Priceless

Have you heard of Tom Davis? He's the founder of Children's HopeChest and he's written a few books, including one I read a few months ago, Scared. His new book, Priceless, came out on June 1st and I couldn't wait to read it. Both books are about a photojournalist, Stuart Daniels, and things he experiences while on assignment. The first book, Scared, is about a young girl in Swaziland who is the head of the household, but Priceless is about the sex-trafficking industry in Russia.



Several years ago, I sponsored a girl, Masha, from Russia through a small NGO called Orphan Sponsorship International. Masha was 15 and I only sponsored her for a year because she started leaving the orphanage and hanging out with some rougher older kids in the area. Her sponsorship ended not too long after that.

Reading Priceless, I couldn't help but think of Masha and other girls in her orphanage. Tom Davis is an amazing author. He has a way with words that pulls you into the story and after reading Priceless, I was immediately ready to do something. Children's HopeChest has sponsorship opportunities for individuals interested and able to donate and make a connection with a child in need.

Parts of Priceless were ugly, sick and completely and utterly disgusting - but that is the truth for SO many young girls around the world - not just in Russia. I was sent this book by Tom Davis and his publishing company in exchange for an honest book review on my blog. If you read this book, I imagine that you too, will feel compelled to do something - even if it's only to learn more. Anne Jackson, a popular Christian blogger, traveled to Russia and Moldova with Tom Davis earlier this year. I encourage you to check out her posts from the trip. As the only female in the group, she writes a candid and sometimes creepy account of their experiences.

I'm going to find out if I can do a giveaway of this book, it was an option with the letter I received. If you're interested in that or just reading it, would you comment and let me know so that I can let them know if it's something my friends would like? Thanks!

In the meantime, if you're at the bookstore or happen to be shopping Amazon - BUY this book! I read it in just a few hours last Friday and couldn't put it down. It's an amazing story with so much truth woven into each page. You can read chapter one right here.

Also, be sure to check out the book's webite, She is Priceless and if you do NOTHING else, READ THIS POST.

Oh the years...

I hate packing. I hate unpacking even more. But it's been fun going through files and hat boxes (my storage method in the office) to find really old stuff! Below is one of my first packets from Compassion. Aside from the obvious age of the materials, check out that country profile - Zaire! Zaire lost existance at least 13 years ago! (Now Democratic Republic of Congo, cus that's better, right?!)
I took some time to read through some letters from children I've sponsored over the years. In doing so, I pulled out the first picture I ever received of Princy. She's from India.

The picture on the left is the first one, the one on the right is four years later, and below is the most recent photo that I received last month. It has been 8 years! She's 16 now and simply amazing.

I have over 60 letters from Princy and it was fun to sit down and read them all! Do you sponsor?

Half the Sky LIVE - March 4th

A reader emailed me after my last post about Compassion. Check out the following for more information. Angelique Kidjo is one of my favorite singers! India.Arie makes an appearance as well. If you haven't heard her song 'Strength, Courage, & Wisdom,' you're missing out. And now that I've shared that, you should also listen to Angelique's version of 'Malaika' - my all time favorite song! Malaika is Kiswahili for 'angel.'

Hope for Haiti

I almost forgot! Last weekend, I got an email from Wild Olive about their t-shirt for Haiti. 100% of the cost ($24.99) benefits Eyes Wide Open International. There doesn't appear to be a website but I loved the shirt and I trust Wild Olive's partners (based on their past partnerships), so I bought one. It arrived three days later! I'm wearing it today, which reminded me that I hadn't blogged about it yet. I put their button on my page. Check it out!

Blessing Bank, take 2

This post has been a work in progress for at least a month! Back in September, I wrote about how I'd found the neatest thing ever, Blessing Banks. Long story short, M's mother in law saw my blog post and called to tell M about it. M owns the company (Blessing Banks) and well, you can read more about it here. She was so kind and sent me a bank, and et me just say, it is beautiful. I absolutely love it! It is so simple yet really stunning.

The pictures were taken in a weird setting but definitely visit the website for pictures too. The bank I have is the "girl" bank, but there is also a "boy" bank that has different wood pieces on the sides.

A Blessing Bank would be a great gift idea for anyone - children or adults alike.

"Based on Jesus' words in Acts 20:35, Blessing Banks are more than a gift; they are a lifelong lesson in the blessing of giving. They are available in handcrafted hardwoods for boys and girls, hand-painted ceramic and also in a hammered, silver-plated option. And Little Blessing Bags are a convenient way for collected change to bless someone with an immediate need.

