Round about 2002 I was invited to be a speaker at a Youth Conference in Moscow. We stayed at a Union trade training facility. The 18-24 year olds came from all over Russia. Everyone had warned me that these kids were very poor, but when I met them, they were all dressed so nicely. As the week went on, I noticed that they all wore the same clothes every single day.
Anyway, one night after the scheduled activities were over, I was invited to a party in one of the kids rooms. Seven of us sat in a circle and shared food. Everyone brought a bit of what they had and we drank soda and ate the snacks.
They were very interested in my life in America. Are you rich? They asked. I said, No I am not rich. Then here came the questions.
Do you own a house? Yes.How many rooms are in it? 12.
Do you have a garage? Yes.
How many cars does it hold? 3.
How many families live with you? Um... none just me, my wife, three kids, a dog and two cats.
You have a dog? Yes. [they thought it would be amazing to have a pet.]
Do you own a car? Yes.
How many? 5 cars and a motorcycle. [My wife's car, my car, and all three kids were driving $1,000 beater cars. There were lots of oil slicks in the driveway back then. But, this question really hurt because by this time I realized that what I took as normal, was amazing to them.]
Do you have a helicopter? No.
Are you rich?
Reader are you rich?
We have so much to be thankful for.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a River Cruise to Belgium and the Netherlands March 19-27, 2022. If you are interested in reading about the trip or joining in, the link is below.
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