Hard to Adjust

First of all I think it was well known that I didn't want to come home. I dreaded the plane rides back. They are always the worst because I am coming off this high of a great trip and they are so long. As I was getting off my last flight, which landed in Cincinnati, I was in the aisle between two women talking. One was bragging that her boyfriend had bought her a Gucci watch. Already, I hadn't even stepped off the plane and was dealing with materialism. To go from one extreme to the other is so difficult. It is hard not to think about what that money could have been used for instead, to help children that are literally struggling to survive. I have seen it firsthand, and it is so real to me. I am just as guilty as anyone else though. Before my trips to India, I would hear that children were starving in other parts of the world and it would go in one ear and out the other. These are issues that people don't necessarily want to talk about. People don't like talking about pain, hurt, starvation, turmoil, etc. We are surrounded by it daily even here in America.

A question I keep coming back to is this: "Why was I so lucky to have been born in America?" I did nothing to deserve that. Out of the billions of people in the world, the U.S. has just over 300 million as a population. That is so minute compared to the entire world. I have been blessed with resources that many in the world never have. With this though, I feel a great burden now. I am so overwhelmed with a desire to help these children and people that are so severely impoverished. There are so many though. I am only one person.

I just spoke to someone the other day, a man in his 70s. He said to not take offense to what he was going to say. He said that I wasn't going to solve the poverty problem. I know that. I have always known that. He said it in a way as if I shouldn't even try though. That is what bothered me. I can change several lives. Isn't that better than not trying at all and not changing any? I can teach hundreds of kids English and they can have a shot out of poverty. Then when they grow up, hopefully they will change others lives as well. Multiplication is the key to widespread change.

The next trip to India with Back2Back Ministries was at the end of June. That is all I thought about when I was back. I am sure my family gets tired of me speaking about India. I just can't stop. I was able to afford the trip. Logistically I had some issues due to some weddings but had to trust that God wouldn't allow delayed flights so I could be there. I booked my flights and started preparing. I wanted to do some more meaningful gifts for the children I knew already. I made some necklaces from metal washers. I imprinted children's names on them using steel stamps. My mom helped me in a great way. We made some drawstring bags for the children because many don't have backpacks. I wrote Chandu and Ganesh letters. I printed off a ton of pictures to give to the children. They never have pictures of themselves. I thought that would be nice. I was eager to go. June 26th couldn't come soon enough.

I informed Back2Back Ministries after praying about it that I wanted to commit to a year at the least in India. The process began. I started reading a support raising book. I was interested in seeing more on this trip like a grocery store where I can shop and where I would do my banking. This trip was going to allow that because I was arriving with Back2Back staff prior to the group.