The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, 'A staff.' "
Exodus 4:2
Farmer Joy?
I have a confession to make. I have never had a green thumb (my potted basil outside looks sad and has gone to seed), I don't really like dirt under my nails, and most days I'd rather grocery shop in the AC than dig outside in the sun. Now if you feel comfortable in the lawn and garden section of any store (I personally feel like the people in the green aprons are watching me and KNOW I'm clueless) or you're already eating from your own garden, my hat is off to you and I'm a little envious. It's not that I don't like gardening/agriculture (I've enjoyed the fruit of my mom's green thumb for years!), its just never been high on my priority list to learn. God changed all that a few weeks ago.
Although I was initially reluctant and prayed in protest against the idea ("I'm not a farmer, God!"), He tapped me on the shoulder multiple times about going to a training at ECHO global farms(http://echonet.org/). ECHO is a local Christian organization that has the goal of developing sustainable options for alleviating hunger in the Third World. They come alongside missionaries and development workers to offer agricultural training specific to the tropics and subtropics (where the majority of the poor in the world live), technical support in a variety of areas, and free seeds or plant cuttings of nutritious or medicinal plants.
So with sunblock, bug spray, and hat in hand, I took the ECHO five day course called "Tropical Agricultural Development". I was amazed at the diversity of topics such as: How to raise tilapia, how to eat from your garden in the tropics/subtropics (Yes, you CAN have a salad in the Sahara!), simple water filtration/disinfection, stewardship of the land (including the life UNDER the soil, like earthworms. See below!), and a Biblical perspective on poverty.
My "Lanai Livestock"
"Manage your soil life as if it's livestock in the soil." -ECHO instructor
I never thought I would be excited about earthworms or compost. I also honestly never thought about the systems of life that God has created in order for plants to grow successfully. How many of us thank God for the millions of worms, nematodes (that's a fun word to say), good bacteria, and fungus He has happily tilling the soil, reducing erosion, and making it rich in nutrients? I didn't give it a second thought before this course. So how do my 'lanai livestock' (aka earthworms) fit into this? Vermiculture composting is a system that uses earthworms to eat and compost kitchen scraps. They will very gladly go to work on old fruits and veggies and grains to make an earthy organic matter (compost) buffet that you can put around your plants. This worm-compost is the perfect plant food, inoculates the plants against disease, and encourages other good little creatures to hang out by your plants roots and nourish them.
Basically, I make a nice little kitchen-scrap meal for my worms to party with, and then lay it out as compost to start a whole NEW party around my plants. As funny (or gross?) as that sounds, I believe it's honorable since stewarding soil (and the little critters under it) is actually encompassed in God's command to us in Genesis:
"God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
"Every living thing" includes my earthworms and my plants, right? I think it does. (By the way, as graphic as it sounds, worm-composting is amazingly hands-off and clean. My worms live in a little plastic condo on my lanai that is odorless and doesn't attract anything. They seem to love their job and I don't mind scraping a few veggie scraps in a box every few days.) I have some little trees (check out Moringa and Katuk plants on the ECHO website. They are nutritional powerhouses!) planted around the yard now that can't wait to have it spread around them.
Although the courses on tropical plants and soil were incredible, my favorite part of the week was being introduced to AMAZING do-it-yourself inventions that are used all over the Third World. So what does a bamboo bike, a 2-liter water bottle "light bulb", and a little clay "rocket stove" have it common? They're all examples of what's called "Appropriate Technology" (AT).
A bamboo bike (tires and spokes not included!)
Rocket stoves made from various materials
Unlike some technologies that can be more of an accessory or a financial drain, AT is all about providing the basic necessities of life. AT should be appropriate for the culture you're working in, should be easily reproducible, and should be constructed out of items that are locally available. It's about turning "trash into treasure" (life-saving treasure!) from old tires, plastic bottles, clay, cement, bamboo, sand, and cardboard to name a few. A sign in the ECHO AT workshop says: "Use what you have and make what you need".
Some of the concepts that have been successfully implemented all over the world are:
Smokeless ovens (rocket stoves)
These little homemade clay or cement stoves reduce indoor air pollution (IAP) significantly, saving lives. IAP comes from cooking daily over an open fire in the home. Ventilation in the homes these fires are burning in are usually minimal and the thick black smoke is often welcomed because it keeps mosquitoes away. Those that are exposed to IAP end up with shortened lives and the infants that are exposed to it (often swaddled on to mom as she cooks) often die from pneumonia. Rocket stoves are specially designed to efficiently burn its own smoke before it escapes. The stoves also only burn the ends of a few small twigs so less time is spent collecting firewood. (I helped steam some plantains on one of these stoves and they turned out delicious!)
BioSand water filters and/or Solar Disinfection
Diarrhea from drinking contaminated water is the second leading cause of death in children, killing at least 5,000 per day. With a plastic trash can with a lid (or a concrete mold) filled with sand and gravel, a household can successfully filter their own water. Once the sand filter makes the water clear and not cloudy, it can be placed in a clear bottle in the sun for about 6 hours to kill bacteria and viruses (or be boiled). These two simple steps combined can make water very safe to drink with practically no cost to the user.
Biogas energy
If a person has access to animal manure and a few simple materials, they can have clean, renewable energy to cook with. Manure is stored in an airtight barrel and a hose goes into an rubber inner-tube that catches and stores the methane gas that's released. The inner-tube can be directly piped into a simple, portable gas stove. The tube easily detaches from the barrel and can be safely stored away from the home for safety purposes. Also, a person could potentially take their gas supply with them to the village market on their cart and make a living as a hot food vendor.
The bottom line question is, how do these agricultural projects and appropriate technologies bring God glory and point people to His Son? I see them as just another tool to show His love to vulnerable people, learn and model Biblical stewardship, and help me and others worship Him as our abundant provider.
Although I think there is usually too much attention today from the liberal media on caring for the physical world, I do believe God's people should be model stewards. I know that I need to learn to be a much better steward. I've also heard from seasoned missionaries that one of things that shocks and offends most Third-World people when they get to know a First-World mission worker is their appalling wastefulness of resources. What we're used to just throwing away is unthinkable in most cultures. (For example, my flip-flop broke a year ago during a trip to Uganda. I was just about to throw it away when our bus driver said: "No, no! Let me fix it, Madam!" and proceeded to make it as good as new in about 15 minutes. I was humbled!)
I want to bring God glory and be an encouragement to others in every way I can. I can see the Lord using what I've learned to build relationships with my Ugandan neighbors in the future and maybe even be a blessing to them practically. I believe God can use what I take for granted every day (clean water, nutritious food, adequate shelter) to point people to the gospel and help restore their dignity. That's definitely worth being outside my comfort zone.
What is in your hand already (Exodus 4:2)? What would the Lord help you to creatively use to improve lives and show Jesus' love? Thanks for praying for me as I take a few baby steps in learning how to glorify God and love others in new ways.
"The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it."
Psalms 24:1
A banana tree flowering
You might enjoy taking the ECHO farm tour. The plants there are so beautiful!
"Miss Lilly" the ECHO goat (she's there to demonstrate ways to keep goats from eating EVERYTHING you-and your neighbors-own!)
