Overwhelmed by their generosity yet again

 

The Taita people grew fruit and vegetables on steep terraced hillsides, but the previous year’s scanty rainfall caused crops to fail and the people suffered terribly.

 

We were deeply touched because our host family, the Mwakodis, despite their poverty, were so generous with us.

 

Dave’s job during those three weeks was to check on our fellow orientees throughout the Taita Hills so, while we were out and about, we usually stopped at a marketplace and bought food to bring home to the Mwakodis.

 

But that was awkward—we sensed they thought we didn’t like their food, despite our assurances that we found Mama’s meals tasty.

 

When they saw Dave and me climb out of The Pearl

with food or supplies—papayas, bananas, dried beans,

cabbage, lard, paraffin (kerosene) for their lamp,

and sometimes meat—

would it be natural for them to conclude

we didn’t like their food?

 

We bought those supplies not because we didn’t like their food, but because we wanted to help feed two extra people during a year of crop failure.

 

One day Bwana asked what people eat in America. We thought he simply wanted to learn about our homeland, so we named some foods, only to discover later that he and Mama thought they needed to buy those foods for us.

 

Those dear folks nearly broke our hearts.

They had almost no money, yet they bought food for us

that they would never—could never—buy for themselves.

 

It seemed so wrong, so unnecessary: They had only pennies to live on, yet they spent it on special food for us.

 

Overwhelmed by their generosity yet again, I wanted to weep. (From Grandma’s Letters from Africa, Chapter 3.)

 

What a vivid example they were of showing hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2, Romans 12:13).  

 

Jesus said “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your home. . . .

 

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality?’ . . .

 

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it unto the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” (Matthew 25:35-40)