OUR STORY
As those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. | Colossians 3:12
Saving bees through the art of beekeeping; saving lives through the vocational training we provide for those experiencing homelessness, recovering addicts, and under-resourced men, women, youth and children in our community.
With the blessing of acquiring 150 acres of open fields, trees and nature in the heart of Tulsa, we found ourselves having a space to create a refuge for those we serve, thus the name The Refuge that property has been given. Through what we see now as a divine appointment, we were given a beehive to place on that land. That introduction to bees and the art of beekeeping gave us a love and a desire to expand. One set of hives has led to now 3 apiaries literally buzzing with activity. The growth of our hives and love for bees combined with the love for our residents and students birthed the idea for BeeLoved.
We believe beekeeping is a soft introduction to nature, drawing the hardened former homeless and recovering addicts closer to God’s heart through His creation. Beekeeping is a platform to introduce vocational topics to our students. Vocational instruction is an essential topic for our students trying to discover their place in this world.
Beekeeping and honey are a launching point for us, a new lifeline for sustaining our ministries at John 3:16 Mission and moving into future enterprises. This is also a way we can use our land at The Refuge to model healthy environmental citizenship.
Our name, BeeLoved, is a nod to the fact that we are God’s beloved. It also highlights God’s desire that everyone “be loved” or feel loved. Our calling to love others is among our highest priorities. And of course, as it says in John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This resonates in our hearts and is the core of our work. We find God’s love is sweet, just like honey. At BeeLoved we get to “be loved” while taking care of God’s creation, both the richness of the land and his people… a double portion of his goodness toward us.