The Charitable Cobbler

In the mission I walked more on those streets in Brazil then I had anywhere else in my life. I knew I would be too so I left with 2 very strong pairs of shoes hoping that they would last. I wore my first pair and they lasted the entire first year. I figured at the rate I was going I would be able to finish out the last year of my mission on my last pair of shoes. Well the second pair wasn't quite as strong because about the last 2 months of my mission they started to fall apart and day by day they would get worse and worse. I kept telling myself I would be able to finish out in them and grind it out. Well I was down to just a few weeks before coming home and the rain season had hit. I would be out walking trying to strategically walk through the streets and sidewalks without walking in the water because of all the holes that had developed in my shoes. Eventually it got to the point I developed "Trench Foot" from all the water that had gotten into my shoes and contaminated my feet. I finally accepted losing and admitted it was time I buy some new shoes to wear for the last week so my feet condition didn't worsen. I then decided instead of buying more shoes (which would cost a lot) I would just try to cover them in super glue hoping that they would hold together the last little bit. We went to a corner market and we asked the owner if he thought the glue would hold the shoes together. He said that it would depend on how bad the condition of the shoes were. I slipped one of my foot exposing all the wear and tear and many holes in it and he couldn't believe it. He said the shoe was done for and no amount of glue would hold it together very long. He then paused and left to his humble home which was above his market and came down with a box. He handed it to me and told me to keep what was inside. I opened it up to see a nice clean pair of dress shoes much like the ones I was wearing only in much better condition. I was very speechless, the man wouldn't take no for an answer. I tried them on and they fit perfectly. I am very grateful to this day for the charity that the man showed me and made me want to pass it on. It is a very contagious feeling. I wore those shoes the rest of the week and every time I put them on it was a matter to treat other people well. I wore them home with pride the next week.