It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know. So that those who live after may have clean earth to till.*
The Wolffstead is about the family economy. We (Brendan and Bobbie) have different talents, interests, experiences, and skills we wanted to integrate that into a single source. This website is that source. Wolffstead is obviously a play on homestead, which has exploded in popularity post-Covid, and that is not a coincidence. Many people want to get back to the roots of what is important in this life, and working the soil and working our interior life is at the heart of it. Our society has become sickly in many ways, and for this reason we have prayed to God for years to help us in our mission, or apostolate, as we work together to be a resource that is interesting, educational, and of value to others while helping to support our family as we continue to learn and grow. We are truly on a journey in which we hope the final destination is the Kingdom of God, but in the meantime we need to navigate through the fiefdoms here on earth.
Bobbie's apostolate through Mons Carmeli is to integrate her passion for Catholic mystical theology and biblical health coaching to help others (especially women) in their spiritual and health journeys. Brendan's calling via Adhemar's Adventure include utilizing his teaching background to address Christianity in history, starting with the commonly misunderstood and maligned telling of the First Crusade. We both share information and thoughts on Musings. Our goals through these endeavors is to develop our beautiful land next to the Missouri River in order to cultivate God's abundance for our family and community and to host retreats.
We are not social media people and the Wolffstead can not be found on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tic Tok, or any of the other social or networking sites. This website is the only source where we have made our material available and where we can be reached as we don't care about clicks and likes and “beating the algorithm”. This presumably is not good business sense as we depend on "word of mouth" to let people know about us, but we believe...or at least hope and pray...that if we provide worthwhile content and a vision that resonates with others that we will all benefit.
In Pope Leo XIV's encyclical letter Magnificent Humanity (Magnifica Humanitas), he gave the J.R.R. Tolkien character quotation at the top which, I believe, is from Gandalf. We are all - each and every solitary one of us – called to do our part and will either “construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” Like Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah, with our “walls collapsed and gates burning”, for a civilization of love “we are called to assume an active role, without taking refuge in spiritual sentimentality or retreating into our own little worlds. We must be faithful to the truth, invest in education, cultivate relationships, and love justice and peace.”
May we also cultivate the bounty of the earth under our feet in learning the Lord's plan for our health and well-being.
Brendan & Bobbie Marie Wolff
October 2026
*J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings. The Return of the King, Part III, Book Five, Chapter IX, New York 1965, 190.