pruny feet, centipedes and beyond

What do pruny feet, chocolate chip cookie bars and a 100 gallon tank in the back of our truck have in common?!  Picking season, that's what!!  This week was different and I loved it!  We were still picking and I suppose 'love' is not the right emotion to associate with that particular task.  BUT I do enjoy making progress, I'm grateful for the paychecks starting to roll in and, for several reasons, this week wasn't overwhelming like the past few have been!  Therefore, I loved it!

After a few days in the fields we mixed things up with the very first de-pulping of our own coffee cherries!  We want to take this batch through the different steps, all the way to roasted, packaged beans- ready to be sold, brewed and enjoyed!  Talk about exciting!!  This is what we've been working towards for the last eight months!  Plus, it was an adventure all its own; purchasing a 100 gallon tank, hauling 450 pounds of cherry to the 'other' farm, de-pulping them (in a down pour of rain) and filling the tank back up with the slippery, little beans.  Driving around town, running errands and going surfing with that tank full of floating beans in the back of the truck might seem slightly redneck but, trust me, that's nothing!  

The beans have to ferment over night, and this allows the 'bad ones' to float to the top and be scooped out.  My husband enlisted his other girlfriends for this task.  (Two, sweet girls from our church that love 'Uncle Derek' and can be talked into doing just about anything for him!)  There was no cajoling this evening, however, as they were eager to get their hands dirty and take turns with the strainer.  Their laughter (and the occasional words of guidance from Derek) floated up to the apartment as I relished the extra time I had for finding a new recipe and actually cooking dinner!

Here's where it gets even more redneck.  Because we don't have water at the property anymore (long story about another farm worker accidentally running over the pipe and draining the tank!) we had to rinse all the beans in our driveway at the church!  Derek built a screened, wooden frame that we dumped bucket after bucket of beans into for rinsing.  Then, for lack of a better place to keep the clean beans, they went into a (freshly washed) trash barrel!  Once our tank was emptied of it's contents, we could hose it out and put all the beans back in to transport them to the greenhouses.  Phew!  But wait, we're just getting started!  At the property we needed to scrounge up more wood to make frames, then staple the wire mesh to the frames and haul cinder blocks into the greenhouse to keep the frames up off the ground.  Then, once again, transport the beans bucket full by bucket full, filling up our new drying racks.  We'll begin to figure out better methods as time goes on, but thankfully my husband happens to have carpenter skills up his sleeve and all went well for this first round!

The day we did this was rainy.  Abnormally rainy.  We're used to the occasional wet morning or an afternoon shower, but the majority of the days here are always sunny.  So when the sun didn't burn through after a few hours of rain in the morning we resigned ourselves to being wet and tackled the project.  Then, not willing to waste a day, but unable to pick because we forgot to purchase new bags that we fill with the cherries, we turned to other tasks.  In our harvesting frenzy, and because we're not living out there, maintenance around the greenhouse has dropped to an all-time low on the priority list.  This was a perfect chance to weed wack, mow, clean AND replant the garden which had morphed into a mini-jungle of its own!  It was great to get caught up and it actually looks like someone loves the place again!  This is where the pruny feet come in, though.  By the end of the day we were sopping wet and looked like we'd been sitting in a hot tub for eight hours!  I was chilled to the bone but, making the most of the 'coldest' day we've experienced here, I was giddy about breaking out leggings, wool socks and a sweater that evening!  Unfortunately, our work boots didn't dry at all that night and even though the next day was sunny, our feet were once again confined to a full day of wet, sogginess.  Oh well... such is life in the jungle! 

