照顾上帝的菜园

菜园是教导上帝话语最好的地方，因为真理的种子正是在菜园里生根发芽的。

许多东帝汶（Timor-Leste）居民在家附近都拥有一块菜园，每年丰收的农作物会留给自己家作为食物，而多余的则贩卖出去。菜园里必种的农作物有玉米、木薯和地瓜，很多人也会种点别的，像绿叶蔬菜、南瓜、木瓜、香蕉或者花生等。

某一天，我正在自己的菜园干活，一位复临教会的领袖突然造访。他说：“我们准备办一个为期三个月的查经培训班，你应该来参加。”

我太高兴了，因为我刚受洗，也非常渴望能跟别人分享我对基督的爱。

培训过后，所有受训的学生都在东帝汶首都帝利（Dili）的一间复临教会集合，因为教会要安排学生们到不同的地方服事。但由于学生人数超出教会的需要，我就落选了。

于是我就回到了家继续照顾我的菜园，同时也成为了教会里一名活跃的成员。

过了几年，帝利市另一个教会的领袖联系我。他说：“我有一个想法，不如你在你们省的教会做查经员，你觉得怎么样？”

我觉得他的提议非常不错。不久我就来到了克多村（Kodo Village），在那里遇见了一名当地的村民，他名叫阿多夫。他此前根本没听说过复临教会的名字。我跟他说我是另一个村庄的，并且是复临教会派来的查经员。他很好奇想多了解一些。

我跟他说，我了解到《圣经》中关于第七日安息日的真理后，就决定加入复临教会。于是就打开《圣经》开始向他解释真正的主日并不在星期日，而是在星期六。

在谈话的过程中，我发现阿多夫似乎很有感动。我便祷告求圣灵来帮助他。

三天后，我又去了阿多夫的家，邀请他跟我一起帮助一位叫安吉罗的邻居照看他的菜园。我发现村民们非常乐意让我到他们的菜园里帮忙，我就一边工作，一边和他们分享《圣经》的话。阿多夫和安吉罗都乐在其中。下午的时候我们干完了菜园里的活，阿多夫就问我说：“你可以帮我查经吗？”

当晚我们就开始查经。由于村子里没有电，我们都是用的油灯。白天的时候我会去不同的菜园帮忙，在过程中教导他们《圣经》的话语。

阿多夫后来成为了村里的第一名复临信徒，安吉罗也寻求查经学习。他曾经带领当地的教会长达12年，所以许多村民发现我准备给安吉罗查经后，就非常地恼怒。我听说他们打算要动手对付我。

安吉罗开始为我们两人的安全担忧，就建议我们不要再查经了。

那时我们正在他的菜田里拣干椰子壳。我发现其中一个椰子壳开始发芽了，干椰子壳会发芽是非常奇异的现象。

我就告诉安吉罗：“我们把这颗椰子种下去，然后跟上帝立约吧！如果上帝的事工要在这个地方继续扩展，那这颗椰子就会活下来。但如果上帝的事工很快结束或者死在这片土地上，那么这颗椰子也将死去。”

十年后，那个将死的椰子长成了一颗健壮的椰树，而我最近一次回到村庄的时候，安吉罗因为这颗树，也决定要受洗了。

我愿自己能通过上帝所赐给我在东帝汶的菜园，带领更多人归主。

来源：本文译自《圣工消息》（社会青年季刊）2022年第一季

Tending God’s Garden

Vegetable garden is a good place to teach the Word of God. It is in the garden that seeds of truth can take root.

Many people in Timor-Leste have vegetable gardens near their homes. The crops are needed for food, and extra produce is sold to earn money. Essential crops in a family garden include corn, cassava, and sweet potatoes. Many gardens also grow leafy greens, pumpkins, papayas, bananas, and peanuts.

I was working in my own garden when a Seventh-day Adventist leader stopped by my home. “We are organizing a three-month program to train Bible workers,” he said. “You should join us.”

I liked the idea. I was eager to share my newfound love for Jesus after recently being baptized.

After completing the training program, all the students met at an Adventist church in Timor-Leste’s capital, Dili, to learn who would serve where. I was not chosen. We had more Bible workers than positions.

I returned to my home village to tend my garden. I also became an active member of the church.

Several years passed, and another church leader called me from Dili. “I have an idea,” he said. “Why don’t you serve as a Bible worker in your own province?”

I liked the idea. A short time later, I arrived in Kodo village, and I introduced myself to Adolfo, one of the villagers. I told him that I lived some distance away and had been sent to his village as a Bible worker with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He had never heard of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and he was curious to learn more.

I told Adolfo about how I had learned the biblical truth about the seventh-day Sabbath and decided to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I opened my Bible and spoke about the true Lord’s Day being on Saturday, not Sunday.

I could see that our conversation moved Adolfo deeply, and I prayed for the Holy Spirit to convict his heart.

Three days later, I returned to Adolfo’s house and invited him to join me in working in the garden of a neighbor, Angelo. I had found that the villagers welcomed my help in their gardens and, while we worked, I could teach them from the Bible. As Adolfo and I helped Angelo in his garden, I shared the Word of God. I could see that Adolfo and Angelo were enjoying the conversation. When we finished our work late in the afternoon, Adolfo came up to me. “Could you give me Bible studies?” he asked.

He and I began to meet at night for Bible studies. Since there was no electricity in the village, I had to provide kerosene for a lamp. During the day, I taught the Bible to other villagers as I helped them in their gardens.

Adolfo became the first villager to join the Adventist Church. Then Angelo asked for Bible studies. He had led a local church congregation for 12 years, and many villagers became angry when they saw that he was studying the Bible with me. I heard that they planned to beat me.

Angelo was worried about his and my safety. He suggested stopping Bible studies.

At the time, he and I were collecting and eating dry and peeled coconuts in his garden. I noticed that one of the dry coconuts had begun to sprout. It was unusual for a dead coconut to sprout.

 “Let’s plant this coconut and make a deal with God,” I told Angelo. “If God’s work will live in this land, then this coconut also will live. But if God’s work will end quickly or die in this land, then this coconut also will die.”

Ten years passed, and the dead coconut grew into a healthy tree. Angelo took notice. On a recent visit to the village, I saw Angelo, and he declared that he wanted to be baptized.

I hope that many souls will be brought to the Lord in the garden that God has given me to tend in Timor-Leste.

Please find the original article at: https://am.adventistmission.org/mqa22q1-06