Hi Debp,
Those are some nice pictures. I have seen many of these types of things first hand. Many Americans cannot fathom that people live like this. In fact they themselves could not stand to live in such conditions themselves. It is totally beyond them. These pictures that you have shown do not show the full depth of it either. A person actually needs to be there in person to understand it completely. People in these countries have huts at the most. Sewage many times is in open ditches that run into the nearest creek or river contaminating the drinking water. Yet as those pictures show many of these people are very happy and love to hear the word of God again and again.
Why do they live that way and don't get modern facilities? There is no money and if the nation does have any it is horded by the elite, the government.
These situations are what gets to me the most when I see supposed ministers of God that have seen these situations first hand and yet are living in mansions, driving multiple SUV's and building elaborate churches of crystal and gold. Very little if any of the money that they get goes to help these people.
Yes, Pastor Roger, you are so right. The conditions are so much worse than these particular photos show. I have been to Asia twice and also visited some Hilltribes in North Thailand. One particular tribe (the Akha) only take a bath and get new clothes once a year! At the time I visited (1988), if they made $300 for the year that was considered good money.
I've never been to India but I understand it is one of the worst....some people would cut off a limb from their child so they could become a professional beggar!! They had no other way to make an income!! So tourists were advised not to give money to the beggars as this just encouraged this horrible practice.
Here is a photo of a village house in Nepal:http://xs313.xs.to/xs313/07135/44ee.jpg
