Never The Same
This month marks the two-year anniversary of our trip to Africa. We spent two weeks exploring the work of my parents, Pat and Sue Bradley, founders of Crisis Aid International. Having heard about their work for many years, I believed I knew what to expect during our stay. While I was not surprised at our experiences…the sights, smells and sounds created an entirely different experience than photos ever will.
We met many people on our trip. Amazing volunteers who dedicate their lives to helping people…young orphaned girls who lost their parents to AIDS…families on the brink of death from malnutrition…children who had been healed from disease and disfigurement after being treated at a Crisis Aid medical clinic…women who have rehabilitated their lives after being held in forced prostitution. Each moment left a different emotion…a broken heart for the hungry…anger at the injustice of life…despair by the complexity of the issues these people face…joy for those who have been helped, and, at the end, pride in my parents that made my heart explode.
The trip will stand out as one of the most important experience in our lives. After returning home, I started looking at life differently. Fortunate, blessed, lucky…these words do not come close to describing our lives in the US and civilized nations. It has inspired me to take the opportunities in front of me for the women who do not have them. To try and live with gratitude, because we have so much. To consider the legacy I will leave the world and to send money, as much and as often as I can. because, in truth, that may be what they need the most. While photos will never convey the magnitude of the experience, I hope they give you an idea of how they impacted our lives.
Bisous,
Rebecca