More than an Itch

If you looked at my one-year-old baby picture you would probably feel torn between laughing and a feeling of complete pity for me. I really wish I had it so I could share with you all. You see, in my photo I am covered in mosquito bites. I look like a happy yet tortured little soul.

Growing up everyone would tell me that I must have sweet blood. I was always itching and squirming from numerous bites from the first warm day of the year 'til the last. I don't know why, but they've always loved me, and still do.

Yes, the itching can be torturous, but it was livable. I guess that I actually got used to it, because in no way did those pesky little bugs ever stop me from fully enjoying the great outdoors.

Because of the mosquito's love for me, it should come as no surprise that on my first trip to Africa one of those little buggers shared Dengue Fever with me. It must have been my last day or two in Malawi, or possibly the layover on the way back in Ethiopia, when the bite happened. It wasn't until I was safely home that my sleeping issues began feeling more serious than jet lag. Then there was, of course, the infamous rash that resulted in a week long quarantine. North American doctors don't see Dengue Fever everyday, so apparently unfamiliar rash+ returning from Africa= crazy scary disease and imminent death for all who come in contact with said disease.

I survived the Dengue fever, and was lucky enough to have one of the less serious strains. But, inevitably, three weeks after I moved to Zimbabwe a few years later, I sat on Tecla's couch with the worst headache I have ever had, unable to force down a bite of food.

By the next morning the verdict was clear. The mosquito got me again; I had malaria.

I have always handled sickness pretty well, but let me be clear. Malaria: Take the worst flu you've ever had and times it by about 8 million.

I'm not kidding. It is bad.

And not only was it bad, it was scary.

When you are bundled up under six blankets and still shivering it's bad. But when you are bundled up under six blankets and still shivering when it is well over 100 degrees, it's scary.

That week is mostly a blur, but what I do remember is misery and being so very cold. I also remember people coming to pray with me, and being so thankful but too delirious to really communicate with them, understand their prayers, or even determine if they were speaking English, Shona, or Ndebele.  I remember the most amazing meals being prepared by precious and loving people just for me, hoping they would entice my appetite back to life. I remember looking at the food and fighting back tears because I just couldn't make myself eat. I could barely force down water a few sips at a time.

When I hear the Malaria statistics I am not surprised because I remember how ruthless it was to me, an adult in great health. But children, especially those who are malnourished with weakened immune systems, they are the ones who are losing this battle.

Malaria kills 655,000 children per year.

The good news is that we have weapons to help children and their families in this battle. These weapons are low cost but high efficiency.

Something as simple as treated mosquito nets and malaria prevention training saves thousands of lives, and is available to save thousands more if we are willing to help.

Having had a taste of this disease, I can understand the misery of Malaria. What I have a harder time understanding is how so many mothers survive the loss of their children from a disease that is highly preventable.

April 25, 2013 is World Malaria Day, and I urge you to visit Compassion International's Malaria Intervention Initiative page and consider what role you can play in arming these children in the deadly battle against Malaria.

You will be amazed at how little it costs to save a life.



P.S...I cannot walk away from this post without making a plea for Subdini. She is 9 years old, lives in India, is a beaming ray of sunshine, and has been waiting for a sponsor for 392 days. If you could use a smile or are ready to have your life changed by a beautiful little girl on the other side of the world, please click here. You know you want to.

She Chose Death

Originally posted in May, 2010

Never underestimate the value, purpose, and potential of a life.

Last week I read a gut wrenching blog over at Conspiracy of Hope. It was about the Nazi's Action T4, which was a government created euthanasia of people with special needs and disabilities. To gain support for this program, the Nazis placed a price on life. For each of these lives terminated, the government would save X amount of money. And it worked: over 200,000 were killed.

Reading this sickened me. Going to work each day and being surrounded by these precious lives makes is so personal. Their lives are priceless. How could anyone not recognize this? But, of course, that was the Nazis, and we all know how horrible they were, right?

But then, the same day, I was reading the local newspaper. There was a letter to the editor. I don't remember the title, but it caught my eye. And before I knew it I sat there frozen: Frozen with anger, shock, and fear.

