Job in the pepper field
Records of Shire Ministries
Meeting Ian Oudit was truly an accident.
My company has an employee electronic bulletin board where employees often exchange information after work. One Friday morning, I saw someone posted a message online:
This Saturday, a church was originally scheduled to pick green peppers in a nearby field. However, something unexpected happened and the trip could not be made. They are in urgent need of several people to fill the vacancies. If you are interested, please contact Ian Odey.
Picking green peppers? seems fun? Having grown up on a farm, I am no stranger to harvesting crops. After arriving in the United States, I have never been to a field. This is a great opportunity to relive childhood memories. Someone in the church I belonged to might also be interested, so I immediately dialed Ian’s phone number.
The voice on the phone had a slight South American accent and was very friendly and kind. I said I couldn't guarantee that I would find many people to help, and he kept saying that it didn't matter how many people there were, they were all welcome!
In the Old Testament, God commanded the farmer:"You shall not cut off the grain at the edge of the field at harvest time, nor turn back to gather the fallen ears; you shall leave these to the poor and the foreigners." (Refer to Leviticus 23:22, Modern Chinese Translation)
Today, farmers in many states in the United States, adhering to the biblical teaching of leaving surplus for the poor to pick up, generously donate part of the produce from their fields to alleviate the hunger problem in society.
South Florida can be grown year-round, and there are often opportunities to pick up leftovers in the fields. My involvement in Gleaning Ministry was truly an accident.
Ian serves in a non-profit organization called Christians Reaching Out to Society, Inc., and is responsible for the remnant ministry. He works with local farmers and organizes people from nearby churches to go to the fields for a second harvest after the fields are harvested and deliver fresh vegetables to local food banks. These banks provide free food to low-income households and homeless people.
huge green pepper
That Saturday morning, I got up early for the first time and invited the brothers and sisters from the church I had found temporarily to go to the fields with me. The farm is not far from the city, just an hour's drive away. There was a large truck parked at the edge of the field. There was a large bundle of flattened cardboard boxes piled on the truck. An old man was opening the boxes one by one.
Ian was already busy in the fields. When he saw us, he poured the bucket full of green peppers into the box and walked over quickly to welcome us. He is from Trinidad (also known as Trinidad) in the Caribbean. He is about in his early fifties, of medium height, with a kind face and a simple smile that makes people feel familiar at first sight. The harvest of this land has been completed, and the soil will be plowed and cultivated again in the afternoon. We must pick the remaining green peppers in the field before the machine comes, otherwise, all the green peppers, branches and leaves will be turned into the soil and become fertilizer.
In a field as big as a football field, rows of green peppers are neatly arranged. Some branches and leaves are sparse, and some are still green. It seems that there are not many fruits left. Ian leaned down, pushed aside a bunch of green leaves, stretched out his hand, and like magic, there were four large green peppers in his hand. They were all shiny green, plump and thick, so heavy that they could hardly be held in his hands. Such large green peppers cost one dollar each in vegetable stores. Why doesn’t the farm owner stop harvesting such good fruits? Ian explained that the fields here are harvested by machines, and there will be a lot of surplus. It is too expensive to hire manpower to harvest again, so the farm owner would rather dig into the ground to make fertilizer. He only learned the news a few days ago and immediately contacted the truck and the church he was familiar with. Due to short notice, it was difficult to find someone, so we are very grateful that we came to help.
The seven of us who came with us immediately spread out in the field with a plastic bucket each. At first glance, there seems to be not much left in the field, but if you squat down and explore under every green leaf, you will definitely gain something. There were several "city mice" who came with us. It was probably the first time they discovered that green peppers turned out to be this long. They were all very excited. When they found out, they cheered, held up large green peppers to compete with others, and held them in their hands. Appreciate carefully. The bucket in my hand soon became full. I walked to the end of the field, poured it into the box, and moved forward to hunt for treasure. The old man who drove the truck sealed the boxes and moved them into the truck and stacked them.
▲The church mobilized volunteers, and teenagers and parents joined forces to harvest corn in the fields to provide food for the poor.
A glimpse of the Lord’s heart
The scorching sun in South Florida has risen to the top of my head. In the unobstructed fields, I gradually feel hot. Beads of sweat form on my forehead. I am no longer so neat when I squat down or stand up. The journey back to the field is getting farther and farther, the steps are getting slower and slower, and the bucket is getting heavier and heavier. Steam seemed to be rising from the dry earth, and through the sweaty eyelashes, transparent air currents could be seen rising. The feet wearing sneakers felt a little sore from the soil particles that had penetrated into the shoes. Everyone lowered their heads to work and could no longer hear the excited screams.
This seemingly small field seems to have no end. After working for a long time, it seems that there is a large area of land that has not yet been touched. Several teenagers who came with them began to complain to their parents about dizziness and backache, and wanted to go home. After three hours of hard work, I said goodbye to Ian. He was very grateful and said he would contact me if he had the opportunity in the future. He asked everyone to take a few boxes of green peppers and share the proceeds of their labor with family and friends.
Before leaving, I inadvertently looked back. On the other side of the harvest, a tiller had already driven in. A large group of white birds followed the machine, pecking for bugs in the newly plowed soil like hens. Green peppers that were not ready to be harvested were buried in the ground in large areas.