Even though we live in an apartment for the time being, there's still many reminders of our 'jungle life'.  Some are wonderful; sitting outside the church at night, talking about the day and basking in the night sounds that have become so familiar.  Or it might be a little ad-libbing in the kitchen, mixing up cookie dough only to realize we are still lacking a cookie sheet!  So, we improvise and our cookies become bars!  And I realize that I wouldn't trade imagination and ingenuity even for a fully furnished kitchen!  Other jungle evidence, although expected, is never pleasant; ahem.. the centipede crawling across our living room floor the other night.  I have to brag a bit, though, I didn't freak out and was actually the one to smash it with a flip flop!  [Although, Derek did have to dispose of it!]  I may not have as many adventurous tales to tell these days, but our life is anything but normal.  And we wouldn't want it any other way :)
We had an awesome weekend!  Derek had a men's breakfast and we were able to celebrate two years of life with a beautiful little girl and part of the church family we love so much!  We headed to town Saturday night and I was elated with an excuse to get dolled up!  Working in the coffee fields all week leaves little reason to put on dresses, do my hair or put on mascara; so date nights must be savored!  We strolled through a downtown festival, ate delicious mexican food, went to the new surfing movie Derek's been dying to see... oh, and experienced our first tsunami warning!  As Coloradans we don't really know about natural disasters, apart from raging forest fires.  So, the sirens going off into the wee hours of the night, massive coastal evacuation and everyone in line to fill up gas tanks and stock up on toilet paper made for quite the commotion.  Thankfully, nothing came of it and island life resumed as normal on Sunday.
One of the highlights of this past week was being able to call and/or skype with all of our immediate families!  We saw faces that we haven't seen in a very long time, heard countless stories from nieces and nephews and just caught up on life with so many of the ones we love.  Thank goodness for communication!  That is the one improvement that we would make to this life- being closer to our families!  Thankfully, we are our own family, too.  I don't understand how this works but it's rather incredible:: when I'm fresh out of motivation and energy, Derek encourages.  And when he is not exactly feeling upbeat about the situation, I'm positive.  Every time!  If ever we'd both 'check out' we would be on the first plane back home.  But God knows exactly how we work and never gives us more than we can handle.  He's blessed us with each other and between the three of us we make a pretty great team!
I've been reading through Deuteronomy this week and realizing how much God wants His people to come to a realization of Him!  To accept that He IS the one, true God.  He is our Deliverer, He will fight the battle for us, He is our victory!  Everything He does is in order that we might know Him.  And as I reflect on each week I see so much evidence of Him in my life, it's truly incredible!  But I realize that so often I just assume He knows how much I love Him.  Yes, He is all-knowing but that doesn't let me off the hook for expressing my praise, gratitude and LOVE to Him!  Imagine my reaction to Derek saying "You already know I love you and would do anything for you, so it doesn't matter if I actually tell you on a regular basis.'  Or, 'You know you're my favorite so I shouldn't have to do nice things for you to prove it!'  Yeah, that wouldn't fly..  So, I'm going into this new week with that as my mission.  To truly know my God and appreciate Him and LOVE Him!  To put as much effort into my relationship with Him as I do into my marriage!   The parts of my heart that crave quality time and sweet words from my lover are a reflection of the One in who's image I was made!!  God may not need my love... but He absolutely DESIRES it!
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite verses, about the amazing plans our Father has for us.  But reading on, I find the Lord saying "you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me WHEN you seek me with all your heart... I will be found by you and bring you back from captivity."  This is a call to His children to talk to Him and to need Him.  A lover asking to be sought after wholeheartedly!  And then a promise that we WILL find Him and He WILL rescue us from the things holding us captive!  

beautiful, crazy life.

An ocean of people press in around me; every tribe, every nation.  Hands lifted, faces aglow, our voices joining together in exuberant praise of our King!  I am one among the multitude and yet, I am also the only one.  It's just Jesus and me.  He's holding my hand, pulling me forward through a field.  The wheat stocks are golden, swaying with the wind, and we are laughing!  He has something amazing to show me and I can't wait!  The song is building and I am in the crowd again, I don't know these people and yet I DO!  Sweet tears are falling, children dance and we worship the Savior with every fiber of our being.  

This is what God has been showing me lately, when I close my eyes in worship.  It's breathtaking.  It's magnificent.  It's intimate.  And the more I experience, the more I crave it!  Just a glimpse of eternity with Him and I can't wipe the smile off my face!  But there's a flip side to this; eternity without God!  That is a sobering thought, one that should have me telling any and every one the good news!!  

Lately my prayer has been for God to mold me and that I might be more sensitive to His Spirit.  I'm realizing that request might be just as 'dangerous' as praying for patience!  I asked for it and He's coming through, I just didn't realize what all His follow through would entail!  I'll be in the coffee fields and get hit with this wildly, crazy thought that I need to get ahold of a certain person.  I might not have seen this individual in years and yet I'm supposed to strike up a conversation?!  Or this weekend at the beach, I was engrossed in a book, toes dug into the sand and it happened again!  An urge from within and all of a sudden I can't stop studying the couple next to me.  I'm not just wondering where they're from; it has become vital that I figure out whether they know Jesus!  My book lost all interest, I couldn't stay focused long enough to read a single paragraph.  I knew what I was supposed to do, but I spent so much time brainstorming how I would begin this dialogue and, ultimately, figure out what they believed, that I lost my chance.  And I can not stop thinking about them, now.