A man wrote in about abortion, and to my horror, he summed up his letter by saying that abortion saves the government X amount of money for each life it takes (assuming most of them would be supported by welfare). And guess what? He wasn't a Nazi. He was an American (I won't assume his political party). And according to an earlier statement in his letter, he was a Christian.

Does anyone else feel the overwhelming need to throw up right now?

I know there is so much controversy about abortion, even in the church. But guess what else I know?

God does not create life on accident.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16

A life is a life. Whether unborn or born, physically disabled or physical perfection, delayed or genius, it is life. And no one can put a price on that.

He creates each child with care, and entrusts them to grow inside a carefully selected woman. He knows each one of his children intimately, and he knows all the wonderful ways this mother and child can learn from each other.

The role of a mother, most would agree, is the most influential role that exists. They are entrusted to love and nurture and grow this beautiful life. I am sure in some circumstances this can be painful, and this can be scary. But instead of supporting them and encouraging them and allowing them to be moved and changed by the child, either for nine months or a lifetime, we offer them a way out.

The problem with this? The problem is the one who has been entrusted to nurture this life has been given a choice, and instead of nourishment there is destruction. And society says it is okay. And sometimes society even says it is good.

It is death.

But because we will never be given a chance to hear so many voices and see so many faces, it makes it so easy for society to justify. That is until we get to heaven.

And I imagine at that time someone will ask God why he allowed people to suffer with AIDS and cancer and so many other diseases. Why was there no cure for these things? Why did he allow so much evil and murder in the world?

And at that time God will bring forward some of these priceless lives, and some of the voices that never had a chance to be heard on earth. And they will each have a name. And they will each have a voice.

And God will call one forward by name and the child will say, "My name is Simon. In my life I would have found the cure for cancer. But my mother was given a choice."

Then he will bring forward another face and she will say, "I am Ruth. I was created with a love for the broken and a courageous heart. I would have led many dictators to the Lord, and the lives of many would have been spared. But my mother was given a choice."

Then another, and he will say, "I am Paul. I hold the cure for AIDS. But my mother was given a choice."

Then another, and another, and another, and they will all say, "But my mother was given a choice...."

And she chose death.

World AIDS Day 2012

Today is World AIDS Day.

While HIV/AIDS is an issue I am incredibly passionate about, it is one that my words can never do justice.

Because I have seen children parenting children, their own parents taken by the disease.

I know of village populations made of only youth and seniors, an entire middle generation wiped out.

I have held the hands and bodies of little ones who suffer from weakened immune systems, a battle they inherited through birth.

Because child after child wait in institutions, abandoned and deemed un-adoptable because of their HIV status.

For me the hardest part of these stories is that they are preventable, ignited only by ignorance, lack of medical care, and stigmas. These stories could all end differently, and that is what World AIDS Day is about.

World AIDS Day is about awareness. It is about erasing stigmas and igniting change.

*With today's medical care, HIV/AIDS is still an incurable but very manageable disease. With proper medical treatment, people born HIV+ now have a normal life expectancy.

*HIV/AIDS is not transmitted through everyday living conditions or contact. HIV status is not a valid excuse to not welcome a child into your home or into your family.

*There are people in the world who still operate under irrational beliefs and "home remedies" when it comes to AIDS. A horrific yet real example is the belief that a man sleeping with a virgin will cure their disease. This results in the rape of young children and the spread of AIDS. Just one reason why education is so important.

*Over 34 million people worldwide are living with HIV, only about half who are eligible for free life-saving treatment receive it (www.one.org)

I hope you will take a moment today to take action:

Learn the facts, sign the petition, and learn how you can help provide education and treatment for those who need it most at ONE.

Give to the adoption grant, spread awareness, or adopt a child living with HIV like Yelena or the many others like her.

Sponsor a child and provide education and medical care for a child who lives in an AIDS affected area.

Words will never give justice to the millions affected by AIDS, but actions can.

Bulgaria's Abandoned Children

Here in this video you will see some of the precious children God has been growing my vision for, and some of the horrid conditions that fan the fire in my heart and the demand for change.

 http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/bulgarias_abandoned_children.php

This documentary produced by BBC is broken into nine videos, each about ten minutes in length, and follows a special needs orphanage in Bulgaria. I am warning, it is hard to watch. You will immediately have your heart broken and ripped into little pieces, by the end of the second video you will be completely outraged, and into the later videos, as they move to the younger children, you will be trying to jump through your computer screen to wrap your arms around them.

