“What is around you? What do you See?” the FARM STEW trainer asked. “We don’t see anything special,” the trainees answered.
Finally, Mr. Tong ventured an answer that became the turning point in his life: “I see God’s creation – the ground, the forest, the natural order of the world, and our mud-houses,” he said.
“That’s right! Our lesson today is all about utilizing what is in our surroundings to transform our lives,” said the trainer. “Poverty is just a lack of knowledge on how to best utilize the naturally available resources we have for our benefit. Even in the Garden of Eden God asked Adam and Eve to care for and utilize their surroundings for their happiness.” (Genesis 2:15, 16)
Tong was impressed. He told us, “As the trainer continued to build the training on my simple answer and to use the Word of God to give it emphasis, a business idea started forming in my mind. I asked myself, what are the natural resources around me that can work for my happiness?”
Soon Tong began cutting the teak trees that his grandfathers had planted for pole timber. It was the first identifiable resource around him. At first, he carried the full-sized logs on his shoulders to the market. Eventually, Tong was able to buy himself a motorcycle that he uses for carrying the teak logs.
Today Tong hires several people to help cut the teak trees, and he plants more teak trees to replace the ones he cuts. Sometimes he loads the logs in trucks and transports them to Juba, the capital city, where each log fetches him four times more money.
Tong says, “FARM STEW connects us to God and tells us that God wants us to live abundant lives.
"This, to me, is transformational. Thank you, thank you so much, FARM STEW!! I will never forget your transformative training and the connections you make to the Word of God. I want to worship this God you represent. The God who is interested in an abundant life for me here and now.”
Tong has become the pride of his village and always talks about FARM STEW. He always attends the training and shares his testimony with his fellow villagers.
