I guess it’s been the month of Indian experiences for us.
We’ve known Menka and her family since kindergarten, so when she invited us to her Jain Temple for a fund-raising event, we went.
And so we had lots of fun playing carnival games, and Grace and I got our hands painted with henna, and of course the food was fabulous. Which is quite impressive considering that Jains are not only vegetarians but also don’t eat anything that grows under the ground, like onions and garlic and potatoes.
We certainly did garner a lot of attention though….considering that we (or rather I, since Gil is not white) were the only white people there, and our children were the only African people there. Everyone was very kind and welcoming, of course, but I did wonder what exactly went through people’s minds when they saw us that night. 🙂
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It’s true what they say about the third child….it’s really just not fair.
Grace got a birthday party with friends when she turned three, and a pinata her Daddy made her. Josiah got a picnic and face painting and balloon animals.
Which, of course, they have no memory of.
So why make a big deal, right?
Poor third child.
But since this is Lily’s first birthday with her family, and well, she is pretty special, we still wanted it to be a special day. Especially since she had been asking me for weeks if it was her birthday Today.
Since her birthday was a day off of school, we all got to go to Water World.
And since we were making waffles for dinner, I thought, No one is really going to want to eat cake, right? Can’t we just put the candles in the waffles?
So we did. But then, whenever I was in the kitchen the next two days, she asked me if I was making her a birthday cake.
So the girl got a cake. Just a couple days late.
Imagine buying everything with cash.
ev.er.y.thing.
Food
Gas
Electricity
Car Insurance
Internet
Clothes
Major appliances
Furniture
Restaurants
Doctor’s bills
Phone credit
And THEN imagine that the highest denomination of currency was worth about $7.50. No $100 bills, $50….not even a $10. Only $7.50. That’s what 10,000 Tanzanian shillings is worth.
Yep. That’s a lot of cash.
To carry around.
In your purse.
On a regular basis.
Yeah, that’s my life.
(I exaggerate only slightly….the main grocery store did start accepting credit cards in recent months. BUT you can’t use it with the cashier…you have to leave your groceries (and children in the cart) and go over to the manager’s desk to pay separately….so unless you are totally out of cash, it’s not really worth it.)
Last one. I promise. Then I will go back to more mundane things. So, for those of you who have tuned out this section (congratulations if you have gotten this far), please don’t tune out forever.
When I started, I really didn’t realize I would have so much to say. But the juices got flowing. I obviously need an editor. (It’s worse when I talk, trust me.)
So let me just sum up here:
1. We are commanded to care about the poor, and to care for them.
2. Make sure you are helping, not hurting (and not giving just to relieve your conscience).
3. God wants to use all of you, not just your money, to do His work to help the poor. Consider the idea that He might want your family involved in more “mess” than you may have realized.
Other ideas:
1. Intentionally move into a low-income neighborhood.
2. Invite a college student from a low-income family to live with you, rent free. (My parents have done this for 5 years. Yay, Mom and Dad!)
3. Volunteer at a pregnancy center, or a women’s shelter, or a children’s home.
4. Become a foster parent.
5. Adopt an international orphan or financially support someone who wants to.
6. Tutor kids from a low-income neighborhood (but kids’ ministry should always be a bridge to family ministry, never an end in itself).
7. Cultivate your own strong marriage and help others cultivate theirs (since that’s the very best way to keep kids out of poverty).
Other ideas? Anyone?
I don’t have it all together. My primary purpose in Tanzania is not poverty alleviation. But I can’t ignore it when it is all around me. May some of what I have learned be a means for God to teach you as well.
Thanks for reading!
