FlowerDust.net

Once upon a time I wanted to kill myself.

Seriously.

I was 19…maybe 20 years old…and had an amazing life. I was earning a ton of money working at a trendy dot.com in Dallas, living in a fabulous Dallas studio over a nightclub, driving a new Mustang convertible, had a personal shopping assistant at Nordstrom (who knew my name, my size, my style, and I’d go in once a week to get what he thought was new and best for me).  When the dot.com went public, my earnings would go into six figures (it never went public, by the way) and well, everything seemed to rock.

Except I was over $40,000 in debt.

I couldn’t pay my bills.

And as I drove to my nifty little loft I looked at the parking garage and wondered if it was high enough to kill me if I jumped.

No joke.

So that was ten years ago.

Five years ago, things looked a little better. Chris and I were newlyweds. I had paid off most of my debt…well, 75% of it anyway. We bought some new fancy furniture for our new fancy apartment because we wanted to keep up with the Pottery Barn lifestyle of the suburbs of Johnson County, Kansas. So we added a few thousand more bucks to the pool of debt.

And we couldn’t pay our bills.

And we’d take out payday loans to get us by.

(Don’t ever, EVER do that.)

So that was five years ago.

Three years ago, after having an expensive gall bladder surgery (which carried a hefty price tag of $12k) we sought help from a financial counselor. We negotiated all of our credit card interest rates. We chopped them all up except for two, $300 cards only to be used in emergencies (and to keep a credit line open which is actually good for your credit score). We saved. For the first time in a long time we tithed.  We still screwed up. We still took out pay day loans. But it was getting better.

So that was three years ago.

One year ago, we paid off all of our credit cards. We only have a couple thousand left in medical bills. We still have two stupid car payments, but we will drive these cars until they rot.

In the last year, we’ve made decisions that have cut our monthly expenses almost in half. Here are some (not all) of the things we’ve done. And keep in mind…this wasn’t an overnight flip (although some of them were). We prayed, begged, negotiated, bartered and we still will continue to ask how we can better manage our finances.

• DOWNSIZING! We’re moving in June from West Nashville to Franklin (a southern suburb of Nashville)…our friends own a cottage that they are leasing to us for a more than reasonable rate. It’s small. It’s 800 square feet. It has one bedroom. It has one bathroom. We’re losing a basement, a garage, an office, and a half bath. But we are gaining a good $300/month in housing expenses because of paying less for rent, having less square footage to heat and cool, and we don’t have to rent any appliances. (Oh, and 800 sq ft forces one to declutter. I hate clutter. We moved in with 35 boxes of stuff (and I realize that isn’t a lot). It’s my goal to move out with 25 boxes. Or less.)
• EATING OUT! We limit our eating out to one meal a week (of each). One coffee, one lunch, one dinner. Sometimes we share. And we always have leftovers. This saves us about $300/month from our typical habits. It adds up.
• NO SHOWTIME! We cut our cable plan to basic cable. This saves us about $50/month.
• HELLO? No home telephone. $30/month.
• WIFI NOWHERES! We used to have a wireless card. We don’t anymore. $30/month.
• GEICO GECKO! Shopped our car insurance. Saved $150/month.
• CUT THE CARDS! Did I mention no credit cards? Saved $600/month.
• CUT THE FAT! We don’t buy much junk food. Saved $100/month. And love handles.
• SHOP THE CELL! Upcoming in December: I’m moving to Sprint and getting a Blackberry. $20/month savings over my iPhone.

Total Cutbacks: $1580/month…$18,960/year

It’s not just about cutting back, it’s about managing the money we do have better. How is that money better invested?

• THE CHURCH! Kingdom resources. We are more free to give more and more often and in more places.
• COMPASSION! We are sponsoring three kids. Soon to be four.
• LIFE INSURANCE! I don’t care who you are or how old you are - GET LIFE INSURANCE. Chris and I have ridiculous amounts of coverage for about $30/month. If one of us happened to get hit by a bus, the other one would be taken care of for life.
• SAVINGS! We don’t have a ton, and call me stupid but I don’t think we need a ton. Having an emergency fund is helpful, but we don’t keep this fund super huge. There are needs right in front of us…so we try to not worry about the “what if.” God’s proven faithful. We hope to do the same.

So…a few of you have asked, and here is your long answer. Yes, we budget. Yes we have spreadsheets. Yes, we talk about our money all the time. We talk about purchases no matter how big or small. Communication is key for us. Being on the same page is key for us.

And I have to say the freedom it brings is…amazing!!!!

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Justin wrote me an email with this great Mother’s Day idea!

Here’s a cool idea I’d like to share. Today I’ve decided my kids and I are going to sponsor a Compassion Child as a mother’s day gift for my wife. I’m going to have my kids help me pick a child from the website, then we’re going to draw pictures of him or her and give those as my wife’s card (along with a massage gift certificate!)

