Prepared with statistics regarding food and wealth distribution around the world [from Church World Service] our youth and counselors participated in a meal together that exposed the disproportionate availability of food to different groups around the world.
     As youth entered they were designated a place on the wealth/poverty line. Those few who were "wealthy" were treated to a full course meal up on the stage of our fellowship hall, complete with butlers and dessert. Many more youth who corresponded to the amount of poor in the world had to wait in a line for a simple bowl of rice and cup of water. Some youth represented those in extreme poverty and didn't get much food at all, and weren't even allowed to sit at tables with the rest of the group.
     After the meal we debriefed and prayed about how it felt to be in each of those situations. Then we heard from one of our counselors who spent some time in Vietnam while adopting his daughter and who saw some of these "2/3 world" conditions first hand.

Date Submitted: September 21, 2005