On the second day of our trip, we spent most of the day in Bethel, a small village 10 minutes outside "The Project" where we were staying. As soon as we got there, Kristen, who I'm convinced is my long lost sister/twin, and who has traveled to Nica with Vision Nicaragua multiple times and is considering moving there permanently, took me with her to see her 'adopted' family. On the walk over to their house, Kristen warned me that they were one of the poorest families in Bethel and it became painstakingly evident when I stepped foot into their home. There I was, in a cramped 7 x20 room, that held 1 full size bed, a small table, a few hooks on the wall to hang the single pair of shoes that each of the 3 hijas/daughters owned, 2 plastic chairs, and one light bulb near the front door that dangled from a wire. I kept looking over my shoulder trying to figure out where the other rooms were and where everyone slept, but Kristen soon informed me that all 5 family members (mom, dad, and a 11, 6, and 3 year old) sleep together in the full size bed. Also, keep in mind this wasn't a heavenly bed from the Westin, this was a cheap metal frame, with no mattress, that used to only have 2 2x4's going across the width of the bed but was recently upgraded to have a rattan material across the entirety of the frame (imagine the back of a rocking chair). No blankets, throws, down comforters. As shown in the pictures, the bathroom and kitchen were outside.
We hung out with the mom and three girls for probably half an hour. The families only source of income ($100/month) comes from the father who labors 6 months out of the year in the sugar cane fields. Tragically, the father has already contracted the dreaded kidney disease that results from laboring with harmful farming chemicals, and will likely have to stop working soon. The mom was busy talking away in espanol catching up with Kristen, and in the process explaining how it's hard and sometimes impossible to provide 2-3 meals for her daughters each day, and when it is a meal it's always gallo pinto (which the 11 year old gets angry about because there is no variety). After all of this, the youngest girl, whose name is pronounced HEN-E-SIS, grabbed a small black plastic bag from the table and offered Kristen and I some type of tropical fruit that looked like a mango but wasn't. The mom then asked Kristen and I if we would each like a soda. After hearing about and seeing of their poverty, there was no way I could accept such a sacrificial, heart felt gift, so I respectfully declined.
The mom's simple gesture of offering us a soda, was a perfect example of how as Christians we are to act when giving and making sacrifices. What are we to give? Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites were consistently commanded to give from the firstfruits of their crops as an acknowledgement that everything they had came from God. Proverbs 3:9 says, Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops. God does not ask for what’s left after we’ve paid for everything else and the mom did exactly this. She offered her guests the absolute best of what she had, and not just offering what she had left over or had no use for. Why are we to give? The bible also says that quantity of giving is irrelevant, but it is our willingness to give which is important (2 Corinthians 8:12) . Also, She wasn't giving under compulsion or out of obligation or because she thought it would somehow earn God's favor, but instead she was doing so cheerfully and out of love! (2 Corinthians 9:7). How are we to give? Jesus makes it clear that our gifts to God should be substantial enough to be considered sacrificial. And giving isn’t sacrificial unless it’s a sacrifice. (Mark 12:41-44). Those 2 sodas to you or I , may not have seemed like much, but from the mother's perspective, that was all she had! Her family doesn't even normally drink soda as that is considered a luxury.
My eyes have definitely been opened from this experience. What I used to consider a sacrifice (i.e. having to get up early on Sunday, and by early I mean 10:00am, yes I have issues sleeping in way too long and consider 10:00 am early, so that I could make it to KidsQuest to teach 3rd graders about Jesus), now seems trivial to the sacrifices I saw in Nicaragua.
So I ask you. What sacrifices have you made, if any? Do you find yourself saying, "oh well once I make x more money, once I have more free time, or if I was a millionaire, I would donate?" If this is the case, I would like to say that even if you reach these points, you're giving won't change. If you don't believe me, re-read the story I just told you of the Nica mother, or go to the bible and read about how a beggar came to church and gave 2 small copper coins, equivalent to a fraction of a penny, but she literally GAVE ALL SHE HAD. (Mark 12:41-44).
Not a sermon, just a blog.
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