I think I’ll write her a note in my card that goes something like: “You have given US so much love and compassion, we’re passing it on to someone else. Thanks for being a mom that brings out the best in us.”

Just a little throw down/inspiration for some of the other guys out there!

What a super cool idea. If it sounds like something you’d like to do, just click here to begin finding that special kid you can sponsor for Mother’s Day!

You won’t just be giving a huge gift to your mom, or your wife, you’ll be giving an amazing gift to another mom all the way around the world.

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Seriously.

I have no idea how in the world I am ever going to blog again after a day like today.

I haven’t laughed harder - or cried harder - in my life.

And it all has to do with this little boy.

His name is Tushar. He’s five. He is one of the children Chris and I sponsor through Compassion.

Our day started out pretty simply.

We met.

Then…well…this madness ensues.

(Watch it. It will seriously be the best minute of your day. I dare you to disagree with me).

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And, well, after five hours of that…there’s nothing left to say but this.

Only $32 a month to give this little boy and his family hope, food, care, education, prayers, letters, photos, laughter, rest, love?

After a day like today, I’d pay a million.

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Your $32 a month does amazing things for a child.

Education. Medical care. Spiritual care. Food.

And it doesn’t just influence the child you sponsor, it influences the whole family.

Pretty much anyone of us can send $32/month and not think twice about it.

And as that $32 represents amazing opportunities for a child, as Spence says below, it’s the letters that make dreams happen.

We visited the Compassion East India offices the day before yesterday. They receive over 1000 letters a week from sponsors.

Here are a few videos that show you what happens with those letters after you send them off in the mail.

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The first one is a quick video from Compassions’ East India offices.

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The second one is of a home visit where we ask if the little girl is sponsored. She doesn’t just say yes…watch what happens.

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I know many of you already sponsor children - I’d love to hear about them! Please share their stories in the comments…

Also…if you haven’t sponsored a child yet, you can meet the ones who need sponsors here.

And I urge you, if you sponsor a child…write them a letter. Send them some photos or stickers. And if you don’t have one of the letter forms handy, did you know you can write to them online or even download the official stationary? You can also send them a little extra gift!

Who knows? They totally might buy a sheep with it.

These letters make dreams come true. Your words have the power to do amazing things!

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Her name is Anne.

She has fallen victim to some bad curry.

Or maybe it was the pizza.

Either way.

She wears no makeup today.

She doesn’t fix her hair.

Her eyes are red because she’s been crying.

And her bed has been one of her two closest friends.

(I’ll let you guess what her other friend has been).

Two of us bloggers had to stay behind due to gastrointestinal issues. It just seemed like the smartest thing to do. Our project was out two hours on bumpy roads, and the heat index is to reach 115 degrees today.

Probably not so good for those who are naturally dehydrating themselves.

On to Anne.

In early 2008, she had it all. An amazing job working alongside two of the most respected and innovative pastors in the American church. She had a good salary, a cushy downtown apartment with red walls and hardwood floors. She had just purchased her adulthood dream car.

And sure, she was generous — at least in her own American way. She tithed to her church, gave above and beyond for new projects, and sponsored a Compassion child in Ethiopia. (The one who bought a sheep with the EXTRA money she and The Hubs sent).

Then in February, she touched poverty on a trip to Africa. She smelled it. For a week, no matter where she turned, it was there.

They had eyes of hope, but skin and bones for flesh.

They had dreams, but no clean water.

They were covered in potential, but they had no clean clothes.

And on this trip, something inside her broke. Sixteen months later, it’s never been fixed.

Anne and The Hubs quit their jobs. They moved to Nashville where they had friends with like-minded pursuits and opportunities. Now, using the internet, and video, and Twitter, and Facebook, she wants to take you as close to these under-resourced areas as possible.

You may never touch the rough hand of a young, hungry child.

You may never smell what raw sewer and smoke and smog smell like on a hellishly hot and humid day.

But it is my prayer for you that something will break.

Reading our stories, and learning about the children and the families and the culture we are experiencing isn’t enough.

Yes, I am more than amazed at the response as some of you have connected to one story or another. I am amazed that close to 200 children have been sponsored because of this trip, and over 1400 have been sponsored as a result of all blogging trips.

But as Shaun said yesterday, it’s not about the money.

It’s about the relationship you and a child a world away will have. It’s about them hearing they are loved. It’s about praying for them. And knowing they are praying and thinking about you.

See that? Those are sponsor letters. This Compassion office in East India processes over 1000 letters to children a week.

For The Hubs and I, over the last year and a half, it’s been about living with less. It has taken time, but we have cut our expenses literally in half. In the summer, we will be moving into an 800 sq ft, 1 bedroom cottage thanks to our friends who have so graciously rented it to us for a more than reasonable price. Our credit cards are paid off. We’ve canceled things like cable and wireless cards and I’m even weaning myself off my beloved Lunesta to save another $50/month.

