ⓒ 2004 WATV

On August 25, about 40 members of the Churches in Yeongcheon and Haynag, North Gyeongsang Providence, practiced the love for their neighbor at a fruit farm.

The fruit farm owner was in poor health and couldn't reap the fruits though they were well ripened. As the Church members entered the vineyard with the working clothes, gloves and caps, the farmer welcomed them so gladly. He said that he cultivated not only grapes but also pears and red peppers, and that the red peppers harvest was more urgent than that of the grapes. The volunteers willingly promised him to help the red peppers harvest, too.

ⓒ 2004 WATV

Yeongcheon is famous for grapes. The fields were filled with the grapevines whose branches were heavily loaded with good grapes. Looking at the grapes marvelously, the volunteers were determined to harvest them diligently and carefully.

To work more efficiently, three volunteers formed a group, and hurried the grapes harvesting to reap the red peppers, too. For grapes harvest, they need to discern the well ripened ones with almost black color from the ones with purple color which need to receive more sunshine. The choicest grapes have some characteristics: First of all, the size of the individual grape is big and even; the color is black and it's very sweet. The volunteers carefully harvested not to damage their high quality.

ⓒ 2004 WATV

After gathering the grapes, they sorted them into 3 grades according to thickness, color and the degree of burst. The first grade is the finest ones without defect; the second grade is those with a little burst and smaller size; the third grade ones have many crush. Though every box weighed 5 kg, the quality was definitely different.

While sorting the grapes, other volunteers were reaping the red peppers. Sometimes erecting the red peppers fallen by typhoon, they gathered the peppers red-ripened. The red pepper picking was a difficult job because they lowered their body, but the cool wind and clouds made it easier.

ⓒ 2004 WATV

The farm owner, who'd been so worried about harvesting, smiled brightly as the volunteers finished the work in a short time, and even gave thanks to God, "I cannot express my appreciation fully for you've done the work taking two weeks just in a day. It is all thanks to God." The farmer's neighbors also commended them who'd worked other's job harder and they did their own. One of them said, "I'd like to go to the Church of God, though I've not believed God until now."

All the volunteers' hearts were filled with satisfactory though the work was difficult. They were resolved to be good fruit like the grapes and the red peppers which stood the heat and rainstorm of this summer, that pleased the farmer.

ⓒ 2004 WATV