Catherine Rogers realizes she’s been self-centered
Steve Soars stands on the foundation where construction of the
Pemba vocational school is now taking place.
Each of us plod through our lives with our blinders on, our focus strictly on ourselves – our own successes and our own needs. We often fail to notice the world beyond our bubble.
I have discovered that the more I have, the more I want, and the more focused on myself I become. Small disappointments consume my thoughts. A person’s unkind words nag at me for weeks. If I’m unable to afford an expensive pair of shoes after paying my bills, I feel as though life has dealt me a bum hand. Human nature will always want more. We’ll never be happy with what we have.
The idea of providing help and hope for others has been nothing but theoretical for me over the past several years. There was once a time when these things mattered to me, but it seems I’ve gotten lost in the bustle of daily activity and petty desire.
That’s not the case for everyone. West Chester University alumnus Steve Soars met his wife Cassandra at a cultural mission school in 2007. They shared a desire to live and work with the poor, and have made a home for themselves in Mozambique, a country confronted with a lack of healthcare, clean water, food and education.
Their approach is hands on, seeking to end poverty by investing their time in teenagerss and equipping them with skills for life through vocational education and job placement support. They have shifted the age-old approach of empty evangelism to aid and empowerment. They don’t spend their time preaching at the indigenous people. They build relationships and listen to desires and needs.
Steve and Cassandra come back to West Chester every year and stay for a few months to reconnect with family and friends, and build donor support. While Steve and his wife are on the front lines, their work would not be possible without the help of Brian and Jess McCloskey here in West Chester.
Steve introduced me to Brian and Jess and explained how they connect the affluent with the needy. Their most recent event was a fundraiser at Iron Hill, where 20% of all food sales went to their organization, AidthenTrade.org.
Giving to others is the best way to appreciate what you have. These four people, along with countless others, have dedicated their lives to serving those less fortunate. They were able to put aside their own materialistic desires and connect with people who found themselves in far less fortunate situations – people with greater things to worry about than fancy shoes.
In 2010 Chester County was the wealthiest county in Pennsylvania and 24th in the nation. Let’s do something good with that wealth.
