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My Dad, Afghanistan & a sense of duty

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By Seth Barnes
By Seth Barnes

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Parents dancingThe other day I was driving home from the airport and called my mom.  She and my dad live a peripatetic life. Nearly half of each year they serve as medical missionaries in places like Kenya and Viet Nam.  And the rest of the time they live on a ranch in the Gila Wilderness. To get there you have to cross a river five times. My parents are what you might call rugged individualists.

At a time when most of their peers have long since retired and made their way to some rest home, my parents are taking on major challenges. This past year when Kenya melted down into political chaos, my parents kept taking care of the sick in one of their local hospitals.

So when I called my mom and asked, “How’s dad?” She answered matter-of-factly, “Oh he just flew to Afghanistan to help a hospital there.”

“Oh.  How long will he be there?” I asked.

“A month.” She replied.  “They don’t have many pathologists in Kabul, so he’s going to train one.  Pray for me. I’ve got some symptoms I need to get checked out in Silver City.”

I had to marvel.  Her symptoms were serious, but instead of having a pity party, she was soldiering on in my Dad’s absence.  I couldn’t help think, “What if more people were to look at life that way – finding ways to give back instead of looking for an angle or requiring help from others.”

When my Dad got in email range, I asked him about this missional work ethic they’ve got.  Here’s what he said:
“The main thing about missions is that it takes your focus off yourself.  It changes your attitude.  You can’t change your appearance, but we all can change our world view (attitude).  This world is a hard, tough place for so many people, but most of them don’t complain.  That comes thru clearly in third world countries.  It makes it apparent that we Americans are spoiled children.  Volunteering whatever talent we have to ease other’s burdens is fulfilling Christ’s law and the great thing is, it give us purpose outside our own comfort.  It helps us grow up.”
Man, I want to be like that when I’m their age.

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