$40 billion gone unused?!

Not going to lie, that number sort of blew me away. At my house, gift cards are usually blown through rather quickly.

Do you have unused gift cards tucked away in your wallet or junk drawer at home?

Check out www.cardfunder.com

What a cool way to get rid of clutter and do some good. 


Compassion CardFunder from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Her letters make me smile

 

Her letters always make us smile.

This one made me realize I've never sent her a picture of my husband and me together, just the two of us, with an explanation that we are husband and wife. 

Oops! 

Find your own child to sponsor at Compassion.

Look through the different countries and ages.

Look at the children that have been waiting a long time to be sponsored.

Look through the blog posts of the Nicaragua team. Have tissue handy.

A Contest and Compassion

This is an exciting day for Compassion. A group of bloggers are taking Nicaragua by storm. Well, I hope there are no storms, but you know what I mean.

Follow their adventures.

And, an extra bonus for this Compassion blog trip:

A CONTEST!

You can win books! I LOVE books.

Nine books make up the prize package:

1. Southern Plate: Classic Comfort Food That Makes Everyone Feel Like Family by Christy Jordan
2. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond
3. Saving Savvy: Smart and Easy Ways to Cut Your Spending in Half and Raise Your Standard of Living…and Giving by Kelly Hancock
4. A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon by Sophie Hudson
5. Mended by Angie Smith
6. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp
7. Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? by Pete Wilson
8. Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider
9. Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn by Melanie Shankle

Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/how-you-can-follow-along-on-a-blog-trip-and-introducing-a-contest/#ixzz2Waa9g2iJ

The contest ends on Thursday, June 20th at 4 p.m. MT. The winners will be announced during a Twitter chat at 7 pm ET (that would be 6 pm CT). Follow #CompassionBloggers for the Twitter chat.

So, follow along. There are going to be some great stories come out of this trip. And some beautiful photography. I'm looking forward to seeing what Keely Marie Scott comes up with.

So, I carry this disease

I carry this disease called Malaria. 

I didn't ask to have it or have the ability to pass it on to others. 

But, the fact is I do. 

You see, I'm a female mosquito with protists running through my tiny little body. 

A bite from me could be deadly.

 I start getting hungry around dusk and hunt for food until I'm all full with somebody's blood. 

 It's getting a little trickier to find a meal in my neck of the woods. 

People are starting to get these net thingies to hang over their beds. Makes it harder for me to eat.

I've heard the nets are provided by a special fund at Compassion.

I have no I idea what Compassion is, that's just what I've heard.

I do know that because of these nets fewer people are getting sick.

And, I've heard there are a lot of homes without nets, a lot of kids unprotected from me feeding on them.

I'm headed there now.

These Children Are A Most Wonderful Thing

I have this thing for people with special needs. I like them. I've always found myself drawn to them.

Not sure why.

When I was growing up, long, long ago...people with special needs were tucked away and not seen out in public very much. They were never in any of my classes. Now, I did grow up in very small towns, so my public was always very limited. I might have been exposed to more if I had been in a large city or large school system. I don't know.

Maybe, when I was younger, it was the novelty of being in their presence.

What I do know is I never felt fear or disgust. I always felt drawn by love.

All these years later, I have a special needs daughter (by way of China) and a special needs nephew and special needs cousins and special needs friends.

So, when the latest Compassion Magazine arrived I was excited to see the cover story Highly Vulnerable Highly Valued.

Watch Erick's story:

 One in 10 children worldwide has special needs, while one in 5 of the world's poorest has special needs.  

Interested in sponsoring a child with special needs? Click here.

Change a life today

Some people think changing a life for the good is a very hard process. Sometimes it is and if you have the capacity to go through the very hard process then you should. Sometimes, though, it is very easy to change a life.

I've (and Compassion) made it very easy for you.

Change the life of a little girl.
Change the life of someone in poverty.
Change the life, because you can.

You might find this interesting, especially if questions are bouncing around in your head.

Research on the outcome of child sponsorship will be published in the April 2013 issue of the Journal of Political Economy. Research that was conducted by Dr. Bruce Wydick, professor for the Department of Economics at the University of San Francisco.

This independent research shows that children who participated in Compassion's holistic child development through the sponsorship program stayed in school longer, were more likely to have salaried or white-collar employment and were more likely to be leaders in their communities and churches than their peers who did not participate in our program.

So, go ahead.
Take a peek.
Change a life.

