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A Wrench In The Plan

The site of our demo field.

Sometimes we get thrown a curve ball. Often in our work in South Africa, the unexpected happens. In those times, Kerry and I look at each other and say, “I didn’t see that coming!”

We got thrown a curve ball in January. Zephaniah, our lead trainer, didn’t come back to work after the Christmas break. No call, no message, and no Zeph. The timing was a real problem, because after a break the demo field was in urgent need of weeding and topdressing. Zeph had been our crew leader for the past 3 seasons. By the time we knew Zeph’s intentions, the harvest was severely compromised.

I won’t go into the whole story but to summarize, Zeph was unhappy with some outcomes of his job at Seed of Hope and decided to change where he was investing his time to a government project in the area. He cultivated a beautiful maize plot with the promise of a reward at harvest. I’m told this is not an uncommon occurrence here in South Africa – an organization invests heavily in an emerging leader, but suddenly the person in question decides to try their luck somewhere else.

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While working with Zeph over the last 4 years, he often shone in the presence of others as a person with incredible vision and tenacity. We count it a rare privilege to have worked with him and wish him all the best in his endeavours. We certainly grieve over the loss of his presence as a team member and the possibilities of what his leadership could have meant for Farming God’s Way in the Bhekulwandle area. We are trusting that the skills he learnt, he will continue to pass onto others and that these paths he is taking will mature him as a leader and bear fruit in his character.

Please pray for wisdom for Seed of Hope, and for us as we plan for training without Zeph. And pray for Zeph and his family for good and perfect futures. Looking back we have many cherished memories…

2 Comment

  1. I feel sad about Zeph and his absence in the agricultural work you are doing. Will pray for him, yes, and your ministry….

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