Plants like relationships need “Tender Loving Care” or TLC every once in a while. I remember seeing a plant at my grandfather’s house when I was younger that looked dead. “Grandpa you need to get rid of that plant,” I told him. “No,” he said “it just needs a little TLC”. If you have ever kept a plant or grown a garden you know a little TLC can go a long way. Sunburn on new transplants, dry July weather, infestation of bugs, life happens and a good gardener cares for the plants so that they can do their job producing a harvest.
Relationships also need a little TLC. We have all experienced relationships that have, over time, grown apart. Whether it is roommates from university, or co-workers from your last job, there are no hard feelings or problems but as life happens we grow apart. Then when we see each other again the happiness and joy we feel as we renew the relationship is always good. Also when hard times in life happen that thoughtful card or visit makes our relationships stronger.
In Mongolia keeping up on relationships can be difficult, lots of kilometers to travel very few roads to do so on. Many people feel isolated in the soums (villages) and desire for people to visit. Also most of the vegetables are transported from the province capital. For a JCS couple living in Bayankhongor these two problems have created a unique opportunity.
Jeff and Shauna Spence members of JCS are keeping up with relationships and providing locally grown vegetables with one small project. Last year Jeff started a Bayankhongor greenhouse project where participants receive a small loan for the building material and Jeff with some local partners visit multiple times a year and are committed to working with them for at least 5 years. While they are building a few greenhouses in the province capital the focus is in the soums (villages). Last year they had a good harvest in the two greenhouses that were started. This year they are planting 3 more greenhouses and continuing to work with the first two.
As we have been working in a soum we are working alongside the local church leader. He is a young man and has a heart to spiritually lead his community. As we have gotten to know each other it is exciting to see him invest in relationships with other believers as we are investing in him. He visits the families in the evening when they get home from work. Sometimes he has a word from the Bible to share, other times they play chess and pray for each other.
In order to know that your plants need a little more nitrogen or water you have to be there. You need to spend time in your garden. The same is with relationships, you need to be there. And as life happens, whether it is bugs, or dealing with a difficult child JCS is there giving a little TLC wherever it is needed.
