A Motivated Mother

3 years old.  2 years old.  3 weeks old.  That was the ages of her children when this mother showed up at Darron’s office looking for work.  She had a 2 year degree for secretarial work.  Her husband worked away from home at a mine.  Taking hours on his motor cycle each weekend to travel back and forth.  Bringing home a pittance. 

Any mommy who is out looking for work with a newborn at home is desperate.  Let alone three children under the age of three.

Darron soon had a dilemma on his hand as he wanted to help her, but a more qualified secretary interviewed.  So we prayed.  Burdened for this needy little family.  Yet rather then just handing out goods and food to ease our conscience and temporarily fix a problem………  we prayed for a long term answer.

The answer came.

With hundreds of x-pat families living in Sentani.   With many of these families cooking familiar “home foods” from scratch.   With mommies getting overwhelmed and stressed out because “normal” foods can’t be bought.  Cooks are needed.

 

 

Would Sance like to train as a cook for our family and others?  Yes!!!!  This dear mommy said she would love too.  The beauty is then she is set for life with a skill.  She can pick and choose her hours, her clients, etc.  Increasing her flexibility, which is just what she needs as a Mom with such young children.

 

Sance  has worked for us for a little over 2 months.  She is super quick to learn.  I usually will show her a recipe once and then she has got it.  Already Sance knows how to make bread, tortilla’s, cinnamon rolls, oatmeal cookies, granola, gluten, pumpkin bread, banana bread, pumpkin bread rolls, bagels and pizza dough.  So for 2 half days a week, she comes to our home and makes 4 recipes each day.  I’m pleased, as the weekly grind of keeping granola made and tortilla’s for my gang of hearty eaters is time consuming.  Then it frees me to make or do other things that are not so routine.  At the same time it is very rewarding knowing that her little family is thriving better because of the income being provided.

My goal, is in time, Sance and I can train more Mom’s/women to learn this trade.  That they can be empowered and be able to live beyond the struggle and stress of not having near enough. 

 

Meanwhile, the Boyd boys grow and eat well.  Enjoying Sance’s food and mine…..because we are motivated Mom’s.  And I would like to pause and recognize two extraordinary women.  My Mom and my mother-in-law.  They did not have to struggle like Sance, but they both made many sacrifice in raising us.  Both chose to stay home and give up further education or a fulfilling career.  Both chose to love us and let go, despite our decisions that are painful to them.  Both have been tremendous about biting their tongues and staying out of our business (unless we ask for their council).  What a gift.  Both listen, pray, and listen some more.

I love the power that motivates a Mom.  It’s an incredible power.  I’m glad that I have both been the recipient of that, and the giver of that, and the observer of that in another culture.