Having seen the poverty that has affected my own extended family, my aunt used to spend 8 hours a day peeling vegetables for $1.

$1 in that local currency.

Barely enough to even buy the couple of vegetables that she had spent hours peeling.

But she did it. She did it, she worked for $1 a day, because she had to, as there weren’t any jobs available and she had no education or proper skills to help her succeed.

Luckily, she had other siblings who were better off, and sent money to their mother and other siblings who lived at home, to help them out.

@ Jason – I think the life of the poor is both simpler and much more complex. I am thankful for every financial opportunity I have and don’t think I desire to be poor. Simplicity by choice is an appealing option for our family.

@Joe
Thanks for the comment.
The book where this information was taken was specifically referring to American urban poor. However, I found the class distinctions to be just as true in my context here in Papua New Guinea.
I think many people share your experiences regarding short term mission work. I do find it interesting (and I do the same thing) that we say money does not buy happiness and then are shocked when people without money are happy.
Choice is a powerful advantage of the wealthy.
I pray also that I am learning the same lessons about simplicity and generosity. In fact, I’m in the process of working on another book and those are a couple of the key tenants.

Thanks for the thought provoking post. It means more coming from a person who has lived in and served in a third world country.

I am curious about these classes…are these based on world comparisons, or does each culture have its own poor, middle class and wealthy. I am sure that a “poor” American is in the top echelon financially when compared with the world as a whole.

I have been on many short term mission trips to poverty areas and I always come back with an amazement of how happy people can be who have very little stuff. Not only happy, but generous. Yet, as jarthurford pointed out, most of these people don’t have the choices we have. I hope I am learning to use my choices to prioritize my life, keep things simple and be generous.
Joe Plemon´s last blog ..Seasons of Life

I, too, find myself mostly in the middle class and wealthy categories. I find myself longing to be either poor or wealthy depending on the day. When I experience friendships with the poor, that’s what I want. When I experience some of the conflicts and struggles of the poor, I quickly decide I’d rather be wealthy or even middle class.

I definitely want to be wealthy with regard to holidays and global view. Other than that, it’s hard for me to find attractive elements in middle class or wealthy, and yet that is what I am. Am I stuck or what?

Yet, I don’t think being poor is all that it’s cracked up to be, mainly because I don’t know how to truly BE poor in the sense that Jesus would be. It seems wisdom and integrity and love are just as rare and wonderful in no matter which class you find it.

And I think Mother Theresa is right.