The Mission of Garden of God Ministries is to holistically enhance the lives of those in need in underserved areas around the world. We seek to balance the spirit, mind, body, and emotions. We build and operate schools, clinics, birthing assistance, healing centers, spiritual retreats, and community centers, as well as design and operate holistic gardens and organic farms.
Holism (from ὅλος holos, a Greek word meaning all, entire, total) is the idea that all the properties of a given system (physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) cannot be determined or explained by its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the parts behave. (from Wikipedia.org)
Our initial mission at Garden of God Belize Healing Center is located in Belize Central America. We are based on a 68 acre organic farm, near Franks Eddy Village, a couple miles off the Western Highway, at the 37 mile marker. We are approximately a 35 minutes drive from Belize City and the Philip Goldstein International Airport and are approximately 15 minutes from the nations capitol of Belmopan.
We are presently headquartered in a two story farm house, with our own well and emergency electrical backup. The farm house is set well back from the road to the Jaguar Paw resort and stands in its own cleared area of about 3 acres, bordering the groves on the west side and with lawn and gardens on the east.
Adjacent to the ¼ acre vegetable garden, bordered by over 200 young ficus trees is the pump and generator house which sits over the farms 500’ clear freshwater well.
The gardens are planted with a wealth of trees and shrubs too numerous to list in total but including; a 1/2 mile hibiscus hedge, frangipani, gardenia, abutillon, mahogany, jobea, argaves, dwarf palms, heliconia, calla lily and standard drachanae. These in turn are home to a bewildering variety of birds and butterflies from the aptly named vermilion flycatcher to the double saucer sized blue morpho butterfly. Other regular creatures on the farm include coati mundis, armadillos, grey fox, deer, peccary and some jaguar.
The citrus groves were professionally laid out with due consultation as to type of rootstock and spacing and consist of orange and grapefruit trees which constitute the major juicing crop ( harvested from January to March annually). In addition the farm supports Tangerine, Mango and assorted Banana and Plantain trees together with good examples of Cashew, Coconut, Golden Plum, Crabou, Allspice, Custard Apple, Papaya and assorted Pineapple as well as Tahiti limes. Local ‘farm gate’ sales have been introduced with lime, coconut , mango crabou and cashew being popular sellers.
The preceding is the original mission statement and description of the farm in Belize. When B and I get down there next week, we'll be able to find out how much of it is still viable. It's been over three years since B and her family were there, and even longer since the farm has received any basic care (like fertilizing), so bringing the farm up to functionality, whether to support the Healing Center or to actually turn a profit by selling to the nearby juicers, may take a while.
- S
