FIELD’S EDGE IMPACT
No one is immune to homelessness. A simple accident or unexpected job loss can change everything. Although there are often negative connotations with being homeless, every human being deserves dignity and a place to lay their head down to sleep. John-Mark Echols founded Field’s Edge to help provide homes for those without.
When John-Mark accepted Jesus as his Savior in 2013, he wanted to give back. He searched for a project that he could undertake as his ministry and started volunteering among the homeless. He wanted to do more. He founded The Field’s Edge to continue volunteering and in 2017, they sold their home to live in a community to house the homeless in Austin with the hopes of being able to replicate it in Midland.
Once they returned to Midland, John-Mark and his wife continued to volunteer as well as educate the locals about homelessness while they searched for the perfect land to build their tiny homes. They slowly gained traction and were able to set up RVs as a temporary dwelling for their homeless neighbors. In 2019, they were able to raise enough money to fund their campaign, and two years later, construction started on their new community on twenty-three acres just outside Midland city limits.
At their facility, they offer a clinic for physical and mental well-being, a market, and a large multipurpose room where residents can meet to spend quality time together. There are also farm animals such as goats that provide sustenance to the community. Their first round of homes included nine tiny houses to form the first “pod”. Eventually, they want to create ten of these pods for a total of ninety residents. There will also be a total of ten homes built for the missionaries who live on the property to help support and facilitate growth.
But The Field’s Edge isn’t just a place for those who otherwise wouldn’t have a home. It is a place where community is built both inside and out. Midland residents are encouraged to join in on their community projects, sometimes bringing dinner and eating with the neighbors of the community, other times helping with projects around the farm, such as building a new goat pen.
Life at The Field’s Edge is always active and full of purpose. Some of the residents work on the little farm, making sure animals are fed and helping with office work, among other things. Other residents work jobs outside the community but return each afternoon to this welcoming place they call home. They laugh, work, and play together. All ages gather to enjoy Bible studies, meals, and other uplifting activities in their main hall. In addition to the current projects and programs, John-Mark is constantly exploring new venues to build a self-sufficient community.
The way he lives each day reflects the heart behind his mission. John-Mark is a humble man. He plays silly games with his children, shows off his adorable doodle service dog, and treats those in his community with respect and love, like they are blood relations. He truly follows his calling to serve his fellow man. With humility and persistence, he planted the seeds of a community where lives are not only housed, but transformed.
What God started in one man’s heart has multiplied into a community of compassion and healing. The Field’s Edge is more than just a housing project. These tiny homes stand as a living testament to what is possible when faith and action come together. As the community continues to grow, so does the hope that everyone, no matter their past, can find purpose, connection, and a place to call home.