I wanted to share with you guys some of my thoughts from one of my trips this summer and shed some light on the fact that we as Americans often pity minuscule things in the grand scheme of things. I hope that if you are to take a missions trip to another country that you can see past the luxuries that we own in our society that are missing, and try to provide them with more substantial aid.

I learned the difference between substantial aid and unnecessary.

I'm surrounded by the beautiful but also the desperate. I'm surrounded by nature unscathed, but also almost too untouched. It's beautiful but helpless.

I never thought that I would feel as though humans hands, in matters of nature, would cause any form of positivity, as we are selfish beings that often harm the world around us for personal gain. But I witnessed the first time that I've ever felt like human touch was lacking in an area it was needed. I watched the beauty of the untamed forests but the bitterness of starving stray dogs giving birth to litter after litter of puppies with each batch dragging her nipples closer to the ground along with her demeanor, posture, and will to live.

I've never seen a horse forced into a lifestyle of desperately scavenging for food with no change to its paper thin physique. I watched the most beautiful untouched scenes of nature but also the most horrific unbothered animals clearly not fending well for themselves.

When is human intervention looked down upon? When is it too far? When is it not enough? Up until this point I have mentioned only human intervention with animals and nature, but the question I truly want to ask is towards other human beings.

Why is our 1st world way the best? I watched Americans surprised and saddened by the luxuries that the people of this 3rd world nation lacked. The truth is why? Is it because they have outdoor bathrooms? Or maybe because they live in shacks on the side of the mountain? But the last time I checked, there was nothing wrong with minimalistic living, but yet we feel bad for these people who don't ask us to pity their living situation.

There is however a problem with knowingly allowing people to suffer from medical needs that can't be fulfilled otherwise. I'm just confused as to why we are so concerned with their hole in the ground bathroom and not the fact that they are dying from diseases we can treat. I guess what I am saying is, let the forest run free, for our civilization isn't for everyone but, for god sakes, feed the horse when it's starving. Don't tame it's gorgeous forest for its unscathed planes do no harm, but rather tame the condition that threatens it's life.

Going from a first world nation to one of extreme poverty can be quite shocking. The reality of it is that if you are going to truly help, you have to shield your eyes to the things that can't be helped and open them to the real problems. There are bigger problems at hand than sub-par sewage, they can live with that, what they can't live with is being plagued with disease and their teeth being rotted through by the age of five. Help the real problems.