Over the last 3 months of traveling I’ve learned that I always like to figure out how Americans are viewed in each country I’m in. I get really curious if I’m portraying to them exactly what they think about about us is true.
A few days ago as our team and the camp leaders, the people we are working with this month (all local Malawians), were walking back home after a long day. One the walk back my teammate Ashlyn turned to one of the guys and asked “How do you view Americans?”
I turned to see his reaction, a humorous smile. He was laughing. “They are all rich, they all have their own personal cars, they are all loving and they have no scenery.”
(Scenery meaning the mountains and trees we have are nothing compared to Malawi)
We were laughing as he was answering, we are definitely not all rich and we definitely do have scenery..the really sad part I realized was later though.
We may not be rich in American standards. The cars we have, we may have worked to pay for but in reality..we’re still better off than a lot of people just by where we were born.
What can we do about that though? I don’t know about you but I definitely had no say in where I was born.
I think my friend Lex said it best, we may not be able to choose where we are born but I plan to spend the rest of my life doing everything that I can to spread the richness of the Lords kingdom to the world.
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
??Philippians? ?4:11-13?
