Shoveling, scraping, spraying, and smelling pig poo while cleaning out stalls will teach you a thing or two.
I’ll let you in on the secrets I learned and spare you the experience, but first, a few general details before the nitty gritty.
This month in Albania began with our squad debrief and rolled into All Squad Month. This means all 46 racers and 3 squad leaders together in the same ministry location for the entire month of August. Debrief was a time for rest and refreshing. Our squad coaches and mentor flew in from the States for a time of teaching, worshipping, equipping, and celebration.
I’ve been at a camp facility called LightForce International in Lezhe, Albania that hosts a variety of groups and churches. It’s a self-sustaining compound with a contributing pig farm. There are activities such as swimming, a rock climbing wall, sport courts, an obstacle course, and a game room with billiards, ping pong, and foosball. The groups plan their own events, and we help facilitate the games and meals while they are guests.
Our host, George, has been a pastor and businessman for forty years. He works in Albania, Uganda and the United Kingdom. His Albanian staff consists of precious people, many of whom do not know Jesus.
Ramazan is one of his staff. He is the farmer at the compound. He is kind, gentle, faithful, and perseverant. His life is not easy as a farmer, but he continues on daily. I have such respect for him, and a new appreciation for my own father, who is also a farmer. Farmers are some hard working men!
I had the privilege of working under Ramazan this month with six other ladies on my squad while the rest of our squad mates worked in a variety of other ways on the compound. I apologize for the graphic nature of this post while I share a few of the many lessons learned while on pig duty!
1. Pigs are nasty critters. They are so filthy and they don’t even know it!
2. Pig poo smells horrible…all the time! The aroma permeates even the clothes you wear. After being around pig poo for a while, however, you don’t smell the stench as much because your senses become dulled to it.
4. Cleaning out stalls full of pig poo takes a lot of shoveling, scraping, and rinsing with water to remove all the mess.
5. It takes the right amount of water to remove all the poo debris, sometimes gentle streams and other times powerful sprays of water.
6. As deep as the poo goes in the cracks of the concrete pens, the water will go just as deep to clean out the mess.
7. Farmers mix appropriate blends of corn, grain, and minerals to make food for each kind of pig: mature pigs, nursing sows, and weaned piglets.
8. Pigs get very excited about clean water and when it’s time to eat…sounds like Jurassic Park on the pig farm! They play in the water, drink from the water hose, and scream loudly when dinner is served!
9. Each farmer has a part to play in getting the job accomplished. More workers lighten the load and make it more fun for everyone involved.
10. When you work together, you are likely to get splashed by poo water. Getting dirty happens, but it will wash off. A daily washing keeps you clean. Have joy in the midst of the clean up process!
11. Farmers care for their animals with patience and a steady sort of peace. They know their animals and what they need. It can be a lonely job, but they faithfully persevere.
Now, these are just the lessons I learned from a natural perspective. But as I began day one on the pig farm, I found myself asking the Lord questions?
Why did I choose this? (I didn’t really want to work with pigs, but God had a plan.) Is this really where you want me to be?
Yes.
Well, then what do you have for me to learn in pig farming?
Servant leadership. Prodigal son.
I heard him loud and clear and began thinking about these things over the next few days and weeks. It wasn’t until the end drew near that I began to see what he showed me through the process of daily chores on the farm.
It was like Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-son on Karate Kid. At the end of all the waxing on and off, painting the fence, and using chopsticks to kill flies, Daniel-son realized his reflexes were trained for speed, fighting, and defense—a totally unexpected outcome! It just took time to gain a new perspective.
And that’s just what I gained…
In Part Two, I’ll share lessons from the new perspective I gained.
Bekah
