I was able to take my second mission trip a bit sooner than expected (or desired by my wife). Four members of our church, including our senior pastor, left on April 16th for an eight-day trip to Bolaven Farms in Laos.

Bolaven Farms is a Fair Trade Organic coffee farm founded by Sam Say, a Lao native now living in Hong Kong. About four years ago Sam was moved to do something for his native homeland. Laos is a very poor country with 85% of the residents being rural farmers. When Sam wanted to make a difference in the lives of the Lao people, he knew where he would have to go. So he decided to provide the farmers on the Bolaven Plateau with training in organic farming techniques and financial assistance. At the end of a two-year training program, resident farmers are eligible for loans to purchase seven-acre family farms and become self-sustaining. It is an inspiring vision that our church and Firehouse have been supporting for over a year.

As I found out, the farm is not easy to get to. All told, it took 36 hours to get from Dallas to our hotel in Pakxong, Laos — some 30 minutes from the farm. During our four days in Laos, our group was able to work on the farm alongside the resident farmers and gain an appreciation for the working poor of the world. The labor on the farm is the way it has been done for centuries, mostly by hand. We experienced a small taste of the daily drudgery of the manual labor as we cleared weeds and planted coffee seedlings — it was a humbling experience. We have already made plans to go back to the farm in November 2013 for the first harvest of the coffee beans from the seedlings we planted. I really just hope the plants are alive in 2013.

We also spent some great time with Sam during the week, as he shared his vision for the farm and his efforts to change the lives of the people. He showed us the other facets of the operation, including future plans for a dairy goat farm at a separate location and a Bolaven Farms café (serving the coffee, along with fresh fruits and vegetables raised on the farm) in urban Pakse, Laos. We even had some time for a little tourism. We were able to take some time to go and see a few of the beautiful waterfalls the country is famous for — some amazing sights.

Bolaven Farms is a testament to impact that one person can have on a community, or a village in this case, and hopefully an entire country. I was inspired to think the way Sam does — about giving back and making a difference. I am also grateful to Firehouse for the Difference Days I was able to use to make the trip a reality.