Our neighbor Celio asked us for help replacing his roof. The original clay tiles had been damaged by the wind, and his family wasn’t looking forward to another leaky rainy season. Celio wanted to replace the clay tiles with sheet metal, but he couldn’t afford it. He’d asked the local government for assistance, but nothing resulted of it. Even trying to get a loan was out of the question, because Celio didn’t think he’d be able to pay it off. Like many people, he basically lives hand to mouth.
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
Proverbs 19:17
and he will repay him for his deed.
Some people at our church back in the States took up a collection and were able to cover the cost of the sheet metal, which came in at less than 400 USD (to replace the entire roof). Celio and his father-in-law did the actual labor. This whole affair gave us the opportunity to speak with Celio and his family about the goodness of God and to try and develop more of a relationship with them. Hopefully a seed has been planted, and we’ll continue trying to nurture it. Thanks again to those who donated. We know you merely view it as showing the same kind of mercy that Christ showed us, but it meant everything to Celio and his family.
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