October has past swiftly by filled to the brim with travel, farming, friends, and family- everything that my heart needs. (Not listed in order of importance)

Travel took me to the east coast, across the Mississippi, and into the mountains.

I enjoyed connecting with friends on a number of occasions-but the most “fall appropriate” event happened in a barn surrounded by haybales and bluegrass music. Truly a special evening

But the most noteworthy adventure of October found us randomly on a Saturday afternoon:

Our farm in Forestville used to be an apple orchard years ago and there is a camp on the back of the property that the owner didn’t sell.

I haven’t given it much thought, except to notice that they painted it orange since we’ve been farming there 😂

Anyhow soybean harvest has been delayed this year, but we are finally in the fields. We moved into Forestville and about 4 pm, Father commented on the radio that the workers were home. An old school bus roared in the back lane.

Not long after that, a smiling Latino man biked up to where we were working. We all smiled and nodded but the language barrier was so thick, you could’ve cut it with a knife.

He volleyed between standing in the field smiling and riding his bike up and down the hill (in the thick bean stubble 😅) following the harvest.

Finally I couldn’t stand it any longer. I hollered at the combine operator aka my dad: “Hey Father, do you mind if I offer this guy to ride with you?”

My dad: “How are you going to do that?”

Me: “I’m going to call Deborah and put her on speaker phone”

And so I did. After a lot of gesturing and several phone calls to my Spanish speaking sis, Mr David was grinning at me from the buddy seat in the combine.

As I followed along in the graincart I laughed out loud more than once.

One round: My dad and his friend sitting side by side: silently, grinning

Next round: My dad and his friend both leaning in over my dad’s cell phone-Deb hard at work translating.

In the hour that he rode with us, my eyes were opened to a lifestyle I was unfamiliar with, thanks to my dad’s questions and my sisters translations.

He told about his dad’s farm in Mexico. How he works in a factory when he’s not here picking apples. And that’s this camp houses 35 workers from all over and they work 10 hour days/7 days a week.

My dad and his new friend exchanged phone numbers “so they can keep in touch” and Father’s been receiving messages to “Don Eldon” ever since.

Crazy to think that we have such an intense cultural experience going on in the back of our farm.

Isn’t it amazing to serve a God who fills our lives with unique experiences/opportunities?!

Praying that we can take these adventures and use them to glorify Him!

Blessings,

Kendra