A man in the stake high council visited our ward this Sunday. He spoke about a recent business trip to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. I absolutely love this story and will do my best to remember everything he said:
Everyday young boys between the age of five and ten waited around business buildings and hotels where foreigners stayed to beg for spare change. Upon arrival, the councilman was warned not to give attention or money to these boys. The hotel owners did not want them to loiter in front of their businesses, potentially scaring customers away. Despite their warnings, the man kept his pockets full of small change to hand out to the boys. He was sympathetic because they seemed to be orphans taking care of themselves and each other.
He watched them everyday go about their usual schedules. He observed that their clothing was in shreds. Only owning a couple of shirts, the boys rotated them daily so a new boy had the opportunity to wear the shirt. Often, they would tie a piece of cloth around their right ankle as a fashion statement.
One day, the man was returning from work. He had neglected to bring spare change with him and was only carrying large bills. As predicted, he was approached by a boy who asked for money. The man told the boy, in his native language of arabic, that he did not have change. The poor in Sudan use the same word for change as money. The man wearing a suit and tie just told this boy that he did not have any money. Regretfully, he went inside the hotel.
After a couple hours, the man found himself once again leaving the hotel to run some errands. This time another boy approached him for money. Before the boy could finish, the other boy from before spoke to the second telling him to stop, this man did not have any money. The two boys walked away whispering. Naturally the high councilman was curious about what was being said so he paused. After a while, one of the boys ran back to the man and held out his hand with many coins.
The high councilman tearfully told us that this money they intended to give him was more than what they would make in a month.
"They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing."-Hindu proverb.
