Mission trip to nicauragua

SAS Essay Teenagers today have the opportunity to do many things in life. They forget that there are important issues in the world that must be addressed. For a teenager, going to any foreign country will give them a chance to understand a different culture and a different way of life. Nicaragua is a country that is in need of many things, which makes it a country rich with opportunities for teens to minister to others. Many religions create an opportunity for teens and adults to take mission trips to foreign countries. This type of trip is different from vacations because it involves going to another country and ministering to groups of people. Mission trips have goals for each individual that is supposed to enhance their lives. Teens that go to Nicaragua will first see that the country is very impoverished. In fact, it is considered to be the “ second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere” (Adventure Ministries, 2010). Many adolescents are experiencing pregnancy and a new orphanage is being built that will help the country. For the people of Nicaragua, teens helping with education, learning English or learning how to avoid adolescent pregnancy are several says that a mission trip would benefit the native people. Teenagers would receive the richness of culture as they began to work with the native people and they would find a sense of pride in helping someone who was less fortunate than themselves. This type of trip gives them a better understanding of their own lives and how fortunate they really are to have all that they have in the United States. Teens would also build their self-esteem when helping others and they would realize that there are children around the world who may not currently be as fortunate as they are, but with help, they could become better. References Adventure Ministries. (2011). Mission trip to Nicauragua. Retrieved February 23, 2011 from http://www. adventures. org/a/trips/level3. asp? id= 2699 Essortment. (2010). What is a mission trip? Retrieved February 23, 2011 from http://www. essortment. com/mission-trip-30866. html Essay 2 (600 Words, 2 pages) I believe that the greatest problem in the world is poverty. So many people live with poverty and it creates many problems. As an example, many people in Africa live in poverty who have HIV/AIDS because they cannot get the medical and social support that they need (Andrews, Skinner and Zuma (2006). In the United States, the poverty level is now at a place where many people are no longer in the middle class, but are slipping into impoverished circumstances (Snyder, 2010). According to Snyder, 45 million people were living in poverty in America in 2009; imagine how much more poverty they are living in now. In most countries, we can find people living on the street who have lost their homes, and the shelters cannot accommodate them. Children are often most affected because they do not have food or medical care. Without proper medical care, any early signs of medical problems cannot be found so children may not be able to survive their circumstances. A large portion of individuals and families go without water and food on a daily basis. Many of them perish because of the weather that they must live in. According to Breen (2010), about 25, 000 people die on a daily basis around the world due to hunger or hunger related problems . Hunger is something that is difficult for most people and when they have children, it becomes more difficult. Many children are growing up on welfare and food stamps, which is difficult because they do not pay enough. Although it seems like people could get a job today or do something that would bring them an income, this is not necessarily so. Some people are on disabilities that will not allow them to work in a regular job. Other people are very un-skilled and some do not have a high school diploma. These issues are barriers to employment for some people and they are barriers to overcome for others. Unfortunately, there is no formula that will tell which person will see a disability as a barrier and those who will see it as something to overcome. Children are going to suffer the most when it comes to issues of poverty. Many children will not have clothes or shoes, and they may not be able to go to school without them. According to Moore, Redd, Burkhauser, Mbwana and Collins (2009) the poverty rate for children is on the rise. As an example, eighteen percent of children were in poverty in 2007. This figure has grown substantially since this time. Today, more than one in five children live in poverty, and this rate was expected to rise to 22% by the end of 2010 (Szabo, 2010). The question is, how can we stop it? How can we insure that children and adults have enough to eat all the time? I am not sure there is an answer to these questions. Many times, people who are hungry have to rely on food banks and soup kitchens to get the food that they need. If they qualify for food stamps, with the growing prices of food, they may get two to three weeks of food for their families. Food banks provide food about once a month and soup kitchens may only provide one meal a day. These situations are not helping people to understand what they need for their future or for their basic needs. Many of the people who go to these places are homeless. This may be the only food they get. Also, if people are homeless, they may not qualify for food stamps because they do not have a permanent residence. This will vary by state. Poverty is very difficult for people and it is a part of our society that I would like to see changed. References Andrews, G., Skinner, D. an Zuma, K. (2006). Epidemiology of health and vulnerability among children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in sub-Suburban Africa. AIDS Care 18 (3). 269-276. DOI: 10. 1080/09540120500471861 Breen, J. (2010). Hunger and world poverty. Poverty. com. Retrieved February 27, 2011 from http://www. poverty. com/ Moore, K. A., Redd, Z., Burkhauser, M., Mbwana, K., and Collins, A. (2009). Children in poverty: Trends, consequences and policy options. Retrieved February 28, 2011 from http://www. childtrends. org/files/child_trends-2009_04_07_rb_childreninpoverty. pdf Snyder, M. (13 September 2010). 15 Shocking facts about poverty in America. Business Insider. Retrieved February 23, 2011 from http://www. businessinsider. com/15-shocking-facts-about-poverty-in-america-2010-9 Szabo, L. (2010). More than 1 in 5 kids live in poverty. USA Today. Retrieved February 28, 2011 from http://www. usatoday. com/news/health/2010-06-08-1Achild08_ST_N. htm