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JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
or 952.926.0896
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[Back to Paul's Platform main selection page]
November 1999
“The Heart
of Thankfulness”
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While I’ll limit the number of references to my trip to Africa, one particular memory fits nicely into the biggest national holiday this month as well as a character trait we try to reinforce in JUGHEADS: thankfulness. During our 8-day August stay in the remote township of Mugumu, Tanzania, Wendy and I experienced a disproportionate level of generosity. With the average per capita income level equivalent to $200 a year, a person is considered well-off if they earn more than a dollar a day.
One such prosperous businessman we met is Erojuis Kamzora. Mr. Kamzora is a carpenter by trade and often performs tasks for my brother. While walking through town one afternoon, Jim introduced me to Erojuis. The next day while attending my brother’s church (with services entirely in Swahili), someone donated an egg to the offering, presumably because they had no money. The church’s custom is that such non-monetary items are auctioned off after the service to raise money for the ministry. While this was all “Greek” to me, my brother leaned over and whispered, “That guy is bidding for you.” Well, Erojuis won, and joyfully presented me with my egg of honor. The competitive bidding inflated the egg to a whopping $3.00--expensive even for our standards, yet at least a day’s wage for the generous carpenter.
Why did he do it? To honor a rare guest to his community of birth, and through me, to honor my brother. However, while my first reaction was “That’s a day’s wage,” that really wasn’t on Erojuis’s mind. Relationships come first. Needless to say, I was both humbled and thankful for his generous and honoring gift. It truly was “the thought that counts.” I try to use this example when seeking thankfulness for the relational blessings in my life: specifically, that I can’t judge a gift--or a smile--or a hug--or advice--by surface value only. The heart of the giver is what makes me most thankful.