Result: Request for Money

OK, Here is how it went down.

The guy came back just after lunch - he was waiting for me outside of my shop when I got there. He had a backpack and was dressed well (relatively speaking). He came to me and we started talking. I asked him if he spoke with the doctor today that was going to call his son and he said that he couldn't find him in the hospital.

After a little questioning, I found that the guy lives fairly nearby and he says he knows the Director of the mission. He doesn't, however, know all the missionaries here. I asked questions and he gave answers. Just then the doctor's wife walked by and I asked if the good doctor was home. She said that he was not - he was in the hospital. I had him go talk to the doctor.

He found the doc and came back with a phone number for someone. He said that the doc said that he couldn't get through to his son (we had lots of rain last night - thank God, we need it!) and gave him a number to call (I don't know whose it was).

I sat on my bench stool and talked to him for a while as I thought about what to do. I asked more questions (where he goes to church, where he lives, etc...). I asked if anyone else here at the mission knew him and he said that someone did (he gave me a name) and the person works at the Mountain Made store here at the entrance to the mission.

He offered up that he would pay me back when his brother comes back from the Dominican Republic on May 25. That was a big trigger for me - that and that he knew someone that works here (and the Director).

I decided to give him the money as a loan (as long as he kept it a secret), but I had to get it from Mr. Kyrk's office. I also gave him enough money to travel to the hospital and back. I told him to meet me up at Mountain Made in about 15 mins. I got the money and walked up there to meet him. I had him introduce me to the person he knows and I simply shook his friend's hand and said "Hi" and "How are you?" - that's all I needed to make the connection for myself and the person he knows should he decide to not pay me back. It'll be someone to whom I can go to find him and talk if he doesn't pay. I then shook his hand as we left the building (to pass the money discretely) and we said our "good-bye"s.

Later this afternoon I saw the good doctor and asked him about the guy. He said that he gave him a number and that we may find out more tomorrow morning. I didn't tell the doc that I had already gave him the money. The guy said that he needed (and would) leave right away when he had the money because he had to be there tomorrow AM, so the doctor's information would be too late.

So...now I'll wait until the guy comes back to tell me about the surgery for his daughter or until May 25 (or shortly thereafter) to pay me back. I will be praying for him and his daughter throughout this time. I am hoping that the Lord will be pleased to make this into a big learning experience and that we all benefit from it (the guy and his family and I and my family). I am also praying that I have opportunities to share the Good News with him in any way that I can. I hope to see him again for more reasons than just get paid back.

I pray and hope that I did the right thing. I had put a lot of thought and prayer into it - and will continue to do so.

To be continued...