8 who are Great!

Living in a third world country it is a must that you use young men in the city to watch your car, carry your bags and just be a body guard like when shopping. These young men are all over the place desiring to be chosen as the one to help to earn coins to pay for their school, food, clothes or their family. I love how God puts these certain young men into my life to help, minister and to love.

There are 8 fella's that we use on a regular basis.

Joaquim and Fei Fei are the two teens that we use when we are in the center of the city buying food and fruits at the open market, having a cup of coffee, exchanging money or just shopping for whatever the needs are for the day. When we saw them for the first time this year they both had grown a head taller than what I remembered from last year and they looked worn and torn. Their smiles were big and it was obvious they were glad the Americans had returned. They wanted to know how our families were and if we were in good health. They practiced their English and we our Portuguese, now that is a challenge!

We shop at Shop-Rite for groceries like cheese, yogurt, frozen chickens, peanut butter and Coke Lite. All of these American type so called needs. We are so spoiled in America when it comes to our food and what is available. Did you know that 80% of the world is dying from lack of food, and the other 20% is dying from too much? This is crazy! I see the starving while I live here half the year and as soon as I walk into the United States I have to brace myself for obesity!

Monterrio and Jose' are the two men who help us at this store. Jose' is about 28-30 years old, tall, deaf and dumb but has a way of communicating! His joy is overflowing each time he sees us and he squeals with excitement when we are getting out of our cars. Hugs and hand shakes of welcome are his gift, he has a language of love and never says a word. Monterrio, is a very small man in structure with birth defects. And he too is full of excitement when we drive into the parking lot. They both help us park the car, direct traffic for us to get in and out, push our cart, helps us pack the bags of food and then escorts us out to the car protecting us from beggars and thieves.

Monterrio'a handicap is a short stump on his left side and his right side has an arm that stops before his elbow with 3 fingers. Each time we bag groceries I watch him in amazement at how he manages to get this done. He lives about 15 klms from where we live in Dondo so after bagging our food he always wants a ride home and we accommodate him. One day last year he wanted us to see the mud house he was building by himself! It was amazing! Seriously, I stood there with my mouth hanging wide open at what he had accomplished with one half arm and a stump. We gave him a little money for a door to help and yet today, he still does not have a door and it is cold at night. While we were shopping today, he asked for some corn meal to take home, how do I say no to this? Isn't this what supporters want me to do with what they give me?

Then we have Johnny and another man who is deaf and dumb and no one knows his name that I have found. These two men watch and wash our car at the beach. Johnny is crippled and uses one crutch but he can scatter to our car in a split second when he sees us approaching from a far and he too with this enormous toothless smile. Both guys take good care of us, helping us park and get back out onto the busy road.

And finally the two guys that I see first when we come into the country and who we see very last, Tomias and Antonio. These two young men are married and have families. They work as porters at the airport. I always look for them when I walk into the airport, they are waving and smiling, wanting to help with our bags. Having other Americans come in to stay with us on a frequent basis, I get to see these two fella's often as well. I tell them the days I am going to be at the airport and they wait for us and have a parking place ready to keep the cars, wash them and I even give them the keys and let them clean the inside.

I find myself thinking about how fortunate I am to know each one of these guys and a little about their lives and their stories. Knowing them has changed my life. I know that they have been placed before me to serve them, to help them, to mentor them, to speak the name of Jesus to them and to be an example of the light to them. There are boys and beggars everywhere here, I could have chosen hundreds of others but God had these 8 fella's for me to love. They are part of my ministry. They have become part of my life. They are a basic need for me when I am in town. I love to bless them with more than what other's do. I love to bless them so their quality of life can be better for a bit of time. These 8 are great!

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7