Dreams for the future

I hear people talk about having dreams for the future. 

But, what does that mean?

I dream there will be food tomorrow, that I won't have to dig in the dirt for scraps dropped during yesterday's meal.

I dream of having the energy to hold my head upright. 

I dream that we can somehow get the medicine for this disease that is making my mother waste away.

I dream about having a school uniform so I can attend classes.

I dream of shoes so my feet won't get cut when I walk to get water.

Are those dreams for the future?

Is that what people mean?

The above is loosely based on some families that I love. I hope you get the picture of what thousands of children face every single day.

If you would like to make a difference in a child's life, please check out Compassion. So many are waiting for sponsors. 

Compassion, Fried Plantains, letters and such

I've recently gotten letters from my Compassion kids.  Apparently Plantains with Salami is a popular dish in the Dominican Republic.  Now I'm wondering how the plantains are prepared.  And Eury likes to eat Fried Plantain with Spaghetti.  Fascinating.  Not a combination I would have thought of.

Grabiela is now able to write her letters.  She drew a little pair of red lips for her kiss and asked for prayer for her dad because he isn't a Christian.

Eury says he wants to learn to draw and that his family is very happy.  He drew and colored a picture of his center with two little smiling people beside it. 

I've been bouncing around in my brain trying to come up with a stunning reason our family sponsors two Compassion children.  And, just to keep it simple:  It's the right thing to do.

And, why do I blog about Compassion and the kids we sponsor?  It's the right thing to do.

If I can get one more child sponsored or make a person aware of the many layers of Compassion then that is beyond delightful.  

Compassion changes people.  Not just the child in the program, but also family members.  That's HUGE.  That's how vicious cycles get broken.  That's how hope stays alive.

You can become a Compassion blogger.  Just click here to find out how.  They've made it very simple.  I like simple.  I need simple.  Click on that Join The Network button in the top left corner and it will walk you through the steps.

Oh, and here is a Fried Plantain recipe from Aunt Clara's Kitchen:  Dominican Cooking.  I still haven't come across one that combines them with spaghetti, but I'm thinking there's probably no marinara sauce involved.

Charity

I took this picture last year when I was in South Africa at the Dwaleni feeding.  It has haunted me ever since.  I never saw this child show any emotion or even move very much.  I didn't even know if it was a he or a she.

So, imagine my hope when I saw this picture on Kacy's blog post at Christmas time.

I was pretty sure it was the same child and I quickly asked Kacy to confirm it.  The answer was YES! The child has a gender.  The child has a name.  The child has a smile!  And food in both hands!

And, then this past week Kacy featured Charity in this blog post.  Oh! How it made my heart sing to see this little smiling face.

Daughters of South Africa: Thuli and Annika

This piece was written for a site that got hacked and wrecked before it could be posted. So, I decided to run with it here.

While on a trip last March, I was blessed to meet two lovely daughters of South Africa. Both agreed to take time from their busy schedules to sit down with me to answer a few questions. Both spoke to my heart. And both have the most lovely accents. Wish you could hear them.

First up is Thuli Sannie, wife of Stembiso, a local pastor, and mother of Blessing, a delightful toddler that entertained me one afternoon with his laughter and silliness.

What was it like growing up as a woman in South Africa?
I think it was good. I'm happy to be a woman in Africa. I'm proud of it. I think it is very good.

Was there a hard time for you growing up?
I never had a hard time growing up. I had the support of my parents. I'm number five in my family so I had the support of my brothers. We had twelve at home. Six girls and six boys. Thuli is the third girl.

Do you think it is hard to be a man or a woman here?
It depends. It's how you grow up. Men have to work hard to get food and clothes to support the family.

What is one dream you have for your community?
To see the women be independent, having their own business that they can teach others and not have to depend on men. Not having that makes us poor.

What is one dream you have for your family?
To see my family safe. I'm praying for that. For us to love one another, to know each other deeply.

What is one dream you have for yourself?
To help people, to see people have hope, especially the women. Sometimes they don't have hope. My prayer is that God can help me about that. Thuli also desires to help the teenagers not turn to sex so easily. She wants to be courageous in teaching them a different way to live.

What are some of the lessons you think need to be passed down to younger women?
They need to be independent, go to school, not drink and not do drugs. Girls fall pregnant so easily and children grow up without fathers. We need to teach that it is okay to say no to sex.