~beautiful coffee cherries~

Granted, I have a LOT of time for thinking these days.  We were in the fields Monday- Thursday and picked 1,000 pounds of coffee cherries!  I love being able to listen to music or audio books.  However, when I've been avoiding a direct order from GOD, it doesn't matter how loud I turn up the tunes!  So, I'm growing.  I'm getting in touch with the people He puts on my heart AND, hopefully, I'll be obedient the next time He tells me to act.

In other news, after four days of picking, my muscles went on strike and, thankfully, Derek realized I needed a break.  But I'm getting ahead of myself, he actually offered me a day off on Thursday, knowing that I was exhausted, he said he could finish up the field on his own.  The voice in my head was whooping "Hallelujah!!" but I heard a different, lunatic voice answering "No, no.. don't be crazy, love!  We're in this together!"  Say WHAT?!  I, or rather SHE, had just turned down the chance to stay home, catch up on my to-do-list, have time for a run and cook something for dinner besides spaghetti!  I must have lost my mind!   

[Kai's cooling off!]

But, alas, I AM glad I went and my muscles held up just fine.  We had more left than we realized and even with both of us picking it still took all day to finish that section.  Then Derek declared Friday 'painting day', finishing up that job at our church added another fine-tuned skill to our resume!  More importantly, it was an extra day of recovery for my shoulders.  And did I mention that Derek got Thai food for dinner after one of those extra-long picking days?  I am blessed!  See, getting home so late means it's too dark to go running and we're too hungry for me to take longer than 10-15 minutes to make dinner.  It leaves little time for cleaning or grocery shopping and definitely no time for a good book, my geography quizzes or experimental baking.  Weekends do us a world of good, though, and don't let me fool you- our life is certainly not all work and no play!  But this schedule does wear on a girl and Derek knows that the 'little things' can make an extraordinary difference.  In the end, I know this is just a season, and one that I AM extremely grateful for.  'I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!' Philippians 4:13

my picking basket ^^

With that, I begin a brand new, beautiful week!  I'm filled with the hope of eternity and the grace of my Savior!  The joy within me goes hand in hand with a responsibility to share it, and I am ready to step out and be bold.  I pray that you readers may know the all-surpassing goodness of our God and glimpse eternity throughout your days.  

-B

-coffee-cherry-invasion-

I've been putting off this entry for several reasons.  First of all, I haven't had an enormous amount of time or energy upon returning from the fields each night.  Second, coffee picking has taken over a massive chunk of life as we know it, and that leaves little time for any other adventures to speak of.  I'm not complaining; I'm simply justifying my tardiness in writing this post!
Time spent picking in the fields actually flies by; to my complete surprise!  And the work isn't difficult, just slightly tedious.  We pick through the heat and through the rain.  Some trees will only have a few cherries to pick, other times I'll fill my entire picking basket (about 15 lbs.) from just one or two trees!  Some trees have to be de-tangled from vines and weeds before they can be picked.  Other trees are so tall (because we chose not to prune them earlier) that they start to break as we pull them down to our level.  Not only do we find coffee cherries in the truck, the washing machine and all over the apartment, but I've also started dreaming about harvesting!  See why I say they have taken over!  But I do find the cherries absolutely beautiful and can't resist taking pictures of their ripe, plumpness..

When we're not picking, we're mowing and weed wacking.  Unfortunately, the weeds don't stop growing just because it's harvest.  It's a nice reprieve, though, which also comes as a bit of a surprise.   Plowing through a thick spot of weeds or cruising down the rows on the mower is extremely gratifying and my sore muscles don't mind the change of pace, either!  Beyond life in the coffee fields, we've been tackling some projects around the church- painting, cleaning, and weed removal.  

Needless to say, taking Sunday off was essential.  Plus, Derek was losing his mind from lack of time on his surfboard!  The man's got skills, and I'm proud to be his photographer!  Although I did catch a slightly, smaller wave myself, before drying off and grabbing the camera.  I simply enjoy the water, whether it's cannon-balling into it from the rocks, snorkeling with the turtles or cooling off after a nap in the sun.  Derek is developing a slight obsession with surfing and although I lack any desire to catch the really huge waves, I am an easily contented beach bum.  Basically, I'm saying we work really well together and I'm extremely grateful for that :)

my surfer boy!