You will see, as one orphanage worker says, "Their only goal is survival."

I thoroughly debated whether or not to share this video. It is graphic, contains a lot of nudity, and shows children on the brink of death. But this is something I hope you all will watch, because I want others to feel the same heartache and outrage that I do. I want you all to join me in seeking change.

If you would like a tangible way you can help right now, Love's Hope International is an organization that works in Bulgaria to bring the necessities to these orphans such as food and warmth, but more importantly, they show them love. You can visit them here:  www.loveshopeinternational.org

Accidental Latitude

A year and a half ago my grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery, and it was discovered that the cancer had spread to several lymph nodes. The prognosis was not good. We thought that she would be celebrating her next Christmas face to face with Jesus.

Now here we are, coming up on her second Christmas since then, and as far as they can tell she is cancer free.

Soon after surgery my grandma received some of the best cancer treatment possible, including some of the newest medications. In fact, studies are being done on her because when you factor in her age and prognosis, her life is nothing short of a miracle. (But really, is any life short of a miracle? )

Along with the medical professionals, family stepped in. My mom did some research, and created a daily "smoothie" for her which consists of every single immunity-boosting, cancer-fighting fruit and vegetable on planet Earth.  These physical factors, along with being completely surrounded in prayer, have healed my grandma.

We are humbled and so very very thankful that God has allowed us to spend more time with her here in this temporary home in these temporary bodies.

But today I realized how much I take this for granted.

Today I received a letter from my Compassion daughter, Ruth, in Uganda. She is 19 and lives in a very rural area. She has never been to a city. Her family's average income is $8...a year.

Ruth is a prayer warrior, and has been on her knees for my grandma. In the letter I recieved today she told me that breast cancer is prevalent in her community as well as the surrounding villages.

What she told me next was the most awakening.

When women in her village are diagnosed with breast cancer, "they cut off their breasts and pray."

She went on to tell me that for this very reason we must be prepared every day to go onto our heavenly home, because there is nothing more we can do.

First, I must point out that in many ways she is right. We should be prepared for death at every moment. We are human, and God is God, and He can take us home whenever he wants, and no doctor can stop him.

But, God has given us a world full of potential cures and the intelligence to use them.

The only problem is that there are still so many who, simply because of their location or income, cannot access these wonders.

At times it feels as though the gap is closing. But then I realize that there are those of us who live in a country where, even if you don't have a penny to your name, you can benefit from most modern and life saving discoveries. And at the very same time, in the very same world, people are dying of diarrhea.

There are people in our world who take rocket ships to space and walk on the moon, and in the very same world people walk for days in order to reach the most basic medical care.

I have now walked through cancer with my stepmom and both of my grandmas. Two out of three of them conquered the disease, but all three of them were given the chance.

A chance that millions of people around the world are still not given, even today.

It's just another thing that breaks my heart, and another thing that I cannot fix.

But I can help. We can help.

In 2009 my Compassion daughter, Dilsly, had surgery to remove a lump in her breast. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was not much older than Dilsly, so immediate action was taken thanks to regular exams. None of this would have been possible if Dilsly was not part of Compassion's program. Dilsly could easily have been one of the many who are so close, but are unable to cross the barrier of poverty to receive medical care.

But thanks to Compassion, her medical needs are taken care of.

Thanks to Compassion, and other organizations like them, we are given the opportunity to help.

So, thank you, Compassion, for giving children a chance. Thank you for giving us a chance to stand in the gap.

And thank you, Father, that I live in a place where I can access a doctor and medication for something as simple as a cold. Thank you for creating us with the knowledge to create life saving medication. And thank you that I will get to celebrate yet another Christmas with my grandma. May I take not a moment of this for granted.

 

"We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies. But will we be that generation?" -Bono

God Bless,

Not Too Late

Last week Mother Nature decided to wipe out several trees and power lines in my neighborhood. Because of this I was unable to check email or wash my hair for a few days. But the worst part was that I missed a very important opportunity to bring awareness to an issue close to my heart.

Thursday, December 1, was World AIDS Day.

