How would you respond to the following questions/scenarios:
You hire someone to paint your building/home. They show up late on the day they are to start painting and then proceed to tell you they need to go into town to purchase paint and tools (paintbrushes, cleaner, etc.)…and they need money to purchase those items.
You hire a guy to finish digging a well. You’ve talked about what needs to be done a week prior. The night before he is to start you receive a message, he needs money in order to sharpen his tools, otherwise he can’t come.
You pay someone monthly for water (and you assume you will get said water, good assumption but not one you should have while living in Kenya!). When a part breaks on the pump he says he doesn’t have the money to fix it and eludes to the idea of you paying for it.
Yes these are real situations we have been/are faced with. Living in Kenya you must learn how to work with people of this culture. Yes we still love them but we have had to show tough love….not paying anymore money until the job is completed, telling them to come to the job prepared, not paying for their problem just because they haven’t budgeted their money correctly. I would love to tell some of them to go jump in a lake, but then what? You have to go through the entire negotiation process all over again, fighting the “white” mentality of we ALWAYS have more than enough money so sure I can cheat you, what’s the issue? We’ve even had people use the money we’ve paid them for a job on other jobs, then come to us and say they don’t have enough to finish OUR job!?
It’s certainly a delicate balance between helping and loving someone and teaching a good work ethic. I’m not saying I am perfect in this area but I would love to be treated in a kind, honest and fair manner instead of continually wondering “am I being taken advantage of?” or “when are they going to cheat me?”
Plus, I guess doing is better than just saying, so as long as we treat others in a kind, honest and fair manner perhaps others will begin to treat us in the same way. I’m not holding my breath nor making that a condition of my helping, but simply asking the Holy Spirit to help me while working with others.