From our beginning, Blessing Bank® has had one mission:We want to provide a meaningful gift that will give children an opportunity to learn about generosity and the Christian principle of tithing.

Our banks reflect our desire to blend form and function into a sturdy, yet beautiful handmade piece that will last for generations. Whether used as a tithing or savings bank for helping those in need, we believe the Blessing Bank will help nurture a giving spirit that will grow with the individual for a lifetime."

If you happen to order, let M know that you read about it on my blog! I don't get anything or benefit from it, but I think she'll appreciate how neat the "blog world" spreads word around. I had the opportunity to have some email exchange with her and she's an amazing woman, very kind and genuine.

What difference do it make?

A few months ago, I read Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It was a great book and renewed my desire to volunteer locally. I just finished this book yesterday and was probably a little over excited when I read in one of the chapters about the woman who developed Blessing Banks! Did you read my last post on here?! Had I read the "About Us" section on the website, I would have been expecting this, but I didn't. I admit that I was so excited about the concept, I posted it to share with you all and didn't even do my research. Sorry friends! The good news, is that it's still a SUPER great wonderful thing and you should still totally buy one for a friend! Or you own child. :)

Back to the book, it also mentions a family that adopted a little boy from Ethiopia. Turns out, I remember visiting this family's blog because they had their blog designed by Nikki, the same person I who did mine!

All this to say, it's not only a small world, it's a tiny one! I truly do believe in six degrees of separation. Oh the stories I could tell you about how Hope Aid's directors in Uganda met with a man from Duke University while he was visiting Kampala and how this Rev. Duke Professor apparently knew our assistant rector very well! Or how in the middle of a rural Tanzanian village, I met up with two mzungus from Raleigh... but I digress.

What Difference Do It Make isn't a sequel or second book to the original story, however it is a follow up to the rest of the story. It chronicles some amazing tales of people who were motivated to do more after reading Same Kind of Different As Me. It is a quick read with short chapters and it's a great book to pass along to friends. While you wouldn't have to read the first book to understand the second, it would be good to do...

Same Kind of Different As Me is by far one of my favorite books.... check out both of them!

Blessing Bank

Click here to read more! I think these would be great baby gifts - and I love the idea behind them.

600 children DIE

In the time it takes me to write this, 600 children will die in Africa.

600.

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 250 million people suffer from malaria each year; of those, one million die. In Africa alone, a child dies from malaria every 30 seconds.

30 SECONDS.

While malaria is common in other parts of the world, 90% of malaria related deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa.


FACT If not treated, malaria can often be fatal.

FACT 3.3 billion people (half of the world's population) are at risk of malaria.

FACT Young children and pregnant women are at highest risk of malaria.

FACT Long lasting insecticidal nets can be used to reduce malaria, treated nets last 3-5 years.

FACT Malaria is preventable and treatable.

What can you do???

A few months ago, a maternity clinic in Mugusu sub-county, Fort Portal (western Uganda), was provided with mattresses, linens, and various other supplies to better provide for patients. (Kids with Knowledge, a program of Hope Aid volunteer Parteek, spearheaded this project.)

After learning about the recent clinic upgrades, my friend Abbie decided to start a campaign to provide for the new mothers who would be receiving care at the clinic. Upon hearing the news, Hope Aid country directors, David and Linda, were thrilled!

A week later I received an email with news that a pregnant woman in the village had died of malaria. David and Linda wrote to ask if we might be able to provide some mosquito nets. We want to try and raise enough money to buy 100 nets. Each net is $8. Therefore, $800 is our goal.

PLEASE HELP US!

We are selling t-shirts to help raise money for nets... each shirt is $16, enough for two mosquito nets.

BUY A SHIRT, SAVE A LIFE... literally.

We currently have sizes SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE, and XL.

Shipping is FREE! If we sell 20 shirts, we will meet our goal. If we sell 40 shirts, we will DOUBLE our goal! We have 10 shirts in each size, S, M, L, XL. Help us SELL OUT!

In case you are not able to tell what the shirts say:

Front

(image of mosquito) OR (YOU)

IT ONLY TAKES ONE.

Back

ONE BITE KILLS.

ONE NET SAVES.

CHOOSE (YOU)

...buy a net, make a difference

http://www.hopeaid.org/

ONLINE DONATIONS CAN BE MADE AT http://hopeaid.org/donate.aspx

In the paypal field, please let me know what size shirt(s) you would like and your address.

