Four years ago, Lotus Light Charity Society developed a vegetable garden on the farm in the Richmond monastery, allowing more self-sufficiency, and providing ingredients for the Charity Kitchen Program. As we enter another growing season, the sight of lush green sprouts brings to mind the diligent and selfless volunteers who have caringly maintained the garden. We would like to acknowledge the hard work these volunteers have put in over the years and thank them for their service.
Cultivation of this vegetable garden begins in the spring every year, with many tasks that need to be done: loosening the soil, planting seeds, weeding, constructing trellises, fertilizing, and watering daily. A water pipe connection remains from the house to the garden remains unfeasible due to the distance, meaning watering the plants becomes much more arduous as water is transported to the garden in buckets.
One of the volunteers that has taken on the role of caring for the vegetable garden is Sister Lin. Despite being well past her retirement age and her husband’s wishes for her to rest at home, Sister Lin dedicates her time and energy to diligently tend to the garden. Sister Lin remarks, “I enjoy doing good deeds, but at my age, I can only undertake tasks that the younger generation avoids. No one competes with me when it comes to gardening, and it suits me perfectly.” Nevertheless, there have been moments when she contemplated giving up. Once, she suffered from severe allergic reactions, enduring unbearable itchiness that led to skin abrasions and bleeding. For an entire month, she couldn’t sleep peacefully at night. Adding to her hardships, she experienced a flare-up of rheumatism in her waist and legs during that period. Despite these obstacles, Sister Lin persevered. Now, she has finally emerged from the bitter struggles, with her skin allergies and waist and leg pains subsiding considerably. Reflecting on her experiences, she muses, “I believe that doing good deeds brings positive outcomes. At my age, I can still be so useful! How fortunate I am!”
Lotus Light Charity Society expresses its gratitude to all the supportive and selfless volunteers. We welcome kind-hearted individuals from all walks of life to join our mission. For more information about the various charity projects of Lotus Light Charity Society, please visit our website: www.vllcs.org, Tel: 604-685-5548 Email: llcsvancouver@gmail.com. Government charity registration number: BN 14110-4893-RR0001.