Dowdy Family

03/24/09

"Our presumption was that those who owned orchards weren't in need, and, therefore, the poor won't be found working with trees. Boy, were we wrong!" Aaron and Faith Dowdy recall their first two-year assignment with the Central Asia Harvest Project.

"'The poor don't have pecan orchards!'  That's the cry that rose up from our frustration three yeas ago as we found ourselves managing a 30-acre pecan orchard in central Texas.  Our plan was to gain exposure in agriculture for a year and then follow our call to work overseas with those in need.  We kept asking, 'why are we stuck working in a pecan orchard?'  Our presumption was that those who owned orchards weren't in need, and therefore, the poor won't be found working with trees.

Boy, were we wrong!

Shortly into our stint with pecans, we were introduced to IDEAS and the Central Asia Harvest Project.  We discoverd the vast number of fruit tree farmers in Central Asia who lack the resources to maintain healthy and productive orchards. 

That experience serves as a good reminder to us each time we feel tempted to put limitations or boundaries on God's intentions for us.

Now as we look back at that year working with pecans, we're grateful for our early exposure to tree farming.  We'll be returning to Central Asia in a few months to join the Harvest Project and move into the communty.  As we prepare for the move, we're striving to be more and more open to looking at our present situations as part of God's plan for something more."

Aaron, Faith, Silas and Eliza Dowdy