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A Farm Dedicated to Feeding the Hungry
“The very first time I had the dream,” Lori Birckhead recalls, “it was like someone had a video camera and they were spanning property, like from left to right, and I saw ponds and pastures and trees, and it was just very beautiful. And then at the end of this, this vision was just a voice, and the voice said, ‘buy land, grow food, and give it away’.” At first, Lori didn’t pay much attention to the dream she had in 2009. After all, she was never much of a gardener. But when it kept coming back over the next year, she became convinced God was telling her to start a farm. Her husband, Jim wasn’t exactly fond of the idea. Lori says, “Jim, also being the logical man he is had said, ‘Lori, you know, that’s not a dream, that’s a nightmare’.” Jim, dentist, had worked on a farm as a teenager. Jim says, “I don't think she had an idea of the amount of physical labor involved in farming. I knew it was an arduous objective.” Lori recalls, “The dream came back still. And so, by then my heart really started to change God was preparing me, you know, I was meeting people who were involved in agriculture. And there were other things happening too that kept putting me in front of agriculture.”
Then, Lori had another dream that seemed even more far-fetched than the first. She says God told her to sell their house and buy a farm – during a two-year slump in the real estate market. She remembers, “I woke up thinking, ‘no, I can't do that’. I felt like it was God, but I was still in barter mode. So, I test the waters a lot with God in prayer.” Still, they obeyed and put their house up for sale. Jim still wasn’t totally convinced this was God’s plan. Lori says, “He goes, you know, if this house sells, that's gonna be God saying, ‘go to the farm’. And we got a call from the real estate agent, and she said, we got a contract on your house with no contingencies. And that's when Jim, I believe, got chills and said, ‘I guess we gotta find that farm’. That is how God brought Jim on board, because prior to that, he was just too logical to think of doing something so illogical.”
A few months later, Lori and Jim purchased a 97 acre farm in Joelton, Tennessee that needed a lot of work; they named it ‘By Faith Farm’. Lori says, “I didn't know what, what exactly was ahead, but I did know that God was totally in this and that I didn't have to be afraid.” Jim continued to work full time in his dental practice, while working on the farm with Lori during his time off. That first year they had a small harvest they were able to donate to a local food bank. Jim says, “When you give, the giver receives the best blessings and grace from God. And you were, you felt useful in God's mission because you were there to do it. So, I did get to see a lot of happy faces.”
Over the next four years, the farm, the harvest, and the giving expanded. By now, word of the farm had spread, and volunteers were coming in from all over to help, get a taste of farm life, and draw closer to God. Lori says, “We're working together as a community to give back to the community, but we're also sharing our faith with one another, that's been the, the joy in all of this.” Even through the storms, the farm would go on, like in 2016 when Jim shattered his hip and ankle in an ATV accident. It not only forced him to retire from his dental practice, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to continue helping with the farm. Jim recalls, “There was a kind of a pessimistic bewilderment of what's gonna go on now, you know, am I gonna walk the same? Am I gonna be able to do the things I want to do? Am I still gonna be able to help? So, I was kind of fearful and a little bit depressed.” Lori adds, “And I questioned, you know, is this the end of the farm? And I just thought, okay, I don't know how to do that. How do you sell God's farm, you know? I didn’t feel like it was mine to sell.”
Turns out, they wouldn’t have to sell. When folks heard about Jim’s accident, they showed up in droves and kept the farm going until Jim recovered from several surgeries and rehab. Then in 2020 when covid shut down the country, ‘By Faith Farm’ became a place of peace and renewal for volunteers who continued to keep the farm growing… and giving. Lori recalls, “I could come to the farm and put my hands in the dirt. It was very therapeutic for me. And then it became very therapeutic for many people because everybody wanted to get out of the house and be in a safe place so we could all be on our own row. You know, weeding, doing, harvesting, whatever we were doing at that time. And it was beautiful.”
The Birkheads admit that while answering God’s call was risky, it was worth it. To date, ‘By Faith Farm’ has donated almost 200,000 pounds of food to local charities and food banks. But to them, it’s more than that. Jim believes, “When you help people by actually getting outta your comfort zone, God will bless you abundantly and when you think things are not going your way, that God will provide with his resources.” Lori adds, “I believe that the purpose of the farm is not just about feeding people's bodies. But we all need spiritual food too. And I believe that nature is the most beautiful place that we really see God and we get to know Him through nature. So, listen and then step out in faith and you'll be blessed abundantly.”
Forgiving Drunk Driver Who Killed Husband
“Charles left here that Thursday evening around six o'clock. After around 7:30 p.m., we didn't hear anything from him. So, my daughter and I, we kept calling him, and calling him, and texting. We didn’t hear anything from him and that was so very unusual.” What seemed like an ordinary Thursday evening to Daphne Brazil, was about to become one of the darkest times in her life. She recalls, “I was getting a little nervous. It was so unlike him to not be here, especially for dinner.”
