A Real Life Object Lesson

Well, it isn't something I experience everyday.

Some in our County may, since we do have sheep

farms nearby.  However, the style of  farming here

varies greatly from how it is done in Peru.

Up in the mountains of Peru many people go out 

into the fields every day to work.  Vegetable farming

is huge there.  

When they go they take their sheep or 

cows with them.  The animals graze while the people

work....at the end of the day they return to their homes

bringing their flocks with them.

One day Mom happened to observe two young 

shepherds passing each other on the street.

I don't know if they had taken time to visit or if

the sheep had just mingled in passing but both flocks

were totally intermingled.

Mom thought uh-oh!

 

See the boy and girl?  Each one had a flock....

She was just sure that

they would have a hard time separating these flocks.

However, when it was time to move on each 

shepherd simply spoke to the sheep and they

knew their shepherd's voice.  There was no use of 

a stick or any other physical item.  

Simply the voice

of each shepherd

calling out their sheep.

A smooth transition

was made and everyone moved on.

The girl and her mother.

The boy and his sheep.

Don't you just love the photo example of some of 

this wonderful scripture?

From John 10

"The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. 

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."

 "When he has brought out all his own, 

he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him 

because they know his voice."

 “I am the good shepherd;  

I know my sheep and my sheep know me—  

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—

and I lay down my life for the sheep.  

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. 

I must bring them also. 

They too will listen to my voice, 

and there shall be one flock 

and one shepherd."

 

Because shepherding is such a common

way of life in these villages

the Mission Team used a story 

about a wayward sheep.

The children could relate and 

understand.

They know how sheep are.

In a way that our children here

would not.