Money

A friend stopped by today and asked for $120. Asking for a loan, but you are never quite sure. This sort of request is frequent. Sure you get the constant beggars on the street asking for a couple of cents. But you also get the acquaintances and friends asking for 1, 2, 3 hundred dollars. First its a culture of asking. Doesn't hurt to ask. And it is a poor country of course. Some good, honest hard working people cannot earn what they need at times. They don't go to bank, but to each other, or to us. The needs are sicknesses, weddings, house repairs, death, etc. Joe and I do have a policy to talk and pray together before we give. We usually don't give immediately. You learn too that when people need $2 they will ask for $5. Thus, we don't feel we need to give the full amount. Sometimes we say yes, and sometimes we say some, and sometimes no. Back home where we don't ask, we also aren't used to being asked. Its not easy to say no to a friend, especially if you feel like you must do it out of principle.