
have become very active..
73. Bethel and Roca de Eternidad sent 12 to the Lutheran Church of
Venezuela's annual youth gathering in 2005.
74. Evangelistic activities have included three vacation Bible schools and
four prayer vigils at the rural churches as well as door-to-door visits
with approximately 1,800 people.
75. At Tierra de Gracia itself, Pastor Armando leads about the workers in
daily devotions. In addition, weekly adult Bible studies draw 35 to 40
people to farm from the nearby village of Banco de Acosta.
76. On January 20, 2005, Pastor Armando performed the first baptism
on the farm. in a special service with 75 people from Banco de
Acosta and Quebrada Seca in attendance,. The child, José Enrique,
was the son of one of the farm's employees.
77. On Sunday, June 12, 2005, Pastor Armando conducted the first
formal worship service at Tierra de Gracia with 156 people in
attendance. Four adults were confirmed: José Luís Rivas, Leobardo
Gamboa, Marelis Bolivar and Javier Alcantera.
78. Land has been set aside to build a church near Pastor Armando's
house to continue the important ministry in the immediate vicinity of
the farm..
79. Perhaps the results of the Tierra de Gracia project can best be read
in the faces of these children . “...Let the little children come to Me
and do not forbid them, for of such is the Kingdom of God.” Luke
18:16