I am very excited looking back at blogs from last week to see that so many of you used your voice to speak up about AIDS. I briefly debated if I should still post on this issue, being several days late, but decided that AIDS is something that millions of people live with every day, and today, like every day, another 5,000 people will die from AIDS related causes. Needless to say, it is never too late.

There are many ways that you can join in the battle against this disease, but here are a few of my favorite:
Sponsor a child who lives in an AIDS affected area through Compassion International.
Advocate for or adopt a HIV+ orphan.
Join ONE to stay updated on AIDS initiatives and projects around the world.

And may we never forget to show our love and respect to those infected,

Honor the lives of those taken too soon,

And have compassion for the many left behind.

God Bless,

Why Diamonds are NOT This Girl's Best Friend

Diamonds.

They are rocks.

Rocks that men use to swoon their women.

Rocks that women use to flaunt their wealth, or their man's wealth.

Diamonds hypnotize the masses and delude the hoards into believing they add some kind of value or meaning to their life, therefore convincing them to pay ridiculous prices for appearances.

But the biggest price, the real price, is paid by the innocent. The innocent whose only crime is being born in a place where diamonds are found. The innocent who are forced to work in the diamond fields under horribly violent conditions, for no other pay than being allowed to live.

And sometimes they are not even given that.

Diamonds have fueled injustice throughout the world from the funding of corrupt causes, to exploiting the weak, to in itself creating conflicts. In 2000 there was a great awakening to the human rights issues surrounding diamonds, and as a result the Kimberley Process was created and in 2003 began regulating diamond production and trade.

In the last eight years the Kimberley Process has done much to prevent human rights violations due to the diamond trade, but the process has in no way vanquished the problem. Smuggling is still a problem, as well injustice slipping through the cracks. And in the end, the Kimberley Process has little control over how the  funds a country recieves from its diamonds are distributed.

Yesterday another leak in the system was revealed, as the Marange Fields in Zimbabwe recieved approval through the Kimberley Process for their diamonds to be exported and sold in major markets throughout the world.

Zimbabwe estimates 2 billion dollars in revenue from these diamond fields, which will surely create even greater disparity between the abundant wealth of Mugabe and his loyalists and the majority~ a severely impoverished population.

In addition to this, approval of diamonds mined in the Marange Fields for international trade is a scandal in itself. Reports say that the approval of Zimbabwe diamonds was a "compromise" to end a deadlocked vote. The US "compromised" by abstaining their vote. Morally they (we) knew that the reports made by several human rights groups condemning the brutality and violence used in the mining of these fields were true. So in good conscience we couldn't vote for the approval, so we compromised our opportunity to stand up for the powerless and chose silence instead.

But what it really comes down to is that we have compromised human rights to make women around the world look pretty.

We have compromised integrity to fill the wallets of the greedy.

And we have compromised the lives of many ...for mere rocks.  

Diamonds are only as valuable as we make them my friends. So ask yourself, is that rock worth someone's life?

Learn a Little, Win a Little~ A Giveaway

A few weeks ago at my local Farmer's Market, I discovered an NGO called The Women Can Ministry. It was the beautiful handmade African products at their booth that first caught my. After talking to the represenative, Nancy, about the organization and what it stands for, I knew I wanted to support this ministry.

 

The primary purpose of this ministry is to assist in reducing and eliminating high rates of maternal and child mortalities as well as poverty in the two rural districts (of Tanzania) due to malnutrition, obstetric fistula and poor or no education.

Products sold by The Women Can Ministry are handmade by women in Tanzania and sold in the US to help these women support their families in the fight against poverty.

Many of the women who are part of this project are victims of obsteric fistula, which can cause them to be completely shunned from their communities. Corrective surgery for this condition costs $64.00 US, which is not much by our standards, but for these women in Tanzania is often times completely out of reach. The income from these products (which is split evenly among the group) helps many of these women pay for this surgery to correct a life altering condition.

I decided that I should definitely buy some of their beautiful handmade Tanzanian products, and because I love you so much, I am going to share them with you!

