Being here in Africa, I have seen just how much need there really is in this world. Like I said yesterday, it’s not unusual to see people walking up the street in slippers, not because they were too lazy to put shoes on, but because they probably don’t have them. It’s not atypical to see people walking around in short-sleeves, not because they’re just naturally warm, but because they probably can’t afford anything warmer.

Almost every day on the way to work we would stop at the red light (or robot) at this one intersection. There was a couple that was usually there. One blind man and a woman, who I would presume is his wife. Anyway, they weren’t just greeting people on their way to work; they were begging. Every day they walked up and down the median. The lady carried a cup in hopes to get some money. Beth, one of the other interns brought soup one day, and we gave them that a couple times, but did we really do anything? Even this small gift…a meal that day, made them so happy and grateful.

They definitely understood what it means to be thankful, and we were learning what it meant to be giving.

Do we as Americans really know what it means to give? We have closets full of clothes we never even took the tags off of; we have week-old leftovers in the fridge that will eventually be thrown out. We have way more than we will ever use. I think we’re just greedy. We like to have things, even if they’re never touched.

I don’t know about anyone else, but after seeing the need here, I definitely feel guilty for the stuff I don’t use but still don’t want to give up…even to someone who actually DOES need it.