Daphne’s husband, Charles, had run to his real estate office to catch-up on work. As the hours passed with no word, Daphne grew concerned. Then, around 10 p.m. came a knock on the door. She says, “I looked out the window and I'm like, ‘oh my goodness, it's the police.’ My heart was beating so very fast. I opened the door and the police said, ‘Is this the home of Charles Brazil?’ At that moment I was just numb. It was just too much to take at that time.”
Charles, husband and father of three, had been hit head-on by a drunk driver. He didn’t survive. Daphne says, “I didn’t even know what to say. I just sat there in complete silence.” Her pastor was called and soon Daphne was surrounded by family and church friends. She recalls, “I needed that support. It was comforting. But, it just seemed like every second was hitting me. Charles is not here. Charles has died. Charles was hit by a drunk driver. And I kept thinking that I was having a nightmare. And I needed for the nightmare to be over with because I just couldn't believe what had happened.”
By 2 a.m. everyone was gone and Daphne went to bed. Unable to sleep, she took her pain to God. She recalls, “I just had to just sit there and try to grasp what has happened 'cause I didn't, just didn't know what to say or what to do. I was feeling, it was just in a deep, deep, deep hurt. I just sat there in complete silence and let Him talk to my heart. I knew that He was gonna be there for me to comfort me, and help carry me, and the family through this.”
Even though she was hurting, Daphne says she had no hatred for the man who took her husband’s life. She says, “God had taught me a lot about forgiveness. And so, I knew that...that was something that I was gonna have to do. But the pain was still there. The pain and the hurt was still there, but I knew that I had to let God do His job.”
As the weeks turned into months, Daphne and her family continued to rely on the Bible and God for their strength. She says, “I just see His hand all over my life with just taking care of everything for me. He continues to carry me, comfort me, console me whenever I feel just a little down. I don’t get lonely because I know that the Lord, He’s here with me.”
Then in February 2023, 21 months after the accident, Daphne finally faced the man who killed her husband. It was his trial and she read her victim impact letter to him. Daphne says, “I forgave him, and my prayer is that he would turn his life around while he's in prison. It was just God...just speaking from my heart to let him know that God loves him, and God has mighty plans for him, and that he's forgiven by me. I don't think I could have forgiven the young man without God's help. If I hadn't forgiven him, I'd probably have an attitude. I'd probably be mean, angry, hateful, not a good person.”
The driver was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Daphne recalls, “I told him that my husband would've been 57 the year of this trial. And I said, 'I pray that you touch 57 souls while you are in prison, and that it will, that your, your story will make an impact on their lives.'”
Although her healing is still in process, Daphne has experienced the peace and freedom that comes with forgiving people who’ve hurt you. She says, “It's very important that we learn to forgive people so that we could be set free. Because when you are in an unforgiveness state, it's like you are in a bondage, you're in darkness, and it really hinders your relationship with the Lord. Forgiveness is truly something hard, but guess what? With Christ, it can be easy. I'm a living witness. It can be definitely easy. If they choose to let the Lord comfort them and help them through that process, it can be done, 100%.”
From Hunger to Hope
Margarita is a widow. She’s raising her three children in Guatemala and survives by washing clothes and running errands using the motorcycle her husband left her saying, “The money I earn only pays for the basics. My son often gets sick with lung infections and I am not able to afford medicine to treat it.”
Margarita told us her work is not consistent, sometimes only two days a week. When that happens, the family goes hungry. Her son David explains, "One night, we had nothing to eat. That day, we only had tortillas with salt and lime, and we had a bit of coffee. I was still hungry."
9-year-old Elena remembers other times when they ran out of food, sharing, "My mom told us that there was no food for us, and my brothers started to cry. I comforted them." A despairing Margarita adds, "It hurts a lot because as a mother, it's my responsibility and because I love them. I have to figure out how to feed them."
Then, Operation Blessing arrived and invited Margarita to take part in a chicken project. First, we trained her how to raise healthy chickens and to manage a poultry and egg business. Then we built her a chicken coop and gave her 195 hens, feed and medicine.
A rejuvenated Margarita calculates that, "currently, I'm collecting 150 eggs a day, which I can sell for more than $20! Lord willing, I will collect 180 eggs a day in the future. That will mean I can potentially earn around $780 a month!"
Things have completely turned around for Margarita and her children. They now have money for food and other expenses. Elena enthusiastically shares, "When I saw the first egg, I was so happy, I thought, 'now we will always have food and won’t be hungry anymore.'"
Margarita overwhelmingly shares, "I am very grateful to God and Operation Blessing for coming into my life. Thank you!"
The Torment PTSD Caused Him, And The Healing That Came After
“I was always suspicious. My head was always on a swivel. Someone could slam a door and I would jump. I was just always on edge.”
