The Help

I am really excited about being a farmer. Of course, I don’t know hardly anything about farming but I’m still excited. The garden is growing well. We were able to plant over 200 tomato plants, even more kale, carrots, onions, butternut squash, that other kind of squash, cabbage, chili peppers, coriander, and even watermelon. It’s a big garden (Swahili: Shamba) and I can’t wait to see the harvest and how many people will be blessed by it.
I also have to admit that I can’t take care of the shamba alone. It’s a lot of work to weed and water and transplant and everything else involved in bringing about a good harvest. That’s why I have Simon. Simon is a young man who, despite difficulties in life has become a great man of God. He is also a hard worker and wonderful farmer. I love to sneak up on Simon when he’s working in the shamba because he’s always undoubtedly singing praise songs and giving thanks to God for … everything. He’s an encouragement truly. He also helps out with any other ‘man-type’ jobs that need to be done such as digging trash pits, burning brush, or killing mice. He’s great and I’m lucky to have him a couple days a week to help with everything and to be able to bless him by providing a small salary to help himself and his family.
There is also Lorna. Lorna is a widow and mother of 4 and still quite young. Lorna is possibly the hardest working woman I’ve ever met. I can’t remember ever asking her to do anything before she had already started it, except maybe to sit and relax! Lorna discovered that my hands do not react well to the washing powder used to wash clothes and started coming by every few days to wash my clothes for me. While she was there she would almost always wash what few dishes where dirty in the sink, sweep or even mop the floor, pull weeds from the flower beds… the woman doesn’t know how to stop and she sings through it all. So I decided to let her keep it up. She now comes a couple days a week to help me keep the house clean, wash clothes, work in the garden with Simon or whatever else needs doing, even if its nothing more than being company for a couple hours. The money she gets from this work is added to her own profits from farming to pay school fees for her 4 girls.
Then there is Andy and Chamo, my cat and dog. They don’t get paid but they are provided room and board and lots of space for running and playing. Their job? To keep me company, protect the house from sticky fingered children, unwanted night visitors, mice, snakes and other critters. Andy is still small but learning quick. Chamo is afraid of everything but is good at barking. They’re also great company whether I’m healthy or sick. Now if I could just get them to be friendly each other!

Pray for Lorna and Simon as they work along side me and help me not only with manual labor but also encourage and assist with the ministry.