The gold we found on the farm land we bought

 Gold has value and once you have gold, you have it all as per earthly standards. However, Jesus tells us that He is better than silver and gold. As you may have noted in the previous blogs, it was by God's guidance, Yahweh, that led us to that farm land. Before we owned the land, someone had already done most of the work of tilling up the primary forest and we found there crops, trees and fruits. After making the first payment, we were broke and back to the grass. We needed gold to survive that period as we were waiting on a payment from a certain client and restoration of some of our properties that were taken while we were a way in line of service. It was so challenging to believe that all will be well amidst extreme conditions. 

Farm land consisting of cassava, the gold that became the cornerstone

Nevertheless, God provided and we went through that period. On purchasing the land, I had wanted the former owner to cultivate every crop and we restart our own crops. However, the chairperson did not approve it and he told me in a low tone, you will need them in the near future. Hardly did I know what we were heading up to. After a month, we could not find transport to travel from town to the village. Things were tight! No money to purchase food. We all looked at each other and looked at the children and wondered if we had done the right decision to pay all that amount and we did not reserve any savings. However, we did what was right and we had remained true to our promises. Sometimes, I would imagine the former land owner feeding well and enjoying himself as we starved. But I trusted that God had a bigger plan for us after acquiring that asset. 

As a mother of the home and someone who has been trained to be a virtuous woman as per proverbs 31, I didn't have to wait for external handouts for my home. I got a small loan on MTN mobile money and I asked the worker of mutaka to send us matooke and some cassava then put them on a taxi to town. We went to taxi park and picked the package. It was a happiest moment, we ate and filled our stomach. By morning, the matooke was already ripening. I had to quickly find the local vendors to sell them and they can pay me with cash or I keep on getting bananas from their shop (mudala). I managed to identify a lady who I always buy food from. She preferred to give us cash instead of disbursing in form of food. It was a deal until I learned of the real market of the matooke around town! As if she cheated me but anyway, we needed someone to bail us out for other household needs. Cassava was meanwhile smelling bad, we put it in basins of water, it could not last. I piled up gabage, kasasiro, and got a new problem of wastes. 

I did not give up on the idea of using what we have as Moses did with his stick while taking children of Israel out of Egypt. For us famine and poverty had become our Egypt in the time of waiting for the consultancy payment. I again asked the boy in the village to send more food for us using the money I acquired from the matoke vendor lady. He sent us another sac and with joy we picked it from the taxi. This time I started searching for solution to the challenge of cassava perishing and rotting in shortest period of time. I shared with boda people, in a taxi and with market vendors. They all advised me almost same things that we had tried out but cassava could not last for a week. Some included: deepening cassava in water; digging a hole and burry the cassava tubes; washing and put in the refrigerator e.t.c. The last one could not even be thought of as we were looking at our 0.19 unit balance on Yaka. You know that moment when you just switch on the light to see if a snake or something is not on your way and then you switch off. 

Finally, I put it before Almighty and asked Him to open my eyes to see opportunities and give me wisdom to make profit from what we have. I was on my way from dropping children at school and I was convinced within my heart that I should use a different way on my way back home. It was a longer distance and it involved me making circles. Anyways, I had no pending work on my desk so I took the walk. Then I found a construction site where young women were selling snacks (madazi, chapati, subusa, porridge, tea e.t.c). My heart prompted me to buy chapati. To be honest, it did not look good at all. I took faith and bought it then matched home. Since I was seeking God, I was fasting but the Holy Spirit insisted that I eat that chapati. It was terrible! I took courage and completed the chapati and took some water. The whole day, I kept on wondering what was there that I needed to see. I went back in the evening on way to pick children from school and I asked the terms and conditions for being one of the snack vendors at the construction site. The gentleman just laughed and told me to bring anything I have and sell if anyone even a Chinese touches my hand, I should report to him. I smiled at that statement. The next thing he was asking for my phone number! I promised that I will share it when I start working. 

When I returned home, I started googling, how to fry cassava in Uganda. I watched the video below and grabbed the idea of what I required. Of the balance that the banana vendor lady had given me, I quickly got some ingredients. A family member also contributed some saved money and I went to the local market to buy pan, spoon and stove. I even had not idea what quality I needed, I just bought. 

The video I used to learn how to to fry cassava locally in Uganda

I was set to go. I peeled the cassava! Slicing, washing it and fried it for testing with my family. I needed to be at the site between 6:00am to 6:45am after that the workers would go to their assigned places. By 2am, I was awake and I started the the business. It took me like 2 hours just doing the peeling. We normally use gas at home for cooking. I was not used to setting up charcoal stove, I took more 40 minutes struggling to have sigiri set. Finally, I had my cassava chips ready. I had to be faster as it was getting to time for the children to get to ready for school. Thank God, I managed to catch up with everything and dropped them to school then proceeded with my bucket to the Chinese construction assembly point. It took me 20 minutes for my cassava to get finished. I had of course prayed for God's favor to be upon. But the favor that was upon me on that day was beyond Esther's favor before the king of Sushan. A lady from GoTV/DSTV stopped her branded car and asked me for my cassava and she promised to be buying from me. I actually started selling people who were passing by walking and in cars and sometimes to boda cyclists. On average, it would take me 15 minutes to get my products sold off and run back home. Some family members even never took notice of that.

However, It seemed I had become a threat to other snack vendors. The whole week they were watching my steps. The Holy Spirit warned me but I could not believe that someone would be jealous of the little money I was making there to buy household materials. One of the ladies bought my cassava on arriving at the site and she praised my quality cassava then she packed it in her bag. It was not a praise only but the truth is that Holy Spirit had given me knowledge to add spices and soak it in the salty water over night then slice it well. Give it enough time to boil and always use new packed cooking oil. I can't remember very well what really happened, I had maintained all the standards but one morning after about a week of this lady taking the cassava pieces, no one wanted to come back to buy more cassava. She actually missed like two days to come to sell her products at the site. I would always be the first one there and pray for God's blessings upon every vendor so I was concerned why she was not around and if she was sick! When she returned, on that day, she was the first to come even before opening the gates. I greeted her and prayed within my heart for blessings upon all of us. On that day, I stood for almost 30 minutes serving other vendors' food and no one was asking for my cassava chips! It was bad! As a Christian, I interceded for my business immediately and repented for anything on my behalf and on behalf of others. Finally, a group of construction workers came and asked me for the whole bucket that they will eat it during lunch hour. I gave them a discount and there I went home. I asked the Holy Spirit if I should go back to the battle ground and I did not get an answer. I struggled for some days as I returned home with some cassava. Thank God, He opened another door and I got some consultancy job where they needed me by 6:30am for briefing meeting with key staff. I knew that was the end of cassava business.

I thank God Almighty, for taking through that period. Cassava become gold and a cornerstone that I had rejected and wanted to pull out of my garden. Thanks to the chairman for insisting that I do not give out cassava to the former land owner. It was such a blessing for us to go through tough times. We also learned ways of saving and how to invest and still maintain the family needs being fulfilled. On the other hand, I kept on thinking of the spiritual battles that local market vendors go through on daily basis to maintain their successful micro and small businesses amidst unbelievers. I learned to be more sensitive to the still voice of the Holy Spirit. For God makes a way where there is no way! 

That was my gold, what has been your gold that took you out of the challenge? what things did you find on the farm land that became a blessing after purchasing it?