Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Last night I had a very rewarding experience.  About two weeks ago, Samuel asked if he could borrow 500 shillings (a little over $5) because he had run out of money to feed his family.  He said he would pay it back at the end of the month when he got paid.  Of course, I agreed. 

Well, the first of the month came and went, and he hadn’t been paid yet by his sister who owns my house.  Last night, however, he told me he had gotten paid and he was happy that he could now pay me back the 500 shillings.   To make a long story short, I let him give me the 500 shilling note, thanked him, and then said, “Hold out your hand.”  He put his hand out like a high-five.  I turned it over and placed the money in his palm.  He just sat there staring at his hand and didn’t understand what had just happened. 

I told him that I appreciated his integrity and that I could see that I could trust his word.   I said I knew he needed the money far worse than I did, and as a gift, I wanted him to keep it.  He was literally speechless.  Then tears started to fill his eyes.  There was a whole other issue involving money that he hadn’t previously told me, but he was already short because of a kind deed he had monetarily done for someone else.   He apologized saying, “I’m sorry.  It is not good for an African man to show his emotions or to cry.”  I told him it was totally okay with me.

In conversations we’ve had, I know that he trusts in God to help him provide for his family.  He is doing everything he can to provide, but it is not much.  He has a wife who is pregnant, and three small children.  He makes only 7000 shillings a month, which is about $75!  Yet, he is thankful to God for all that he has and that his children have never gone hungry.  He is so humble!

I didn’t tell you this story to tell you have wonderful I am for giving him 500 shillings (which is nothing to me), but to show you how so little by our standards, can mean so much to someone here!  The way I see it, there have been so many others here who have helped me, I’m grateful that I can find even a small way to give back to someone else, even if it’s not to the person who gave to me.  It’s that “Pay it forward” principle, I guess.

Tonight, Samuel and I set up an appointment for the missionaries from my church to meet with his wife and us next Tuesday.   I’m looking forward to that.

Have a great day and be grateful for all that you have – you have so much more than most people on this planet!

Kadi