Sponsor Challenge!

Friends -- while surfing around Facebook tonight, I had a chance to chat with Kees, a fellow Compassion sponsor. He told me that he's looking for a sponsor for the above little girl, Celina. She's from Bolivia - which is awesome because Kees sponsors several children there and visits frequently. Here is a message from Kees:

---------
It was nice to chat with you today on Facebook. This little girl lives on the side of a mountain about 14,000 feet high between El Alto and La Paz. She lives with just her mother and there are 3 children in the family. I have a child in that same student center. Her name is Mishel. She is on my facebook too.

Sponsoring Celina involves:
1. Praying for her.
2. Writing her a letter of encouragement from time to time.
3. $38/month.

The order that I wrote this in is the right order. The prayers and the letters are far more important than the $38. The reason being is that the children really love their sponsors and they really look for the letters from the sponsors.

I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone may have. This is an interview, that I did with the President of Compassion. It also provides a lot of information. Thank you so much for looking into helping this little girl!

Prov. 31:8,9
Blessings, Kees

--------
I've been a Compassion sponsor since 1993 and if I wasn't maxed out I would love to sponsor Celina. If you've always wondered about financial integrity of some of these organizations, I challenge you to try Compassion. They have both external AND internal audits. My friend Ceri has visited a number of her children and I love her stories about how the project staff maintains folders on each child with copies of letters, school reports, etc... It may sound like a lot of money each month to some but I like to look at it as an investment. Growing up, my grandmother paid for most everything for me... I am forever grateful for that investment as it made me who I am today. I see it the same way for these children.

What better investment is there than investing in the life of someone else?

If you're interested in sponsoring Celina, leave me a message and I'll hook you up with Kees!

Hmm...

I've had some thoughts on things to write about... but I'm unmotivated. That's not really a word, but I like it. It makes sense.


A few random things...


-Compassion recently added its 1,000,000th sponsored child! Wow. I'm honored to be part of such an organization. I've been sponsoring children through Compassion since 1994. Watch this video, One Child.


-The Future Hope Project is really catching on! We've gotten quite a few packages from wonderfully kind people from all over the US! When we told David, HAI's country director, he asked if we could also include mosquito nets, so we're going to start a separate campaign for that. The ever amazing Abbie has designed some killer tshirts that I simply cannot wait to add to the blog side bar! I LOVE the shirts and can't wait to sport one! You need one too!


-Lots of people at work are having babies. Or just had babies. There's a lot of baby talk. That's fine. I like babies. Almost everyone who knows me, knows I want to adopt. Recently, my boss asked me why I wanted to do that. This really deserves its own blog post, but I'm not ready to write it. I am ready, but I don't feel like it's my place, more honestly. I feel like a lot of people who ARE adopting would judge the fact that I'm writing it when I'm not "in process" of adopting. Anyway... the short answer to my boss' question though, is why not adopt. It's a no brainer for me. And to be completely honest, I often wonder why more people don't adopt. But again, another post.

-My sister came over on Saturday to help me go through my closet, to say it was a disaster is an understatement. I could have NEVER gotten it done without her. Seriously. (Thanks girl!!!) We had SO much fun! She even surprised me with a really cool birthday scrapbook (I LOVE my birthday!) and cake at mom's later that afternoon. The closet was tabled time and time again during the course of the day... how did I NOT mention yet that she was attacked by a dog?! She was going to evaluate a great dane for his chances of getting into rescue and he bit her hand pretty bad. She went to the Dr and is on antibiotics, pain meds, etc... Oh... been there, done that. I felt really bad for her. That was a traumatic thing for us... Anyway, so she ended up spending the night and we had a BLAST! We all camped in the front bedroom b/c the bed is really big and we ALL fit... us + Titan, Roxy and Nola!

-D is coming back to town for July 4th. I wish he could just stay :( Maybe next time!!! I'll take what I can get until then. Any guesses on when he'll get a job down here? We could make a betting pool, that could get interesting...

-I think that's it for random bits of information. Maybe later I'll get around to posting some pictures of the summer so far....

More fun stuff...

...is going on! But of course, I can't chat about it yet!

Next month, promise! There are LOTS of things though! Craftiness is next to godliness, right? No? Well, it should be!

Have I ever mentioned my awesome girlfriends and how nifty they are??? We should talk about that sometime.

But since this is my blog, I'll be selfish and just remind you that my birthday is next week.

And I like presents!

Specifically... you can send checks in $8 increments to Hope Aid for mosquito nets please!!!

