5. How Time Really Affects Us

As of 2009, the life expectancy in America was almost 79. In Uganda, the latest statistics show life expectancy around 49. A 30 year difference.

Imagine how much knowledge, how much experience, how much love a person can gain in that 30 year difference. When the average Ugandan is dying, the average American hasn't even retired; the average American isn't even considered a senior citizen yet. Americans are not even beginning to think about social security. And Ugandans are dying.

Thirty years is 360 months. Thirty years is 1, 565 weeks. Thirty years is 10, 957 days. Thirty years is 262, 974 hours. Thirty years is 15, 778, 463 minutes. Thirty years is 946, 707, 779 seconds.

Every three seconds a child dies from hunger related to poverty. How many children die during those 30 years? How many children die in one year? One month? One week? How about just one minute? 20. Twenty children die from hunger in just one minute.

Here is my new favorite statistic: Americans spend approximately $2 billion each year on candy during Halloween. Just on candy. Just for Halloween.

Compare that number to this one: it would take only $6 billion to provide education for the developing world. Three years of Halloween candy or education for the whole world? There are 121 million children without education worldwide.

Does anyone's stomach hurt?

Think of this: I just ate a "fun-sized" Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and it took me 17 seconds. How many children died while I ate that? Almost six.

I was in Uganda for three months. About 11 weeks. 80 days. 1920 hours. 115, 200 minutes. 6, 912, 000 seconds of my life living in Uganda, Africa. And if I die at age 79 I will have spent the last 59 years of my life thinking about Uganda.

When I arrived home from Uganda, I immediately knew that I was supposed to go back. I know that my "calling" on this earth is to help people. It only takes one person to change the world. But if we each were that one person, imagine how much more change could happen.