The garden is such a major theme all throughout scripture. The garden of Eden, the garden of Gethsemane, the garden tomb and finally the Garden City we see in Revelation 22. As we prayed about what we were to call this ministry the garden theme was really impressed in our hearts. Regenerative agriculture is a large part of what we want to do in Honduras. So we knew it would involve a large amount of gardening. The more we prayed, not only could we not get away from the garden idea but the more we began to see it in Scripture.

1 Corinthians 3:9 says, “We are coworkers with God and you are God’s cultivated garden, the house He is building.”

In short, we are God’s garden and He is the Gardener (John 15:1). He created the original garden, Eden, and He placed mankind in the garden to tend to it, thrive in it and expand it all over the Earth. That was mans original mission. As image bearers of the Almighty mankind was commissioned to expand the Garden Paradise all over the earth and produce more image bearers of God. However, man failed in that mission by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (trying to live life apart from the Tree of Life).

Because of sin and independence of God the mission continued to fall apart. But at the fullness of time, the Tree of Life, the Word, came in the form of man as the last Adam. He came to restore mankind back to their Heavenly Father and to get us back on the mission of spreading Eden (the Kingdom of God) all over the Earth. Jesus came to show us the Father and to bring us back to the Garden.

At the end of Scripture we see a new garden, in the New Jerusalem, where those who put their trust in Jesus Christ dwell with Him and the Father in perfect relationship for eternity. The River of Life is there as well as the Tree of Life. And the leaves from the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations. We are of the conviction that on this side of eternity we, as God’s image bearers, are commissioned to take those healing leaves from the Tree of Life (Christ) to the nations now. To bring healing now. The bring restoration now. We are also of the conviction that when God created everything it was good. He said it was Himself! Man, in his fallen state, has turned God’s good creation into a disastrous mess. But, as we do things the way God designed it to be, mankind and creation can be healed.

To us, this is The Garden Mission. Co-laboring with Christ (The Tree of Life), to bring restoration, healing and life through the cultivation of both land and hearts.