We sat laughing and making weird noises. I looked around and
smiled. I am sitting in a little hut with Kimberly, Mari, and Manik, our new
friend from Bangladesh. We are at the bottom of our farm in the swamp. We took
a break. Kimberly screams as she steps on a lizard and it scurries away. A huge
spider is right behind Manik’s head. Hundreds of mosquitos swarm outside the
hut, but we are happy. I am at peace
(Philippians 4). Peace because I have God and His love. Peace because I am in
the middle of a Malaysian Jungle surrounded by streams, beautiful trees,
monkeys, and I am
in a bamboo hut!!!
the swamp and we quickly check for leeches. We trudge back to the hill in our
beautiful yellow rain boots (which I thank God for many times a day). Manik
takes a machete to the trees and we carry them down and throw them in the
swamp. Yesterday, I ran from the leeches. At one point, I looked down and my
foot was covered in blood. Today, I had
no fear. The leeches crawled up my boots and I flicked them off or ripped
them in half and continued on with work.
me. They suck the life out of you. Most of the time you don’t realize they are
there. Then you see them, and have to do something. You can flick them off, but
they will come back. You can burn them (fire of the Holy Spirit). You can pour
salt on them (we are the salt of the earth-matthew 5). But you must always be aware…otherwise, the leeches
grow and grow and you get weaker and weaker. Don’t be so focused on the leeches
(satan) that you don’t do what you came to do; But don’t forget to look down
and look on other people, because it is inevitable that leeches will come.
life shows me a picture of what God is. He is the farm manager and tells us
what to do. He does all the work with us and is always one step ahead (like
Jesus with the disciples). He knows
everything and is a great teacher. If he ever sees us scream or if he notices
a leech is on us, he rips it off and cuts it in half with his machete. Mari was
having trouble going up the hill and he took her by the hand and led the way.
She couldn’t see anything and had to trust him. He smiles all the time and has
a comforting presence. He lives in a hut with a mattress, a television, a bunch
of shirts and a kitchen. Manik and his friend made us lunch and we all ate with
our hands on the floor of his hut. He is so kind and always watching out for
us. I am so thankful for him.
The past couple days in the jungle have made my heart
explode with happiness. We are working at a farm, which is the entire financial
support system of the church and feeding ministries here. We have worked so hard for the Lord (Colossians
3:23). We go deep into the jungle and carry bamboo, running from the leeches
and laughing at the monkeys. We use a hoe to till the land and then flatten it
then plant the green bean seeds and much more. We truly get to help with every
part of the process!! When we finish, we walk up the huge hill and pick fresh
vegetables from the other farm. Every day, we come home completely exhausted.
Then, we pray or sing together or just lay in bed and read the Bible. I love
it.
That is life. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are
few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his
harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:2-3).
We are all different parts of the
process. Some people have to machete all the stuff that shouldn’t be there.
Some people carry it away to the trash, some people till the ground, some
people put fertilizer, some plant, some water, and some actually get to see the
harvest. We should come home so exhausted that we have to sit in the arms of
our Father God.
This is my last
month on the World Race and I am letting God’s spirit lead and giving it my
all. I am truly blessed to be in the middle of the Jungle with God and these
amazing people who have become my family. I know that I am loving and serving God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind!!!
Glory!!
