RWANDA | Kanombe
One of the ministries we have been doing is working with the prostitutes on Tuesday at the church. We meet for a couple of hours discussing the Word and then possible job ideas for the women to do. One such woman that we got particularly close to began coming every night to church. She is also the caregiver for some of the children that we have gotten to know so we also had the opportunity to take them all to lunch.
One night we were all sitting together at the church service and the time came for offering. At this moment, the woman, reached over and grabbed my hand. She quickly opened it and slipped a 100 franc coin (equivalent to about 20 cents, the same amount the earn for one customer) into my hand. She closed my fingers around the small coin and then wrapped her hand around mine. She motioned for me to follow her, so hand-in-hand we walked together to the basket placed at the front. She dumped my coin in and in the same moment dropped several more that she was also holding in her hand.
Realizing what just happened, I began to cry. I tried to not let the water that filled my eyes drip down for fear that she would think something was wrong, but I was so confused by my emotions I had no other response.
On one hand, I was so overjoyed by her humble generosity. Not having enough money to buy food for her frail body she still gave all that she had, and on top of that she wanted to share that joy of giving with myself! She did not want to glory of giving the offering but she wanted to give that gift to me!
On the other hand, I was so broken for myself and the cheap offering gifts that I give to God. Every Sunday calculating my ten percent, making sure it is just right, instead of having to courage to give it all and watch God still provide for me.
I really do not know much about that woman, not even sure of her name and never holding a conversation more than “hello, how are you?” due to the language barrier…but I do know her heart and what more could I ask for than that?
“And he sat down oppostie the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and ssaid to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on'” Mark 12: 41-44
