Today, for the "Women's History Month" Project, we are celebrating this fantastic woman
Meet Amanda Nester Hoffman, lover of Jesus, wife, mother of 2, small business owner, and one hearty, Southern buttercup.
Amanda Nester Hoffman is very fortunate to come from a long legacy of strong women. Her paternal grandmother was raised in the heart of farmland in the Appalachians of Virginia. An Italian immigrant maternal great grandmother raised 10 children in the bustling city of Washington, D.C. during the Depression and WWII. One of her children, Amanda’s grandmother, was a devoted military wife and mother of two. Amanda’s own mother provided a daily example of strength, love, kindness, and service to others. Watching her mother’s natural tendency toward hospitality and service fostered that same desire in Amanda.
Hospitality and service are at the very core of Amanda’s motivation. Even as a child, Amanda would participate in service activities with her family. Through their church in Virginia, there were opportunities to feed and house the homeless over the winter, host camps for the neighborhood children in the summer, keep a food pantry stocked, make meals for local college students and juvenile rehab programs, and host seasonal festivals free to the community.
As a teenager, Amanda spent her summers working with her youth group in connection with Habitat for Humanity or other local missions to serve the community. She took jobs in children’s camps every summer as a teen, and discovered the joy that mentoring can bring. Her heart for people led her on a path to study education and pursue a career as a high school English and Drama teacher. During college Amanda studied for a year in London, England, and was able to travel all over Europe during her stay. This was her first exposure to life outside Virginia, and it had a great impact. Not only was it a lesson in the enjoyment of the arts, foods, philosophies, and languages of the cultures of Europe, but it revealed to her that at their core, all people have the same desire: to feel loved, appreciated, and safe.
After marrying her husband Bob in 2001, they had the opportunity to move to Shanghai, China for Bob’s job. What started as a two year commitment turned into almost seven years and two children later. The experience of living in China was a whirlwind of emotions and experiences that changed Amanda and her husband forever. In the early 2000s, China was still an up and coming presence in the global economy, with Shanghai leading the way as one of the largest international cities in the world. Amanda continued to teach in several different capacities, offering private English lessons, conducting training in customer service for several local Chinese businesses desiring to learn more about how to serve the international community, and finally taking a teaching job at an international school as a middle school teacher.
Perhaps the biggest impact on her life during this time was the friendships and service opportunities Amanda and Bob found through their international church in Shanghai. Christians from around the world, sometimes first generation Christians that had been shunned by their families for their beliefs, had a profound impact on Amanda’s faith. Freedom of religion was something that she had previously taken for granted, and the passion she saw in the international Christian community was refreshing. She studied and served with women from Brazil, Singapore, Australia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Mexico, and French Guyana to name a few. She still considers these women her dearest friends in life; the women who helped her mature in her faith, her inner confidence, and her intention in life.
After repatriating to the US, Amanda began teaching at a Christian school in their hometown, and rekindled her passion for teenagers. It was comforting for her to find her place in the environment of the small school, giving her the opportunity to truly connect with her students and create lasting friendships. Bob helped coach the school’s cross country team, their two girls attended school there, and it was a time to focus on rest, recovery, and relationships.
One of the relationships that grew stronger over this time was with Bob’s cousin Chris, his wife Cat, and their four children. The Hoffman and Curley families had a deep bond, not only because they were family, but because of their desire to serve, to train their children in service and love, and to live an extraordinary life. The wheels began turning, and the final product is Living Wells Farm, in Wells, Maine. This 34 acre property with a house, barn, riding arena, and miles of trails was the perfect location to transform their dreams into reality. Over the past six years, they have assembled a team to create a relaxed, family friendly environment. Living Wells Farm serves not only as a full service equine facility with boarding and lessons, but also a means to provide volunteer opportunities, host community events, retreats, and most importantly, to help others mature spiritually, emotionally, interpersonally, and in their connection with the natural world. Owning and operating the farm has given Amanda the venue to fulfill her desire to serve others by developing relationships with the people around her.
Amanda's favorite quote is:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
- Ephesians 2:8-10
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Thank you, Amanda, for sharing your extraordinary journey!
#whm #womenshistorymonthproject #womenempowerment #womansupportingwomen
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