Apr
24
I just read a comment on the previous post reminding me how beautiful my house is in comparison to the vast majority of the world population's living situations. Boy is that the truth, and one I forget so quickly. Everyone in town keeps commenting on my great house. I want to scream, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" But I don't want to trade for the world.Monday night we had our worship service for the Christian Community. I was at my wit's end, but looking around, thought, "To whom here could I complain?" Houses are the least of their concerns. They're worried about how to pay for their son's heart operation, where they will find the money to get their power turned back on, what to do if they have to go another day without eating.
There are parts of the world a lot more impoverished than Puerto Supe. Parts of Peru, even. The poorest of Puerto Supe live in straw shacks, but in other parts of the world, even a straw shack is a luxury. There are people forced into poverty by circumstances and others, missionaries among them, who are choosing to follow the way of the cross, laying aside all their rights and possessions to serve and love the needy and unreached people in the world.
PS We're stoked about our hot shower.
While it may be true that your house is nicer than many parts of the world, and nicer than the peace corps house in Cameroon, that does not mean you should not have a nice house to live in. For starters, when someone joins the peace corp, they know they will be there for a limited time, and are prepared to rough it. But this does not make a good equation for living long term. You need to remember that you need to find a balance between modesty and confort. If a place is too uncomfortable, you will not make the distance. Don't be extravagant, but what you are doing now is very acceptable.
(P.S- thanks for visiting my In One Ear blog, but that is not my main blog about life in Siberia, the address is not public, but if you are interested send me an email.)