There was a little boy in Kenya. His family was very poor. His parents, both his mother and his father, had been gone a long time. They were both sick at different times but they both died. Now the little boy named Asman lived with his grandfather in a small mud hut. His grandfather, his father’s father, did his best to take care of Asman, but he was sick, too, and very old. Soon, his grandfather was gone and Asman was left to himself.

 But first, God had sent some people to visit Kenya and one woman had seen Asman. God spoke to her about him and her heart went out to him in love and concern. She went back to America and asked another woman to please provide for Asman with her money that she worked for. That was me, Stephanie, and I said I would give Asman her hard earned money by purchasing supplies for him.

My friends in Kenya went around looking for other relatives for Asman. They talked with Asman’s uncle, a very young man and quite poor himself. “Would you be willing to keep Asman at your home? We will give you supplies each month to help you!”

Asman’s uncle worked at a factory for only $26 a month, but he was very thankful for the job in a land where very few people could find work. He tried to keep up his garden by his mud hut. It was his main way of eating. With no electricity and no car, he managed to get enough food to eat and enough seeds or equipment to farm his garden. He worked very hard.

One day, another woman from America wanted to get some goats. “Does anyone need goats?” she asked me. “I know some very poor children who could use a goat!” I said and I told her about Asman. That woman was Mrs. Jerilyn JOYner and she wanted to give some goats in the names of some beloved children:  Sam, Luke, Sarah and Noah. She wanted those children to have the same joy of giving that she has had. She wanted them to feel the happiness as she sent supplies to some other children in Kenya, named Benjamin and Trophosa.

Because God has blessed Jerilyn JOYner to live in the USA and to have more than she absolutely needs—she is able to give to another child who is desperately needy. In this way, her abundance makes up for the one who is going without—but together, God has taken care of all of us! So I knew that Asman could use a goat and I was happy that Mrs. Jerilyn had considered the poor children in her heart. She was giving to JESUS!

Matthew 25: Jesus told a story showing us how God wants us to treat others in need. Later he will say to us in heaven,

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹   When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Jesus shows us that when we give to others WE ARE GIVING TO GOD! We can give to HIM by giving to those in need! And He appreciates our giving because He has planned to use us to care for the ones who pray to Him, “Please, Lord, send me some food. I am hungry and there is no food here.”

Jesus also told us, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”This is a promise letting you know that God will take care of you when you are sure to take care of the poor. You can find it in the Holy Bible, God’s special Word to us, in the Book of Luke. Chapter 6 shows Jesus speaking this promise.

With a new Goat, Asman will have milk to drink and the goat will be able to eat every day by chewing on the plants near their home. Asman will go get the goat water every day from the stream nearby. And when the goat goes poop, Asman’s uncle shows him how to use that poop for fertilizer to make their garden grow. The goat is a wonderful gift, a joy and a friend, for Asman!

And that is not all! Mrs. JOYner purchased TWO goats!

There is a little girl, who also has no parents, and she will get a goat, too!  Her name is Yvonne and she has a terrible sickness that her parents died from. She is taking special medicines that people have given to the poor people to help them feel better and live longer so they will not die quickly from their disease. She lives with a very poor Aunt in a tiny little mud hut, like Asman lives in.

God has given Yvonne a very cheery and happy personality. She is such a delight to be around! Her smile lights up your heart when you see her. She is very thankful for every little tiny gift. She will be very happy with her new goat. Like Asman, she can have milk and she can have fertilizer for a garden nearby. Maybe she can sell the fertilizer to her neighbors! The gift will mean so much to her and if she learns how to raise goats, she may have a way to earn money when she grows up.

In this way, God is glorified. When we use our hard earned money to share with someone who is unable to provide for themselves and just relies upon God to care for them. We become the hands of God to that person. When we give them some of what we worked for, then they are so thankful and in their hearts and in their prayers at night, they thank God for supplying them. He is pleased. He loves all His creation and He takes care of everyone. We get the JOY of working with Him.

He will use the willing heart. He has 1000 ways to help the needy, but let us tell Him that we are available! And we will use the strength He gives us to share with others who do not have as much.

In this way, we change the world into a more beautiful place and we become more like Jesus when we let Him work through us with His perfect, loving God heart.

God bless you, children! For the Lord has called you to Him! When you hear Him call your name, be sure and go to Him and give Him your life. It is a great joy to be living for the King of the Universe!