Hope Aid International
P.O. Box 20281
Greenville, NC 27858

Our Paypal button is not working so we can't take credit/debit right now, maybe by July we'll have that problem solved. I just have to call them back and fax our paperwork for NGO status and I can't do it from work. So.... til I get that done, it's old fashioned for us!!

So... NETS for the mamas!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME!!!

Umm... ok I feel bad for not mentioning even a teeny thing. Hint: T-shirts!

Do Something Tom's

Last night as I was briefly watching television, I saw a commercial for AT&T Wireless. They featured one of the head guys from Tom's Shoes. The point of the commercial was that because Tom's provides shoes to children in need around the world, they needed a reliable network... "with more bars in more places." This commercial reminded me of a direct mailing I received several years ago from Save the Children. In the envelope was a photo of a child's foot with a guinea worm crawling out. It was a horribly graphic image and one that has stayed with me up to now. Tom's makes canvas shoes and sells them for around $44; for each pair they sell, they also provide a pair to a child in need. So really, it's like $22 per pair. Not bad. I encourage everyone to check out their site.

I've not bought a pair of Tom's yet, but perhaps this summer I'll find some! They're introducing new styles/prints in a couple of weeks. I spoke to them on the phone last week since the styles I liked online were sold out in my size.

People right here in our own communities need shoes too. I recently finished reading Same Kind of Different As Me. Wow. It was an AMAZING book. It's about two men, Ron Hall, a multimillion dollar art dealer, and Denver Moore, a former slave. Set in the 60's, this book is a true account of how two men's lives became intertwined through one woman. It is one of the most inspiration books I've read ever and it's easily on my top 5 list! The authors speak at events around the country and help raise money for homeless shelters.

We may not have the guinea worm here in the states, but that doesn't mean our residents don't deserve shoes too. This week for Do Something Monday, I'm going to see what groups are signed up to volunteer at our shelter and try to help during the next rotation. I'm also going to stalk the Tom's site to see when their new shoes are available. What are you going to do?

The Thing!!! -- FHP

Abbie has finally given the green light to announce thing #2!!!

I could try and write a great post about it, but I love what Abbie said! Check it out! She's been working on this for weeks now, ironing out all of the details. We're both pretty stoked about it and hope you will be too!

Recently, funds were sent to Uganda for upgrading a maternity ward in Fort Portal. As soon as we have photos from the project, I'll be sure to post them!

Abbie had an awesome idea of providing much needed items to new mothers soooo.... one thing lead to another and The Future Hope Project was birthed!

For more information, check out the project site. Oh! And Abbie is doing an awesome giveaway for those that participate!

As an added incentive to participate -- each person who sends a care package or donates a minimum of $10 towards the project will have their name entered into a drawing for a handmade Ugandan craft made by one of our Hope Aid beneficiaries in Fort Portal!!!

I realize I'm just now mentioning Hope Aid... you can read more about why I love it here. In a nutshell though, Hope Aid International focuses on increasing productivity through provision of income-generating activities, micro-loan programs, education, and social networks. We strive to promote self-sufficiency and empowerment that will lead to sustainable development.

It's also worth mentioning that we have the BEST staff ever in Uganda. David and his wife, Linda have fully committed themselves to helping others in their community. They are what keeps HAI running each day -- HUGE thank you to both of them!!! Did I mention that they VOLUNTEER their time for all of this??? They both also run Good Hope School - what a job!? Without David and Linda, Hope Aid could not exist in the capacity that it does. They are simply AWESOME!

So.... what are you waiting for?! Check out our new project!!! And don't forget about the giveaways! Let us know what questions you may have!

Acts of Kindness

My friend Jill had a great post this morning....and I'm joining in on the "Pay it Forward" bandwagon.

The idea is that the first five people to post a comment on this blog entry will receive something special from me sometime in the next year! Then you look for people to pay it forward to yourself.

Here's how it works:

1. Leave a comment letting me know you'd like to participate. You must be willing to provide me with a mailing address, obviously.

2. Post a "Pay it Forward" on your blog where you link back to me and extend the same offer to five of your readers. (again, if you don' have a blog, you can still participate maybe over FB, Twitter or just in 'real life' situations!)

3. Promise that you will follow through and send something special to those five who comment on your blog (or however you choose to do it!)

The little something's don't have to be extravagant, just something that you select with that specific person in mind.

So there you have it...are you in? Leave a comment if you want to participate!

Circumstance.