Harvest can bring out the best and the worst in a person, okay.. in me!  Sometimes I get home from eight hours in the field and still find the energy to go for a run, make dinner, do the laundry and vacuum!  Other times I come home, change into comfy clothes and immediately crash.  Hours in the field can leave me feeling exhausted and sore and/or filled with a sense of wonder at God's creation and His providence.  

Derek knows that I'm not accustomed to long days of manual labor.  He rubs my shoulders, picks me flowers and doesn't even make fun of me for falling asleep as early as 7:30!  Working 'full time' doesn't leave a lot of time for being a house wife.  I try to stay on top of things, but I will admit to leaving the sink full of dishes once or twice and resorting to pb&j's on several occasions.  The good news is, I make up for those moments with spontaneous bursts of motivation and the delectable, 'death by oreo' cupcakes :)  Thankfully, my husband never complains about 'leftover night'.  He also knows when I need to snap out of a funk or when I just need to be held really tight. 

It's not always an earth shattering revelation that reminds me of God's presence in my life, but rather His consistency throughout each day.  Jesus is my peace and my joy, regardless of the other factors in life or how many hundreds (or thousands?) of pounds of coffee have yet to be picked.  We're so thankful for this opportunity, all that we are discovering and this gorgeous island we get to live on!   We're thankful for the amazing church family He's led us to and all the ways He is blessing us through them.  God's faithfulness through every single moment makes all the difference.  Exhausted, inspired, sopping wet or covered in paint..  He is with us and He is our strength!  

discovering reservoir life>>

Money may not buy happiness but a new pair of picking gloves goes a LONG way in making this girl's day!  We're in full-swing, harvest mode and I have mixed emotions about the change of pace.  As much as we love 'vacation mode', touring the island and beach days with visiting family and friends; the return to hard-work is both refreshing and rewarding!  It's also exhausting.  As soon as we've finished picking one section, it's time to start again!  No exaggeration here.  It's quite incredible to witness: green cherries one day, red the next!  And I truly believe God is behind it all!
We did our best to refrain from conjuring up grand expectations for this harvest.  Not that we weren't praying and hoping for abundant crops, but we were up against our fair share of obstacles, weeds and beetles.  Without any idea of what to expect, we simply 'did the possible' and left the rest in the hands of the Creator.  And now we're surprised to find fields bursting with cherries to be picked!?  Oh, He is SO good!

I will admit, I lose sight of the goodness at times; simply seeing row after row and cherries as far as I can see.  Yet, God gives me the strength I need for each and every moment.  He also reminds me of His love in amazing ways; a heart shaped leaf, an amazing Bible verse to accompany me through the day.  Between Derek, Kai and my lack of multi tasking skills, there's no shortage of laughter in our fields!  Apparently, the simultaneous picking of coffee cherries and cracking of sunflower seeds is significantly more difficult for me than it is for my husband!?
Some coffee picking benefits are obvious; we're beginning to earn money from the past seven months of work!  Hooray!!  But there's some less apparent pluses as well, the feeling of every tense muscle relaxing into a mattress that suddenly resembles a bed of clouds!  Or the fact that dinner just tastes better after eight hours in the field!  Finding the energy to make said dinner can be a feat all its own.  But, Derek does offer his assistance on occasion and even ventured out with friends for night diving, making for an amazing midnight date of lobster and brownies :)  And our weekends have become decidedly sweeter!  I'm acquiring a new appreciation for taking a nap, going for a run or meeting up with friends.  Derek's surfing skills are improving dramatically!  Being worn out makes us truly enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon with our favorite TV show, guava cheesecake and a slightly competitive game of Gin Rummy.  (Let's just say we'll be having a rematch at our earliest convenience!)

My devotion a few days ago compared a reservoir and a canal, leaving quite the impression on me.  Water running through a canal will be quickly dispersed, leaving the canal dry.  A reservoir, however, is deep and has to fill all the way up before overflowing.  I must be a reservoir, allowing God to fill me completely and THEN overflowing to those around me and the tasks at hand.  It seems simple enough, but I so often forget that I need to be fueled in order to properly function.  Running on empty won't get me very far and will, eventually, backfire!
This theme seemed to be weaved throughout the whole week, consistent reminders of my need to be filled by Jesus before I can successfully accomplish ANYTHING!  That's the way He designed me!  I love it!!  I have quite a ways to go in implementing this into daily life.  But I am coming to realize that when I take time to talk to my Lover, read His letter to me, be still and appreciate all that He's doing in my life..  everything else seems to fall into place.  Life doesn't, necessarily, become easier but having the grace to deal with each obstacle makes all the difference.  Being grounded in the love of my Savior is vital to all the other relationships in my life.  The strength and peace I find in my quiet times with Him are my reason for embracing each new day!  I am discovering reservoir life!

