Three Cups of Tea

I just finished the book "Three Cups of Tea" but Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It is amazing. I recommend that everyone read it.

"Three Cups of Tea" tells the story of one man who is making a significant difference in the world through education in Afghanistan and Pakistan. One of the several things that I really like about this story is how hard Mortenson works to keep his word to the people he meets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many people have dreams of making the world a better place but don't actually want to make the sacrifices necessary to do so. Mortenson, time and time again, makes those sacrifices and it is truly making a difference.

Pakistan and Afghanistan aren't exactly America's favorite places. This book is a necessary read for all Americans, especially ones of faith. Mortenson emphasizes that rather than bomb these nations in the name of national security, America must try another way.

He says, "I've learned that terror doesn't happen because some group of people somewhere like Pakistan or Afghanistan simply decide to hate us. It happens because children aren't being offered a bright enough future that they have a reason to choose life over death."

The schools that Mortenson builds provide secular, non-extremist education to both boys and girls. The alternative to Mortenson's schools in many of these villages is either no school or a madrassas, which is an extremist, Islamic school.

This Christmas, if you know someone who loves to read, I highly recommend purchasing "Three Cups of Tea" as a gift. Proceeds from books purchased at www.threecupsoftea.com go toward a girls' education scholarship fund in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

I'm not sure if the war in the middle east is close or far from most Americans' minds. It was a hot topic during presidential debates, but I sense that it doesn't affect us on a day-to-day basis. This book reminds us that even today, the war is impacting many lives in an often devastating way. Regardless of your views on America's involvement in the Middle East, this book will enlarge your perspective and make your opinion better informed.

"In times of war, you often hear leaders --Christian, Jewish, Muslim-- saying, 'God is on our side.' But that isn't true. In war, God is on the side of the refugees, widows and orphans." (Three Cups of Tea, pg. 239)



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