The focus of Fathers in the Field is to help heal the broken heart of abandon boys.
This labor of love is done through the generosity and faithfulness of supporters, both individuals and companies.
One of our first supporters was Bob Hodgdon of Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc.. Hodgdon Powder was started in 1947 by his father Bruce with a dedication to helping American shooters have access to high quality reloading components.
They continue this dedication today and give generously to organizations that help teach the next generation of shooting enthusiasts. Fathers in the Field is among these.
On a personal level, Bob and I share a love of both Jesus and the outdoors. So, when I shared my vision for helping fatherless boys across the country Bob caught my vision and has continued to support ever since. Bob has graciously offered to share with you why he faithfully supports Fathers in the Field.
“When John first shared with me the brokenness that happens when a boy is abandoned by his father, I felt my own heart break.
Growing up, my father took the time to teach me how to work hard and shared his love of the outdoors. Yet my father left a little hole in my life that was filled later by Jesus Christ after the death of my friend Dan Pawlak. At Dan’s funeral service I heard about the love of my Heavenly Father, the need for the forgiveness of my sins and new life in Jesus. It changed the course of my life forever.
I share this because John didn’t only tell me about the brokenness that fatherless boys experience he also told me how Fathers in the Field would help these boys hear the message of forgiveness in Christ.
Fathers in the Field at its core is a message of hope to the hopeless.
My heart was captured, because Jesus tells us that we need to forgive others if we want our Heavenly Father to forgive us (Matthew 6:14). This life changing reality of forgiveness is shared with fatherless boys who are desperately in need of forgiving their own earthly fathers for abandoning them.
John’s passion to help these boys was so appealing especially because they work through local churches. Fathers in the Field equips these churches to hold both the Mentor Father and the Field Buddy to their respective commitments; helping a fatherless boy break the cycle of abandonment. Each intentional year ends with a Rite of Passage Celebration Trip, promised in advance by the Mentor Father, which is focused around his love for the outdoors or a personal hobby.
All year long the Mentor Father and Field Buddy work towards preparing for this trip. The Mentor Father teaches the skills needed, affirming his Field Buddy along the way and investing life skills which are so dynamic for these boys. Helping a young man learn the values of hard work and planning, not to mention the joys of sitting around a campfire, build a lasting relationship.
“As a business man I am always looking at the return on investment because it dictates where I place my time and money. My confidence in Fathers in the Field more than 15 years ago hasn’t changed, because the return on investment is just as high now as it was then.
It’s not about the number of churches involved or the number of Mentor Father/Field buddy pairings. It’s about the quality of life, both now and into eternity, for these boys that happens when a Christian man obeys God’s command to Defend the Cause of the Fatherless.
I want to encourage you to join me in investing in Fathers in the Field.
Be a good steward of the resources God has entrusted to you by supporting Kingdom work that is effective and life changing for the most vulnerable in our society. God is concerned about the relationship not the numbers”.
– Bob Hodgdon, Hodgdon Powder Company
I can’t thank Bob enough for his support and encouragement in our efforts in being faithfully obidient to His Word to help the fatherless.
I look forward to hearing from you. Charge!
Standing in the Gap,
John Smithbaker
Founding Servant
P: 1-844-472-4241 e:info@fathersinthefield.com
