Agricultural door openers to the gospel

Travis Sheets was a farmer in Clinton County, Ind., and a member of the county council.

His wife Gina was a high-level agricultural official in Indiana state government.

For fun, they would run long races, up to 70 miles.

Then in mid-life they got a leading from the Lord to serve as agricultural missionaries in the very troubled West African nation of Liberia. After five years they are wondering if others will join them.

Ripped by civil wars and tribal conflicts, Liberia has become one of the poorest countries in the world, though it used to have one of the stronger African economies.

The Sheetses believe better farming skills can turn the country from a food importer to food exporter, giving rural families a way to feed themselves and develop small businesses. They serve at a Christian agricultural college near a small city in northern Liberia, about 50 miles from the capital city of Monrovia.

The civil wars have orphaned many children, who sometimes flock to the college and farming ministry for sanctuary. The Sheetses call their mission Hope in the Harvest, with a mix of agricultural training and evangelism and discipleship.

“A changed life results from a Christ-changed heart,” said Travis, who holds a weekly Bible study on Wednesdays at 5:30 a.m. “The Bible is the best agriculture handbook, providing guidance and a framework for how to steward the environment. This is our starting point in Liberia. Liberia doesn’t need relief; it needs engagement and development.”

Now they are sending an SOS back to the United States. Would other farmers, perhaps in the second half of their lives, sense a call to this mission field? Or would a young 20-something mission-minded person sense a call to join the Sheetses for a year or two? The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. Their farming skills function like medical skills on the mission field—as door openers to the gospel.

Their farming skills function like medical skills on the mission field—as door openers to the gospel.

The Sheetses have counted the cost of their commitment and have lost Liberian friends to Ebola and other diseases. Malaria strikes easily at Americans who haven’t built up natural immunities. Ebola hit the country hard in 2014 and 2015, causing many deaths and a crisis for the underdeveloped healthcare system. Before Ebola, the civil war decimated the country in other ways. Factions drafted children to become soldiers.

Despite these obstacles, the Sheetses are hoping for the Lord to call others to join them for one to five-year commitments. Support comes back home in Indiana through the Hope in the Harvest board members, including farmers, as well as a think tank in Indianapolis, the Sagamore Institute.

While France and England colonized much of Africa in the 1800s, Liberia was settled by freed American slaves and became the rare independent country on the continent, with a semblance of representative government.

A 1980 military coup ended a long period of independence, leading to one civil war after another, with tribes and factions pitted against each other. Many Liberians have sought refuge in the United States, and UN peacekeeping troops brought some stability and peaceful elections in recent years.

The Ebola epidemic caused further hardship, but the Sheetses think the depth of suffering in the country has opened a new door for the gospel, as well as an opportunity for farming initiatives.

Their plea on behalf of Liberia echoes what the Apostle Paul heard across the water: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”