I finally heard from Dave on Monday night.  It was just for a few minutes.  They arrived safely.  It’s not like you can cover a whole lot of info in that short period of time but I was just glad for the quick call.  I can already tell just from a few minutes of talking with him that he is already in the midst of great life perspective.  If there is one thing that we will pass on to our kids it will be that they will have a world perspective of servant-hood.  When they are old enough we will find ways to allow them to experience and understand different cultures.  I say this all the time but if you live in America you are a blessed person.  56 percent of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty. They survive on an income of less than $730 per year or $2 per day. Half of the worlds poor who comprise 28 percent of the world’s population live on $1 or less per day. In comparison, the average American earns from 46 to 92 times more than the poverty stricken comprising over half the world’s population.  I say that to say that when I did talk to Dave he said he visited with a mother and two of her kids.  They lived in a space the size of our Master Bathroom.  All he said was that it has been so good to get perspective again.   Not that we ever loose it but when you live in a life where you don’t face certain challenges or circumstances it’s hard not to be reminded about the realities of so many others in our world.  To much has been given, much is required.  I know that our family will do our best to use what we have been blessed with to make a difference and play daily roles in impacting our world and the people who surround us.  I am so glad that Dave is having this experience.  I can’t wait to see the ripple effects that will play out in our family when he returns.