How Visiting a Poor Country Will Change You
Have you ever wondered why we Americans are so well off while there are millions around the world going to bed hungry tonight? We may wonder why God allowed us to be born into a world of blessings when the chance is much higher to be born into poverty. We may also ask what should we do in response to this blessing. Are we using the gift of living in this country the way God intended for us to use it? If you have had these same questions, I would encourage you to visit a third world country if you have the opportunity. Visiting a poverty stricken country will make you more aware of your blessings and other’s needs, allowing you to feel more empathetic toward the poor and to hold your own resources with an open hand.
What do I mean when I say that we Americans are well off? Have you ever considered the amount of wealth that is controlled by only a small percentage of the population? Gary Miller in his book, Global Wall, states that, “Economists estimate that all the wealth on the globe would add up to $241 trillion” (17). Of that $241 trillion, sixty-nine percent of the world controls only three percent of that wealth (19). This means that 69% of the world would need to distribute $7.23 trillion among themselves, while 31% of the world’s population gets the leftover $233.77 trillion. Miller goes on to say, “If the total value of your home, vehicle, furniture, cash in the bank, and all other assets exceeds $10,000,” you belong to the 31% of the world that controls the $233.77 trillion of wealth (21). This means that most of us are in that elite group. We say, yes, that may be true, but we use that wealth responsibly. Do we? Miller says, “[e]leven billion [dollars] is spent on bottled water” in America each year (107). Compare that with what he says about the world wide clean water problem. “It is estimated that just $10 billion in additional funding could provide clean drinking water for every person on the globe” (121). This means that if we Americans stopped buying bottled water altogether we could use the money we saved and provide clean drinking water for every person on earth. We can ask ourselves do we really need to buy bottled water when our country is one of the safest places to drink from the tap. Bottled water is only one of the many ways that Americans spend money carelessly. Miller says that every year Americans spend $60 Billion on pets, $65 Billion on soft drinks, $40 Billion on lawn care, $5.8 Billion on car washes, $10 Billion on romance novels, and $65 Billion on hunting/fishing (116). We have all probably spent money in these or similar categories.
We still struggle, however, to see a connection between refraining to buy a bottle of water and helping children in Haiti have clean water. It’s not like we will send that $1.50 to Haiti the next day instead. It seems so trivial. How can we even make a difference? Lets take a trip to Haiti and see how our eyes can be opened and our hearts changed.
We land at the airport and as soon as we walk outside we see lines and lines of people who have nothing better to do but see if they can’t carry your bag for a couple extra bucks. I think about the job I have. I do not enjoy it much, but it is steady and it pays better by the hour than these people make all day. We head out of the city for the mountains. It’s a bumpy ride. There are lots of potholes and plenty of cramped passenger vehicles. A regular scene as we travel the two hours to the mission is young children carrying water by the bucketful on their heads. Later that week I get to carry a bucket of water up a hill for a young girl. She giggles and says, “merci” but I am panting too hard to say much. I think about how I actually let the faucet run for a while at home just so I can have the water extra cool.
Another thing I think about constantly is how hospitable and friendly everyone is. They will do everything they can to make you feel comfortable and welcome. They would kill their last chicken just to feed you. They will leave their entire house for you to stay in. And they are so incredibly grateful for any small gift that we give them. It is a known thing that you eat whenever you can in Haiti because you don’t know when you will get to eat next. Children willingly divide candy because they know what it means to go without. My friend tells me that he wouldn’t even want to move to America, however. His heart is for his people; he wants to use what he has and the opportunities he has been given to bless others in his community.
How do we see ourselves now? Aren’t we a little spoiled? We think that it is our right to have the same kind of luxuries and comforts as our neighbors. After all God blessed us so why can we not enjoy ourselves a little bit? Why did God bless you? Why weren’t you born in a remote village in Haiti? We may never be able to answer this question but we can change how we think about our blessings.
Although some might argue that going on short term mission trips do no good, I would argue that it depends how you view the opportunity. If you go and feel sorry for the people and so you help them out by giving them a bit of money and then you go back home thinking you did your duty and continue to live the same as before, then that mission trip really didn’t do you any good. But you can go to a place like Haiti and as you interact with the poor and pray for them, you start to realize that these are your brothers and sisters in Christ. There is no good reason why we shouldn’t be the ones living in poverty. Suddenly buying those new rims for your Jeep seems far less important. You start to think about all the extras you have at home that you really don’t need when you walk into a widow’s hut with one room and a straw bed. The next time you want a new pair of shoes you realize that if you would save this money instead, it would be a third of a tuition for someone to go to school. The trip will be a success if you actually live differently when you come home. That is what it means to live with an open hand; allowing God to direct how you use your resources. Obviously there are appropriate times when you can buy things for yourself, but a good question to ask would be, are the majority of my resources benefiting myself or others.
There is a reason God allowed you to be born in America, and it was not so that you can pursue the American dream. God gave you the awesome responsibility of being blessed far beyond what most of the world can imagine. You are able to get an excellent education, a well paying job, and a well balanced checkbook with only a little bit of work ethic. You were born into a culture that values family. God put you where he did not so that you can splurge on yourself, but so that you can bless others. If we could see ourselves as God’s hands to the poor, we may still not be able to change the world, but we could change the world for one person. Let’s start there; making a difference for the ones we can. The resources that we have, were given so that we can give. If we see ourselves in light of the poverty around the world, we will empathize with our fellow neighbor and allow God to use us as a way to bless others for his glory.
Works Cited
Miller, Gary. This Side of the Global Wall. TGS International, 2015.