The rest of the story

Oh yes, the rest of the story. When I was in the Philippines and taking in Bataan the gang stayed in a bungalow near the water. The fishermen were from the village we were staying and with some bargaining we had the fishermen handled. After we returned from the island we were invited to the home of the parenz of one of the guys. Now this was a big family and the guy I rode with had a wife and young children.
The house was put together with what looked like what we would call scrap but well manufactured. The dirt floor had a rug on it and the kids played. I had not seen a dirt floor since a trip to the Navajo reservation in Arizona. We had a good time while in this home. We talked, joked, laughed and played with the kids. In a few short weeks I would be heading back to Thailand with a different mindset.
A woman from the church spoke about a recent trip to India and some of what she experienced. Recently a group from our daughter's church went to Haiti. And what I say is "boys and girls, we aren't in Denton, Texas anymore." Ok, I use Denton to protect the innocent.
We leave the comfort of our surroundings and find ourselves in environments that we are not accustom. Dirt floors, toilets that are just holes in the dirt, kids running around butt nekid, trash and refuse piled up with a stench so bad a good spread of Vicks under the nose works wonders.
Nope, no Kentucky fried chicken for carry out. Not sure what is on that stick but it is cooked through. Kimchi and balut? Ok, depends, oh, no to balut. Alright, depends on the part of the world what comfort foods are available.
But not every place is like "home". When I was in Central America we would leave our hootches to stay in tents. But while we would be in the area we would visit a missionary family that lived in a two story home. It would give the single guys a sense of home and see how life was others who made Honduras home.

We see on the news here with US citizens protesting the "street" or big businesses. It is those folks I want to see take a trip to a 3rd world country and use their energies working with locals and try to make a difference. Ever notice who does go? Churches and military it seems. Ok, the peace corps works with many. But I don't see too many other "groups" head out and work with the less fortunate. We talk big but when push come to shove.