How Many Trees are in an Apple?

My helper, John, came to the house this morning for my language lesson. He is teaching me to speak Setswana. (Jesu o a lorata = Jesus loves you). John shared part of his testimony about him copying Scripture. That is the main goal we are doing here, askiing people to write down word for word the gospel of John, then ask God to reveal truths to them as they write. John said that when Kelly, my colleague, asked him many months ago to copy Scripture, he thought that it would be a waste of time. But he started copying Scripture to please Moruti Kellly. John has copied a few books of the Bible. He said, "Now when I copy the gospels, it is like I am walking with Jesus! Like I'm part of the crew. When Jesus does a miracle, it's like I'm standing behind Him watching what He is doing!" I thought, Wow! He has insight in writing out the Scripture that he did not have in just reading it. That's what will happen when you use various senses at the same time (ex. reading, writing, thinking/meditating). Scripture comes more alive. You will see things you did not see before in just reading.As we talked about copying Scripture to get into God's word, we talked about the many homes we go to in the four villages. I then remembered something a good friend showed me a few years ago. His name is Ben Hess. He was a church planter in Kenya, Africa for eleven years. Now he is a church planter in St. Louis, MO. I got an apple and showed it to John. I asked him, "What do you see John?" He said, "I see an apple." I then asked him, "Yes, but how many apple trees do you see in the apple?" His eyes lit up. It was like the light came on! I then told him the difference between expanding and multiplying. Multiplying is based on 2 Timothy 2:2. We are going to about ten different places in the villages. I told John that we have expanded about as far as we can go now. The Word of God is the "Apple". The people's homes we go to are the "gardens". As we share the Word of God with the people, we are "planting" apple seeds. As we continue to follow up we are cultivating these places. We are watering the seeds, hoeing the soil, pulling weeds, etc. The people who "catch the fire" of the gospel and go tell their family, friends, and neighbors is the process of multiplying. From one "apple" we can have a whole "orchard" of apple trees as people go out from each area to tell others the Word of God. We have ten places we are cultivating now. If two people go out from these ten places to different areas, then we have 30 areas. If two people from those new areas go out we have 60 areas, and two from those places will be 120, and so on. John got very excited as he realized what we are striving to do. What we want to see is an "explosion" of people catching the fire of the gospel and God's Word spreading like wild fire throughout Botswana, into South Africa, into Zimbabwe, into Zambia, into Tanzania, etc. So the next time that you eat an apple I ask that you remember two things: First, please pray for us here in Africa that we will be faithful in spreading the gospel. Second, think and pray about where you can plant a gospel seed where you live.