Organic Farming: Experiencing the ABC of True Education

Learning by Theory

Brother Daniel Garcia lecturing on
Permaculture System

     It took around twoscore days, in five different places, of hearing lectures about organic farming, specifically permaculture system, from brother Daniel Garcia who was sent by God all the way from Portugal. It was my first time hearing about such system and it was interesting and amazing to know what really is the ‘first work that should be entered upon.’ Well, this is what the testimony of Jesus says:

“Study in agricultural lines should be the A, B, and C of the education given in our schools. This is the very FIRST WORK THAT SHOULD BE ENTERED UPON…” {Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 179, par. 2}

     No wonder! I honestly admitted to myself that this is the reason why it seems like I lack one thing. I mean, of all the trainings that the Lord has given me the chance to undergo, it was only then that I realized that I haven’t really gone that far. Why? Because the very first step has been left out. So, I found myself going back to pre-school (if this is the lowest grade to enter in worldly education). In short, back to zero…or should I better say, back to number one --- the very first step!

     How comforting to know that God really cares and He is indeed abundant in mercy. It was because of His mercy that He allowed this realization to come to light so I would better appreciate the truth in line of agriculture work and how it is related to the various ministry experiences that I had before. I was overawed with the light that shone brighter than when I had known it the first time and even when I had read books of inspiration related to this line of work. God’s timing is undeniably perfect! It might work in some other ways for other people but for me, God just revealed the light when I can better esteem it. Has this light already come your path? It doesn’t matter when, where, or how, the most vital thing is that we may not merely be hearers of it.

     When I reflected back to my childhood years, I was brought to view of my earthly father working in his own garden. I had zero attention to what he was doing and zero concern to help him. What I shame to think about! Not knowing that God, our Heavenly Father, has introduced His occupation in His own Word. Where can we find that? It’s in John 15:1 where the Bible says,

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”

     I was surprised! It was my first time to understand this passage in scripture. Well, I’ve come across it but haven’t looked up what a husbandman really meant. But when I go to Mr. Dictionary, I found out that it means a gardener, farmer or an agriculturist, and the like. Wow! God is a farmer! Yes, that is one of the things that I’ve learned when I attended the organic farming lectures. Amazing, right? After then, I ask God for forgiveness for not valuing the work of my father before. Now I fully comprehend that this is the reason why all throughout the Bible, there’s so much of the ‘language of nature’ --- because God Himself is a farmer!

     As a farmer, one needs to have a farm or land to work on. Another dumbfounding thing that I’ve learned is, this is part of God’s plan and there are blessings and curses attached to it. Notice this:

Applying the theories on soil preparation in a
 family's 'sufficient ground for tilling'

“In God’s plan for Israel every family had a home on the land, with sufficient ground for tilling. Thus were provided both the means and the incentive for a useful, industrious, and self-supporting life. And no devising of men has ever improved upon that plan. To the world’s departure from it is owing, to a large degree, the poverty and wretchedness that exist today.” {Ministry of Healing, p. 183, par, 3}  

“He who earns his livelihood by agriculture escapes many temptations and enjoys unnumbered privileges and blessings denied to those whose work lies in the great cities. And in these days of mammoth trusts and business competition, there are few who enjoy so real an independence and so great certainty of fair return for their labor as does the tiller of the soil.” {Education, p. 219, par. 1}

What can a Christian farmer do?

Learning to do 'Useful Work':
Making a Compost

“Christians farmers can do real missionary work in helping the poor to find homes on the land and in teaching them how to till the soil and make it productive. Teach them how to use the implements of agriculture, how to cultivate various crops, how to plant and care for orchards.”

{Ministry of Healing, p. 193, par. 2}

If this is God’s plan for us, did Jesus follow it? 

“…Jesus followed the divine plan of education…His education was gained directly from the Heaven appointed sources: from useful work, from the study of scriptures and of nature, and from the experiences of life --- God’s lesson books, full of instruction to all who bring to them the willing hand, the seeing eye, and the understanding heart.” {Education, p. 77, par. 2}

Does this call have an importance to what is coming before us? 

“The time is fast coming when the controlling power of the labor unions will be very oppressive, Again and again the Lord has instructed that our people are to take their families away from the cities, into the country, where they can raise their own provisions; for in the future the problem of buying and selling will be a very serious one. We should now begin to heed the instruction given us over and over again: Get out of the cities into rural districts, where the houses are not crowded closely together, and where you will be free from the interference of enemies.”

{Letter 5, 1904 (Apprearing in pamphlet, Country Living, 7, 9, 10-12, 2SM 141)}

Done in two days! Getting the land ready to 'Raise Provisions'

But...are we prepared for this serious time that is coming?

“…Ministers and people are unprepared for the time in which they live, and nearly all who profess to believe present truth are unprepared to understand the work of preparation for this time…They think they are all right when they are all wrong.” {Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 466, par. 2}

What should we do then?

“Ministers and people must make greater advancement in the work of reform. They should commence without delay to correct their wrong habits of eating, drinking, dressing, and working.”

{Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 466, par. 2}

We want to get ready and make greater advancement in the work of reform!

Learning by Experience

The facade

     God wanted us to understand the most neglected second book --- nature! He did that by sending us, with my partners, Bro. Ronald Baragona and Bro. Lexter Neil Panes, providentially to a place called Master’s Garden. It was named after Him as the Master Gardener! It is an Organic Micro-Eco Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet and owned by a very hospitable and selfless farmer named Pat Acosta. He was among the founder of LaTOP (La Trinidad Organic Practitioners) and the one who trained the many organic farmers in the place. Learning from this man who is not of our faith is such a blessing and God’s providence indeed. I said ‘hospitable’ because when we came into his farm he warmly welcomed us and charged us nothing for our three-week training there (supposed to be a thousand per day as advertised on the internet). And I mentioned ‘selfless’ because of his generosity --- in teaching us all the effective and efficient techniques in organic farming and allowing us to do the hands-on in the farm plus free raw lettuce every lunch. We really learned a lot and enjoyed our stay in his farm! 

Inside Master's Garden

Let me take you briefly to some of the exciting processes which we went through...

Counting seeds by using two load cards

Sowing with faith

Up close: Sowing by using a used pen with a stick inside

During the training, while I was having my personal devotions one morning, I was directed to this remarkable light:

“…The Lord puts His own Spirit into the seed, causing it to spring into life. Under His care the germ breaks through the case enclosing it and springs up to develop and bear fruit."{Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 326, par. 4}

Amazing! As God breathe into Adam's nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul, so is God breathing His Spirit into a seed so it becomes alive. So, all we have to do is to plant with faith that God would let it grow. Were the seeds that we planted grow? Look at these...

They were healthy babies...

Watering them as they continue to grow...

Brother Ron preparing the bed

With Brother Neil: Poking by using a nail (preparation for potting)

Potting preparations with Sister Erika and Brother Neil

Potting

Shredding the amazing soil fertilizer --- grass!

Transplanting and using the shredded grass for mulching

Adam (Brother Ron's son) around the 10 kinds of lettuce grown in the farm

The joy of harvesting!

Exciting to harvest, too!

Praises to God for the healthy and abundant harvest!

Packing using X-Ray film

We Praise and thank God for the fulfillment of the knowledge-packed three-week course!
(With Sir Pat Acosta)

Bonus certificate with amazing citation!

What's the spiritual application of all these processes?

For me, witnessing comes to mind.

In the Master's field or vineyard, we are given the task to prepare the soil of the hearts of souls. How? I can't think of any method but Christ's method alone which explicitly says:

Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.” {The Ministry of Healing, 143}

After preparation comes sowing --- sowing seeds of truth. When inspiration says that the Lord puts His Spirit into the seed causing it to spring into life, it already gives us a hint that all we have to do is just to plant or share the gospel of Jesus and He will cause it to spring into life. This takes a lot of faith but rest assured that our efforts as humans to share the light to those in bondage of the enemy will always be backed up with divine power and blessings, so we will see a soul brought to the feet of the cross.
  
Eventually, the lettuces are transplanted where they should continually be nourished with the Creator's creations --- grass, pure air, clean water, and sunlight. These are the basics that souls are also to be nourished with, when they are transplanted from darkness into light --- by grass as food, represented by feeding on the Bible; by pure air as represented by pure or genuine prayer coming from a contrite heart; by water as the refreshing and guidance of the Spirit of God; and sunlight representing the Sun of Righteousness who brightens the soul of a sinner and transforms it for His glory.

Then the lettuces grows and made ready for the harvest. The principle that is vital to consider here is that a soul must first grow in Christ or be converted first before it is harvested. Yes, conversion should take place before baptism. When this happens, then there is a great probability that a soul would stay longer in the fold because it is firmly grounded and rooted in the truth. And it also makes sense that we are to wait 'til a fruit is already ripe before we harvest it, right?

And the day of harvest comes. What a wonderful and glorious day! I Praise God for the experiences to witness souls being won to Jesus as a result of our efforts and it is truly overwhelming and rewarding! The same feeling I had when I first experienced harvesting the lettuces in the garden. It's brings so much joy! With your finite imagination, can you picture out the joy  in heaven over one soul that repenteth? It is beyond mine!

And finally, packing the harvest --- Well, I have thought of it as like the sealing time or the close of probation where the unjust remains unjust, the filthy remains filthy, the righteous remains righteous, and the holy remains holy. It is interesting that from the garden, the lettuces are not washed anymore, the withered or bad leaves are thrown, and the good ones are packed. Isn't this what also happens when the close of probation comes --- that those who sided on the enemy is doomed to destruction and those who have been good and faithful servants will enter into the joy of the Lord and will gain the companionship of the heavenly host?
 
What a superb lesson learned in soul winning from the A, B, C of true education!

Looking forward to the ultimate experience as Isaiah foretold,

"...and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them." {Chapter 65, verse 21}

Oh, what unsurmountable joy would it be to be amongst the ranks of the saved and work with the Master Farmer!