I had been elected judge of the village mostly because I was the only one that could read the labels on the stuff that washed up on the beach. I also preached at the local Moravian church on a regular basis. I took great joy in explaining what vegetables were and how the principle of the seed worked. As an act of faith, I had Malachi 3:10 posted on each box. In the thin soil, abundant rain, and blazing sun the seeds sprouted and began to grow—like crazy! Everyone was excited watching the new plants grow. Until, in one fell swoop, the doomsday prophecy came true. As soon as the plants started to flower, like the plague, the bugs, worms and aphids came in. It was a massive swarm! The giant 8-foot tomato plants were wilting along with everything else in the garden. I felt so embarrassed. I had let God down and misled the people. I was embarrassed and my faith put to shame.
The garden begins to grow 1990
In the jungle one goes to bed very early. The mosquitos and vampires are just too much. The only refuge is under a mosquito net. Early to bed means early to rise. Early the following morning I heard something I had never heard before—chirping birds. I ran outside to see what had happened and discovered, the birds were eating the bugs in the garden.
The birds were about the size of a finch. Thousands of ladybugs had eaten the aphids and iguanas had eaten everything too big for the little birds. It was awesome. Not only did the miracle come, it came with a song. The kicker is, the little birds built their nests around the garden and kept the bugs at bay from then on. It was the first of many a bumper harvest!
The garden in bloom 1990
My wife Joske and the other Dutch nurses started teaching the women how to cook vegetables and sure enough the infant mortality rate declined. One of the nurses took it upon herself to chronicle the story in a book, How to Grow a Garden in the Jungle. The book was used as a text for 126 schools in the region to teach children how to grow vegetables. Most of the schools started gardens to give the students first hand experience. The little yellow birds made nests in their gardens as well. The program was an outrageous success.
Joske 1990
Here is the funny part. When news started to get out that there was successful gardening program in the rainforest people from different places stated to radio in to confirm and ask questions. One such call came in from Germany. The botanist asked, “I heard you used Malachi 310. What kind of chemical is that?” I told him it is not a chemical, it’s a Bible verse. Dead silence on the other end for a few seconds.
Here is the miracle part. The Miskito Indians were barely out of the stone age and completely in tune with nature. They knew every plant and bird in their environment. But not one of them had ever seen or heard of the little yellow birds with a nice song. The wind was blowing strong the night before. Some thought maybe they blew in.
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
—Malachi 3:10