The moment we landed at KIDS International Ministry in June 2020, the first of the many things that excites me was the thought of making a garden, a thing that I haven't done since we were in Metro Manila. KIDS is at the coolest area of Antipolo and Cainta Rizal.
I developed a sandy, rocky and stony area adjacent to the house where we are living. I planted different kinds of seed. I plant pechay, string beans, bitter gourd, lemon grass, horse radish, 'patola', turmeric ginger, papaya, and eggplant in a random manner according to the shape of the area. It was an effort, but I was determine to do it thinking of the worst case scenario that the Covid 19 PANDEMIC would cause in the next several months. Besides, planting vegetables would help us save some funds for our food.
The growth of my plants are not the same I realise how a stony and rocky area prevent some of my plants from growing. There are lots of plant eating insects since the area had long been left unused by the owner.
Three (3) months later, I started to harvest the fruits of my labor plus learning;
PRECIOUS LESSONS I LEARNED
Gardening is discipleship. You develop an abandon land, you develop a lost person.
Gardening is intentional. Without intentionality, you can not bring the gospel to anyone.
Gardening is not easy, it is and effort. Discipleship is embracing difficulty to make things easy!
Gardening is always vulnerable to plant eating insects. Satan is always around when you help someone know Jesus. He is always there to steal, and kill and destroy!
Gardening is where pollination happens for the plant to come to fruition. It is the Holy Spirit that do the pollination for one to be fruitful in the garden of the LORD!
Gardening will yield result if you don't give up. In helping people know the Lord will always yield result if we will not give up.
Gardening will teach us that some plants has the tendency to crawl to the directions they want to go, compromising its growth and fruitfulness (the crawling plants like the beans). You need to watch and guide your person from time to time and teaching him the right thing and decision to take for a fruitful life!
It is amazing how the Lord allows us to experience two things: The physical garden that helps supply our food and the PRECIOUS LESSONS that give understanding on what we are doing! They happened at the same time!
As Jean and I develop the community with Family Ministry as our platform, we find it difficult. We know that this is not our garden, it is God's! Jean and I are only invited to join God and enjoy with Him. We can not take His role. He is the Chief Gardener.
As we continue to do the mandate of God, we would like to thank you for supporting us with your heart and your prayers. We thank you also for supporting us financially. We survive in the ministry because you made yourself available for us!
Sincerely in Christ,
Bobot and Jean Migraso