subject: There Is A Big World Out There That Needs Us [print this page] We live in a small town in the Rocky Mountains. Life is predictable and feels safe here. Unfortunately, life is not like this around the world and we are always looking for opportunities to teach our children to truly appreciate how lucky they are and to reach out and help others locally and intentionally. I grew up in Southern California. I was the daughter of an airline pilot. My life was sprinkled with trips to exotic, local and national destinations, but the trips I remember most were the ones where we left the peoples lives improved after we returned home.
I longed for our children to have more exposure to the people of the world, to experience a vast number of cultures, lands, smells and foods. To realize how much need there is how much difference one person can make. We read about foreign places, we study them on the internet and through National Geographic and other magazines. From the time our children were small, I instilled in them a thirst to travel, to explore to experience and to be of service. As they have grown these roots have taken hold and they have desired to travel not just for vacation sake but to be of help to their fellowmen.
There are so many service abroad opportunities that enrich the lives of the server and those they serve. Our daughter flew the coop of safety first and joined with a humanitarian group to serve the people of Guatemala. Language is always the first barrier; she learned Spanish with an international language program. Study she did, hard and long. She was getting pretty good at it, but nothing compared to the immersion she received when she started working with the natives.
She worked in orphanages, ministered to the abused or neglected women, she taught hygiene in the schools to children. She taught them through song and puppet shows how to brush their teeth, and wash their hands and faces. She collected clothes for the babies, worked with new mothers and worked ceaselessly to improve work and educational opportunities. Our son watched the example of his sister and soon found himself in Argentina working with the people there. Conditions weren't as harsh as they were in Guatemala but the need was still limitless.
He also had crash courses in an international language program to get him ready for his adventure. His duties were of a more physical nature, digging ditches, helping to build schools, improve sanitation, and empower the men with work ethics and small business opportunities. Our third son graduates high school this year and is already setting his sights on service abroad opportunities. We are proud of our child who see beyond their own needs or wants and desire to be a part of the global community.
