$3.10 Poverty Challenge: Day 7

Day 7 of the $3.10 Poverty Challenge began with feeding myself on the Word of God with a continued study from Women of the Bible, this week about the mothers of Moses.

Given yesterday’s events, I headed back to the police to receive my letter verifying that indeed I had lost certain properties including my alien card, which verifies my right to be in the country. After receiving that letter I moved to Barclays where I reported my ATM card stolen and applied for a new one. 

 Today’s ministry program brought Pr Ephantus and me to the outskirts of Malindi town to a small mud church called Neema Church (Grace Church). Pr Ephantus met Pr Ngala while in Bible school and I met him when teaching in Ganda. This dear pastor eagerly arranged for 12 of his church members to receive the Word of God from Pr Ephantus as well as to receive a new Kiswahili Bible. Pr Ephantus is a gifted preacher and teacher and the people were very happy to receive their first Bible. Can you imagine being well into adulthood and not having your own Bible?

 

 An additional blessing today came in the form of dollies. Many of you know that when a woman loses her husband, I sponsor a dolly in his memory. In this case, three have gone to be with Jesus and someone else joined me in that sponsoring. Add to that a dear sweet little lady is now also rejoicing in heaven and I felt moved to give on her behalf as well.

Dear Pat, we grieve for the loss of your husband, Gary.

Oh Mrs. Helen, you were the most precious little old woman I know.
Thank you for many fervent prayers on my behalf.

Dear Pat, we grieve for the loss of your husband, Gary.

Aunt Mary, we grieve for the loss of Uncle Jim. We love you and you
are always on our hearts.

Neither Pr Ephantus nor I had been to Pr Ngala’s church before and we significantly underestimated the cost to reach there. Having tried to book only those ministry opportunities that fit in my $3.10 Poverty Challenge budget, we completely blew it with this one. But look what the Lord has done!

Expenses

Today’s work allowance                                 $2.20

Unexpected gift following the theft               $6.00 (now I’m rich, I can eat all week)

Repay last night transportation           $1.00

Police and Barclays                             $1.00

To Neema Church                               $2.00

From Neema Church                          $2.00

Materials for Friday teaching             $1.90

Potatoes                                              $0.30              

Balance                                                           $0.00

Okay so I wasn’t as rich as I thought, but we were able to cover the added cost of ministry transportation today without any discomfort and purchase the perishable goods needed for our program Friday which would have forced me to walk about 6 km one way, praise God!

Today I reflect on the gift of work once again, I realize how thankful I am that I could “reset” today. After all that happened with the theft, I was theoretically able to go back to work and earn my $3.10 for the next day and basically remain in an unchanged state. So many of God’s people don’t know from one day to the next if work will be there. They cannot simply reset. They must ask the Lord to wake up the next day and find the work is available for pay. And how many times can they wake up and find no work, and not begin to wonder where God is?