The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
This month has been one of the hardest one of the race. Mostly for the living conditions.
We were in the Amazon Jungle here in Bolivia. So many hours, rivers, and roads away from the city. No running water, no electricity (Just 1 hour every night from a generator that ran out of gasoline a couple times so we couldn’t use it). We had billions of mosquitos that have our bodies completely bitten. We also had a chicken living under one of the beds, and mice living in the ceiling. We all share a little room and it got so hot – to the point that is almost impossible to be in there. The house was a mud made house with floor of dirt. Also the roads were almost inaccessible because of the rain and by the end we had to push the car uphill so we could be able to go out. Please don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining. I’m just giving you an inside look to our conditions that honestly has been so hard, challenging but at the same time an experience that definitely I won’t ever forget. And the craziest part is knowing that these people have been living here for their whole lives in this condition. We might be feeling discomfort but it is temporary for us, but permanent for them.
We didn’t have set ministry this month and because of it so many times I felt that we were not doing as much as we should. I asked the community and sometimes they had something for us to do sometimes they didn’t. So I felt useless, if I didn’t have work to do then I felt that my mission and purpose was failing even when it was not my fault. What God was teaching me was that just because I am busy for Jesus it doesn’t mean I am close to Him.
We didn’t have a lot to do (Physical/Manual labor) but he was asking me to be still, to rely on him. To learn more about him. To dig deeper in his word. It was a time for him to say yes I sent you but don’t forget that you need to fill up your cup too. You have been giving to others for months now I want you to pour, and spend time in our relationship.
He also said “Harvest!!!” My answer : Yes God we helped to harvest the rice one time. Yes! Just one time that’s nothing. What do you mean with that? But then he sent me to Matthew 9:37 “ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”
Then to John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
And then to : John 4:34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Basically He was teaching me that maybe right now I don’t see the fruit, but we sow the seed and in the future others will harvest the fruit of that little seed.
While we were there we painted the school, we helped harvest the rice, we helped move branches from the huge trees they were taking down so they can put wire electricity poles. Also we helped build part of the roof of a house made with leaves. We helped measure the houses so they can put in wire poles. And after working we had to fish so we can have lunch hahaha. In conclusion, I’m not gonna lie, we were out of our comfort zone but that’s what made it wonderful. We were not just expanding Jesus kingdom (that is our goal #1), but also we were able to help the sustainability of a community that has been forgotten. It was not everyday, but the times we did it we enjoyed it. Also we were teaching our hearts and minds that it is not about us or our comfortability, it is about others and those are the places where Jesus goes. The places where no one else goes. The conditions were not the best but believe me what God is teaching me through this process is indescribable. I have found the beauty of his love and the beauty of what we do when circumstances are rough and challenging. I believe that part of missions is to be out of comfort zone and for us this month was going to a place where probably not everyone will go. Because harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. I know someday we will see the harvest. An example of this was in Guido the man who has a little window shop where alcohol is the most you can see on shelf. But I wish people could see his face when we told him we were volunteering. Yes! But actually we were “real” missionaries. He stood at me speechless and then just said “God bless you! I’m gonna tell people about you and what you have done in here.“ What about the lady that we helped to harvest rice? 🙂 that day it was so hot!!! We were sweating so bad but we finished the work even before noon so actually she was able to go back on time and have lunch with her family. By the end she was so grateful that gave us plantains and a huge sugar cane. Or even the lady that cooked for us, Magally who laughed so hard every time that she was asking us if we would like to eat new things like monkey and we just look each other completely wordless haha. We definitely were the church in those little moments just showing Jesus love. I’m so sure that just as the rice we planted will one day grow, one day someone will harvest what we did this month.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support! Don’t forget you can mostly support me through my PayPal account : [email protected] 🙂