One lucky winner will recieve a beautifully hand-dyed purse, red coconut bead necklace, and handpainted Africa card:

The beautiful, brightly colored Africa card was handpainted by the children supported by this ministry:



 This vibrant red necklace is long enough to double over, and is made up of handcrafted coconut beads:

This brightly colored purse is uniquely dyed with beautiful yellows and reds. The purse has a thick single shoulder strap, and is lined with solid black material. Its so beautiful, I decided to buy one for myself too :)

There are five ways for you to enter this giveaway:

1)Leave me a comment telling me you want to enter! Easy peasy!

2) Read this article about obsteric fistula in Tanzania, and tell me one thing that stood out to you (It could be something you learned, something that surprised you, or something that gave you hope).

3) Share this giveaway on Twitter.

4) Share this giveaway on Facebook.

5) Share this giveaway on your blog.

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be drawn the old skool way~ out of a paper bag~ on Sunday, June 19th. Oh, and please leave an email or blog address so I will be able to contact you if you are the winner!

I also recommend that you watch the beautifully and respectfully created documentary called A Walk to Beautiful, which lets us into the lives of several young Ethiopian women who have suffered from obsteric fistula.It can be watched full-length here. Its only about 52 minutes long, and totally worth every second.

Good luck!

The Gift of Life

In Africa it is said that

Water is life.

Here, in a place where such a resource is so readily available that we literally flush it down the toilet, it is hard to fathom our every minute of waking existence revolving around obtaining enough of it just to live.

But in many places, and for many people, it does.

Often times children cannot attend school because their hours of daylight are spent hauling water. Mothers cannot help bring in income or care for their home because of the strenuous and long labor that attaining water requires. And many times this water, this life that they work so hard to obtain, is tainted with death.

Here are the facts:

~One in six people on the planet do not have access to clean water. That is about one billion people.

~Every minute three children die from unsafe drinking water.

~Right now half of the people in developing countries are suffering from water related illness.

~Access to clean water can transform an entire community by cutting child death rates in half and dramatically decreasing hours of labor.

~$20 can provide clean water for one person, and literally change their life.

Let me say that last one again:

~$20 can save someone's life.

That is where we come.

My awesome friend, Cathrine and her husband have been saving and sacrificing for several months to build a well for a community in Africa. (For more information how this well is going to benefit its community, please check this out.)

Although the cost of building a well seems like a huge and daunting task to many of us, Cathrine stepped up in faith. And because of her faith, many many lives will be transformed and saved.

There are only 54 days left for Cathrine and her husband Joshua to reach their goal, which means there are only 54 days left for you to join in and take part in being a blessing. 

If you would like to give a precious person the gift of life you can donate through My Charity Water here.

God Bless,


 

Who are the People in Your Neighborhood?

Recently it has been very apparent to me that here, in the United States, we have been blinded to human trafficking that is going on in our own country, our own city, our own neighborhood.

Recently my city recieved a $500,000 grant to be used specifially to fight human trafficking. The community's response has, honestly, outraged me.

Many people think it is ridiculous. They don't understand why we would spend money on a "problem we don't have" rather than using it to fight gangs, drugs, and prostitution. People don't realize that often times these problems go hand in hand.

The police department has rescued over a dozen girls this year from human traffickers, but people see that number as small and insignificant. Definitely not worth the police force's resources. What they don't understand is that there are, I am sure, at least hundreds more. Waiting to be rescued. In my community alone.

I worked as a group home manager for two years, and I saw countless numbers of girls- and boys- who were in the state's juvenile court system because of crimes they were forced to commit by traffickers. I know it is happening in my state and my city, because I have met the victims and I have heard the stories.

Unfortunately, many people do not know the truth. For some I believe it is simple unawareness, while others willingly choose ingnorance and denial.

The fact is, that by keeping it a far away problem, people believe it is not their responsibility. If it is a far away problem we can write a check or write a blog and believe we have done our part. We can even not care, as many choose to do.

But when it becomes a problem in our city and our neighborhood, we run out of excuses.

The other day I posted a link to Stephanie's list of five ways to help stop human trafficking. This list includes mentoring, buying fair trade, not supporting the porn industry, being aware/raising awareness, and praying (please check out her post to see these points in more detail.) If you have not done so already, I encourage you to read her post and see how your involvement in these things can really make a difference.

To add to your resources I want to give you the phone number to call if you see any out of the ordinary or suspicious activity. You know that feeling you get that something is wrong? It may be a twinge in your stomach or chills up your spine. Many times these things have value. Please, when in doubt, call. The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888.