Our circumstance doesn't determine our future. That's a popular and powerful phrase. But if you take time to really think about circumstance, it's depth is unbelievable. Cirumstance. Some people believe that there is no circumstance and that God has put each person where He wants them for a reason. Regardless of which of these you believe, or which is 'correct' in any sense of the term, we are who and where we are and we cannot change all parts of that.

Lots of times people ask me why I help people around the world. Why can't I help people here, because lots of people right here in our own country need help. This is true. I have never denied this. However, we have SO many resources for people to take advantage of in the US.

When Hope Aid was founded, it was done so because resources are not available, and when they are, not everyone has access. Hope Aid is a bridge for that.

Helping others isn't just a 'calling' or 'passion' for me, it's what I feel like I was born to do. Why are some people born into wealth and enough when others are born in mud huts leaving much to be desired? I wasn't born into wealth by any means, but I was born in a country that has more than enough. A country whose people are cared for via government assistance or community organizations. Shelters may be full, but there are often many options for someone who is homeless. Work may be hard to come by, but there are plenty of jobs that will pay money.

Not everyone has that luxury. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, these are just some thoughts that I've been thinking for a while but after watching the trailor for The Mountain Thief, I decided to go head and post. Fresh Prince is on and I can rap the entire intro song. That's sad. It's after midnight and I've obviously lost my thoughts here... good night! Let's talk more about this! Have you blogged about it before? I'm thinking I might try Do Something Monday again. I removed the linky from my blog but I think I need Do Something back. It kept me humble. It kept things real.

Good night all!

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day! Did you try the water challenge? How's it going? I've not been the best but just being involved and attempting has made me more aware of how fortunate I am to have access to safe, clean water.

Some facts...

3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease.

43% of water-related deaths are due to diarrhea.

84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 - 14.

98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world.

884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people.

The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.

At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.

Less than 1% of the world's fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use.

An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.

Without food a person can live for weeks, but without water you can expect to live only a few days.

The daily requirement for sanitation, bathing, and cooking needs, as well as for assuring survival, is about 13.2 gallons per person.

Water projects in developing countries fail at an average rate of 50% or higher.

Only 62% of the world's population has access to improved sanitation - defined as a sanitation facility that ensures hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact.

2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation, including 1.2 billion people who have no facilities at all.

At any one time, more than half of the poor in the developing world are ill from causes related to hygiene, sanitation and water supply.

Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease.

Children in poor environments often carry 1,000 parasitic worms in their bodies at any time.

What can we do? Research - there are quite a few organizations on a mission to end the water crisis. Interested in a specific country? Email some local groups there and donate. Pray. Join the water challenge. For more water info, visit Blood: Water Mission's website.

Where is God in Darfur?

For some reason, I've looked away when the news has highlighted Darfur. I know fully well what is going on there. At least, as much as one can know via the American and British media (CNN/BBC). But until seeing this video, I've never felt compelled to do something. Now, I find myself asking, where is God in Darfur? Surely He is there. This week in Bible study we had a segment that talked about how we sometimes have to experience the storm to feel God's presence. Surely that storm wouldn't have to be this...

Tomorrow, I will look into this more. How can we help Darfur? When I worked at the Red Cross I taught International Humanitarian Law, but I didn't do a lot with it. I saved all of my books and do use them from time to time. It's so complicated... government, IHL, criminal courts, ethnic groups... but surely there is something we can do?

Anyone know more? (Other than the George Clooney/Brad Pitt ads on TV...)

Do Something

How deeply do you give?

If a friend in need asked to borrow $100, and you had the money, would you loan it to them?

What if it was $1,000? Would you donate to the shelter if you received a letter pleaing for help during the cold winter months? What if the church had a leak and asked for a special donation? Would you say "yes" to a friend who asked if you would be willing to be named guardian of her children if something happened to her? Would you donate a kidney to a friend who learned she had only 15% of function in her own? Would you rescue the dog you saw on the side of the street, obviously tossed out to care for itself?

I am sure many of us would say "yes" to most if not all of these questions. But what if you were faced with one of these today. Today, on your way to work you see the dog. Do you stop? Today, you learn your single friend with kids needs $1,000 to fix her car, the same $1,000 you saved for months for a family vacation. Do you loan her the money? Today, you are faced with one of these questions. Are we truly saying yes despite our situation or circumstance?