Thinking of those huge and lush fruits, I felt unspeakable regret and regret that I could not find more people to help. The exclamation of the Lord Jesus suddenly appeared in my mind:"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." (See Matthew 9:37)This is just a green pepper field, and I feel such a pity. How painful it must be for the Lord to see so many people perishing in ignorance and sin? How worried? Standing in the field of green peppers waiting to be harvested, I had a glimpse of the Lord’s heart.
On Tian's side, Ian is the only one who is still working hard with his head down, striving to harvest more before the machine comes over. Seeing his gray hair disappearing among the fields, I thought that I would try my best to find more people next time.
▲Ian Odey (the man wearing glasses in the picture above) and volunteers rush to harvest the leftovers before the tomato fields are heavily harvested.
fresh corn
Sharing the harvest with brothers and sisters in the church, everyone was full of praise. Ian did not break his promise and quickly emailed me. Last time, the eight of us harvested a total of 150 pounds of green peppers and delivered them to the food bank. Many people tasted the fruits of our labor that day. He also said that there is another opportunity to pick corn in a field two hours away. Brothers and sisters from the Chinese church are welcome to participate. The more the merrier!
As soon as the news was announced in the church, a large number of responders gathered, and those delicious green peppers were indispensable. We drove a long way to South Florida, an agricultural area developed from swampland. The land here is fertile and vast. It is the largest sugar cane producing area in the United States. The corn produced is also sweet and juicy and has a long-standing reputation.
I saw Ian's organizational skills. Early that morning, nearly 60 people from three or four churches showed up at the field. Ian assigns tasks - some are responsible for picking, some are responsible for scheduling, and some are responsible for transporting. What was harvested this time was not the leftovers after the harvest, but dozens of corn rows donated by the generous farm owners. The first-ripe corns were each tender and plump. Ian demonstrated "eating corn raw" with great interest, which made everyone feel more comfortable. Fresh. Can corn really be eaten raw? Follow his example, break off an ear of corn, peel off the leaves, brush off the silvery corn silk, and take a big bite. Hey, it's really sweet and juicy, with a lingering fragrance in your mouth, as good as Yali. Perhaps only corn picked fresh in the field can be so juicy and plump. Corn sold in stores cannot have such a good taste.
After all, there is strength in numbers, and the endless cornfield is just a trivial matter. Three hours later, two trucks were filled. The black soil, so fat that you can pinch it with oil, also left a mark on everyone. When I got home, the white casual shoes on my feet were unrecognizable. After removing the shoes and socks, it seemed that I was still wearing a pair of black socks. Everyone looked at each other's black feet with great joy. What a happy day!
▲Standing in the endless farmland, you can best understand Jesus’ worry when he lamented: “The crops are plentiful but the workers are few.”
No regrets and no self
Soon, Ian informed me that there was a tomato field nearby that needed final harvesting before plowing. It was at this time that I learned that Ian's health was failing.
Before going to the ground that day, we gathered together to pray as usual. Ian said that he wanted to thank the Lord. He fell down a few days ago and injured his knee. The pain did not get better for several days, so he had to go to the doctor. The examination revealed that he had a tumor on his kneecap, which was shocking. The doctor said that fortunately it was discovered early and the diagnosis and treatment were not delayed. The nature of the tumor is still unknown. He thanked the Lord for the reminder and asked everyone to pray for him.
I returned home with a heavy heart. For this ministry, Ian spent almost all Saturdays without rest, running around and working hard in the fields. I earnestly pray to the Lord to watch over His good and faithful servants.
When I was on the phone with Ian again, he kept talking about the harvest in the fields. I asked with concern about his leg. What was the diagnosis? The voice that came over the phone was very calm: "It's bone cancer!" I almost jumped out of my chair. This cruel word made me stunned for a moment and I didn't know what to say. On the other end of the phone, Ian's tone remained as calm as ever: "I'm not worried or afraid. I know the Lord will take care of me and give me the strength to get through every day."
Ian began a three-weekly course of chemotherapy. You need to stay in bed for at least a week and a half each time. My legs are resting, but my hands are not idle. I still keep making phone calls, contacting farmers and volunteers. The farm's harvest time is often affected by the weather. Heavy rain, typhoons, frost, etc. will disrupt the original harvest plan. If the time is temporarily changed, everyone must be notified.
In 2008, Christian Service to the Community provided 187,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to 100 local organizations. Due to the economic downturn, the amount of food requested this year increased by 42%. Ian was lying on the hospital bed while suffering from exhaustion and nausea from chemotherapy, still thinking about the hungry poor in his heart, making phone calls everywhere to look for new food resources.
Recently, the Palm Beach Post reported on Ian and another co-worker who also suffered from cancer but still ran the remnant ministry. The newspaper called the two of them Jobs who still maintained unwavering faith in the midst of suffering. Ian received a special Florida Governor's Award in recognition of his contributions to the community. He also won the annual Philanthropy Award from United Way.
It was learned from reports that Ian not only had cancer on his knees, but also suffered from lung cancer and bone cancer. Job in the Old Testament was struck by disasters frequently and lost his wealth, relatives and health overnight. He also said:"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Refer to Job 1:21)The humble Ian would never claim to be Job, nor would he talk too much about his personal illness. However, he was indeed as pious and persevering as Job.
Author profile
Zhang Lichun lives in Florida and works as a water resources engineer. Devoted to writing, singing in choirs, simultaneous translation at the pulpit, and other heart-warming services.