I would also encourage you to visit the Conspiracy of Hope blog.
The post "America's Homeless Youth and Human Trafficking" tells a story of human trafficking here in the United States. As this courageous woman tells her story you will see the many opportunities that others had to intervene, but did not. I hope this story will open your eyes to the atrocities going on around us.

Last, but not least, my friend Michelle and her husband Jason have decided to step up and do more to fight human trafficking. God has placed it on their hearts to start their own non-profit organization to help girls who have escaped their traffickers have a safe place to heal. Please visit The Cinderella House ministry at their blog, Restore Innocence, and see if there is a way for you to be involved.

I pray that these words do not fall empty on your mind, but that they take root in your heart. May your eyes be opened so that no opportunity to help may pass you by.

Check it Out

Hi all!

I wanted to let you know that Stephanie over at just a little bit louder just wrote this post about five excellent and tangible ways to take a stand against human trafficking. I hope you take time to check it out.

Also, for those of you interested in buying fair trade items, check out www.fairlabor.org. It has been a while since I checked in on the list of their participating companies, and I discovered that several have been added, as well as a few taken off. Buying items from companies who take a stand against modern day slavery is a very big and important way to help stop human trafficking.

The Challenge. September 2010.

I have been procrastinating a bit about writing out this month's challenge.

The reason is that the subject rips my heart out.

At times it brings me to my knees in prayer and gasping sobs of sorrow.

At times it makes me furious, causing anger to boil inside of me.

And at times it causes me to just sit overwhelmed, glued to my seat, unable to move or do any good from the weight of helplessness.

The first two emotions I think are good. These emotions can awaken your spirit to move on the behalf of the broken and abused. But as you proceed with this month's challenge, you have to promise me that you will not do the latter; You will not let a feeling a helplessness hinder you from helping. Because you can help, and that overwhelming feeling that causes immobility is a lie from the deciever.

This month I want to bring to your attention the subject of human trafficking.

According to Unicef, over 2 million children are exploited every year through sex trade.

Over 27 million men, women, and children are victims of current day slavery.

Human trafficking effects young and old, male and female, but most often the most vulnerable are targeted. Traffickers decieve impoverished families into believing their children will be taken to a better place where they can recieve an education, but are instead forced into child labor. Widows are forced to do the unspeakable because they have no one to defend them. Young women are told they can start a new life in another country, and instead become sex slaves.

The first part of this month's challenge is awareness. We are so often sheltered from the atrocities going on in our world, and even in our own backyard. I challenge you, and myself, to dig deeper. Learn the statistics, read real people's stories, and really make a connection to these victims.

Here is one to get you started: Inside the Slave Trade
Also, I would like to recommend the documentary Born Into Brothels, which you can likely check out for free at your local library.

The second part of the challenge is to pray. Pray for God to break your heart for the things that break His. Pray that He will open your eyes to the injustices going on around the world. And pray that he would show you how to move.

The third part of this challenge is to move. It may look different for each of us. Find an organization to connect with that fights the injustice of human trafficking. It may be giving or volunteering or raising awareness.

Here are a few organizations who are devoted to fighting injustice:
International Justice Mission
Conspiracy of Hope
Home of Hope


This month I will be reading Just Courage by Gary Haugen, and I encourage you to do the same. This will be my first time reading this book, but I hear it will be a motivation to step up and take a stand for justice.

I hope you will all be a part of this month's challenge. Shake off that feeling of helplessness, and become a light to expose the evil that hides in the darkness. Take a stand for those who are crying out, but whose voices we cannot hear because they have been muffled.

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 82:3-4

Voice of the Martyrs

Did you know that right now there are more Christians being martyred for their faith than in any other time in history?

Persecution to the point of death is something we don't hear about much in the United States, but it is happening all over the world.

There is an amazing organization called Voice of the Martyrs, which serves to assist the persecuted church. They do this by raising awareness, sending encouragement and support to the persecuted, and by joining the worldwide body of Christ together through prayer.

To get more information you can visit VOM's website and subscribe to their free monthly newsletter. You can also go here to recieve a free copy of Tortured for Christ, a story of persecution, and send a free copy to your friends while you are at it.