Annika is an artist, wife of Zach and mother of Ariel, Zoe, and Charlotte. She is on staff with Ten Thousand Homes, an organization dedicated to the orphans of South Africa.

Annika feels she lived a very safe, sheltered life growing up which made for an easy childhood. Her parents were not racist, so she knew very little about apartheid and the horrors that were happening in parts of South Africa. It wasn't a subject covered in school. Because of her family's beliefs they had no qualms when the schools were desegregated.

One of her dreams for the community is to see her sewing project, SOSEW, expand for women struggling to feed their kids. It would give women a skill they enjoy. They would be able to use God's creativity while making a difference in their lives.

She dreams of her family continuing to minister together, that they will always have a heart for what God is doing and engage in that together.

One of the ways Annika connects to God is through her painting. She would love to be able to paint on a regular bases and someday have a gallery of her own. Her artwork can be found hanging in various locations on the Ten Thousand Homes base. The Ten Thousand Homes logo is based on one of her pieces.

When asked about what one lesson she thought needs to be passed down to younger women she answered: The greatest thing you can find is peace with yourself and how God has made you.

Ten Thousand Homes

Some people I know live in South Africa, just outside of White River, in a special place called University Village. They are a beautiful bunch with lots of variety in background and specialties. All that variety mixes together to make up Ten Thousand Homes. This is what they say:

Ten Thousand Homes is a movement of ordinary people actively building HOPE and creating HOMES for Africa's orphans and vulnerable children.

They call themselves ordinary, but if you have spent any time with them and watched them love and minister and disciple you know really fast that they are not ordinary.

At this time Ten Thousand Homes is working on University Village Phase 1: Three year campaign to finish the purchase of the 14 acre property. As this phase ends and Phase 2 begins, TTH will begin renovating all existing buildings to suit the needs of the campus as well as upgrade the property’s security in light of the crime problem in South Africa.

Three years will be up at the end of January. If you can, please help wrap up this part of the campaign. It's a very simple and safe process.

You can learn more about the people of Ten Thousand Homes at the following:
KNOWN
Saving The Lost
Zachary + Anneke - The artwork on this site is by Anneke.
The McMillian Tribe

or find the all of them on this page.

Save The Nuba

by Jessica.Dotta
Have you ever wondered what you would have done had you been alive in 1940 and was one of those who knew about the Holocaust?

Would you have been a person of action or a person of silence?

It is perhaps one of the most important issues to wrestle with. More than once in our lifetime we will find ourselves at a crossroad, one where the decision we make will reveal as much about our character as our convictions.

There is a genocide happening right now in Northern Sudan. The government is eradicating their own people. If we don’t speak up and help, no one else will. Each time North Sudan launches an attack to kill their own people, and we in the Western world remain silent, we give our permission to continue.

It is easier to overlook what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Sudan because the task feels overwhelming and thinking about it can make us feel helpless.

The truth of the matter is that one person alone cannot save the Nuba People. But a community of people acting in unison can.

One of the most extraordinary acts found in mankind is when a member of the human race deliberately goes out of his way to help another. It is love in action. It is loving your neighbor. It is doing unto others, as you would have them do unto you.

This month, The Persecution Project Foundation has launched a campaign called Save the Nuba. In order to prevent another genocide, they need the help that only a community can offer.

For those who can afford it, the need for food and medicine is desperate.

For those who have little to give, they’re asking for petitions signed, for awareness to be spread through social media (Facebook, Twitter and blogs.)

For those who are passionate about this cause, they need your help raising awareness.

Will you join us in speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves?

Please visit www.SavetheNuba.com to learn ways you can help.

Active Compassion for the Persecuted from Watermelon Ministries on Vimeo.

Gifts of Compassion

Several years ago I started becoming overwhelmed with the knowledge of having more than I need and not needing things that I wanted.

And at Christmas time I still get overwhelmed with people running around like chickens with their heads cut off as they look for the perfect things to give, give, give. I want to give, give, give, but do my loved ones really need, need, need? The thought of giving a gift just to be giving a gift leaves me cold. So, at this time of year I struggle. A lot.

Thinking about money being spent for White Elephant Exchanges or just because we're suppose to spend $20 gift exchanges gives me a twitch. I know it all sounds so "humbuggy" but at this stage in my life, that's were I am.

