Autumn Evening Out

Tonight I picked Eric up after practice and we headed out to the country for a quick hour of fun before he had to go back to work. We went to a dinner and bonfire at the "Pumpkin Patch for Peace". The what? Let me explain.

This summer, one of my students took it upon himself to plant the "Pumpkin Patch for Peace". He sowed a 1 acre pumpkin patch by hand, and with great purpose, tended to it with basic methods until they were fully grown. Despite the fact that he knew nothing about agriculture, he managed to reap 300 pumpkins and has been selling them this fall as a fundraiser for a community in Uganda. The student lived in this African community for a semester, became kindred spirits with a Ugandan man about his age, and now has a burden to help develop that community (and eventually return to it). The funds from the pumpkin patch will help start a fishpond as a sustainable enterprise within the community. What a vision! Not only did this young man see hope for the community, he did something to make a difference from half a world away! I learn so much from the passionate and fearless hearts of students.