Porcupines and Purpose

My good friend, Lydia is living and serving in Tanzania. As I was reading her blog today, I was stopped by some statistics she posted:

* 4%: percentage of Tanzanians with running water at home
* 54%: percentage of rural Tanzanians with access to safe water
* 116: under-five mortality rate in Tanzania, per 1,000 births
* 88%: percentage of Tanzanians earning less than US$ 1.25 per day
* 26,828: size in square miles, of Lake Victoria

*citation: “Along walk for water.” The Rotarian. September 2009: 12.

That means that 10% of babies born don't live to be five. 44% of people who live outside of a city don't have access to safe water?

Now, I am aware that perhaps my gifts aren't in the designing of systems that move fresh water. I acknowledge that posting some stats in my blog won't change much of anything. However, it is this reality that makes me wonder how and where I would best serve. As of now I don't feel called to any particular location, but I do need to feel like I am helping someone or something be better. It is a self-serving kind of goodness, but it is a reality of mine. Perhaps I will not save a thousand lives by preventing the further spread of malaria, but maybe I could encourage a few students to believe in themselves enough that Jr. High isn't an unbearable memory or perhaps I could contribute to a piece that helps people realize that we are all a part of something great and that they are not alone. We need them...

I am not sure.


I do, however, know that I need to try and figure out what I am going to do for this show that I am "designing". I use quotations because it is a rep plot, but either way I need to at least decide levels and what we're going to do about this gel-situation....

All the best <3