lmost five years ago we met 14-year-old Doma, an irresistibly cheerful and friendly girl and a hard worker. Although she called the people she lived with Mom and Dad, they weren’t her actual parents. When she was young she was sent away from home to work. Every day at 5 A.M. she gets up, cleans the house and fixes breakfast for her host family. Her “mom and dad” allow her to go to school—quite a kindness really. After cleaning up breakfast she goes to class. She comes directly home from school and does more housework. Late at night when dinner is over and the housework is finished, she has a little time to herself to do homework. Many people would become discouraged under such a load, but not Doma.

We were impressed with Doma and wanted to help her in some way, but we didn’t want to do anything that might offend or shame her host family. So we kept watching for an opportunity.

Now Doma is a young woman of 19 and recently finished eleventh grade. Recently some problems at home forced her to find another place to live. Suddenly it looked like she wouldn’t be able to continue her education when she was so close to her last year of high school. Our opportunity had come!

Yesterday we went shopping for a new school uniform for Doma and discovered more of her virtues. “How much are the socks? What’s the price for this cloth?” I asked at different stores.

“The socks are 105 rupees,” and “The cloth will be 315 rupees,” the shopkeepers informed me. But Doma negotiated a discount. I saved more money shopping with Doma than if I had been shopping alone.

We pray for God’s blessing on Doma’s young life.