Day 300: The Refugee Camp

It is easy in life to forget how blessed we really our. Despite recession and financial hardships in our current economy, as Americans, we generally have enough money to feed our families, live in nice homes, drive around in cars, and go on an occasional vacation. Being here in Afghanistan has reminded me that many of the things I consider essentials (electricity, plumbing, health care, a roof over my head, etc.) are luxuries to a large percentage of the people of the world. It is so easy to get focused on ourselves and our financial concerns that we forget how little some of our brothers and sisters across the world have.

Yesterday, I was reminded again of this as I went out on humanitarian assistance mission to an outlying Herati village. These poor people were living in a “refugee camp” after being displaced from their homes in the north due to conflict and war. Our mission was to deliver some flour, rice, clothes, coal and stoves to these poor people. My job on this mission was to scout out the site for a potential medical assistance project in the future.

As we pulled up to this mud-hut village and watched the people flock towards us, I was humbled by seeing them and the conditions in which they live. They were obviously poor. Some had shoes...some didn’t. Many of their clothes seemed worn. Most were thin. Some of the older people were hunched over and seemed to be just barely limping along--I can only imagine the years of hardship they have endured. I didn’t see even one person walk out listening to their new iPod or talking on their Blackberry. None of them were driving BMW’s, or any car for that that matter. I did see a few bicycles.

Despite their obvious poverty, I was touched by their seeming happiness. I watched kids running around playing...oblivious to the fact that they didn’t have a Wii waiting for them back home. People smiled. They seemed grateful for the assistance they were being given.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a few of the “luxuries” of life--I have more than my fair share of them. However, I think it is important to remember and help those who haven’t been blessed to the same extent that we have. I am grateful to so many of you for the donations and support you gave this past winter for our “Afghanistan service project.” Your donations will help people like this enjoy a little more dignity, will help them stay warm, and will help their children to gain an education.

Life is much more than the possessions we acquire in this life. It is about learning, growing, and loving others. Some will be rich in this life...some will be poor. It matters less what we have, then what we do with what we have been blessed with--whether that be a little or a lot. I am grateful for days like yesterday that remind me of these important truths.