3 cups of tea.doc

Lingyun Gao theologybook report Three Cups Of Tea 2010-5-1The main character of the three cups of tea is the mountain hiker Greg Mortenson who climbed K2, the worlds second highest mountain, in the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan. He was planning to lay his deceased Sister Christas amber necklace on the summit of K2. After more than 70 days on the mountain, Greg and three other climbers had their ascent interrupted by the need to complete a 75-hour life-saving rescue of a fifth climber. After getting lost during his descent, he became weak and exhausted, and by chance alone, instead of arriving in Askole, where his porters awaited, he came across Korphe, a small village built on a shelf jutting out from a canyon. He was greeted and taken in by the chief elder of Korphe, Hajji Ali. And he was taken care of by people there. To repay the remote community for its hospitality, Mortenson promised to build a school for the village. But he never thought he had to pay such a big price to make his promise. And he also never knew that his life totally changed which he chose a harder and more complicated life. After difficulties in raising capital, Mortenson was introduced to Jean Hernia, a Silicon Valley pioneer who donated the money that Mortenson needed for his school. In the last months of Hoernis life (Hoerni was dying from leukemia), he co-founded the Central Asia Institute, endowing the CAI to build schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson faced many daunting challenges in his quest to raise funds for the building of more than 55 schools in Taliban territory, including death threats from Islamic mullahs, long periods of separation from his family, unemployment, deceived by local people, being kidnapped by Taliban sympathizers, etc. Reflecting on the state of the post-9/11 world, Mortenson argues that extremism in the region can be deterred through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls. Formerly, schooling focused on the boys, but educated boys tend to move to the cities to find jobs, and seldom return. By contrast, educated girls tend to remain in the community and pass their enhanced knowledge to the next generation. Thus, Mortenson suggests, educating girls has more of a lasting benefit for the community. He suffered the sorrow, depression, loneliness, and almost death, but he never forgot his promise. He was willing to devote his life to dissolve the biggest enmity in the world.Starting from this promise, Greg Mortenson built nearly 60 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Tibet in China using 12 years effort. Children had clean and warm classrooms and some girls had rights to go to school. His exertion changed the fate of a bunch of girls to uncover their veil to face the world and even had the ability to control their life.There are 7 points I learned from this book to make me ponder deeply. First is social communication. Three cups of tea is the Pakistan way to communicate and make friends. The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family, and for our family we are prepared to do anythingeven die. I am impressed by local peoples kindness, enthusiasm and tolerant. Second, truth worthiness is our reason to keep our promise. Greg Mortenson finished his dream through many strike in his life which showed in the entire book. Mortenson discovers his life purpose as a result of getting lost, and throughout the story there are many points where Mortenson, despite having taken a wrong turn, ends up in the right place after all. He is disappointed, for example, that he will not reach the summit of K2, but that failure leads him to the village of Korphe, where he realizes that building a school would be a better monument to his sister than placing her necklace at the top of the mountain and where his mission as a humanitarian begins. In another fortunate coincidence, when Changazi hides the stored building materials, Mortenson happens to meet Ghulam Parvi, who becomes one of the CAIs most important workers. Later, as a result of the religious proclamation against him that might have ended his efforts in Baltistan, Mortenson gains the support of Syed Assam. Again and again, obstacles turn into opportunities, and Mortenson often succeeds not in spite of his mistakes, but often because of them. Third is the happiness in life. What is the value of life? It is contribution to the society, to do something meaningful to society. Building the schools requires a number of sacrifices from Mortenson and from the local villagers involved. When Mortenson begins his Korphe project, for instance, he spends practically everything he has on the project. Where previously his money went toward financing his climbing trips and his outings with Christa, now he spends the money for the benefit of others. Rather than ask Hoerni for money to pay his way back to Korphe, Mortenson sells all his possessionsincluding cherished books and his grandmothers car. Even after becoming successful, Mortenson continues to make sacrifices, taking as little money as possible from the CAI and leaving his family alone for months at a time. Of the sacrifices offered by the local villagers, the most dramatic is Haji Alis decision to give twelve rams (half of the villages wealth) as a bribe to a neighboring chief so construction of the school can proceed in Korphe. In each of these instances, the person gives up a material object, whether a car or a ram, to achieve a greater goal, specifically education for children in rural Pakistan, suggesting that the sacrifice isnt really a sacrifice at all but an investment. As Haji Ali puts it, the children of Korphe will have their education far longer than the rams would have lasted. And thats the value of what he is doing. Fourth is the strength of a person. Maybe its negligible, but if we pursue integrity, love and fortitude of our soul, then it will have a butterfly effect to influence all people around you, even the world. Fifth is the rejoicing of share. There is an old saying Roses given, fragrance in hand. Its not that simple. It is civilization to developing area to change childrens future; it is the spread of peace in an unrest world right now. Compare with them, we are luckier. Sixth is goal and process. We cant hesitate to do anything. But the numadhar of Korphe village, Haji Ali once said slow down, build the relationship with people and it can help you reach the goal. Being modest can help you learn more. The last but not is least, knowledge changed the fate. From the beginning, Mortenson instinctively recognizes that education is the key to positive change. For instance, girls like Jahan, Tahira, and Shakeela who might have played limited roles in their communities without education ultimately become catalysts for change in their villages after going to CAI schools. They improve medical care, teach other women, and change attitudes towards women as they gain respect. Educated girls, we learn, are more likely than the educated boyswho tend to leave for the cities to find workto remain near their homes, thus they share the advantages of their education with those around them. Consequently, the reader comes to understand that education for girls is a powerful and cost-effective tool for improving the social and economic conditions for everyone in rural areas. Mortenson also recognizes that education may be the best way to counter the spread of terrorism and violent strains of Islam. When Mortenson sees that ultra-conservative Muslims are building more and more madrassas that offer a free education for boys but also direct them toward militancy, he realizes the best way to counter the trend is by providing a free, more liberal education as an alternative. By showing young boys th