Hope Spot 50 – When your harvest TRIPLES…

When I was a kid, I used to love going to the silos with my Papa.

You’d sit up high in the truck, elbow out the window, trying to hide your city-kid-ness so you could look as laidback as all the real farmers lining up to unload the harvest.

(Best part was the ice-block when we finally got out of the queue!)

There was no artwork on silos back then.

Just flies and dust and heat.

I thought about this when ALWS received a short note from a supporter saying they’d just unloaded a truckload of lentils.

And donated them to ALWS to help people.*

This Aussie farm family didn’t want any recognition, they just wanted to help farmers who would otherwise be forgotten, in places like South Sudan and Burundi. They told us that, as Christians, this was their way of offering their ‘first fruits’ to God.

I know this year there are many Aussie farmers who won’t have any ‘fruits’ to offer.

Yet all of us can be encouraged about the harvest produced when you and I invest in farmers through ALWS.

Like Pontien from Burundi…

“We were trained on how to farm in rows and how to space seedlings.

We have been told that if we mix crops, there will not be a good yield. After the training, I understood that I have to separate the crops when I grow.

We were shown the spacing for growing corn, and told that if we do the spacing well, we can put beans between the corn plants. When you take care of the corn, you can take care of the beans at the same time.

We were trained on how to apply fertiliser, and which must be used for which crop.”

Using the modern farming methods taught in Farmers Groups ALWS supports, and planting improved seed varieties people like you supply:

Pontien TRIPLED his harvest!
(while using LESS seed!)

The 400kg of corn Pontien harvested is only 1% of the truckload of lentils donated by that Aussie farm family …

… but for Pontien’s family, it is life-transforming:

“I see a benefit for my family because before we didn’t have enough food.

Now it’s good. Before, we only ate once a day. Now we eat three times a day!

My plan for the future is to continue farming to increase production. I’ve already paid the advance for the seeds. With the peanut crop I’m going to pay the balance and focus on market gardening. With the money from this harvest, I’m going to invest in the other seasons.

I’m going to invest in agriculture and especially in livestock. I want to buy goats and cows to have lots of organic manure.”

You can see the joy on Pontien’s face at his success!

I’ve put these two photos next to each other on purpose,
because success doesn’t come without hard work and sacrifice.

For Pontien in Burundi …

… it’s working hard in the fields, humbling oneself to learn, being brave in trying new things and investing for the future.

For people like you back in Australia …

… it’s being kind enough to care, willing to give from what you have worked hard for, having the courage to invest in people you may never meet face-to-face.

My prayer is that when you see the ‘harvest’ grown from the ‘seeds’ you plant through ALWS …

… you feel the same joy as you see in the faces of Pontien’s family!

Your visit to the silo may be a Christmas donation, a gift in your Will, Gifts of Grace for your friends and family, a Burundi Farm Partnership.

Whatever you do, thank you bringing love to life for families like Pontien’s – to them, you are a blessing ALWayS!