What do you do when a poor kid hands you food?

What do you do when a poor kid hands you food?  Specifically, what do you do when this poor kid, Iago, hands you food?

Let me back up.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to go on a missions trip to Brazil.  It was a life changing experience.  We worked in a favela (slum/squatter village) called Jaragua on the edge of the city of Bauru.  For a week we spent all daylight hours playing with the children of prostitutes and drug dealers.  We ran around the dirt streets, gave piggy-back rides, and just spent time with the kids.

One of the most amazing experiences for me happened on the second to last day.  All week we had been giving out food whether bread rolls, gummy vitamins, or snacks.

On this second to last day I was sitting down between games of tag when Iago came over.  He proudly showed me the snack bag he had just been given, sat down in my lap, and began to eat.

And then he offered me a piece. . . 

You have to understand a couple things.  

1.  I studied microbiology in college, I know too much about diseases.

2.  Iago was not hungry.  Not hungry enough to even think about sharing his food.  These kids never get enough food.  After a week of our giving out food this child is full, full for the first time in who knows how long?

3.  For this first time in who knows how long Iago has the opportunity to give something to someone else.  For once his circumstances did not require Iago think only of himself.

So what do you do when Iago offers you food with his dirty favela hand?

You reach out with your dirty favela hand and you eat the gift he just offered you.  And you praise Jesus for the work He is doing in that moment which you are privileged to be a part of. 

Sure you say a little prayer asking God to kill the bacteria and inactivate any viruses, but mostly you thank God.

It makes you wonder if we really believe it is better to give than to receive?  If so then at times we should gratefully give others the opportunity.  

It is so easy in the face of such extreme poverty to think I am here only to give, to serve, to provide for these children and these people.  But there can be pride in thinking I have everything to give and others have nothing to offer me.  They are people too with plenty to offer others.  My focus should be less on what I can give and more on how to truly love and serve these children, whether giving or receiving.  It can be a hard balance at times, but my goal should be on what best serves them not on what best serves my feelings to serves.  As many people prepare to go on short term missions trips may we keep these ideas in mind.