The Wilkes Team

The long awaited day arrived all of a sudden – the time had come for our family to leave once and for all our home of 21 years.  This has been the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes (Ps. 118:23). He has laid before us enough light for the next step which we are seeking to walk in by faith.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were full days of packing up our home. Wednesday evening the moving truck arrived along with a team of energy giving Halbach family members and Tim Hynes. Ready to help, ready to serve – even if it involved matching socks .

Members from three of four more families graciously arrived the following day. And though the move has been potentially stressful, we have found much peace and joy stemming from the love and support of the body of Christ.

Thank you to each and every precious family – Grandpa, the Thrashes, Halbachs, Hynes, Potters, & Butlers -  who gave up time to invest into our family! We are overwhelmed by the giving hearts which have abounded toward us.

See the Hynes family blog for another report & more pictures!

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During their childhood, Mom and her four siblings lived on a couple acres in the Maryland countryside. Throughout the years, we have enjoyed hearing the rich stories of the adventures they encountered – how a garden established a meaningful relationship between a pastor and Mom’s Dad, Mom’s successful produce stand along her busy little country road, caring for wild horses and crazy dogs , maintaining farm equipment, etc. Whenever Mom’s siblings are together, there is bound to be another memorable trip down history lane.

Such was the case just recently when several members from Mom’s family joined us for an afternoon down in Culpeper. We toured up and coming barn. While walking around the construction site and through the gardens and across the property, we were able to share the purpose for which God is moving us to Culpeper.

The blessing of extended family who love the Lord is not taken for granted. Our time together was full of much fellowship, laughing, eating, and encouraging one another in the Lord. It was our first of what we hope to be many family get-togethers here in Culpeper.

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Much joy was had in all the labor (Eccl. 2:10) of the weekend. Our time camping together culminated with a blessed day of fellowship with almost all the families from church.

There is something special about singing songs like ‘How Great thou Art’ while standing beneath the whispering sounds of blowing leaves, the friendly chirps of the birds, and the babbling creek.

Our hearts were drawn closer to the Savior while sitting on rows of hay bales beneath the welcomed shade of the trees. The day further emphasized the fact that church is not the building but rather the body of Christ gathered together for worship before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Our house hit the market as we were leaving to go out of town. Now knowing the will of the Lord, we committed the sale of our home to Him, trusting that His timing would be perfect.

In complete surprise and while still out of town, we received a call not more than 4 days later, that a family had toured our home and was submitting a contract! We were ecstatic! After witnessing road block after road block for so many years in moving, we stood in awe over the evident leading of our loving Shepherd. He was indeed moving us on to new pasture. The contract was ratified and we would have until the end of June to move out. The question now upon everyone’s mind was, Where?

We knew that He who had started a good work in us would continue it. His way is perfect and trustworthy. His grace is sufficient. As the days began ticking ever so quickly by, we found ourselves needing to decide to rest in the fact that the Lord would provide. Options were discussed, plans made, but little seemed to be coming together. It was now the middle of May (six weeks to our closing) and there was no place for the Wilkes Team to move.

At what seemed to be almost the last minute, yet His perfect time, the Lord provided a home not more than 3 miles away from our building site. Through a series of God ordained events, we acquired the property. Though a foreclosure, the farm house was in above average condition with a majority of the repairs being cosmetic.

The decision was made to camp-out Memorial Day weekend for the purpose of fixing up the farm house. Several families from church unexpectedly offered to spend a couple days working along side us. We were overwhelmed with joy once again over their hearts of sacrifice and service to us.

Like unto Paul’s description of the church in Eph. 4:16, the home was truly a picture of a body fitly joined together as teams of individuals worked on projects in every room of the house – . Like a hive of busy bees, everyone so faithfully and joyfully poured themselves into the arduous work.

A HVAC serviceman stopped by one of the days to provide an overview of the HVAC systems. As he walked throughout the house, he couldn’t help but notice the 35+ people scattered throughout painting, sanding, trimming, repairing, grading, installing, replacing, cleaning, etc. Once back outside, he asked Dad who was managing the operations. Dad simply replied that they were self-governed. Like a hive of busy bees, each one sought a job and faithfully applied themselves with ardor and great joy! It was a testimony of how the body of Christ should interact one with another.

Rich fellowship was enjoyed by all. We left the home several days later completely surprised at all that was accomplished through such an outpouring of love.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:35).

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An unexpected opportunity was recently afforded our family and a couple good friends to visit Jehovah Jireh farm – home of the Horst family – in Frederick Maryland. The Horsts are full time farmers who raise broiler hens, eggs, sheep, beef cattle, and honey bees. Like Joel Salatin, they farm contrary to conventional wisdom which encourages the use of chemicals, large unsanitary processing plants, and sub-marginal food.

With a similar desire to begin raising and selling farm fresh food, we looked forward with great anticipation to what was in store. The Horsts gave us a tour of their farm, stopping all along the way to explain, teach, and exhort. Mr. Horst has an earnest desire to farm in accordance with God’s principles insomuch that he frequently reminded us to ‘ask the Lord to teach you to farm (See Isaiah 28:23-29).’

The insights he is gleaning are of great encouragement, yet he consistently pointed all glory to the Creator. The Lord desires to impart wisdom and understanding. However, it is unto and for His glory. Countless times we were exhorted to turn to Scripture and the Lord for wisdom and understanding – what a refreshment!

So much could be shared on the nuts and bolts for raising egg layers, meat broilers, maintaining a high sugar (brix) level in your plants for utmost nutrition and good pest resistance, etc.

However, a lesson that was indelibly etched upon our minds was the powerful impact of a family working together in harmony, supporting the God given vision of their father. During the 3+ hours of our visit, farm operations continued. The Horst children did not need to be told what to do. They knew what was required and so performed it diligently. This freed their parents to invest into our family and so fulfill God’s call to disciple. Through the children’s diligence, our family received a great blessing of wisdom and a renewed vision for the powerful potential of families working together in harmony.

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Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Heb 10:25).

How paramount it is that we spend time together with the body of Christ for the purpose of exhorting one another towards love and good works (Heb. 10:24).

Our family was recently exhorted from attending a conference put on by the Maxwell family at the home of the Butler family. The Maxwells travel around the country a couple times each year, encouraging families in the homeschool network on the importance of family harmony, marriage oneness, keeping yourself unspotted from the world, avoiding complacency, and rejecting worldly models.

The attacks against the family are intense though they often seep in at unawares. Like small wedges, the ideologies of the world – individual success, entertainment, friends, ineffective churches (glory bubbles), etc – work their way into families. One example was ‘work.’ How often do we look forward with great anticipation to the completion of a tast rather than enjoying our work? What we enjoy will impact those younger.

We were exhorted on a variety of topics that included the roles of husband and wife, preparing young people for Godly marriages, keeping your children’s hearts. the powerful tool of evangelism, the devastating affects of anger and how often it is overlooked under the guise of being ‘disappointed’ or ‘slightly displeased.’

Watching the Maxwell family interact with one another, their submission and lack of an independent spirit, and their heart to invest into others was of great inspiration.

We look forward to the next Maxwell conference!

(click here for pictures and reports on the day conference from the Hynes and Maxwell families).

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