Reflections on the Summer, Part 1: A World of Understanding

          As my summer wraps up and I look forward to the adventure that is coming next, I have decided that there is no better way to spend my time than to prepare for the future while taking a moment each day to reflect on the past. This summer, I had the opportunity to serve Passport, Inc. as the Assistant Director of the Passport Kids East Team. As Assistant Director, I was in charge of several different areas of camp, but I mostly dealt with communications-- the AD serves as the catalyst of sorts between the adults at camp, the facilities we are using, the National Office, and the team as a whole. One part of my job each week was to do the money orders. With these orders, I got to see up close the dollars, quarters, and many pennies that campers brought with them to camp, only to give a portion of what they had to the people of Malawi. Chances are, these campers will never meet those they helped. Yet, that did not stop them from providing someone else with a better today, tomorrow, and future. 

          

          One week in particular stands out to me. The first session of camp, we served in Hartfield, Virginia at Camp Piankatank. In general, during this week of camp, we served with children of very different socioeconomic statuses than the children we served with the rest of the summer. There were several campers that were refugees, inner-city children, or from parts of the United States that were less fortunate economically. Being our first session and smallest session of camp, staffers were nervous, nothing was quite perfect yet, and some things just did not go as planned. However, in spite of our nerves and apprehensions, something beautiful happened that week. Everywhere you turned, you heard a camper talking about Watering Malawi. Campers that spent a good deal of their lives in refugee camps or moving from one country to another were talking about how they could help the children of Malawi get clean water, have better bathrooms, and be able to wash their hands. This spread throughout the camp. I watched camper after camper come into the store and make sure to buy items that benefited Watering Malawi. I saw them add up how much money they would have left to give to the offering if they bought one t-shirt instead of six other items. 

          That week, the mission offering was the most it was all summer per camper in attendance. It was not anything we did, nor was it anything other groups didn't do. After reflecting on it throughout the summer, I realized that it came from understanding. Refugee campers from Tanzania and Nepal referred to the people of Malawi as their brothers and sisters. By the end of the week, I saw more and more campers that have never been outside of the United States see the people of Malawi in the same way. They asked questions and wanted to know answers, not just facts or percentages. These campers knew what it was like to not have everything they needed. These campers got it in ways that others couldn't. 

          In that moment, I realized more than ever the importance of understanding. If we want others to become passionate about a cause, it will not come out of just stating the facts. It has to come out of a moment of walking in the other person's shoes. Extending grace, love, and hope arise from empathy, not sympathy. It is not enough to state the facts-- we have to show how it's personal.  It's our job to first understand ourselves, but we cannot stop there. We are called to serve as a catalyst for others to embrace the same understanding. We are called to be the bridge that connects those in need to those that can help. The most beautiful thing that the world has to offer us is the understanding that we are all united. Once that becomes our vision, we can create a world in which love abides.