43 Cents

An excerpt from Do You Believe…43 Cents Makes a Missions Impact?
By Kenneth Hopson, Uganda
October–December 2011

I was driving in Kampala, Uganda, when I stopped at a red light (one of six in a city of 3 million people). The usual street vendors came to my window trying to sell me various items, and the normal beggars we often see at that corner also gathered. Some of these beggars have real physical and mental needs while some of them are just professional beggars.

On this particular day, a new beggar came to my window. He said something in Swahili, a language I know but don’t often hear in Kampala. So he was shocked when I responded in his language.

I knew I had a 2,000 shilling bill in my pocket and wanted to give these two beggars each 1,000 shillings, but I feared if I gave the Swahili man the 2,000 shilling bill, he would keep it all and not share with the mute boy. So I asked the Swahili man if I could trust him to share half of a gift with the mute boy if I gave him 2,000 shillings.

While I was having this conversation, the mute boy got very excited and made grunting noises while hopping up and down. I saw that he was holding two coins of 500 shillings each in his open palm. He had understood my question to the Swahili man about sharing and was trying to tell me to take the 1,000 shillings from him, give it to the Swahili man, and then give him the 2,000 shilling bill. I took the two coins and gave them to the Swahili man and gave the 2,000 shilling bill to the mute boy. Problem solved!

Well, you would have thought they both had just won the lottery!

Look at the needs around you and give freely in Jesus’ name so that He will be given glory and so that someone might feel jubilation like the Swahili man and the mute boy. Let’s make a difference in God’s kingdom.