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Giving Back回饋I am writing this post on my final day here in Africa. It has been a great trip. While much of the trip has been spent providing food, clothing, love and prayer for some of the most desperate people in the world, I feel refreshed and full of life.
我的這個帖子是在非洲的最后一天寫的。這是一段偉大的旅程。旅途的大多時間是在分發食物、衣服，播散愛心同時為世界上那些近乎絕望的人們祈禱，我對生命的充實感到煥然一新。
This trip has reinforced my belief that when you help others, you help yourself. Think of the last time you gave of yourself to help someone. It could have been jump-starting someone’s car, a meal you made for a friend who was sick, or serving at the local homeless shelter. How did it make you feel?
這次旅行強化了我的信仰,當你幫助了別人,你就是在幫助你自己。想想上次你幫助了什么人。它可能是幫助某人發動熄火的車輛,可能是你為一個生病的朋友親手做的一頓飯,或在當地收容所提供服務。這些助人為樂的事情讓你感覺如何?
When you take your resources, whether it is your time, talent, or money to help others, there is something about the experience that fills you up and brings greater joy and satisfaction to your life.
當你把資源,不管是你的時間,天賦,或錢拿來幫助別人,你就會獲得一些經歷填充到你的生命中,給你的生活帶來更大的快樂和滿足。
The American Culture
美國文化
Americans are the most generous people in the world, measured by charitable giving as a percent of GDP. Despite the deep economic recession, charitable giving in 2009 topped $300 Billion.
以慈善捐贈占GDP的百分比衡量，美國人是世界上最慷慨的人。盡管嚴重的經濟衰退,2009年美國慈善捐贈仍然超過3000億美元。
The instinct to rally around a cause, to serve a greater need has been part of our country dating back to 1630 when John Winthrop led a group of English Puritans to Massachusetts Bay and imparted the “model of Christian charity.” He said, “We must bear one another’s burdens. We must not look only on our own things but also the things of our brethren.”
為一項偉大的事業團結起來，服務于更大的需要，一直是我們國家的一部分，其源頭可以追溯到1630年,當時約翰·溫思羅普領導著馬薩諸塞灣的一群英國清教徒，他被授予“基督教慈善機構的典范。”他說,“我們必須忍受彼此的負擔。我們不但關注自己的事情，而且還必須關注我們弟兄們的事。”
In settlements like Jamestown and Plymouth, neighbors depended on each other to survive the drought, blistering heat, lack of food, and harsh winters
在早期的定居點詹姆斯敦和普利茅斯,鄰里之間互相依賴，在經歷了干旱,酷熱,食物缺乏,以及嚴酷的冬天后幸存了下來。
In the mid- to late 18th century, public service became less of a Christian mission and more of a civic duty. The stories of how people gave of themselves to help others are endless, from Harriet Tubman who lead more than 300 slaves to freedom through the underground railroad to volunteers who collected more than 4 billion dimes between 1938-1955 for polio research, we have come together as a country to help others.
在18世紀中期到后期,公益服務作為基督徒的使命在減少，而公益服務更多的成為了公民義務。從哈麗特塔布曼帶領300多名黑奴穿越地下逃亡線，走向自由，到志愿者在1938 - 1955年之間為小兒麻痹癥研究募集了4百億多美元,人們是如何奉獻自己，幫助別人的故事是無窮無盡的,我們作為一個國家整體，已經一起努力去幫助別人。
Not only have we been a nation to help our own people, we have also come together to help people around the world. One of the Africans told me if it weren’t for America, half of Africa would be dead. While that’s likely an exaggeration, the fact is people around the world have a great deal of respect for our humanitarian efforts.
我們不僅作為美利堅民族幫助我們自己的人民,我們也一起來幫助世界各地的人們。一位非洲人告訴我，如果沒有美國,非洲人就死了一半。雖然這可能有點夸張,事實上，世界各地的人們為我們的人道主義努力表示出了極大的尊重。
Quite frankly I was nervous about how I would be treated here in Africa, I was blown away with the love I felt from the people. Everywhere my wife and I went, people went out of their way to smile, wave and say hello. It was almost as if when they saw a Caucasian, they knew they were here to help them.
坦率地說,我為在非洲的禮遇而感到不安，我為人們之間的愛而深深震撼，我和妻子無論到哪，這里的人們到會特地過來，對我們微笑，揮手，打招呼。就好像當他們看到一個白種人,他們知道他們是來幫助他們的。
When disaster struck Haiti earlier this year, Americans rallied to donate their time and money. There were so many doctors and nurses from America who volunteered to help, a waiting list had to be created. Millions of other Americans helped by donating money or jumping on planes to serve the people of Haiti.
當今年早些時候,災難襲擊海地，美國人團結起來，貢獻他們的時間和金錢。很多來自美國的醫生和護士,他們自愿提供幫助,以至于不得不創建一個候補名單。數以百萬計的其他美國人，通過捐款或直接跳上去海地的飛機，幫助海地，為海地人民服務。