So, I get a little giddy about stuff like this:


I've gotten these types of gifts over the years and I LOVE them! I've suggested these types of gifts to some of my family members when they ask for my Christmas list (I don't like Christmas lists - too gimme gimme gimme) and they stare at me like I have two heads. Even in my crazy family I'm known as one of the crazier ones.

I realize we are not commanded to celebrate Christmas. It's another holiday that we humans developed into the craziness we have today. But, I do know that God's gift of Jesus changed the world. And, with Gifts of Compassion we can change the life of a child.

If you're like me and get overwhelmed with having too much, research and find these types of gift ideas and put them on your Christmas list to handout to your relatives so they can stare at you like you have two heads. It's really not that bad.

Missions In Action

There's a new interactive video series called Missions In Action. I've been poring over their website and I'm really impressed. It's quality work done by quality people. If you're a fan of The Amazing Race you're going to see some familiar faces.

Their mission statement:

Through our award winning storytelling, access to people and places rarely seen, and key sponsors and partners, we plan to educate, inspire, and enable people to make a difference by taking action to help others around the world.

They don't just present a problem or tell a story, they present a way for you to get involved. I like that.

Here's Episode 1: Hope and Survival in the Philippines


Check out their website. Follow them on twitter. "Like" them on Facebook. Get involved. Change a life.

I got a letter

I got a letter this week from one of my Compassion kids. It is delightful, as always. Eury is in 2nd grade and is learning about David and Goliath. He understands that David's strength came from God.

He also sent a drawing of his family. I think someone drew it for him and he colored it. The coloring skills and the drawing skills don't quite match up. But, I could be wrong. Maybe he is talented with a pencil and not so much with a crayon.

I didn't pick Eury out of a pile of Compassion packets. He came to me. The center that my first sponsored child was involved with closed. It was very sad, because I had chosen him. He "jumped" off the table at me. I watched him grow through the pictures I received. And then he was gone.

So, Compassion paired me with Eury. We are beginning to get to know each other. He's told me that his family is very well and united. He asks for prayer that God will protect them.

It makes my heart sing to get his and Gabby's letters. If you like your heart to sing, I highly recommend sponsoring a child or two.

Embrace Me

I just finished Embrace Me by Lisa Samson. I'm a BIG Lisa Samson fan. I'm such a big fan that if I ever had the chance to meet her I would be in such awe that I would be speechless. Some of you know that speechless is hard for me.

I think I started crying pretty much nonstop at Chapter Nineteen and it stayed that way until the end of the book. It's not a sad book. I don't do sad. To me sad books are a waste of time.

This sentence from Chapter Three jumped out at me.

"These days, if he approved of me, I know I'd be doing something desperately wrong."

Just as the character's priorities have changed, so have mine. I can so relate to that sentence. There are many people in my life that have a different view of Christianity and The Church than I do. If I did something they approved of I would be scared.

But, as the character, Drew Parrish, grew and changed, I felt God showing me things in my life that he was dealing with in his life. Not on the same levels and exact demons, but still demons none the less. Things that could take over and do a lot of damage to Christ's name. The Christ I am suppose to be representing.

In a lot of ways through this book Lisa was "preaching to the choir" and I thought of the people who just don't get serving Christ in this way, the people that I butt heads with way too often, those who choose to ignore the Red Letters in the Bible. It helped me not think I'm as crazy as some people think I am.

It also deals deeply with pride and forgiveness, things I sometimes feel I will never get a grip on. I could relate to Drew when he talked of things that were too tempting.

So, thanks Lisa for putting it out there. Thanks for writing about what is real.

And, please forgive me for calling you Lisa. I feel as if I know you in a small way, even though, I would be horribly tongue-tied in your presence.

Maybe by the time you read this I will have stopped crying

Please read Kacy's blog post from today.

I got to be part of the miracle of the overflowing food.

Now my heart is breaking about this week.

If you can make a change in these kids life, please do so.

Hunger

I'm sitting here listening to Outside The Camp practice and, while they are excellent musicians, they are extremely loud. So, if there are any mistakes in this post it will be their fault.

The following statistics come from UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. I found them through Compassion International. My comments are in italics.

• 925 million people worldwide are chronically hungry - almost one in seven. Almost 73 million people in the United States of America are obese.
  

• 75% of the world's hungry live in rural areas, primarily in villages in Africa and Asia.

• 146 million children in developing countries are underweight, the result of chronic and acute hunger. And here in the USA we can find news stories everyday about our children being obese. One out of three are considered overweight or obese.
  

