The Harvest

We have been away from Gtown for a few weeks, but now we are back. The farm continued on in our absence with the help of Amos and Philip. The hired workers harvested every morning but had shorter days due to Ramadan. When they finished harvesting they can sleep for the rest of the afternoon until sunset when they break the fast. Ramadan ends on Sunday and Eid will be celebrated on Monday.

 In other news the watermelons on the farm were being eaten and stolen by a mystery person....or so was thought to be the case. Turns out that the real culprits were not human at all, but a pack of wild Dogs! Who ever heard of dogs devouring Watermelons?

Recently the girls got to "help" with harvesting. The workers were the ones who cut the bunches of vegetables and then handed it to the girls. Then girls got to run through the different rows and sections of the farm back to the shed where the vegetables are rinsed in water and tied in bunches. They really enjoyed this and got their P.E. in for the day. If they had to do this everyday I am sure the fun of it would disappear but I delighted in watching them.

Scriptures about the harvest have really come alive to me in these past few years as Jason has been working on the farm. I never realized how many scriptures there are about harvesting and how much they apply to every day life. There is a never ending amount of work to be done on the farm. There are a whole sorts of uncontrollable factors that can wipe out crops in a day, after months of waiting for growth. These are the windy months and the winds have been strong enough to break several banana trees as well as mango trees. Rain can be a blessing as well as a curse because of the weeds that come as a result. There is great need for crop rotation and many times new land has to be plowed causing an expansion to the farm. The farm provides food to the surrounding families but also is gathered and sold in town everyday. Jason recently increased the price of Kunde because the cost of everything has increased in the country. (Gas, sugar, flour, other vegetables, etc.) Sometimes it seems like every time I turn around there is a new challenge to face. With Jesus, that is what I know we will have the strength to do, face the challenges. Not run from them.

One of the most famous parables about the harvest is,

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like a sheep without a Shepherd. Then He said to his disciples,

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field. " Matthew 9:35-38

"Our workload is getting heavier all the time. Jason can only do so much. Could you please pray that God would send more workers?

The vegetables are tied in bunches and waiting to brough to town to be sold.

Papaya tree a.k.a paw paw.

Banana trees.

Jason sawing down a dead tree. 

This is the cook preparing lunch for the farm workers, the day before Ramadan started.

The left over firewood after lunch was made.

Grace and I getting time to talk.

The girls running around the farm with a handful of vegetables. 

In the background, Righteous's dress is caught in thorns.

Rinsing the vegetables.