I actually met Greg Mortensen today when he spoke at Lakeridge High school (thanks for the "in" Allyn). He signed my copy of THREE CUPS OF TEA with the phrase "Listen to the wind." He signed my friend's copy with "When your heart speaks, take good notes." He showed slides and spoke in a very unassuming manner about his impressive career fighting the poverty in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and his mission building schools and educating children. His main theme was that education will lead to peace. Which leads to the quote du jour:
"Fighting terrorism is based on fear; promoting peace is based on hope. There is a big difference."
He just said that off the cuff, and I scribbled it down. He visited several times the topic of spending so much on military, instead of schools. I had never thought about the strong connection between ignorance and hate (the extremist schools prey on poor disenfranchised boys and give them a purpose)--verses the connection between fair education and tolerance/peace.
Check him out: http://www.threecupsoftea.com/AboutGreg.php
11 comments:
I wish I could have gone. I'm doing good in the world by watching my sisters kids right? I love the quote. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that's great you got to go hear him speak. Sounds so uplifting.
I love that quote. It goes to show that President Hinckley was truly inspired to start the Perpetual Education Fund!
wow--how fun to meet him. i loved that book, and I heard relin is here in slc this week.
I'm leaving my comment...no more lurking accusations. It was great to see you Wednesday night. I love your blog. It makes me feel so much like I am sitting here with you. OK, that was a lie...But I really do like it. Your kids are so wonderful and cute. Love you! -d
I was sent over to your blog by my sister, Angela. I see that you are from near Corvallis and I wonder if you knew a family called "Worth" in your youth? The older ones probably would have been your age. Maybe Stephanie or Gary or Bryan? They had 10 kids. I married a Worth, and several of them still live near Corvallis.
I loved having our own little book club before and after listening to Mortenson. It's always nice to remember that our problems are often so small compared to others and that we have so much to offer in life. Thanks for all your very wise insights!
I finished the book last week. I picked it off the shelf by chance at a little bookstore in McMinnville and knew I had a good thing when the clerk raved about it. How cool that you got to meet him. The craziness of climbing perhaps prepared him for the huge risks he took (who goes off to Waziristan unescorted?) and he harnessed the same single mindedness. Must have driven his wife crazy.
What a great opportunity. Awesome quotes too! I'll have to go and check out that book.
HEY! I didn't see you there... 'course we were in the overflow room. You? What I thought was great about the evening was that he was really boring... and i found that entirely inspiring. He's a real person! You read the book and he sounds like a crazy man! You see him in person & you realize that maybe the rest of us can really do something to change the world and still be moms, wives, normal people...
wonderful quote. thanks for the book suggestion - i'll check out now. you are great!!!
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