Mission
Farmer to Farmer seeks to alleviate poverty in rural Nicaragua by partnering with local institutions to provide marginalized farmers with the opportunity of land ownership and to develop rural businesses.
Vision
Farmer to Farmer envisions partnerships based on the love of Christ for fellow human beings and on faith and trust in God’s vision and plan for each of us as we strive together to serve those living in poverty.
Farmer to Farmer envisions flourishing rural communities where once broken relationships are being restored. We envision communities where all are respected as image bearers of God, where people can provide for their families because there is freedom to work and engage in business, and where all people can glorify God by loving Him and their neighbors and by faithfully stewarding His creation.
Values
The Problem of Poverty
Created to Flourish
God created mankind in His image to reflect His glory – to love and worship Him, care for ourselves and our families, love and serve others and faithfully steward and develop His creation. Indeed, there was meant to be harmony in all of our four foundational relationships – with God, ourselves, others and the rest of creation. Originally, in God’s new creation there was no sin only life and flourishing.1
Poverty is Rooted in Broken Relationships.
Unlike the original creation, our world is now one of brokenness. Poverty is the result of the brokenness of our four foundational relationships caused by our fall into sin. All of us, whether materially rich or poor, experience poverty because of these brokenness relationships and we constantly live in need of God’s saving grace. Christ is working to redeem and restore His people and His creation and will make all things new when He returns. Only then will poverty be fully defeated.2,3,4,5
Poverty is not Simply a Lack of Material Possessions.
Poverty is not simply a lack of material possessions. It is also characterized by a sense of shame, inferiority and hopelessness.2 There are five things that cause material poverty and keep people trapped in it: false gods, destructive formative practices, broken systems, broken people, and demonic forces.6
A Holistic Response to Poverty
Poverty Alleviation is the Ministry of Reconciliation
“Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, self, others and the rest of creation.”3
We Utilize A Participatory Approach with Multiple Strategies.
By utilizing a participatory approach, we are enabling the poor to help themselves out of poverty. All are created in the image of God, having dignity and creative capacity, and all are called to faithful work, stewarding everything that God has given them. Each participant is required to responsibly fulfill their obligations. Our programs are not hand-outs. Since the causes of poverty are complex and multi-faceted, we utilize a variety of strategies – training, mentoring and access to capital – within each of our programs.
We Utilize a Partnership Model Based on Loving Relationships.
Relationships are foundational to enabling lasting change. Therefore, we utilize the partnership model of Partners Worldwide, to develop strong, trusting partnerships with local community institutions working in rural Nicaragua. The PW Model is described here.
Guided by a Biblical Worldview
The Bible is the Story of Christ
The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God to His people.7 Jesus Christ is the Word.8 The entirety of Scripture is about Christ and His work. Understanding the full biblical narrative – creation, fall, redemption and restoration – is essential because we learn the purpose of creation, how sin has caused brokenness in this world, how Christ provides redemption and how He will return and make all things new.9 As believers, we have an important part in this story as we are called to participate in God’s redemptive mission.”10
Motivated by Christ
We are not our own,11 but belong to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ,12 who has fully paid for all our sins with His precious blood;13,15 therefore, we strive to imitate Christ, who though He was rich, for our sakes became poor, that through His poverty we would become rich.14
1 Genesis 1-2
2 Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts, Chapter 2.
3 Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts, Chapter 3.
4 Col. 1:19-20; 5 Rev. 21:1-4
6 Brian Fikkert, Addressing the Five Causes of Poverty, https://chalmers.org/addressing-the-five-causes-of-poverty/
7 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 8 John 1:1-5;
9 Hugh Welchel, All Things New, Chapter 5
10 Hugh Welchel, All Things New, Introduction
11 1 Cor. 6:19–20; 12 1 Cor. 3:23, Titus 2:14; 13 1 Pet. 1:18–19, 1 John 1:7–9, 2:2; 14 2 Cor. 8:9
15 Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 1
Farmer to Farmer: Nicaragua 