Dirty Jobs

There was a television show that Ford Motor Company (my old employers) used to sponsor called Dirty Jobs (with Mike Rowe).  In it, Mike would go out into the world and do some of the jobs that needed to be done, even though they were ones most people would shy away from.  

There were things like, SEWER INSPECTOR, and CAVIAR HARVESTER, and one of my personal favorites, DEER URINE FARMER.

But I have to tell you – after working today, I think Mike should do one called NICARAGUAN FARMER.

First of all, to get to the farm, we had to travel a long distance on the back of a flatbed truck (sitting on the floor, or coolers carrying the ice and cold water needed for the day).  The truck spent about 5 minutes on the road before entering something that looked like it was straight out of Jurassic Park. 

We spent the next 45 minutes with the truck at such odd angles I could have sworn it would tip over, all the while fighting off branches that many times caused bugs or spiders to fall onto me as I tried to avoid getting scraped.

When we finally GOT to the farm, with temperatures hovering around 93 degrees and humidity at 97%, I used a shovel to help mix 15 yards of manure with rice husks; which folks then carried bucket-by-bucket into a field of dragon fruit plants to fertilize them. 

By lunchtime I was drenched in sweat.  But our rest didn’t last long.

Next, we headed to a different orchard of dragonfruit that had been planted on a steep hill that was covered with grasses and brambles.  There we had to prune the natural “trellises” – which, because the dragonfruit plants have long branches that are covered in thorns, was a lot like wrestling with a cactus.  Snakes and lizards were in the grass…

Then before re-boarding the trucks for another crazy ride back, we planted ginger a turmeric.  It was truly a long, hot, sweaty day of work.

But in the morning while I was standing on a mountain of poop, shoveling it down to be mixed with the rice husks, I thought about this verse: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

God is using Amigos for Christ to do great things here in Nicaragua, and I am grateful to be part of it. No, the work isn’t always easy or pleasant, but knowing that I am spending my time on something that will have a LONG LASTING positive impact for generations of families in rural Nicaragua, makes the hard work worth it.