Those who travel far have much to tell. In these stories, it is often the personal encounters with people that are the most valuable, people from very different cultures but with the same hopes and questions. In this book we introduce you to a number of them. We offer a glimpse into the lives of older adults and young people from Iraq, North Korea, Peru, and many other countries. We walk alongside them for a while and are allowed a brief glimpse into their hearts. They speak of poverty, suffering, and persecution as well as about their search for a better life or for the meaning of life. There are also people who bear witness to hope and deliverance and to their encounters with God. As we listen to their stories we are encouraged, but we are also held up to a mirror. What would we do if we were in their shoes?
