Three little stories that recently occured during every day life and ministry...like fresh breezes that pick you up when you are hot and sweaty and weary in the midst of your labors...
Some time ago, we purchased some old garden land nearby to develop it into something useful and productive. Several months ago, Manis personally took in hand this particular venture. He began working closely with a small group of young men, discipling them at the same time that they worked hard to transform the land into a garden space. It has been a difficult task. There are almost no trees in that area, and it is HOT. And as usual, water is extremely scarce.
But, thanks to some rains and a innovative idea for holding more water in the water hole, they were able to produce a harvest of millet!
This is the very same "Garden Planted in the Dust!"
Last weekend, Manis called in the daughters of a recently widowed woman to harvest a whole section of the grain to take to their mother. This weekend, a second widow will receive part of the harvest. What a blessing!
And at the same time, on another parcel of land…
Manis has worked closely with Williamso over the past several years, investing much in him. Williamso has really captured Manis' heart and vision on many levels.
He has been working very hard to reforest and develop a large section of his own land. We sometimes refer to it as “The Forest,” which is certainly a beautiful name of faith, because there is no visible forest there…yet!
He has a portion of it designated as a garden, and he also succeeded in growing a small harvest of millet.
He gave a job to some single mothers from a particularly vulnerable family group to cut the stalks and harvest the grain. Once they were finished, he told them, “You can have all the grain. Only leave enough for me for the next planting.” No one told him to do this; it came out of his own heart.
One Sunday morning, Billy (one of our teachers) shared how the Lord had been teaching Him personally during the week out of Ecclesiastes, coupled together with Matthew 6:33 (“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”). I (Krischelle) was blown away as I listened to this 20-something young man insightfully share his own reflections on how it is more important to have Jesus in your life than anything else. WOW! For such a young person in this context, that is rare. It sparked a great discussion in our chapel session that morning.