Craigslist opens door to ministry

Who would ever guess that God would use Craigslist to create a new ministry opportunity.

That is exactly what He did through an ad offering free use of an over grown vacant lot, as long as it was used for organic gardening. Our team had talked about gardening but never dreamed that we would have a free space or the knowledge. God has also taken care of that also! 

Our pastor’s wife happens to be a Master Gardener and is getting her PhD in Urban Organic Community Gardening. She needed a location for a garden so we are partnering together.

Our vision for the garden is threefold, to help create jobs for young adults, to promote health in our community and to create a positive place that draws people together and to the Lord.

Prayers at the Garden

With just one clean up day we have seen a positive response from the community. Several men who lived nearby were so excited to see something good happening that they stepped in and helped with the clean up.  We also met Dr. Mel. She and her husband have a church next door with a strong children’s ministry. She had actually been praying about growing vegetables. She has offered to partner with us, share her facilities and get her youth involved.

We also met some of the local prostitutes. The lot is located on Long Beach Blvd, which is a main street in Compton and is where the  prostitutes “work.”  We have long had a burden to reach out to them but we have never found a way to build relationships. However, as we cleaned up they came over to see what was going on.  One woman named Tina said ,“I work on that corner across the street and I’m so glad you guys are cleaning up this raggedy lot.  What are you guys going to do with it?”  We stood there and I (Bob) painted a verbal picture of the community garden we are trying to create.  Tina talked for the next 10 minutes about how she was from the south and she used to help her grandmother plant her garden in the country. “Most kids don't like to eat their vegetables but not me.  When you grow them yourself, that’s what you want to eat.”  When we let her know that this was a community garden and she would be more than welcome to plant her vegetables here she almost cried.  “You mean I can use this like everyone else and you’d let me grow food too?”  

Everyone is welcome at the garden, especially Tina.  We pray it will be a place where the community  comes together and creates something positive. We believe that as this interaction happens the garden will be a place where gospel conversations occur and lives will be transformed.

-Bob