Unintended Influences

PostFrom the One Church One Village Blog here

(Written by Aaron Ruud, manager at the cottages at Injisuthi.)

I am regularly taken aback by the unintended influence we have in other people’s lives. A recent example is our security guard. We hired a quiet, very shy, man in his 30’s from church who walks the grounds 12 hours a night, seven days a week. Recently he came in to be paid. We ask everyone to sign a receipt for their pay. I watched him painfully print his name in block letters. It took nearly a minute to accomplish the task.

Later I found out that just 3 days earlier Pastor Welcome had taught him to write his name, that he has probably never held a steady job, that his family has been telling him for years he will never amount to anything. Now he has a decent job, earning regular money, he is interacting more with the kids, his self esteem is rising and he wants to learn to read — so he can read his Bible.

I never intended for any of this to happen. All I wanted was for someone to protect my stuff at night.

Aaron Ruud