Starting a Farm, Community Blessings, & God's Training Business

So, we set out on starting a farm.

Well, not exactly that simply, and not exactly that way.

Marissa and I have been on the path to sustainability for some time. We have explored our lives here in the U.S., launching a life of mission. We took our new skills and knowledge of building homes out of recycled materials to the island of Hispaniola. We explored if we could help there and we found that we could.

You see, this last week, it was confirmed by our friends, Sadrac and Leenn Innocent, that we could obtain at least 12 acres in Haiti around Sadrac's village, north of Port-au-Prince. The mayor affirmed her commitment to us being there and will give us clear title to the land. This is huge for us and the first major step of a life of builsing sustainable living solutions for the poor.

Sadrac & Leeann working
at Monkey Jungle
 in Sosua, Dominican Republic.

In short, the homes we build:

• Provide water for those that lack clean water,
• Provide food for the starving and hungry,
• Provide solid shelter for the homeless, and
• Clean waste on site for the cholera-ridden.

We love this solution. It is simple. It hits the major areas of poverty with one solution. It leverages donor dollars and actually solves poverty with one action.

So, Marissa and I returned to the U.S. to build up the State-side part of our organization, PhilanTropics Foundation. We returned to a renewed vigor for our cause and refreshing thing we did not expect; an active community and desirous team.

You see, we connected with Nate and Ida Mundell who were thrilled in their own lives for sustainable living solutions; simple ways to save money, live on less, to take back more of their free time for the things they love. Their family, their children, and their friends discussed a passion to experience more of the same, including benefiting from our solutions for the development field.

• Marissa and I wanted to build a demonstration model here, in the U.S., to show potential donors what we were doing in Haiti.
• The community wanted to live the innovations and solutions themselves.
• Marissa and I wanted a community to live these principles out with.
• The community here needed someone to pioneer the way.
• Marissa and I wanted it to have a truly Glocal ethos; helping local communities WHILE enabling more help for the foreign mission field.
• The community here, Nate and Ida, Jeff and Kim Hanshaw, Adam Whelchel, and so many more had done ministry or missions, saw the value, AND wanted to make a massive difference right here at home.

It is a perfect fit. So, we are launching a farm.

We briefly put "Pick U: Where You Pick" out there and quickly decided that did not say what we wanted to say. We landed on Grow University Farms; "Grow U".

More to come on this, but it is the natural evolution of the ministry mentality; serve where you are at. It is truly "Think Global, Act Local."

As All This Grows

Marissa doin' what she loves.

I am astounded at what God has done, truly. Marissa and I traveled for what seems like forever, found where we can make a difference (Hispaniola), and have returned to be as prosperous as ever.

• God granted that Marissa could work at her passion; teaching dive instructing. 
• This allows me to stay home, build up the non-profit, and find partners such as the Mundells, the Hanshaws, Adam, land partners and financial partners.
• God has granted that, out of the blue, my training business is exploding. People want to know about Customer Service, I guess, and I have a proprietary way to do that.

Me training at a MOPS meeting.

We are blessed and prosperous all around. God's word is coming to pass.

We are excited to be on this path. Please let us know if you want to partner. Stay tuned for more updates. And watch for our "Rookie Missionary Manifesto" coming out in the next few days!

Be Blessed,

Grant R. Nieddu