Missionary Pumpkins

"It was the year 2000. Farming had not been good for a few years, and my husband said to me, 'Why don't you take that little seven-acre patch up on the hill by the house and experiment with some specialty crops and see if we can make some money in that way?' I looked into several different options, including herbs, lavender, and alfalfa. ... That was the beginning of a twenty-one-year pumpkin career and my partnership with God. That first year, I planted one acre of pumpkins, which amounted to 400 hills with five seeds per hill."

So began a partnership between God and Cheryl Erickson. Cheryl provided the faith, the muscle, and the energy, and God provided the sun, rain, and many miracles. Planting, weeding, and harvesting were all done by hand-Cheryl's hands-that first year. As time progressed, harvesttime became a community effort with as many as fifty or sixty people showing up to take a spot on the well-planned "assembly line" that began in the pumpkin field picking the pumpkins and ending with rows of bins full of clean pumpkins lined up in the shed, awaiting a trip to market.

You'll laugh and cry as you read of the trials and triumphs, the near-fatalities, and the miracles of protection that made up the fabric of the life of Cheryl Erickson. And you'll discover one of her greatest joys which made all of her hard work worth the effort. In a gentle way, Cheryl weaves in spiritual lessons learned throughout the years of growing and selling pumpkins-lessons the reader can internalize in their own life.

"In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. In this book, you will read the almost unbelievable miracles involved with Cheryl Erickson's pumpkin project."

--Jeffrey K. Wilson, Assistant to the President for Planned Giving, Adventist World Radio

"Whether you are looking for a mission project yourself, or whether you simply enjoy reading the miraculous adventures of others, you will find this book an inspiration and a delight."

--Gwen Simmons. Writing Instructor

"No matter what your personal Christian experience may be, in reading this book you will be amazed at how God answers prayers."

--Raymond Woolsey, pastor, missionary evangelist, editor