Today we’d like to introduce you to Nate Grotberg.
Hi Nate, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2022, my wife, Jaclyn, and I started feeding thirty kids in Uganda, three times a week, but we quickly realized that it wasn’t enough. Taking care of their immediate needs was important, but they would be hungry again, and what we were doing wasn’t going to change their circumstance. That’s when the Lord laid it on our hearts to farm, in order to train the people in better farming techniques that could potentially change their lives. We began our non-profit, Our Father’s Basket International, and we bought land that we have built on as the Lord has provided and lead us to. All of this is ultimately an avenue to share Jesus. We can feed them and teach them how to improve their lives, but without Jesus, it’s all meaningless. The village is heavily influenced by culture and tradition. It’s not uncommon for them to claim one faith, but to also practice witchcraft. The message behind “Our Father’s Basket” is that it is Jehova Jireh who provides for our needs, when we place our faith in Him alone. People in the village come to the farm, train, share a meal, and learn that Jesus is the truth, the life, and the way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
God called us to step out and do something that we didn’t feel equipped to do. We were not farmers, nor had we ever had a role in a non-profit organization prior to founding one. Thankfully, He has given us what we’ve needed, as we’ve needed it! The hardest things about this have been dealing with people and the weather, which we have no control over. We have had to learn to trust the boots on the ground and to figure out how to mitigate the weather obstacles.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Aside from the non-profit organization that gets a lot of our time, my “real” occupation is intriguing. I make guitar picks. I started in a garage with a guy that was trying to transform a hobby to a business. January 2025 marked year ten for me being on this journey. We are in thirty plus countries around the world, and have a great network of dealers in the US. I have enjoyed the creative aspect of this trade.
I wouldn’t say that I specialize in anything. I’m just a doer. If it needs to be done, I’ll figure it out. The Lord has blessed me with a mind that I don’t deserve!
I’m proud to be where I am today. I lived a life of addiction to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and anything else that I could do to try to fill the void in my life that I felt. Nothing satisfied me. I always felt empty, alone, isolated and depressed. I now have freedom from those things, because of the transformational power of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Together, my wife and I have five children, ranging from eight to seventeen years old. We may not have a lot of quiet in our home, but the laughter is something we are thankful for! Our joys outweigh our hardships, although we are not without our share of them.
I take my faith seriously. I am called to be holy. I am called to be set apart from this world. 1 Peter 1:15-16. I am not just a “Sunday Christian”. I actively try to live differently than the world, bearing fruits of the Spirit in my life as found in Galatians 5, through the power of the Holy Spirit. On my own, I am a wretched man. It is only by the grace of God that I am alive today to live the adventurous and full life in Christ.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me isn’t defined in the way the world would define it. It’s leaving a legacy for Christ as a result of the life that I have lived through Him.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ourfathersbasketinternational.org
- Instagram: Ourfathersbasket
- Facebook: Ourfathersbasket