'And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.'  Ephesians 3:17-19

a heart full of [eternity!]

While deeply immersed in a jungle of coffee trees it's not unusual to have 'things' drop on me.  Pulling branches down to my level makes the coffee cherries much more accessible, but can cause them to pop off as branches rub against each other.  Add to this the lovely insect population AND the fact that it's raining, and I no longer take notice of strange objects bouncing off my head and shoulders.  That is, at least, until it happens consistently.. for several minutes!!  I let go of the branch I was currently inspecting for any remaining red cherries, let it fling back up to it's original position, and slowly turned around.  Derek couldn't contain his laughter! He was almost doubled over and not even the hand over his mouth could muffle the sound of his guffaw!  Apparently he had been bouncing cherries off my unsuspecting self for quite some time, finding it just hilarious!!
I love Derek for a lot of reasons; one of them being his cheeky sense of humor!  Leave it to him to find bizarre ways to make me laugh :)  There is no conceivable way I could do this without him, muscle mass aside, although that does come in handy when we're moving 100 pound bags of cherry!  I'm also a big fan of his making an executive decision to stop for milkshakes and fries on the way home after a particularly long day!

[mango time!]

Making the most of coffee picking will be essential these next few months.  It's not especially difficult work, but the days are long, the trees have a tendency to blur together and shoulders do start to ache.  The potential is massive in either direction; as I heard in a sermon not too long ago, I must choose whether it will make me better or bitter.  So far we're just thankful to see a bit of 'fruit' from our labor.  Plus, the undertaking of a project other than weed wacking is quite refreshing!  And I always love an excuse to soak in good music for hours on end.
750 pounds later, round three of picking at the 'other' farm is complete and we were able to enjoy the remaining days with our visiting friend from Germany!  Delicious cheeseburgers, boogie boarding and a boar hunting expedition for the guys made for an awesome weekend!  His final night was celebrated with the inhaling of a significant amount of exotic fruits :)

[evidence of our fruit party!!]

I've known for almost a month that I was on the schedule to give a mini message at our weekly worship practice this past week.  My personality likes to scheme on these things for quite some time, brainstorming and writing out ideas, incorporating a funny story or convincing visual aid.  All this to say that I had a first rate idea of what to talk about on Friday evening, until God interfered on Thursday.  I was happily picking away when I 'felt' it.. This isn't about you, it's about me!  Not necessarily audible words but a strong feeling; the realization that I was so caught up in all my great ideas I had lost sight of the real reason for giving a message!  Surrender comes in many different shapes and sizes, that day it was in the middle of a coffee field; scrapping all my ideas, I told God it was up to Him to give me words to say! 

Long story short, He came through!  It wasn't immediate, but eventually He led me to a verse that reminded me of the two audio books keeping me company in the field all week.  The verse was Ecclesiastes 3:11 'He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.'  John Eldredge's book 'Beautiful Outlaw' says "Setting eternity in our hearts was cunning, so that every last one of us would be haunted all our days with unmet longings that would cause us to seek the only Fountain that can quench our thirst.'  Another of my favorite quotes comes from C.S. Lewis' book 'Mere Christianity', "If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."   I hadn't appreciated what Jesus had been subtly weaving together in my mind all week, but the verse triggered the realization!

I'm not sure if the last minute lesson made any sense to the worship team, but it certainly brought clarity to my own life!  Being sensitive to the Spirit and allowing Him to lead me was an incredible experience, one I definitely want to make a habit of!  Eternity is in my heart, explaining the unexplainable cravings I so often find within me!  This world is temporary and I'm reminded of that in little 'glimpses of eternity' throughout this life.  As the Creator, God's incredible personality and life is reflected everywhere I look!  He knows me intimately and can speak to me in a myriad of ways, calling me to Him, expressing His love and inspiring me to seek Him!  

The awesome colors, textures and sizes of underwater creatures is mind-boggling!  I'm filled with wonder by simply sipping a perfect cup of coffee and watching a brand new day begin!  The antics of Kai echo the playfulness of God.  He is all around me; perceiving more and more of His goodness simply causes my heart to long, all the more, for Eternity with Him!  It also renews my desire to live abundantly, right now, to grasp the beauty in the world around me and the fields ready to be harvested!  I'm thankful for God's provision, His guidance and LOVE and for the incredible man I get to live this life with.  What an amazing journey this is..