Our school happily received the news in the spring that a Christian school in Holland was going to donate "around 20" computers to our school to upgrade our computer lab. We had 19 computers that were getting pretty old! So we ended the school year by sending a LOT of stuff to the dump. This emptied our computer lab and allowed us to restructure its layout and do a few other housekeeping things that as the school’s only IT staff, I’d wanted to do for awhile. BUT, it did leave us with only a firm but non-detailed hope that better stuff was, in fact, coming. Then the computers from Holland arrived and there were exactly 15 of them…and one didn’t work! (What’s a bit funny about this is that in French, there is a word for "around 15", quinzaine and a separate word for "around 20", vingtaine. Repeatedly, I was told "vingtaine" for the number to expect. When exactly 15 arrived, I thought that somewhat interesting that 15 was "around 20" and not "around 15!" 
) They arrived with Dutch-language operating systems and no other information (like administrative passwords to facilitate any modifications to make them ready for our environment or information about operating system licenses or which machines had which problems, etc.) These are all things which can, of course, be overcome, but which do add to the work…multiplied by 15 (or 14 at this point!)
My job this summer was to figure out what to do with these Dutch machines (make them work, make them speak French, make them connect to our internal network, connect them to the internet, decide on operating systems, etc.), prepare some additional systems to make up the lack of machines from Holland and overhaul one of our internal servers as well. Throughout the school this summer however, there were also practical renovation/beautification projects undertaken by teachers and parents (including us) in various parts of the small campus. My wife and I also have a vision for a house of prayer and worship to start in our area and so we simply committed to worshiping twice a week during the summer at church. So, our summer was pretty well laid out…while the majority of others around us scattered on vacation!
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Our school grounds has an orchard on it and this summer we began to have production from all the fruit trees like I’ve never seen in our 7 years here. I tried the apples on one of the trees and became addicted! Incredibly good! Those apples became a constant source of physical sustenance for me throughout the summer while working on the computer network (work a couple hours, go out and shake the tree, eat, work some more, etc.) But it didn’t stop there. God really spoke to me through that tree…in two ways especially. |
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First of all, the orchard’s fruitfulness spoke to me as a sign of the fruitfulness that He intends to bring to the school this year (or at least we’re entering into such a season). So many things, like apple trees, peach trees, and significant efforts in God’s Kingdom can take time to germinate, mature and finally bear significant fruit. In the meantime we prune when really needed but can often just become accustomed to the unfruitful presence of something (after all, it’s still pretty and gives shade, etc.)…until suddenly it produces a bumper crop! At that point, we need to start picking or it falls on the ground and rots. So these fruitful trees got me really praying for the fruitfulness at school this year, and that we would be ready to pick what ripens. |
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Secondly, my efforts this summer were sometimes frustrating and tiring and discouragement would knock routinely on my door. During some of these times, the Lord reminded me of Song of Solomon 2:3 “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. In his shade I took great delight and sat down, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” Just as those apples were incredibly good, I needed to stop my intellectual head-banging and contemplate the goodness of Jesus and let the refreshing nature of His presence invade and drive out the pressure and discouragement I was feeling. |
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School started at the end of August and the computer lab is usable, but still much computer work remains. I, however, am excited by how God can and will take the summer pruning and cultivation work that many have done here and use it to enhance the growth, fruitfulness and multiplication that in the end, only He can bring. |