A New Set of Tools

Moved by mercy from thief to mechanic

Something about Rajab made him stand out among the orphans in his Ugandan village. Maybe it was his eyes. They were bright and inquisitive, constantly darting around the crowd. He always seemed to be watching, listening, paying attention.  

Rajab was a known thief.  Abandoned by his family and left to the streets, thievery was a survival skill. On a short term trip to Uganda a CLC member noticed his talent at putting together little toys and gadgets made from scraps he found in the trash. He offered to sponsor Rajab for vocational training to see if he could learn a trade.

First, however, Rajab had to learn basic social skills, like using utensils to eat and sleeping on a mattress instead of the ground. It took many attempts to convince Rajab to change.  When Pastor Moses suggested motorbike repair as his vocational training, Rajab at last found the motivation to start on a new path.

Thanks to the help of Covenant Mercies, Rajab is now trained and certified as a motorbike repairman. He has a new tool kit, which is a point of great pride for him and a symbol of his new direction in life.

Rajab is growing spiritually and is involved in his church. Because of the time and interest poured into him, he has found respect and purpose in a new life.

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.”  (Matthew 18:12)