In the farms and orchards, various fruits are getting ripe in the early summer. In this farming season, farmers are so busy harvesting their fruit, which are ripe by God's Providence. The members of the Church of God are taking lead in helping the farmers who are suffering for being short-handed. On June 6, about 20 members of Association of the Southern Parts of Daegu helped Jin-guk Gong (68 years old) harvest onion. To help him the volunteers went to Guji-myeon, Hyeonpung-gun in South Gyeongsang Province, a famous region for onion and garlic farming.

ⓒ 2005 WATV

They arrived at the onion harvesting place early in the morning to help the farmer. The owner of the onion farm welcomed them and said with a broad smile, "I had to harvest these onions, but no one could help me because all the farmers in this village are busy. I've been worrying so much. Thank you so much for helping me even though it's a holiday today. You might want to have a rest with your family. Thank you so much."

In his farm of 790yd2, many onions were of bad quality due to the global warming. Some of them blossomed already because of abnormal high temperature.

The volunteers had to pull out those bad quality onions and gather fine ones. They wore gloves and hats and divided the works between them: cutting stems with sickles, peeling the vinyls and harvesting the onions. After that, they began to harvest the fist-sized onions of good quality, whose stems did not stretch upward and whose roots were strong. They were careful not to harm the onions.

ⓒ 2005 WATV

The volunteers' faces and clothes began to wet with sweat. Not minding their running sweat, they concentrated on the harvest with a broad smile. Looking at them, the owner kept commending them. The members of Zion always get deeply moved at the scenes of harvest. A member said, wiping the sweat running his forehead, "I can guess how exhausting God, the Spiritual Farmer, is. I will be a child who helps Father's work of harvest by bearing good fruit abundantly."

Their skins smarted under the sun's rays at noon, but they didn't stop harvesting until afternoon. The owner commended the members' patience and labor, saying, "At first I was a bit worried because they didn't seem to be good at the farm work. But they've done a great job."

The long day of the early summer passed so fast. They worked hard as if it had been their own work. The owner said, "It would have taken me many days and nights to finish the work. They finished it just in one day. I thank them very much. Thank you, thank you!"

ⓒ 2005 WATV

The volunteers gained a great understanding through the voluntary work of harvesting onions. One of them said, "The work was hard. While harvesting with the heart of a master, I came to cherish every fruit as my child. I thought the lost children are precious to God just as well-ripened onions are the most precious to the owner." Another said, "I want to please God as a good fruit. Just as I dug the onions hidden deep in the ground with delight, sweating under the hot sun, I will do my best to find my lost brothers and sisters in this earth."

All the volunteers were determined to lead the scattered souls to the heavenly barn one by one with the heart of the Master who regards a good fruit precious. Surely they will carry out the mission of the last harvesters by loving their neighbors with good deeds.