ⓒ 2005 WATV

As farming season approaches, farmers become busy and so do the members of the Church of God. It's because the farmers have heard that the members of the Church of God work hard with a bright smile as if it were their own work whichever kind of work it is, and they ask the Church of God to help them in the farming seasons. A farmer was having a hard time because he couldn't thin out at the proper time for being short-handed. On May 22, over 60 young adults from the Chungnam Association of the Church visited the farmer's apple orchard, located in Jangsoo-gun, Northern Jeolla Province, and practiced the love of God.

When the volunteers arrived at the apple farm, they marveled at the smell of acacia and fresh air. Apple is a special product of Jangsoo-gun; in every farm were the apple trees in line. Early in May, Jangsoo County Office held the Apple Flower Festival for two days to advertise their special product to the whole nation.

ⓒ 2005 WATV

The farmer Choi (75yr old) had 3 acres apple farm where were about a thousand apple trees were planted in. On the spot where the white apple flowers blossomed and fell, about 5 to 6 green little apples, a bit bigger than a cherry, were hanging in each branch. The farmer welcomed the volunteers delightfully and said, "The time of thinning out is very important for good-bearing. All my worry is gone now because this many young people came here in this most opportune time." He also requested, "Please help us by working with a farmer's mind so that we can harvest good apples."

What the volunteers had to do was to thin out the superfluous fruit. It is to thin out the fruit which is ugly-looking or damaged by blight and harmful insects. If they aren't thinned out in the opportune time, the branches might get broken for having so many fruit, and the fruit's grade might get lower because the nutritive substance is shared with the useless fruit. The volunteers understood that the work of thinning out the superfluous fruit is such an important work which decides the success and failure of the farming. They learned how to thin out the superfluous fruit and began to work, being grouped into teams of 4 members in each.

ⓒ 2005 WATV

It looked a bit hard for them to distinguish which fruit to leave on the branch and which fruit to remove. However they got used to the work soon. The female volunteers thinned out the superfluous fruit on the bottom of the trees, and the male volunteers on the top standing on the ladders. They must have been tired from working on the ladders for long. However, they never showed any expression of tiredness, rather worked delightfully, singing songs; they looked as pretty as the apples with fuzz. They looked around the fruit carefully to make sure they thin out every superfluous fruit; their sincerity and love toward the fruit were perceived. The neighbors, who had been working already before the volunteers arrived, praised them, saying, "We thank them very much for helping us. Their work is excellent." The volunteers were encouraged at this praise and worked even harder.

In lunch time, they took a rest for a while, having lunch that they had prepared. The farmer offered them some fruit and drink, and had lunch with them. He said, "This work would have taken more than a month even if I had hired some workers, but it took only one day for your help," and kept thanking them, "I've been worrying a lot for being short-handed. I thank the Church of God so much for helping me." Even after the work finished, he kept appreciating them. They answered him, "We learned lots of things through the work. Call us whenever you are short-handed. We will help you as hard as possible."

ⓒ 2005 WATV

The volunteers said, "We could feel the labor and love of God, the spiritual Farmer, who distinguishes the wheat from the chaff and raise us children as the fruit of the finest quality. We will become pretty and healthy fruit to be brought into the heavenly barn."

Apple trees usually bloom 5 or 6 flowers at one spot, and after the flowers fall 5 to 6 fruit are borne in the same position. Unless farmers thin out the fruit before they grow too big, they can't harvest the apples of the best quality. They thin out the superfluous fruit once, twice and even three times. To harvest one apple of the best quality, about 20 fruit have to be thinned out. Watching the labor of the farmers who try hard to harvest one fruit of the finest quality, the volunteers were determined again to follow the will of God and remain until the last day so that they can be the fruit who pleases God, our Farmer.

ⓒ 2005 WATV

To bear one fruit the farmers have to look after it more than 10 times. This reporter hope that we all realize how hard God is working with a sincere mind and how much God is shedding the blood and sweat to make one fruit of the best quality, and hope that we become little spiritual farmers who run the farm of Zion with a sincere heart, love and sacrifice as God requested