God's Harvest

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 

In Water Use by Trees, a report of forestry research, Tom Nisbet asserts, “In general, isolated single trees in the landscape have a much higher water use on account of their larger canopy and greater exposure.”

Nazarene Work and Witness teams go to all nations.  Their mission is to collaborate with other Nazarene congregations by donating labor, materials, evangelism, and compassionate ministries.  This summer during our trip to Hawaii, we collaborated with Wahiawa Community Church of the Nazarene and the Wahiawa Filipino Church of the Nazarene.  Both congregations meet in the same facility.  Our project included, painting both the interior and exterior of the church, painting the exterior and part of the parsonage interior, and tiling some on the church basement.  Our mission was a compassionate ministry of love and giving of ourselves to the people in the church.  Last year, our team replaced the roof of their church and loved the people.

Without the influx of our labor, financial resources and love, those churches were on the brink of death.  They felt abandoned and more exposed like an individual tree during an extended drought.  They described themselves as a “ghetto church” because of the deteriorated facilities and hampered outreach.  Last year we found a church family with little hope.  Their fruit was beginning to be affected. This year they were revived.  They generously gave back to us in love, food, and labor.  During the year, several new families joined the church and the neighbors are being reached for Christ.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.   Jeremiah 17:8

We worked long hours and accomplished much, but some things were not finished.  There was some tiling to complete and the cupboard doors were still drying.  The people there at Wahiawa promised to finish these jobs and listed more they planned to start in the next few weeks.  Through us, God sent water to the churches of Wahiawa.  Together, we were all refreshed.

This coming year the churches at Wahiawa plan to raise funds to replace the windows in the church and ask if the Crossing Church would be interested in returning next summer to install the windows. Pray that God sends workers into His harvest field.

written by Bonnie Young