A great story from the Baja

I am always amazed at how we get so distracted in a world of so much material prosperity. We often feel that we have very little to offer because we are not "wealthy". I received this email update from Don & Lorraine Karsgaard, Missionaries in Loreto, Baja California Sur, with Mexican Medical Ministries. They tell a fascinating story about how $520 makes an incredible difference in the lives of a lot of people. I was also challenged by the generosity of "Magdalena", who in spite of having next to nothing, was willing to share. This is a story that needs to be told...

$520 = MANY BLESSINGS: One of those who came to Mexico on one of our teams wanted to help one of the poor families here in Loreto that he had gotten to know. (Magdalena is a young single Mom with 4 children.) Our friend wanted to help them with $10 per week for a year, so he gave us $520. We discussed further the need and the project – let me summarize what was agreed and what has happened as a result of this gift of $10 per week: Magdalena would come to our home one day a week for a year, and help Lorraine with the cleaning of our house – that way Magdalene would responsibly receive some assistance (it would not just be an out-right gift), and Lorraine would also be blessed. So this gift of $520, would last for a whole year, and be a blessing to both Magdalena and Lorraine. Everyone is happy and blessed! And this gift has become an instrument of teaching and also been a ‘double’ blessing.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Magi’s house is a small (12x16) cardboard home. How she and her 4 children could live in that small, humble place is truly amazing… Well, the church was given some chairs, and Magi asked if she could have the boxes they came in – she wanted to build an addition to her home with the cardboard. We all thought how nice for Magi and her family! One problem existed though. Where would she get the money for the wood that would be needed for the framing of these cardboard walls? So we talked – I spoke and asked questions, and Magi spoke and asked questions -- and then Magi agreed, that because she is working at our home one day each week – could we pay her in advance for some of her work? (The donor had decided that rather than give $10 per week, he instead would give $520 and have us manage the weekly disbursement of it. Well because of this we were able to help Magi as described…) So we were able to quickly agree to the plan! On that same day a couple of weeks ago, the materials were purchased… and all the people from the church came over to clean up her home and her property, and then they built this addition for her. Today her house is twice the size you saw it to be. How wonderful!!! This gift was now a ‘triple’ blessing! But that’s not the end.

After it was all built, Magi said to Carmen – another young mother (age 19) in the church, who has 3 children and is pregnant with her fourth child. (Carmen has been living with a man, not her husband; and he has not been treating her very well, and now that she is pregnant wants little to do with her… And, Carmen has recently come to the Lord, and wants to serve the Lord, but is getting no encouragement from her man – just abuse…). Magi said to Carmen, “My house is twice the size it was and I would love to share my blessings with you. Would you maybe like to come and stay in our home for a while?” So young, pregnant Carmen and her three children went to spend a couple of weeks living with Magi. This gift was now a ‘quadruple’ blessing!

This last week, I asked Magi if we could help her build a bathroom for them – wouldn’t that be a blessing for them all? (We still have some of the $520, so I thought why not use it in a similar way for Magi.) So this gift is helping Magi and her family again!

Let's be willing to share what we have and watch God multiply the benefits all throughout His Kingdom.