Divine Design Amidst Mud and Thatch
In that other life (in the U.S.) Connie used to watch a show on the Home and Garden TV channel called Divine Design. In that show, Canadian Design star Candace Olsen and her crew transform ordinary and old kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and basements into gleaming, modern, sumptuous, inviting places. It probably costs a small fortune to have Candace come and “re-design” anything, but it’s fun to watch.
In vain has David surfed and re-surfed all the channels we get on our Colombian cable network in hopes of finding the Divine Design show for his wife to watch, just for fun. Just for a change.
Okay, hold that thought.
Jose Maria is one of our loan recipients in Sahagún. We have mentioned him before: he runs a small restaurant in that town. Now, we’re not sure what you think when we say “small restaurant…” It sort of functions as a Seven Eleven would in the U.S.—with fast food plus everyday basic supplies for the local populace (especially nice cold drinks and candy), but it’s probably the size of the bathroom in the Seven Eleven near you. And it’s not exactly the same style…picture an adobe construction with a wide, open window through which all business is transacted. The ceiling is thatch or corrugated tin, and the floor is solid dirt. The back of the restaurant flows right into Jose Maria’s house.
David was checking in on Jose Maria recently, since he has done well and is applying for a second loan. Imagine David’s shock when on the small TV in the corner he saw, not the soccer play off games everyone else was watching, but of all things, Candace Olsen (suddenly fluent in Spanish) in Divine Design. He was speechless for an entire minute, the irony was so overwhelming…
Imagine Candace Olsen and her “posh” fabrics and gleaming fixtures in the midst of a dirt floor and thatch roof….and Connie nowhere around to see it!
Pero Hermano!
Among Evangelicals in Latin America the terms hermano (brother) and hermana (sister) are commonly used to emphasize the special relationship between those in the family of faith. Sometimes they are used instead of a title, such as “Mr.” or “Mrs.” too, so that “Hermano David,” and “Hermana Coni” can signal both dignity and familial claim at the same time.
But David has learned to be a bit wary of the appellation at times…especially when a loan recipient comes in at payment time and begins the conversation with “Pero Hermano…” and a story of why he or she cannot make the loan payment.
Often such a conversation begins with a desire to “pray together, hermano, and then discuss payment issues.” David has learned over the years to kindly but firmly counter such manipulative measures with the statement: “Okay, first you pay, then we’ll pray together.”
On some occasions David has had such an encounter, listened to a whole sad recital of all the reasons why the loan cannot be paid, and has insisted that the loan, indeed, be paid, only to have the person pull the money out of their pocket with a sheepish grin.
Just testing!
Insisting that loan clients pay, on time, is a needed element in discipleship training: integrity and responsibility are important. This can be preached in church, but is best taught in real life, in business. It is a paradoxically merciful kind of teaching, actually, for only by becoming truly responsible and honest will these poorer brothers not only grow spiritually, but break the vicious cycle of poverty and corruption that holds so many in thrall.
Giving in to “Pero, Hermano…” might seem kind in the short run, but in the long run only perpetuates dependence and irresponsibility. “Pay up, brother, then we’ll pray!” teaches the dignity by which the familial relationship should be characterized. Brothers and sisters, after all, should take after their parents.
Riding Shotgun
David cashed a check for a large amount of money in a bank recently: it was for a bunch of approved loans in various towns. He learned, then, that if a bank client takes out more than $500 US at a time, the bank will provide an armed guard to accompany the client—safely—to their destination. Thus it came about that on a sunny afternoon he drove from the bank to his office with a Colombian security agent sitting in the passenger seat with his machine gun ready on his lap.
Now if only we could get that service as loans are carried to all the little towns and businesses…
