I had to put a picture up of Greg Mortensen because this book is about the AMAZING accomplishments he has had in Pakistan and Afghanistan. As of 2009 he had built 81 schools for children. Not only does he help with educating children (especially girls) but he helps remote, rural villages in the Himalayan region with projects to improve their quality of life like providing pipes for sanitary water and supplies basic medical care.
What inspired me the most about this book is that Dr. Greg (as the people call him) never planned on becoming an icon for humanitarian aid in the middle east. He literally stumbled his way into a village and promised them a school and when he got back to the U.S. he had no idea how he was going to be able to keep it. He is just a normal guy who took it upon himself to help. I want to go on and on about the amazing things he has done, but I will let you read it.
Another thing that I liked while I was reading it is how you could see God's hand in making Greg's work progress. There are times when you don't know how Greg is going to get out of a situation and just when you think there is no way out, something simple but miraculous happens and things work out. I love the quote on the cover of the book that says "proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world" (Tom Brokaw). It's true.
Something I read yesterday from Standing for Something by President Hinckley confirms what Tom Brokaw said, "I have concluded that the work of the world is done by basically ordinary people who have learned to work in an extraordinary way. . . One does not have to be a genius to get ahead. One does not have to be brilliant to make a difference in this world, to reach out and help and serve and lead others."
Apart from inspiring the reader to help his/her fellow man, this book taught me a lot about the character of the Muslim world. The ones who are causing all of the trouble are a very small percentage of the population of those countries. Most of the people just want to make a living and be with their families. It softened my heart for the people who are suffering the most from this war and who have absolutely zero responsibility for the problems over which the war is being fought.
Read it. If you don't read it, donate to the Central Asia Institute. The fight against terrorism will be resolved from the inside out. Through education and not violence.
www.threecupsoftea.com
www.ikat.com
3 comments:
I'm glad you wrote about this book Shelly. I was planning on reading it and then actually when he came to visit BYU to do a devotional I kind of got turned off about it because I thought he was a little arrogant and didn't love his talk. But I have heard great things about this book and this review makes me want to read it again.
Really? I thought the complete opposite of him when he came to BYU. I thought he was very humble. I didn't think his talk was exceptional but in the book it explains how he doesn't like public speaking and isn't very good at it. The only reason he does it is so he can make money to keep building schools.
I have been wanting to read this for so long, but just haven't done it. I'm going to bump it up in my list and do it SOON.
Post a Comment