At twenty-eight years old, Marine veteran Eric Swithin had his whole life ahead of him. He was a newlywed, had a steady job, and felt he had the memories of combat that haunted him under control…until one night in 2010 when a noise woke him up.
“I look over and see a lump, and I'm certain that it's my wife sleeping next to me. And I reach for my gun. And then she walks out of the bathroom, and here I am pointing a loaded gun at my wife in the middle of the night.”
Eric was never one to talk about his problems. He’d grown up on the streets, abusing drugs and alcohol until he enlisted in the Marines and surrendered his life to Christ at seventeen.
“I was kind of reaching for some kind of lifeline, but then I met God, and I was radically transformed. I over romanticized everything. So, thinking of becoming a United States Marine, my mind drifted to this idea of serving my country, protecting what's good and protecting what's right and being a hero, running out onto a battlefield. All the things that Hollywood sensationalizes, that was me.”
After basic training, Eric was selected for a highly specialized weapons team called Fox Recon. Then on September 11th, the unthinkable happened. Eric was deployed to Iraq to fight the war on terror.
“We're the tip of the spear. So, I remember in that moment knowing we're going to war, and I'm thinking, did I make a mistake signing up for this-- basically a forward operating unit who's certainly gonna be on the very front lines or ahead of the front lines?”
In the first two months, Eric’s unit took seventeen cities. The physical demands were brutal.
“Hypervigilant, days without sleep, constantly engaging in combat. You're constantly stressed out, constantly trying to keep yourself alive and others around you alive. I had prepared myself to see dead people. I prepared myself to take lives. I had prepared myself to be shot at. What I wasn't anticipating though, was the images that will never leave my mind. In particular, seeing a five-year-old boy with missing arms and legs, who had just watched his mom and dad get killed. Seeing five young ladies and their mother hovering over their dad, weeping, because he had been killed as a casualty of war, as collateral damage.But the thing that was really troubling me the whole time was I've been sharing Jesus with people. I'm a Christian. My job is to love people. How is this loving people? I couldn't reconcile it. How is this right? Are we really the good guys? All these tough questions. I was not asking God. I was just pushing them down.
After seven months on the front lines, Eric was sent stateside where he finished out his career. He got a job as a consultant, married, and immersed himself in work. While his service in Iraq was behind him, the trauma remained.
“I was drinking almost every single day. I was struggling to get good sleep. I'd hear a helicopter, and I'd start freaking out, started having night terrors and things went downhill really quickly. I began to spiral. I started thinking about what it would look like just to find peace by ending my life. Maybe that's the easiest way out. Maybe it's best for her. You start to justify all those scenarios.”
Eric says pride kept him from seeking help.
“I'm supposed to be okay. I went to war. I fought; I'm home. I'm a man. I'm tough. I'm strong.
I'm gonna bootstrap it and I'm gonna push my way through this pain.”
Until the night he pulled a gun on his wife and realized he was a danger to himself and those around him.
“I went from zero to ninety in two seconds. I could have very easily shot my own wife. I have not admitted that to many people because it's just so embarrassing to me that I made that mistake. But that's where I was.”
Pushing his pride aside, eric went to the VA where he began receiving counseling for PTSD. Even then, the nightmares and drinking continued. Then while working one day in 2013, he heard a voice telling him to get on his knees and worship.
‘“I thought, in case this is God, I'm gonna do this. I remember playing a song, I Surrender. And I began to say the words of this song: ‘I surrender to you, Lord, I give you everything.’ And in that moment, God himself came into my office. I knew that God is holy and that I am not. And I cannot stand before him with all of this junk. And he let me see what it's like to be before a holy living God when you are not right with him. I was absolutely terrified. One of the scariest moments of my entire life by far. I couldn't open my eyes because I was weeping so hard. But I also was afraid of what I would see. For the first time I fully admitted all of the things I had done, I just laid it all down. “God, I am sorry. for going to all these things rather than going to you.” I was begging him for mercy. I knew in that moment I needed Jesus. And I felt so much deep regret and remorse. And then immediately the atmosphere in the room shifts. And in that moment, I felt more love than I've ever felt in my life. I felt so amazing. I didn't want it to end. When I left that room, I knew something was different.’”
Nearly a decade after coming home, Eric finally felt peace. He stopped drinking and though he still has occasional night terrors, he says God always pulls him through.
“I'll probably always have a level of vigilance. But I'm no longer a danger to others and myself. It doesn't control my life anymore. I feel whole and healthy in so many ways, and I know that it is only God that can do that. We face an enemy that is not flesh and blood. He's real and he wants us to keep everything inside. He wants us to try to go it alone. It doesn't matter what kind of trauma it is, if it's war or abuse or any kind of tragedy that we might face in this life. But when we start to open up and let it out and ask for help before God himself, immediately healing starts to take place. Only God can heal the soul.”
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