Ready, set, GO!!!

My head has been a foggy mess lately.  Have you ever felt like something was pressing down on you that you just couldn't shake?  That need to DO something, although you weren't quite sure what?  I've had this feeling for about a month now.  It's probably a combination of a few things:

1. working for Noonday and hearing so many stories about those living in poverty, with HIV, and just unable to provide for their families (I'm so glad to be a part of the solution to this though... Noonday really is creating jobs where opportunities are scarce!  Our artisan group in Uganda has grown from 2 to 40 people in 2 years!!)

2. seeing the townships while we were in South Africa last December.  Y'all, people are seriously living in sheet metal huts and sharing porta-potties!  If they're lucky enough to have a porta-potty.  I don't know about you, but every time I have to use a porta-potty I sorta kinda freak out!  Picture yourself living this life.  Here's the thing: This is not their choice. The government FORCED them to live there because of the color of their skin.  They're trying to dig their way out of the townships now that apartheid is over, but it's a long road.

3. reading "What is the What" by Dave Eggers and learning more about civil wars in Africa.  What gets me the most are the thousands of KIDS that are affected by these wars.  They lose their parents, they're living in refugee camps, and they have nothing to do with the conflict- usually fights over oil, religion, and power.

4. seeing the STUCK documentary earlier this month.  Images of babies stuck in orphanages all over the world.  Three or four babies sharing 1 crib.  Kids who are supposed to the size of a 5 year old, but instead look like a 2 year old because of "failure to thrive."  They need love and they need families... their own parents have died, or can't find work to feed them, or just plain don't want them.

I came home from STUCK and walked around that next day in a haze.  I couldn't shake a picture out of my head.  But it wasn't a picture of those orphans.  It was a picture of MY OWN KIDS, sitting in an orphanage.  Waiting for someone to come get them.  Going to sleep every night without having someone to tuck them in, and say "I love you", and crying themselves to sleep.  It was more than I could stand.

I recently heard this definition of social justice from a very wise lady by the name of Jen Hatmaker who was in on a Noonday conference call:  Social Justice means to set things right where they are wrong. When we see people living in conditions that we wouldn't want for ourselves or our children, we MUST act.

5. and finally, I think what's maybe rattled me the most is hearing that diagnosis, "you have colon cancer."  Yes, it was "only" stage 1 and yes, I'm totally okay now.  But when you hear the word cancer, your world is rocked.  You're thinking, "I could die.  Soon." It really kicked me in gut.  As we were flying over Africa on our way to Johannesburg I had this moment with God.  It was clear as day: "you're going to be fine, it's going to be okay, but you've GOT to get moving!  Use the time you have wisely.  Use your gifts wisely.  Use your wealth wisely."

Of course, we all know there's poverty and disease and orphans in this world.  I've always known that. It's a great big mess and it's easy to look at it and say, "It's too big of a problem."  I think the difference with me now is that I know there is something I can do.  I really feel like my tiny little feeble actions can make a difference.  If we all said, "Oh someone else will take care of it" or "someone else will go," then NOTHING would ever get done.  Nobody can do everything but everybody can do something.

If I can give $38 a month (less than we spend at Chipotle for one lunch for our family!) then Compassion can send a child to school and church, where they'll get food and healthcare and education!  They may never have that chance otherwise.

If I can invite all of my friends over to cut up their old jeans to make shoes for kids in Uganda, then we've affected the lives of 22 kids who will no longer have to worry about jiggers in their feet.

If I can sell a bunch of necklaces from Ethiopia through Noonday, then maybe I've sold enough so that they'll have to hire ONE more person.  What a impact that'll make in their life- to have a job, to be able to feed their kids, and send them to school!  Maybe that one mom won't have to give up her child for adoption.

There are so, so many things that we can all do.  None of them earth-shattering or difficult.

But the thing is, I'm ready to do the difficult stuff too.  That burden weighing down on my shoulders is telling me to GO somewhere and do something big.  I would absolutely love go back to Africa and serve there, and I really think I will, hopefully next summer.  But it's not always about what I want.  I think there's somewhere else I'm supposed to go this summer.  Haiti.

When I was volunteering at STUCK, I learned about Chances for Children, an organization in Haiti that operates a couple of orphanages (creches), a community center, and gives aid to schools and churches that support orphans and help strengthen families. They are doing so many amazing things there, in a place that is so broken due to earthquakes and a long history of conflict.

So Eric and I are jumping in and going on mission trip there in August!

Do you want to go with us??

We're going the week of August 12th and the cost will be about $1500 (includes airfare, lodging, food, everything). We'll be doing some construction- painting, building beds, building an outdoor restroom- something like that. But we'll also be playing with the kids, holding babies, and just offering LOVE!

We'd like to put together a team of 7-10 people, so if you're interested (even the slightest bit), let me know and I'll send you more info! Bring your husband, your sister, your friend, whoever! Anyone can go with us.

If you can't go but still want to be right along side us working for those kids, would you consider helping us raise funds for our mission trip?  There's a box on the righthand side of my blog and we would absolutely love your support!  And of course, lots of prayers are welcome too!