By Mallory Mattingly
Jenny Marrs is reflecting on how important a Christian community — no matter where in the world one finds it — is in the life of believers.
“Spring evenings most often find us walking the fields after dinner,” she posted on Instagram.” We walk and pray, we check in on the blooms and talk through what needs to be done before berry season. Pulling weeds, mowing the fields, mending fences, moving animals, fixing the broken irrigation line, building tables for the Berry Bloom dinner…the list goes on and on. This work is never easy, but it is always, always worth it.”
She shared that a text she received from Pastor John, a friend in Zimbabwe, encouraged her amid the busy season and reminded her of the importance of community.
“In a text with our Zimbabwean leader and friend, Pastor John, last week, I asked how he and Orpah and the kids were doing, and after an encouraging update, he turned it back to me in the compassionate way he always does,” the HGTV star said. “His words resonated so deeply — ‘We pray for you all, we know how busy you are, and you definitely need uplifting in order to cope.'”
“Isn’t that true of us all? We need uplifting in order to cope,” she added. “That is the true definition of community. While a sea separates us, our prayers unite us and this work of caring well for our neighbors locally and globally is spurred along.”
The Marrs family started their berry farm to “not only provide our Northwest Arkansas community with fresh, locally-grown food and a beautiful event venue space, but [to] teach orphaned children across the globe how to do the same in their own community.”
Jenny and her husband Dave explain on their website that the farm funds the Tariro Vocational Center in Zimbabwe, which provides “training and mentorship in agriculture & livestock, wood & metal working, business management, textiles, cooking and even technology to orphaned and vulnerable teens” in the country.
Their upcoming Berry Bloom dinner will help support this mission.
“We hope you can join us in the fields this summer and be a part of this work,” Jenny continued. “And, we would love for you to join us at our intimate gathering coming up in the fields — the Berry Bloom dinner on May 1st.”
While only a few spots remain, they are raffling off two tickets. The $10 donation for the raffle ticket will go towards “the agricultural training school for vulnerable teens in Zimbabwe our farm supports,” she added.
Pastor John and his wife Orpah were in town for last year’s Berry Bloom dinner.
“Having my heroes of the faith, John and Orpah, in town is always cause for celebration, and this meal felt like holy ground. This Arkansan Berry Farm + Zimbabwean Agricultural Trade School partnership was dreamt up around a table in John and Oprah’s home, so it only felt appropriate to celebrate all these years later around another table here in the fields,” Marrs wrote in a separate post.
While the Marrses certainly stay busy with their FIXER TO FABULOUS renovations and berry farm, their heart for communities at home and on the other side of the world shines through in all they do.
Read Next: How Jenny and Dave Marrs’ Berry Farm Helps People Across the Globe
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +3