PAY IT FORWARD

Sorry I have been so slow to update our blog.  My mom died a couple of weeks ago.  I decided after much thought not to go home for her funeral - but my children "skyped" me in.  It was a very interesting experience - I feel so blessed to live in a day that this is possible - felt almost like we were really there.  My sisters and brother did a fantastic job with the funeral and I am so grateful to them and to my kids for helping out where ever they could in my absence.  So that is why I got a bit behind.  We just got back from Madagascar - that will be the focus of the next blog - but I wanted to tell you about something that just happened here in South Africa.

Some of you may have read about when we went to the orphanage here in a township in Dipsloot.  When we were there we met a man named "Golden."  He is a member of the church and spends most of his days walking around in the extremely poor area where he lives - lending a helping hand to anyone and everyone he can.  He is married with one child and is a very warm and generous man.  He also does some free lance photo journalism.  He recently had an article published in the New York Times about the "monkey court" system of justice in the townships.  The people take it on themselves to be judge, juror and executioner.  In the article it stated "Golden is a devout mormon.....etc."  To make a long and wonderful story short - someone in Los Angeles saw the story and contacted him - they told him they wanted to do something for him.  He and his wife had been praying that some way they would be able to get out of the area they lived before their son grew much older.  Well, Heavenly Father must have been listening that day.  The anonymous caller told him to go find a house where he would like to live.  Of course everyone thought it must be a hoax.  But two weeks later this reader from Los Angeles, California, sent $35,000.00 and bought Golden and his family a house!  They moved in last week!  Generations yet unborn will be blessed by this man's incredible kindness. And Golden is one of the lucky ones who's goodness is rewarded in this life.