Today, I am faced with one of these questions. It's something I'd always assumed I would said yes to, but today it stares me in the face. It makes me think much deeper about myself and how deep my giving actually is -- it makes me question who I am. That being said, there is much more to consider in my given question, but that doesn't change it's stare. It is present. Am I?

Today on Do Something Monday, I have decided to do some homework. I plan to contact someone who is in position to explain all of the ins and outs of my potential decision. And then I plan to learn more about other possible solutions to help. That's all I can say for now as this is something very personal and I fear that opinions may sway what I ultimately decide.

I will say, when I posted this yesterday about forsaking ourselves by not helping others, it really hit home. Who are we to judge someone else's need according to them? A friend in need is in need, period. Right?

What are you doing today?

For more about Do Something Monday, click here.

Saturday thoughts

Today was one of the most beautiful days we've had in a long, long time! Days like today are my favorites. It was in the low-mid 60s, slightly breezy, and sunny. I slept late and opened the windows until late afternoon. I cleaned the house, put the three heaps of clothes that have been waiting to be placed in their respectable places for over a week laundry away, and enjoyed the fresh air. It was near perfect!

I heard something today that is profound and real. It's simple, but it's deep, and it's made me think even more than usual about giving and why we give. Combined with something else that has come up with someone dear to me, I've been soul searching and sorting out my own giving practices.

"When we forsake the lives of others, we actually forsake our own."

Ponder this. I'll write more about it in Monday's Do Something post.

'Til then, enjoy the weekend and thanks for reading! :)

Phone call, Rwanda

I'm not really sure how to begin this post. Today, I'd planned to write about my word for 2009, but things changed when I got a call from my friend George. George Riess does what I do with Hope Aid, except, his projects are in Rwanda. There, he works with Sister Pat (Franciscan order nun, TOR). Sister Pat has visited NC numerous times in the past few years and I've had the opportunity to visit with her on each trip. She is the most selfless person I've ever met and will do anything for the children she works for in Muhororo.

George, and Bridge to Rwanda, has partnered with Hope Aid on a few things but mostly we seek counsel and support from one another. Today, George called with disturbing news. One of their board members, Dr. Sylvia Gleason just returned from Rwanda a couple of weeks ago. She went to compile reports and conduct reviews of the projects, but when word spread that an American physician was in town, she was quickly rushed to Goma in neighboring Congo. There was an immediate need for help at the hospital and she was going to be that help.

The UN has apparently been bringing children from the streets to the hospital. Infants come in one door and caskets leave another door. Children are dying because they cannot breathe. George and Dr. Gleason are urgently trying to get a suction machine and stethoscopes, among other things, to Goma.

When the phone rang just now, George had one question... Could Hope Aid help? Unfortunately, our funds are restricted. I hated saying that. I hated it with everything I had in me. We are such a small organization and our mission, while open, is focused on Uganda right now. All of our current funds are designated to either the school project or the clinic in Fort Portal. And we don't even have a lot of money in our account at that.

I told George that he should contact Dr. Sylvester Odeke. We worked together a couple of years ago to bring George Okudi to NC for a concert to raise money for a hospital project. Dr. Odeke also lead two medical mission trips to Uganda for medical students at the university. If anyone can help, it's him. I'm praying he has some contacts that can get the needed machines to Goma.

I also suggested that my friend, Irene, who is going to her first country of Rwanda in February and March may be able to take something along. Irene is a pharmacist so she would be able to gain medical clearance if necessary.

I write all of this to share with you how very near and real poverty and suffering is to me. I may not know what it feels like to be starving or to have watched my child die because I chose not to feed the weakest of my children, but this is not just a photograph or an image. It is real. It is happening to people that I know and people that I care deeply about. It is one of the reasons Hope Aid exists.

Please, if you are passionate about something, don't just write about it or think about it. Do something. Do something to make a difference for some one. Do something to empower yourself to want to do more. That something doesn't have to be big. It can be as simple as committing to praying for a specific cause or it could be as big as collecting money to help a community or project in need.

I've posted a lot about the global food crisis, and I've mentioned the work Hope Aid is doing in Uganda. While I'd love to check the post office and see lots of donations from all of you ;), I know that realistically, each one of us has our passions. Find yours. And make something of it.

This post is actually a wonderful lead into something I am going to write about soon. Don't forget about Doing Something, as you're certain to see it again. In the meantime, please keep the patients in Goma in your prayers. Please keep this mission in your prayers. I'll try to post some updates as things begin happening. Right now, I've got to get in touch with Dr. Odeke so he will be prepared when George and Dr. Gleason call him later.