Was it Worth it?

A couple days ago I went One Day Without Shoes.

Did it really do any good? Was is really worth all the weird looks?

I would like to think so.

I have been on spring break this last week, so I did not go to work barefoot, but I did spend the morning at Youth for Christ. It was great! Most of the office joined in, and we printed out little info strips to hand out to people we encountered throughout the day.

There were several people I know who I saw throughout the day. When they didn't mention anything about me being barefoot, I asked them if they were curious as to why I wasn't wearing shoes. One person told me they assumed it was "some kind of people who love Africa thing," and I was told by another that they didn't think anything of it, because I am kind of a hippie. I will take those comments as compliments, thank you very much :)

So, throughout the day I was given the opportunity to share the cause with many, even with some women at my church. (Yes, I went to church barefoot)

Throughout the day I was able to share the facts about there being over 300 million children in the world who don't wear shoes, and the health effects of that. Perfectly enough, part of our study topic that evening at church was THANKFULNESS. The conversation came back around to the things we take for granted, and I got to share even more about some things I experienced on the mission field.

One thing that shocked me throughout the day was that everything I was saying seemed to be brand new information to a lot of people...even Christian people.

I love raising awareness about poverty, but I use to get so frustrated at things people didn't know. I eventually realized all that did was turn people away, so I prayed for a change of heart. I have to tell you that now it just makes me so sad. Being the church, we should know about the poor, because how are we going to love them if we don't even know about them?

So I shared with them a few things going on in our world that many of us have been sheltered from. And now I am praying for more opportunities to share with them in a loving and meaningful way.

So, was it worth it?

Yes.

Are there still over 300 million children in the world who do not own a pair of shoes?

Yes.

But the good news is that we can do something about it. Check out how at Toms shoes and Samaritan's Feet


The Fresno/Madera Youth for Christ crew going One Day Without.

Barefoot

I'm not wearing shoes today...and you shouldn't either. Go barefoot for the day and raise awareness about the 300 million children in our world who do not own a pair of shoes.


Not only is going barefoot day after day painful (especially when many of these kids must walk miles daily just for water), but it also leaves children vulnerable to parasites and disease, often which are deadly.


Go to Onedaywithoutshoes.com for more info, because the whole point is to raise awareness. And while you are there you should stop over at Tom's and buy some shoes...Toms matches pair for pair....meaning when you buy a pair of shoes, a child without recieves a pair of shoes.


Pretty awesome.

Persecution

Over the weekend 8 Christians were martyred in Pakistan. Six were burned alive, and two were shot. Simply for proclaiming the name of Christ.

Here in America, where our idea of persecution is being rejected or mocked at worst, we not only take for granted our freedom to call ourselves Christians, but we often hide behind the label. Somewhere along the way what it means to be a follower of Christ has been watered down to living in comfortable homes and driving comfortable cars and sitting in a comfortable pew on Sundays. We forget to be grateful for clean water, food, shelter, education, freedom of religion, and ultimately the grace that has undeservably been lavished on us. We forget about our brothers and sisters in Christ that are living out their faith, and ultimately dying for their faith.

In a time where more Christians are being martyred than ever before, I ask that you would remember what it really means to be a follower of Christ, and remember those who are suffering for His name. In our comfort it has become too easy to block out the outside world. When we do this we are disabling the body of Christ. We each have an important responsibility in the body, and as we all know the body works best when the parts work together. As a country with so many resources, we have the capability to be a mobilizing force, but instead it seems as though we have become paralyzing.

I ask that you take the time to examine your own life and question what you are contributing to the body of Christ. And while your at it, pray for our brothers and sisters who are acting as the hands and feet.

A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold...

I recently read a news article about Desmond Tutu and his cry for Zimbabwe. For the last few months I have been less active in bringing awareness to the issues going on in a country I so dearly love. I guess I feel like I am making little difference, and that people are getting tired of me pushing the issues. I now feel conviction for not doing all I can do for a country for which God has given me a burning compassion.

Currently Mugabe still holds on to power as tightly as possible. As of yesterday the inflation rate was 231 million percent. A loaf of bread, if you can find it, costs about 25 billion Zimbabwe dollars. This amount is several days wages for the mere 18%of the population that is employed. Cholera has claimed well over 2,000 lives, and the W.H.O. estimates the actual numbers to be much higher, seeing as hospitals are unstaffed so many deaths are going unreported. The outbreak continues to spread steadily. These are just a few of the major concerns plaguing the country.

