conflicting times

Well first let me say that we all just started our second homestay. This time we are staying with families around Windhoek, and we will actually be with them for 10 days! We attend classes during the day and then spend evenings and weekends with them.

Last night I met my family: my dad, Henry; my mom, Leah; my 14-year old brother, Emmanuel; and my 17-year old sister (who I am sharing a room with), Rebecca.
My mom and dad actually met in Sierra-Leon during the 80's because my mom was a refugee during the Namibian struggle for independence there and my dad was born there. I know that I have so much to learn from them, and from what I can tell after just one night, it is going to be a really awesome experience!

I played Uno and Spoons with Rebecca and Emmaunel last night and had a blast... I'm sure that we'll be playing lots of cards :)

I'll have more comments, I'm sure especially after my first weekend with them!

So that's the happy side of the story. To be completely honest, I am struggling a lot with many of the things that I am seeing and hearing day in and day out. Namibia is absolutely beautiful! From a visitors perspective this country is gorgeous. But this country is struggling, significantly. As we've now been in classes for two weeks, I've learned a lot more about the struggles not only in Namibia, but also in this world.

Here are some thoughts, and facts that we've been presented with:

~Out of the 2.2 billion children in this world, over 1 billion live in poverty.
~the richest 50 MILLion people in Europe/ North America have the same amount of money as the 2.7 BILLion people in the rest of the world. Put another way: The wealth of 1% of the population equals the resources/ money of the poor who make up 57% of the population.

~basic education for all is estimated to cost 6 billion dollars
~clean water and sanitation for all people is estimated to cost 9 billion dollars
~basic health and nutrition world wide is estimated to cost 13 billion dollars
YET
~according to statistics gathered in 1998, in one year, Europe spent 105 billion dollars on alcohol, and 50 billion on cigarettes
~and the USA for the 2007 fiscal year estimates 462.7 BILLION for defense/ military expenses.

I know that it takes more than just merely re-allocating money, but really what does it take?

Sometimes it just seems so much easier to just remove myself/ distance myself from the situations that are around me...
...to distance myself from the reality that as I was getting a ride from my host dad today, I saw hundreds of young women walking to the textile factory, where they will work at least 12 hour days (some would argue that these women are fortunate to have jobs, which is true, but what can be said about quality of life?)
....to distance myself from the fact that rape is running rampant in Namibia and much of Sub-Saharan Africa.
....to distance myself from the reality that Aunty Clara, at my internship, has to send begging children away from her house sometimes because her family has run out of food while I never worry about going hungry
.... to distance myself from the fact that 30% of Namibians are HIV positive and it continues to spread despite many efforts to change that.

Coming here, I knew there would be these uncomfortable times. I knew that I would feel overwhelmed, guilty, and defeated. And I know that while there is lots of pain, I am seeing lots of beauty as well among the people here. Yet, it is only fair that I share with you some of the struggles.

I find myself asking:
How was I able to be born into a family who is encouraging, supportive, and able to meet not only my basic needs, but also provide so many additional things for me , while their are children who walk around barefoot, dirty, and hungry without family members or any form of a support network?

Individually, trying to take it all on and "solve the problems of this world" is impossible, but that doesn't mean that we ought not to seek to make positive impacts on the small communities around us. Also, positive things can happen when we join together with those around us and seek to meet the needs of those around us.

Too often though we become overwhelmed and paralyzed, unable to do anything.

Yet, as I am motivated by my faith, I know that the pains, heartache, and problems of this world do not have the final say. God is God and God will continue to be God. And God’s love for his people is vast enough that he’d send us a Savior. Yet, I do want to ask and challenge us to think about, how can we, as his children, seek to love his children around us? Can we find ways to practically and radically love those around us?

We are called to be agents of love, grace, mercy, and joy… even when the places we are seem completely devoid of these things. It is my prayer that we may respond to the needs around us…and not be discouraged along the way.