CABBIE RETURNS $300,000

FOUND IN TAXI, WANTED TO

“DO THE RIGHT THING”
By Richard N. Velotta
 Talk about a Christmas miracle. A Las Vegas cab driver who
found $300,000-$100 bills in six $50,000 bundles-in a brown paper
bag in the back seat of his taxi returned the money to the owner, a
gambler who had won big at the Cosmopolitan.
Yellow Checker Star named cabbie Gerardo Gamboa its Driver
of the Year, rewarding him with $1,000 and a dinner for two at an
exclusive restaurant. Gamboa may still get a reward from the
unidentified gambler.
Gamboa picked up the player Monday morning at the
Cosmopolitan and took him to Palms Place, where the passenger
gave him a $5 tip.
Gamboa's next stop was the Bellagio, where a doorman
removed the bag from the back seat of the car and put it on the
front passenger seat, surmising it was chocolate left behind by a
previous rider.
 When Gamboa stopped at a traffic light after picking
up his next passenger, he peeked inside the bag and
discovered the money.

"I told my passenger, 'You are my witness on this, and

then I immediately called my dispatcher," Gamboa said.
Once the cash was secured at the taxi company office,
it was tracked to the owner through Cosmopolitan records.
The man arrived at the office in sweats and a T-shirt to
reclaim his money, but he did not have any identification.

YCS officials took another few hours conferring with

the Cosmopolitan and Metro Police to make sure they
were handing the money over to the right person.
 "He was really polite about it and waited patiently,"
said Bill Shranko, a YCS manager. "He said he would do
whatever was necessary." Once his identity was verified. YCS
turned the cash over to the player, who asked to see
Gamboa to shake his hand. He told Gamboa he planned to
reward him and got his contact information.

"If he does not give me anything, that is okay," Gamboa

said. "I am not waiting for any kind of return. I just wanted
to do the right thing and I appreciate what the company did
for me.“

Gamboa, a humble and religious man who has worked

for YCS for 13 years, has now become a media star, fielding
interview requests from Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York
about the unusual find.
1.What can you say about the attitude of the
taxi/cabbie driver?
2. Did he do the "right thing"?
3.What prompted him to return the money?
4. What did he mean when he said, "I just wanted
to do the right thing“?
5.If you were in the shoes of the taxi driver, would
you also do what he did? Explain.
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:1-11
 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the
mountain. He sat down and His disciples gathered around
Him. Then He spoke and began to teach them:
"Fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.
Fortunate are those who mourn; they shall be
comforted.
Fortunate are the gentle; they shall possess the land.
Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they shall be satisfied.
Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy.
 Fortunate are those with pure hearts, for they shall
see God.
Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be
called children of God.
Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of
righteous, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fortunate are you when people insult you and persecute
you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are
my followers. Be glad and joyful for a great reward is kept for
you in God. For that is how this people persecuted the
prophets who lived before you."
1. What are the Beatitudes?

2. Who taught the Beatitudes?

3. Why are the Beatitudes important in our life?

 CONCLUSION

All the beatitudes that Jesus gave us were simple statements

that can guide us to living a good life that will bring us to God's
kingdom. When we follow all the beatitudes, we are living in the
way that Jesus and God want us to live and we will get to know
them in heaven. The importance of them are simple, yet lead us to
where we want to end up. Everyday, we may not know it, but we
may follow the beatitudes, and with just that, we're a step closer to
God. The beatitudes are simple, but some people choose to go in
the opposite direction of God and Jesus and may end up in a place
without any contact from God.
- THANK YOU -