If you have read this information it is yours to do with as God directs you, but I would encourage you today to prayerfully consider joining Desmond Tutu and myself in weekly fasting and prayer for the nation of Zimbabwe. These are our brothers and sisters who are suffering. Please remember them in this time of desperation.

Shalom,
Rebecca

Things that are real

(Below is something I wrote last year, while I was still working at Mama Makeka House of Hope. I found it tonight, and it struck me, especially with the happenings currently going on in DRC.)

Today at work I had the task of entering information of some of the people Mama Makeka House of Hope works with into our database. The list came from Eastern Congo of names, ages, and addresses of women, all who have been victims of sexual violence, and have come forward looking for trauma healing.

As I started typing the list my mind was somewhere else...far far away...you know, with those simple and meaningless thoughts that carry us away.

They were all just letters and numbers, and then I typed in the age of a woman....the same as my grandmother, and all of a sudden it wasn't just another name or another number.

As I continued, I began praying for each woman, each a child of God, each a victim, each desperate for healing. The area where these women come from, Eastern Congo, is the area where much of Rwanda' s Hutu militias fled after the genocide, as well the hiding place of several other militia groups. For the last decade they have been hiding out in Congo, taking the women, using them as sex slaves.

I've known all this has been going on, and I am blessed to work for an organization that does something about it. I've hurt for these women and I’ve prayed for these women, but today these women became my grandmother, my sister, my mother. Each of those women has a name, but beyond that, the list in front of me was no longer hundreds of names, it was hundreds of people.

As I continued entering the list into the database, I got to a list of names from an area called Ngando. It went something like this (first names only):

Musimbi, age 13

Museme, age 5

Nshombo, age 6

Mushagalusa, age 1

Bitaragazi, age 2

….and the list goes on ….

Every girl from this village, taken from her home, held as a sex slave, all 13 years old or younger. Not even women. Children.

My day continues….and the list goes on…

….hundreds of names…

We have all heard about these things, but because most have never seen them, they are not real. These names, these women, these children; THEY ARE REAL.

As you go about with your day, I ask that you remember these women, these children. Each name is somebody’s mother, somebody’s sister, somebody’s grandmother, somebody’s daughter. These things unseen, I pray that they will become real to you.
-Rebecca

Some Things I Don't Understand

I don't understand...

How one can fill their pool, take 2 showers a day, wash their car, forget about the hose running on the front lawn, and run the dishwasher 3 times a day, all with drinkable water, while another lives without access to clean water.

How one can spend $2000 on a purse, while another can't afford the couple of dollars a year in school fees, and will never be given the opportunity to get an education.

How one can spend more on makeup for one month than it would cost to provide anti-virals to an AIDS patient for an entire year.

How one can purge themselves to the point of fatigue and throw away enough leftovers to feed an entire family, while another will not find enough food to live for one more day.

How one can sleep in a warm bed with a soft mattress and blankets and pillows, while another sleeps on a dirt floor, not able to afford a $5 mosquito net to protect their children from malaria.

How one can buy designer shoes, jeans, jackets, and purses, while another whose hands made those designer clothes cannot afford to feed their famliy.

How one can spend thousands on plastic surgery while another dies from lack of basic immunizations and health care.

And sometimes I don't understand how I, who has seen the most desperate kind of poverty first hand, can still spend $10 on a movie and $4 on a cup of coffee when I know this money could feed a child for a month.

Don't get me wrong. I am so thankful for the blessings God has given me personally, and given us, as a country. But contrary to popular belief donating an old bag of clothes or volunteering in a food pantry once a year is not enough. I don't know when or how we got so greedy and decided that service should be convenient or be comfortable. I honestly believe that when we submit to greed and cower from sacrifice we limit the true blessings God has for us.

I could go on, as this is something that weighs heavy on my heart day after day, but I will leave you with this:

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." Mark 12:41-43

Here are a couple opportunities to sacrifice:
World Vision
Compassion International

-Rebecca

Dispatch Foundation

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-Rebecca