New school

i never get tired of these stories.

i am a total sucker for students who donate their time and energy (and sometimes safety) to causes in foreign countries. having been to england, belgium and japan in my younger days, i can appreciate the value of travel, and, heck, i was in modernized countries! that made visiting more fun and still exposed me to other cultures simultaneously.

but THESE kids spent a busy week in liberia fixing kids' teeth, and that is special. i have a buddy who followed a church youth group to africa a couple of years back, and he had a life-changing experience during it. young people who volunteer to build churches or hospitals or take care of kids in third-world countries have my immediate admiration.

adults in america moan and gripe a great deal about the youths in america, how they're soft and pampered and not as tough as previous generations. well, i have heard many stories about military veterans serving in far-flung locations and doing their part, but my grandparents' generation -- for all its accomplishments -- didn't go overseas to do the things these young people do in near as great a numbers as today's generation.

for that, i am proud of the involvment of young adults like these folks from the oregon. they are a credit to this country and should be patted on the back as often as possible.

it's stuff like this that motivates me to get off my duff and do more for people, and i hope they inspire you the same way. kudos, kids!

http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/News/Local-News/To-Africa-with-love-ODS-dental-hygiene-students-put-their-skills-to-work-helping-children-in-Liberia