We worked alongside a missionary named Don in Boane, Mozambique. God asked him to sell everything – including his real estate business in Las Vegas and move to Mozambique. He joined Iris ministries and has taken over a ministry pioneered by a couple who recently left due to illness.
Don manages the Benjamin Project, a ministry where boys who grew up in an orphanage of 100 to 300 children come to be “deinstutionalized.” Because of the mass of children who need a home and a safe-haven, orphanages needed to be built to serve the children running the streets, children who are abused in their homes, and children with no family at all. They have become accustomed to eating three square meals a day, going to school, and playing and socializing with their friends. Now, we have grown men who aren’t accustomed to the “Mozambican lifestyle” and need a place to call home while the gap is bridged.
We worked alongside these guys and grew to love each one of them. Don came to me asking for 700 metical (roughly 29 USD) in order for one of the guys to earn a license that would allow him to drive a choppa (bus). Julio is a guy who was kicked out of the project because of stealing. He was put in jail, but Don decided to forgive him and pay the accumulated fees. Don continues to support him little by little in hopes Julio will begin to earn his money. Julio saved about 2/3 of the amount, so I decided to give him the rest of the money; I see this as an opportunity for him to “get on his feet.” He will make 2500 metical (100 USD) a month, more than many Mozambicans make. We met Colesto in town, and he thanked us for the money and appeared really excited about having this opportunity.
I was very thankful to have this opportunity to provide financially for Julio.
Then the story begins…
Don is preaching on Sunday morning, and a guy from the program, who was cooking lunch, saw Julio break in to Don’s house, where we were staying. Julio stole 2 ipods. Don was talking about the teaching of Christ, “if someone steals from you give him cloak as well” at the exact moment, we were being stolen from.
What do you do in the situation? We have given a person money to earn a license that will allow him to make more money, and then the same person breaks in your house and steals. There is many things we could have done… but what does Christ teach…
We walk around the neighborhood where people have seen Julio listening to the ipods, while some girls are cooking dinner for the guys in the project. We can’t find Julio, so over dinner, we pray for him. We prayed for grace to be shown and God would give us the grace to extend to Julio. We also prayed forgiveness and that he would repent and return the stolen items. We asked God to provide for his daily needs.
The next morning, Don receives a phone call from Julio saying he wanted to return the ipods. For some reason, we have time to wait to meet him before we went to visit an orphanage outside Maputo. Julio was very fearful and asked only Daniel, another guy from the project to come. Julio gave him the ipods back, and we have Julio 500 metical (21 USD) for a bus ticket to his mother’s house. After he returned the ipods, Julio called to tell “the missionaries” he was sorry. We completely forgive him, and we pray that he will turn from his ways and truly use the money we gave him to become a licensed choppa driver.
Only God’s grace can save. Christ teaches us to go beyond forgiveness and give people things they don’t deserve. Julio didn’t deserve the money for transport to his mother’s house, but I don’t deserve the grace God gives me everyday either.
