three cups of tea

Andy and I just finished reading this book called Three Cups of Tea, which is about ex-climber Greg Mortenson, who, after a failed attempt to climb K2 in the 90s, was inspired to do what he could to build schools for children (especially girls) in rural Pakistan. All I can say is that this book was both inspiring and humbling; you should read it. If your library doesn't have it, then buy it; it's absolutely worth $9. Or more.

Although the author explains that Mortenson grew up the son of missionaries, he implies that Mortenson's faith is kind of nebulous--at least, I came away from the book not knowing for sure whether or not he is a Christian. However, the book is so packed full of "coincidences" that it is obvious that God is at work in this man's mission. The first step on Mortenson's path was when he got lost on the descent from K2, lost his porter, and ended up Korphe, a Pakistani village so small and remote that it wasn't on any maps, and, although he had traveled to the area several times for climbing, he had never heard of it either. After a night's sleep, he asked to see the village's school, only to discover that the children met in an open field above the village. They shared a teacher with another village; on the days the teacher was not there, they practiced their facts by scratching with sticks in the dirt. Mortenson was shattered. His attempt to summit K2 had been taken on in order to honor the memory of his sister. Having failed that, having seen these children, he vowed to honor her memory instead by building them a school.

So began a process full of optimism, false starts, danger, sweat, and tears. At the time of publication of Three Cups, Mortenson's nonprofit, The Central Asia Institute, had built 53 schools in rural Pakistan and was beginning to look towards Afghanistan.

I don't want this to get really long, but I'd like to say that I believe that we as Christians could learn a lot from Mortenson's work. What came across over and over again is that the CAI is fighting the "war on terror" simply by providing education. Mortenson watched radical Islam build schools as well: schools which taught extremism over mathematics. Mortenson's schools offer knowledge over ignorance, and through his persistence, he, an American, has gained love and respect in a region where that is hard won.

Anyway, read this book. It is thrilling, humbling, and heartening all at once.