Some Are Called To Plant...

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.  He who plants and he who waters are one."
(1 Corinthians 3:6-8)

   Sometimes it's hard to pull weeds or plant seeds, not knowing when the harvest will come.  The tedious daily work of tending to a garden is a discipline, even for those who have tasted the fruit of the reward at the end.  But how do you explain this concept to people who haven't gardened or haven't tasted the fresh vegetables from their own garden at the end of a season?

   In the same way, daily life serving in missions (and ministry anywhere) is hard - there are times when seeds need to be planted, weeds pulled, the ground watered...and eventually some even get to be a part of the harvest & see the fruit of their labors.  This lesson is hard to learn & even harder to teach.  

   But we are trying to take God's lesson from this word picture & make it tangible in a small garden here to help short term teams this summer see their role in God's work in Nsoko.  There have been teams before them, there will be teams coming after them, but their job is to faithfully serve in the roles & work that God has prepared for them for their time here.  Yes, some teams will just come & do unglorious weeding & watering, and there will be a few teams that will actually get to eat from this garden.  But so it is in serving in God's ministry!  Sometimes the most mundane things are the most important & God has a bigger picture in mind of what He is working towards for these people & this area!  But as we faithfully try to serve in the roles that God has given us in serving Him, we must remember & watch for Him alone to give the growth!

Breaking ground on a potential garden in 2009

Last week, the team planting seeds in the garden that will be tended by
visiting teams & the produce shared between teams & carepoints.