A Holy Experience

This afternoon I had the privilege of visiting the home of a young couple in Chalinze. They are super committed to the Lord and attend the Chalinze Church.

For my American friends, I’d like to give you a visual. Their “home” consists of one fairly dark room which is about 8’ X 9’ and has one door and one window. They have a big bed and a tiny couch just 1’ from the bed. These rooms are available everywhere to rent in East Africa and are usually one room in a block of 6, 8 or more rooms. In slum areas they are built very close together. Families sleep in that one room and cook outside. The block has shared latrines and shower. If a family is able, they can rent an additional room for their children or for a sitting area, but these two rooms are not connected. I have gathered that a landlord builds a block, rents out the rooms and then never does a thing to the building after that, so they are generally in disrepair.

This family’s room is SUPER organized and clean. They have no room for a bureau, so a few nails are hung up high on the walls where you find high heel shoes or a belt or a few items of clothing hanging. They simply don’t own much to store.

I’ve always been impressed with this couple just because of their sheer dependence on God to meet their needs one day at a time. I yearn to have that kind of total trust. These two never appear worried even in the worst of times. Who needs to be afraid when you know in the depths of your soul that God’s got your back?!

Back to the visit . . . I had no translator as Mama Ruth was sick and Pastor Romy had gone with James to another town to give out Swahili Bibles this afternoon. No problem . . . I now have a spattering of Swahili. I can get by at a guest house and explain to someone with zero English what time I’d like breakfast, if I’d like one or two eggs, boiled, fried or scrambled, and many other helpful things like “would you do my wash today?”, “please do not Doom my room”, or “may I have a towel?” However, those topics do not come up when you visit a family. Lucky for me the young woman has been in an English class for seven months which Kulea is providing for our leaders and several church members. So, with her smattering of English and my bit of Swahili we began to visit. She was quite proud to translate a little.

We talked about people they knew in the US. They wanted me to give their greetings especially to Wilson W. They asked about Mama Joshua, Mama Ethan, Mama na Baba Helen, and finally Baba Lindsey (my husband). You all know who you are! Then for lack of anything to discuss I asked him what he does for work. She had no English words for it, but hurried outside and returned with a plastic cup, small strainer, and a covered hot pot. They managed to tell me he works for a man and sells these items each day. He works Monday – Thursday, leaving home at 6:30am and returning at 8pm. I asked, “Will it help you if I buy some of your hot pots?” No, the man pays him a daily wage no matter what he sells (notice – no incentive for selling many). Then he offered the wage: 8,000 Tanzanian shillings per day, followed quickly by, “Mungu Mkubwa. Tunashukuru Mungu!” (God is great. We are deeply grateful to God!) He was so grateful to have a job that takes him away for 12.5 hours a day and pays him just $5 per day, 4 days a week.

I think my jaw dropped open.  Hearing the numbers and knowing the kind of job I’m sure this man does (excellence) – it hit me really hard. I turned to the woman and asked about her teaching ‘job.’  She is an amazing teacher, dedicated to helping preschoolers whose families cannot afford school get an education so they can go to primary school. She teaches about 40 kids with another woman for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week (25 hour weeks) and receives 3,000 Tanzanian shillings per month. Yes, PER MONTH. At $2 per month, she is a volunteer of the church. The family lives on Dad’s wages. 

NOTE: this is a Preschool and Feeding program the Chalinze Baptist Church started and which Kulea supports, called Kingdom Kids. Our volunteer team in September provided teacher training and brought many materials to the school. We’ve been seeking a USA Preschool to come alongside this school for some time. Kulea’s support goes toward the cost of food for the program, leaving nothing for teacher salaries because so many children attend free. It is our deep desire to find sponsors for this Preschool and some in the food services industry to sponsor the Feeding Program.

Next she explained they have a dream: to buy a small plot of land and build a simple home that will be their own (no more renting). The cost is projected to be three million, or $1,875. How will they save for that when he makes $20 a week? Planning. They have a plan (such impressive people)! Every day he makes 8,000 and they explained that it takes 5,000 to eat and pay rent and the remaining 3,000 they can try to save, assuming no one gets sick and needs to go to the clinic, no one they know gets married or dies (culturally you are expected to make significant donations for weddings or funerals). They had just come up with this plan so only started saving a few days ago.

I hope you are with me. Picture this: we are sitting in a stifling hot room, rented by some of the nicest people on this earth, in cramped quarters and I’ve just heard that they live completely on the edge. In addition, throughout the conversation one or the other would mention again their gratefulness to God for everything He is doing for them. Enough to blow me away and begin to refocus my own priorities toward total dependence on God. As I’m taking it all in and feeling at a loss for what to say next, I thought of my camera – photo op! I took a pic with Mom, Dad and their three year old child. Then Mom began calling a name through the doorway and the cutest little boy came in and joined us – age eight. I knew they only have one child and I thought I recognized this boy from the Chalinze Church, but I was not sure.

The woman began to tell his story very briefly. In a nutshell: his father died a few years ago, then in March 2013, Mom died. His grandmother often had no food and could not send him to Chalinze Primary. She was unable to take him, leaving him vulnerable and homeless. So, this beautiful, faithful couple took the boy in and became Mama and Baba to him. They began renting a second room where the two children sleep. Wait! Back up the bus! They are living on the edge, barely able to feed and clothe themselves and they are taking in a child because they KNOW God is providing for them?  It became clear that I was in the presence of the Holy. Nothing more or less than that – the face of God.

Now, we suddenly have a family of four, not three, so another photo session ensued. I asked the woman if I could share their story with friends and she agreed. I failed to ask if I could use their names and photo, so I’m only providing the boy’s photo. Tomorrow I will ask if I can share more.

I’m back in my “plush” hotel and feeling grateful for what God showed me today. Guilty of complaining on Facebook about the oppressive heat two nights ago, then moving to a room with A/C, I will not complain tomorrow when I move back to un-air-conditioned accommodations. Kulea should come alongside this couple as they care for this beautiful orphan. He clearly needs a sponsor. Perhaps you would be one of these? If this couple can take in a child while living on $20 per week, $35 per month doesn’t sound like much at all. It’s all a matter of priorities.

Each sponsor will help us bridge the gap, and bring us closer to being able to help other vulnerable children such as this precious boy. He needs to be in our Child Assistance program which helps pay school fees, clinic, etc. for vulnerable children whose families are unable to support them.

Pray for him. Pray for Kulea. Pray for those who will open their hearts to a child.

This family’s story has shown me another way to live – totally dependent on God for everything and even enough faith in Him to risk and reach out to another child of God in need.