Wednesday 21 Nov
… but the workers are few. Liz shares the story of a recent day among the Ethnic Thai.
“Here in Ban Luang the fields have now turned from a dark green to deep gold as the harvest begins. This week we have spent some time helping our friends harvest their rice field. It’s quite an experience. About twenty people work together in lines, walking through the field cutting the rice with their sickle. It was obvious that I was new to the job as I tried my best to keep up with the line and not leaving any rice behind.
…“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38
As we all worked together, this verse from Matthew came to mind. In the modern days of the west and our great big harvesting equipment, I don’t think I have ever really understood the metaphor as clearly as I do now. I step forward, cut a bunch of rice, lay it behind me, and repeat, to the beat of my fellow harvesters. As I try to keep up I wonder how hard, even impossible, it would be to harvest this field alone.
As we take rest in the sala (small wooden shack) we share a meal together and encourage each other on the work well done. At one point about fifteen women sat together in the group chatting and passing around water. I asked my friend and fellow believer, Mrs T, what happens next. She told me that the cut rice stays in the field for at least three days to dry out before they come back to collect it all up. I asked her what happens if it rains and she says we just need to pray that it doesn’t. In front of her family and friends she asked me to pray to Jesus that it wouldn’t rain before Thursday. Sadly as I write this, a day later a huge storm has hit. Please pray that not all of the harvest will not be lost and for peace for those that rely on this for their yearly food and income.
Please will you ask the Lord of the harvest, to send out more workers here in Thailand to join us in His work.” Liz, Intercultural Worker in Thailand
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