Now What?

I would like some feedback on this. A good friend of mine is currently in Ethiopia with a short term medical mission group. Upon reading some of what she is experiencing, I was caught up short. The misery that exists in this world, of which I am unaware, is staggering. I know that God is ruler over all, that He loves His creation and His creatures. The struggle for me is knowing how to respond to the misery. Several scriptures provide a starting point. In Acts 17:27 it states:
17:26 From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be. So the location of my nation was a decision made by God.
Add to that the many scriptures that enjoin us to care for those less fortunate and in troubling circumstances. Then recall the scripture; Mat 26:11 " You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me. " From the mouth of Jesus we have that statement of fact. Poverty, it seems, will never be eradicated. The crux of the matter for me is to what, as followers of Jesus, are we called. How much should we attempt to know? I am nearly undone this morning after having simply read an email about some of the experiences my friend has had.
Any input????