During our "winter" month of July, where temperatures got down to the low 70's and the high's in the mid 80's, Nicholas' worked for 15 hours a week at a mechanic shop. This was during the school break. The purpose was for Nicholas to learn responsibility (getting up and going to work during the three days a week that he set up to go), work ethic (honest and hard work), and financial responsibility (learning that a man must work to take care of his family and how to administer the money received from working).
He received money from Reinaldo, his mentor, the first week. After that week Monica and I paid him for a week's work. I did not tell Nicholas that he was going to receive money for working. Monica and I had decided to pay him 15 reals (the Brazilian money) per week, but we did not tell him. At the end of the month he would finish working and begin asking for his "salary." After receiving it, he had to divide it up into giving, saving and spending.
He said he did not learn anything. He said all he did everyday was loosen and tighten nuts and bolts. But he did take brake pads off, change a tire, help put an engine in and take one out, take a hood off of a pick-up truck, pump the brakes to bleed them, etc...
I saw that he has a different perspective when hearing the word "work". He seems more ready to serve and help without complaining. He did not complain much before anyways now it is even less. As we were going down the road one day, he saw someone with a wrench in his hand, and he said, "Look, that is a 18 mm wrench!" He grew while only working 15 hours a week for four weeks. He is 14 years old and will be leaving home in about four years. It is time to start putting into practice what we have been teaching him these 14 years.
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