Striving to Get Ahead with Limited Resources

The amount of money we make and the goals we have to get ahead, I have found to all be relative to our individual situations and circumstances.

Innocent for example wants desperately to send money home to his family in Africa.  His desire is to send $500.00 per month.  This is to help his wife and to provide money for his children to go to school.  He also however, needs to take care of his own circumstances here as well. 

The job Innocent had with the landscaping company was to make that happen.  However, the work was inconsistent and did not pay what was presented.  On his own he got a job with Convergys paying $13.00 per hour.  He was encouraged and hopeful.  With having a steady work schedule during the day he then could find a part time job in the evenings.  He found a job at the airport cleaning offices for a janitorial company on the grave yard shift for $10.00 per hour.  All was good and thought he meet his goals.  At Convergys he soon realized that his computer skills were preventing him from succeeding during training and was let go.

Now he is stuck with the airport job, working grave yard, working on Sundays and not able to attend church with the block schedule beginning at 9:00 am. 

When he can he still sends money home to his family but in doing so he gets himself in a situation where he needs help from the Bishop.  I have to admire him for trying so hard.  I think that many of these immigrants and refugees think the USA is paved in gold and money is easy to come by.  They come to realize that it requires a lot to just survive.  For example, Innocent was given a car by another refugee friend.  Well he now realizes he needs insurance and the car needs repairs.  Rent is $700.00 per month plus utilities.  It is expensive, in his situation, to maintain his work status.  He had to renew his work card, drivers license, etc.  He did not have the money so Bishop Krueger helped with that.  His car needed new tires and on his own he found some for over $300.00.  I told him I could help him find tires at a better price.  I negotiated 4 new tires with Big O Tires in downtown SLC for just over $200.00.  He paid that himself.  He was sad because his family did not get money last month. 

The need for new tires is a story in itself.  Innocent was driving home and both tires on the driver side went flat.  He did not know what to do so he kept driving home.  When he arrived he noticed that both tires were ripped and torn, barely on the rims.  He called me for help.  I found him the deal at Big O Tires.  So one Saturday morning I helped him take the two rims off, put them in my truck and took them to Big O Tires.  They mounted two new tires.  We went back, put them on, then drove his car back to Big O to have the others replaced and mounted. 

Innocent is trying to be self reliant. I truly admire him.  In Africa his highest wage he earned was $1200 per month.  That was good money.  In USA $1200 per month does not make ends meet.

We are coming to realize the biggest service we can offer is to set a good example by mentoring and providing hope.  That is what the Savior did during his ministry.  Mentored, Loved, and provided Hope.