BEANS!

On Monday, our Tanzanian staff and missionaries, gathered together for devotions like we do each week. Afterwards, I shared about the beans we had just harvested from our field. Here is what I said... with some pictures added in! (I left in the Swahili translation so you could get a taste of the language!)

Picture of me sharing at devotions.
The sack on the right are the beans.
The orange bucket is our tithe.

A few weeks ago, Seuri and Mama Mchungaji harvested beans here.

Wiki chache zilizopita, Seuri na Mama Mchungaji walivuna maharage hapa.

Even though Michelle and I are farmers in the US, we learned something new about how to harvest beans.

Hata kama Michelle na mimi tulikuwa na wakulima Marekani, sisi tulijifunza kitu kipya kuhusu jinsi ya kuvuna maharage.

We thought it would take a long, long time by hand.

Tulifikiri watavuna kwa muda mrefu, mrefu sana kwa mikono yao.

But, we learned how Tanzanians do it.

Lakini, tulijifunza jinsi ya Watanzania wanavuna maharage.

We learned that you have to pull up the whole plant, gather them together, put them on a mat, let the sun dry them, then beat them, gather the beans, and then clean out the trash.

Tulijifunza kuhitaji kuvuta maharage yote, kuyakusanya pamoja, kuyaweka juu ya tarp katika jua, kuyapiga, kuyachukua maharage, halafu kuchuja takataka.

So, after all that work, we have our beans.

Hivyo, baada ya kazi hiyo yote, tulikuwa na maharage yetu.

The Limiero girls, Reeghan and Andwynne,
inspecting the beans... and playing in them!!

But, I shouldn't say they are our beans.

Lakini, bora nisiseme maharage yetu.

Actually, they are God’s beans.

Kwa kweli, haya ni maharage ya Mungu.

Psalm 24:1 says that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.

Zaburi mstari ishirini na nne, mlango moja inasema dunia na vyote vilivyomo ni vyake Mwenyezi-Mungu; ulimwengu na wote waishio humo ni mali yake.

Yes, we planted the seeds, but God made them grow.

Ndiyo, tulipanda mbegu, lakini Mungu aliyakuisha.

We got rid of the weeds, but God sent the rains.

Tulitoa magugu, lakini Mungu alituma mvua.

And so, since all of this is His, we should give back to Him from what we harvest.

Sababu yoto ni yake, tumpe Mungu toka mavuno yetu.

Seuri (left) and John (right) carrying the beans!

In Leviticus 27:30, God is speaking through Moses that one-tenth of the produce of the land, whether from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart as holy.

Walawi, mstari wa irishiri na saba, mlango thelathini, Mungu anasema zaka za mazao iwe ni nafaka au matunda ya miti, yote ni mali ya Mwenyezi-Mungu; ni takatifu kwa Mwenyezi-Mungu.

Again in 2 Chronicles 31, Hezekiah and the Israelites are celebrating the Passover.

Tena, katika mbili mambo ya nyakati mstari thelathini na moja, Hezekia na waisraili wanasherekea Pasaka.

Afterwards, Hezekiah is organizing the Levite priests and gives a requirement to the people to bring a portion of their goods to the priests.

Baada ya sherehe, Hezekia anawaambia watu wote kuleta sehemu ya bidhaa kwa mchungaji.

Verse 5 says that when the people of Israel heard these requirements, they responded generously by bringing the first share of their grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields.

Mlango tano inasema mara tu amri hiii ilipotolewa, watu wa Israeli walitoa kwa wingi, malimbuko ya nafaka, divai, mafuta, asali na mazao mengine mbalimbali ya shambani, na pia zaka nyingi za kila kitu.

Seuri (left), Loserian (center), and Mama
Mchungaji (right) posing with the tithe
right before they leave to take it to the church.

And so, we want to follow their example and give back to the Lord from what He has given us.

Hivyo, tunataka kufuata mfano wao na kumpa Mungu toka kitu alitupa.

In total, we harvested 60 kilograms of beans.

Jumla, tulivuna kilogram sitini cha maharage.

We are going to give back to God our tithe of 10%, totaling 6 kilograms.

Tutampa Mungu zaka yetu ya asilimia kumi. Jumla itakuwa kilogram sita.

We have decided that this will be given to the FPCT church at the end of the road.

Tumeamua kupa kanisa la FPCT mwisho wa barabara.

We are asking Seuri and Loserian to take it to FPCT as an offering from our fields.

Tunawauliza Seuri na Loserian to kuchukua zaka yetu Kanisa la FPCT kama sadaka kutoka shamba letu.

SLIGHT INTERJECTION: At this point in sharing, I was politely interrupted by one of our fellow missionaries who had some news that just couldn't wait. Only the day before, he had been at FPCT church and the pastor had announced that the youth were going on an evangelism trip and they were asking people to bring in supplies for them including foods such as flour, sugar, rice, and.... BEANS! 

Handing over the tithe to the pastor!

In Matthew 9, Jesus refers to the Father as the “Lord of the Harvest” and tells us to pray to Him to send workers into His field.

Mathayo mstari tisa, Yesu alimwitwa Baba “Bwana wa Mavuno” na ankawaambia wanafunzi wak, Mavuno ni mengi, lakini wafanyakazi ni wachache. Basi mwombeni mwenye mavuno atume wafanyakazi wavune mavuno yake.”

Let’s thank the Lord together for the physical harvest he has blessed us with and also ask Him to send workers into the fields all around the world to reap the spiritual harvest of people who will put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Tuwamshukuru Mungu pamoja kwa mavuno ya maharage alitupa na kumwuliza kutuma wafanyakazi wavune mavuno yake dunia zima kuvuna mavuno ya kiroho ya watu kumpenda Yesu kama Bwana na Mwokozi.

Let’s pray. Tuombe.