OH NO! The plates don't match

Yesterday we had John Mbu and the Elders over for dinner again. They are becoming part of the family now. As I was serving dinner I noticed that our plates do not match the soup bowls and that I really don't have enough glasses for everyone to have the same style glass. Oh No!.........O.K. so how petty has life become when we start worrying about whether or not the dishes match and heaven forbid if we don't have a center piece on the table? Reality really hit me last night when we found out that John had been evicted from his room at the place he has called home. He came back to his place with the Elders and his clothes and everything he owned were piled on the sidewalk. He and the man he shared a room with at this deplorable cockroach infested place were evicted for not paying rent. John and the rest of the residents in the place are all here without legal papers and really have no way of earning money because anyone hiring them could be fined and required to pay for a ticket to send the illegal worker back to his home country. (Some work "Black" hoping not to be found out). Most of them are afraid to go outside for fear of being "picked up". The whole place holds dozens of people and they all share one kitchen. Now John is planning on crashing on the floor of that kitchen until he can find another place to live. We have been told by the Mission Pres. that in no way are we to give them money, but it is difficult to watch people you care about struggling. I try to fill his stomach and send food home with him but that seems like such a small thing to do. Each Elder as he leaves for another city will leave clothes and shoes for him and several other men in the same situation.

After dinner we met with a young woman who's life is falling apart. She has an Autistic 20 year old son, an 18 year old daughter who lives with a 42 year old man, a six year old little girl and a three year old little boy who is probably also autistic. She has health problems caused by a tick bite years ago and receives assistance from the state. She has no help from the two ex-husbands/fathers of the children...... So why am I telling you all of this? I could actually tell you about a dozen more stories along the same line but am sparing you those details. I am hoping that all of us will remember the important things in our lives and not those trivial things that consume our time and energy. I am so grateful for the life I and my children have had. We have never been without food or a roof over our heads, we have had more than we have really needed to make our life very comfortable. I have been blessed with a husband who has been more than willing to work hard to give us all the necessary things in our lives as well as the comforts and luxuries we think are so important. I have always felt the love of my family and friends around me and have never felt alone, not just because of the loved ones in my life but because I know beyond a doubt that I have a Heavenly Father who cares for me, watches over me and loves me enough to bless me and to also place in my path those trials and challenges I have needed in life to help me grow.

There will always be people around us who will need our help and we must help them when we can and pray for them continually. Hopefully we can learn from them and learn to appreciate all those things that truly are important in this journey here on earth.