Heart of a Village

Igumumoyo.

"The hard-hearted village".

We were the first to arrive for the Sunday service in Igumumoyo

It sounds terrible doesn't it? Who would give a place, a home, such a name? But this is the name of the new village we have started working in. Pastor Joseph Hatari (whose name incidentally is the Swahili word for danger!) explained the meaning of their village name... "people who are told but refuse to listen". He doesn't know how the village came by its name but is going to find out.

In reality, our experience of the people in Igumumoyo has been very far from hard-hearted. And the pastor is far from a dangerous man! The warmth and love shown from the people in their welcome to us has been a humbling example of warm, kind hearts. It was really special to worship with this church this morning. Only six adults and a good number of children were gathered in the small patch of shade under the tin shelter this morning. But the singing was lively with gusto and with no walls on the building there is plenty of room for growth!

Tim preaches on Isaiah 42

Time of prayer

After the service, we walked the short path back through the growing crops to Joseph's house for lunch. Mama Laurensia was helping Joseph's wife, Zena, prepare the food. This lovely woman has had nine children and lost three. We shared hot chai and rice and beans together and enjoyed getting to know each other better!

Joseph and Zena (left) with Louisa holding their baby Daniel

Louisa with little Daniel

Igumumoyo is a small and materially poor community of subsistence farmers. We trained 27 farmers from the village in September on the basics of conservation agriculture and are now working closely with those keen on developing the practice. The first planting after that training did not go so well. Most farmers failed to follow instructions and were far too late to plant. With crops now still struggling in the ground during the second rains, they are unable to get a second planting. But they understand well now! And we are doing our best to help them find available land to put the CA techniques into practice for a small second attempt. Our agricultural trainers, Peter, John and Elisha are doing a great job training and getting alongside farmers to help them. And the church together has now planted a demonstration plot with a variety of crops including intercropped maize and jackbeans, pigeon peas and choroko (green gram bean) on their property and the hope is that this will draw people to find out more!

Prayer for this plot of land

This afternoon we also went to visit Mama Mary. This is one lady who did very well after the first training! She demonstrated some great intercropping of maize, peanuts, African eggplant and pumpkins. She was able to harvest in January and has already planted again.

Mary with a good harvest!

Peter with Mary's successful maize before harvesting!

Here you can see the struggle.

Late planting and bad spacing contributed to a poor harvest here

Pastor Joseph with Reubeni, another of the farmers in the group

We are excited to be partnering with this church! Pray for Joseph and Zena as they reach out to serve their community. Our prayer is that this village would be transformed by God's grace and become known as Nyamamoyo, the village of those with a tender loving heart of flesh!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;

I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26