Benching bamboo

Disclaimer: Long prose exists ahead, but hiliarious award awaits at the end.

The organic farm has been quite different than we’ve expected. We’ve been carrying bamboo poles through the jungle . . . not picking fruits and veggies like I expected. Work is good. It is challenging, but I like being outdoors (it is the Biologist and nature lover in me), and my workout is incorporated into my work day. No need for a gym when you are throwing bamboo in the jungle.

You might be wondering why Pneuma is A) working at an organic farm and B) harvesting bamboo. Well, our ministry contact, Pastor Tony, started this farm to provide a living for people in the jungle and help fund ministries. He acquired property deep in the jungle [side note: the last WR team that worked with Pastor Tony went to this location for jungle ministry] and began the farm about 2 years ago. This rural location was difficult for transporting the produce due to the trecherous roads to the farm; thus Pastor Tony has been in the process of transplanting the crops to another location that is closer to Kuala Lumpur (KL). Team Pneuma is working at the farm about 90 minutes from KL. Our daily responsibility is to carry bamboo through the jungle to the hillside where crops will be planted. These bamboo segments will be placed in rows along the hillside and be interconnected with twine. The result is a 3D grid of bamboo and twine guarding the crops.

This statement, “Foreigners working in the fields of a foreign land,” floods my mind with memories throughout the past 5 1/2 months of my life. I connect with this statement. This is my life. I am beginning to see how much we as people in the world have more in common than we are different. For example, this farmer’s life and my life share many parallels. We both have twins in our families. We both are away from our home country and families. We are both foreigners working in the fields of a foreign land. We both were created in God’s image [Genesis 1:27].

My conversation with the Lord continued throughout the day. Why, Lord did our team’s plans change again [We were originally assigned to work at a HIV/AIDS clinic in KL and to lead Bible studies]? Why are we working in the jungle again? Why are we walking through “leech city” [Curious? Watch the video.]? I may not know all the reasons why we are serving here and the impact that we are making. However, at this moment in time, God has been teaching me about the concept of being obedient to what the Lord has called you. Obedience is ministry. Our team was learning this lesson last month in Southern Thailand when we were teaching English and doing yardwork at the local community center. We approached our contact, Pastor Wasaan, several times asking him how else we could serve the community. Pastor’s response each time was to teach and work at the community center. Josh, my team leader, challenged our team with this question: “What if God just calls us to teaching English and doing yardwork?” I know from my experience that I often want to do more. I am a hard-worker, and I want to give and give unto others. However, God calls us to obedience. He blesses obedience. I am learning more how to trust the Lord and be obedient to what He has called me for such a time as this. Life is dynamic; thus, my daily ministry will probably look differently from day to day. I expect that you share in this reality wherever you may be in the world. After all, we as people are more alike than we are different.

So this is life for me right now in this season. I’m thankful for shelter, bathing water that is semi-clean, food [ramon and PB&J sandwiches], clean drinking water, a sleeping mat, a pillow, friends, community, family, communication. Life looks a little different month to month this year, but I’m ok with that. It is challenging, but life continues to overflow with blessings.