• 17 million children each year are born underweight, "inheriting" malnutrition from their undernourished mothers. Malnourished mothers have trouble breastfeeding their babies and in developing countries other feeding options aren't readily available.
  

• 7.7 million children die each year before age 5. In 53% of these deaths malnutrition is a factor. One child is too many. It is completely unacceptable.
  

The effects of hunger on the body:

• Normal growth is compromised.
• Physical activity is difficult.
• Resistance to disease is lessened.
• Learning ability is diminished.

The following are the numbers that really got to me.
Nutrition Comparisons: On average, the body needs at least 2,100 calories per day to allow for a normal, healthy life.

In 2007, these three countries averaged the most calories consumed per person per day:

• United States - 3,770
• Austria - 3,760
• Greece - 3,700

These three countries where Compassion works have the least calories consumed per person per day:

• Haiti - 1,850
• Ethiopia - 1,950
• Tanzania - 2,020

There's more than a tad bit of difference there.

Click here to find out how you can make a difference in the life of a child.

Evangelism & nurturing vs buildings & budgets

I've been reading Follow Me To Freedom - Leading and Following As An Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne and John M. Perkins. Been working on it for awhile. It's the kind of book that takes me a long time to get through because I have to put it down and think about it. Fluff books I can burn through in a day or so and I save those for the days I need to completely check out from reality and not think about anything. This isn't one of those books.

This is something I came across today in Conversation 3 - The Vision (Carrying A Cause).

The vision of the family of God relies on evangelism and nurturing. We lose that focus and vision when we fuss too much over buildings, budgets and institutions. Why are we building bigger churches when we have trouble nurturing the people already coming through the doors? Too often, our vision has turned into creating institutions rather than developing people. We have to keep our focus on the people of God-reconciling them to God and to each other. John M. Perkins

Evangelism and nurturing instead of building and budgets? Who would have thunk it?!

Needs and Wants

This time of year many people start thinking about the things they want.
My kids start getting pushed by their grandparents for Christmas lists.
We sat around my cousin's dining table yesterday going over the ads, looking at things we wanted and joked about if they were things we needed or wanted.

There are a lot of things I want, but in the scheme of everything else, there isn't anything I need.

I want a new stovetop. A wonderful gas 5 burner would be lovely. But, do I need it? Nope. Anytime I get grumpy about the one I have all it takes is a thought of the little house up in the mountains of China where Aaron, Stephie, Cassie and I stayed one weekend. They cooked our food on an open fire in their kitchen. That was their stovetop. That was also the only thing in their kitchen except for a table.

An oven with a door that really closed properly would also be lovely. But, do I need it? Nope. I know people that use old oil drums for their ovens. The majority of people in the world don't have ovens. My oven is a luxury.

The plumbing in our house is old and creaky. Comes from being in an older home and living on the ever shifting North Texas soil. I really don't think God ever intended house to be built on this stuff. Dealing with this plumbing can get really frustrating. Our guest bathroom makes me crazy if I let it. I would love to rip it all out and start over. But, you know what? I've got indoor plumbing. I don't have to walk to the neighborhood well or go to the creek to get my water. In another country we had to climb over two fences and squat over the openings in the floor while sharing the space with a pig. My indoor plumbing with clean running water is a luxury. Wanting better plumbing is a want, but it isn't a need.

I want a new camera. I've always loved photography, but I can't really pinpoint my motives for having one, so it is definitely a want, a luxury. I would probably waste a lot of time with it. I've got lots of friends that are fabulously talented photographers. I'll just enjoy their photos.

I want a Wilton icing thingy-a-bob like Lacey has. But, I want it just because I think it is really cool and fun. Lacey uses hers all the time because baking and decorating is one of Lacey's gifts and how she blesses people. My motives aren't pure like that. So, I am trying to convince myself that I don't want one. I know I definitely don't need one. Not even sure I would use it all that often. It would be a waste of money for me to have one. Most of the people in the world can't even afford to buy one frosted cupcake.

Today more than a billion people in the world live and die in desperate poverty. They attempt to survive on less than a dollar per day. Close to two billion others live on less than two dollars per day. That's nearly half the world struggling today to find food, water, and shelter with the same amount of money I spend on french fries for lunch. David Platt in his book, Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream - Radical

Needs and wants. They're different.
Lots of things I want. Nothing I need.