Today’s story is from Aimee Luallin of the January 2013 M Squad. Aimee found a unique way to minister to her team’s translator while in Rwanda.
You’re probably thinking I bought three children based on the title of this blog post… but I didn’t. I bought three goats while I was in Rwanda! Meet June, Obadiah, and Beaut. They are the latest addition to Team Lighthouse Mosaic!
It started as a joke when I first got to Rwanda but I ended up actually buying some goats. I’m from the city so seeing goats on the side of the road every morning on our walk to school isn’t something I’m used to. Naturally, I’d try to pet the goats as we walked past. (In case you were wondering, the goats didn’t like me. They ran every time).
Our translator, Moses, thought it was so funny. Apparently Mzungus (white people) don’t normally get excited to see goats. But I do! They always put a smile on my face. I think it’s because they remind me of my late great-grandmother, Zella Warner. She had goats on her farm in Utica, Ohio, the last time I was out there to visit.
Moses asked around about prices for goats and where I could purchase them. AND Moses said he would keep the goats after we left Rwanda in a few weeks. He said he would like to raise them and hopefully have more baby goats that he can sell one day to make money for his family. My heart and mind were instantly made up — I HAD to buy not just one but TWO goats.
The market (where you buy goats) is only ope on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, so we had a long week waiting patiently to buy the goats.
Once we got to the market, Moses talked to the sellers and got them knock down their asking price for the kids. I ended up buying two goats at first (Obadiah and June) for 24,000 francs. Then Moses said that they would sell us one more goat for another 12,000 francs. So I figured why not? And that’s how Beaut came into the picture.
So now we have three kids living with us! Moses takes them to his house at night, where they sleep inside so wild dogs don’t kill them. Moses’ kids, Christopher and Sandra, bring them back to the house where we are staying in the morning so Team Lighthouse Mosaic can enjoy their company during our free time.
I feel so blessed and tickled to be able to buy goats for Moses. These goats will eventually be a source of revenue for him. It’s been really neat for me to share this experience not only with him, but with my team as well.
Are you looking for a way to make a difference in the lives of people around the globe? Apply for one of the July 2014 World Race Routes!
