Many hopes

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Hello friends and family,
It is hard to explain why living here has been so powerful for Susie and me. One has to experience this culture to begin to understand how it affects you and broadens your perspective.
Here's a vignette
There is a 24 yr old who washes our car. His name is Kevin and he is earnest and has a work ethic rarely seen to be honest. He zealously washes our car with gusto and spends hours cleaning the inside and outside
After I returned from my recent trip to USA., I gave him a ride home from the car wash area.He lives in an abandoned steel drum (yes, an abandoned steel drum)
He said recently that people had noticed his work ethic and told him if he had a drivers license, they could employ him as a driver which would be a huge step up for him economically. Currently he is at the whim of the weather and the desire for people to have their car washed. The average pay for a big 4 wheel car like mine is 2 dollars. Needless to say, I pay him more! 
I took him the other day to a driving school to sign him up. Susie still has a tutee in Washington she works with by Skype.
She earns a bit of extra cash. She said the other day she would like to use that money to pay for Kevin's driving lessons..
To say this gesture will be life changing for Kevin is not an understatement!
He literally bounced into the driving school's office.When he was registered and I returned him to the car wash, and I extended my hand for a handshake, he grabbed my hand, shook it vigorously and then leaned over and kissed my hand. It was a sort of an embarrassing moment for both of us (don't think Godfather or the Pope).He was just beside himself with gratitude.
Needless to say my eyes brimmed with tears and after an awkward moment we parted.
I have loved my 30 years plus working with children and families in the US but I don't think anything compares with the feeling that comes with providing a simple but life changing opportunity for another human being as providing driving lessons was for Kevin.
Many Hopes has a wealth of meaning! this is but 
one example.

Comments

  1. Dr. Wycliff Ombati5 July 2017 at 07:35

    A hand that giveth receiveth. May the good Lord bless you forever. The hands of whoever brought you up should be preserved in a song

    ReplyDelete
  2. Craig8 July 2017 at 06:24

    I kind of feel like this is what it is all about. Teachers don't stop teaching/facilitating just because someone is out of their usual age/grade expectation. Teaching is a life not moment within a room.

    ReplyDelete

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