I tell you this not in pride, but because as we have developed these relationships with the sponsored children we have, they continue to affect us. They continue to bring us to new levels of “comfort.” For us, “comfort” doesn’t mean what it used to mean.

We can’t be comfortable the way we used to be.

I’m not going to try and passive-aggressively manipulate you. This trip is about getting children sponsored, yes. Not only for the financial freedom $32 brings them a month, but for the financial freedom it will bring you as you store up in treasures elsewhere. I’m not talking about heaven. I’m talking about Africa, India, Burkina Faso.

Your own home.

This girl named Anne is not perfect. She still spends far too much money on clothes and hair product. (Just ask my roommate on this trip). This girl still makes decisions that are meaningless and selfish.

But she also believes with all of her heart that one child sponsorship will not only change the life of someone across the world, it will change yours in ways you can never imagine.

If you feel stuck…trust me on this. Just trust me. Because I’ve been there.  There is freedom in truth. There is freedom in carrying the burdens of others.

You will be amazed.

I promise.

Here’s the link to look at the children that need your help.

This is my ask.

The rest is up to you.

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Her name is Lakshmi.

When I met our sponsor child Linet last year in Uganda, I gave her a set of simple beaded bracelets. I had the same pair on. I told her every time I wore them, I would think of her.

I grabbed one of the bracelets from my jewelry box (okay, it’s a piece of tupperware…I am SO fancy) and slipped it on my wrist at the last moment before heading to the airport last week.

Part of me wanted to keep it on to remember Linet, remember the Uganda trip, and remember how much I’ve been changed since that trip.

Yet a little voice spoke to me when I slipped it on and said, “You’ll know when to give this away.”

And on my arm it has stayed since we’ve arrived.

Officially, I’m the “videographer” on this trip…so, most of my time is spent behind a camera catching moments and stories as the bloggers interact with the children. I realized yesterday I hadn’t really had a chance to just play with them like I did last year.

This afternoon, we were making some home visits (where our group visits the home of a Compassion child to meet their family and experience their life as best as we can in half an hour). As I walked behind the group, trying to get footage of the neighborhood, one of the girls we were visiting, Lakshmi, came up to me and grabbed my hand.

I leaned over to say hi, and she whispered back with a big, bright smile,

“You’re beautiful.”

One of the points of these trips is for us to simply love on the kids. So we can tell them how worthy they are and how beautiful they are.

Not the other way around.

My heart crumbled.

We entered her home, learned all about her, her family, her life. She wants to be a doctor. And I have no doubt some day she will. She’s sharp, and witty, and her family was close and emotionally supportive.

As I went to hug Lakshmi, I slipped the beaded bracelet off my wrist and on to hers. Her eyes lit up.

“This is for me?”

“Yes…I have one like it at home, and when I wear it, I’ll think of you.”

“Are you sure it’s for me?”

“Absolutely.”

Before we left her home, I put down the camcorder so we could play and talk just a little more.

I did not want to leave this girl.

My friend Spence took some pictures of us…and needless to say, Lakshmi had a little surprise for me too.

We posed, all smiles, and at the last minute, she leaned in to give me a big kiss on the cheek.

In the Indian culture, from what I understand, this is a sentiment of trust and deep friendship. Most people in this culture are quite physically reserved when it comes to showing affection.

I was shocked…and literally, about to lose what little composure I had left.

We took one more photo, and went outside to take some group shots.

As we left the house, both of her parents bowed on their knees to us, kissing their fingers and then placing them on each of our feet. In the Hindu culture, this is a sign of a mutual blessing…we have honored them by our visit, and they hope they have honored us by their hospitality.

Spence was over by a rickshaw (what Lakshmi’s father drove for his employment) and I walked over to him with tears in my eyes.

(Side note: I don’t cry. Marley and Me? Nothing.)

“Spence, I can’t leave here. I just can’t.”

He gave me a hug and I tried to compose myself for the photos.

Lakshmi grabbed on to me again, and pulled me down by her in the group photos. She took hold of Angie with the other hand and after a few minutes of picture taking, it was time for us to go.

Hand in hand, we walked a quarter of the mile from her house back to the Compassion project.

It was time to say goodbye.

She tapped on my shoulder and had me lean down close to her again. She gave me a big kiss on the cheek, and repeated her first words to me.

“You’re beautiful.”

I kissed her cheek back and told her the same. I told her I knew she would be a doctor one day. I played with her bracelet on her wrist and reminded her I’d be thinking of her when I returned home.

And as I type this from my hotel desk, overlooking the traffic of Kolkata, my eyes are again filled with tears.

There are millions of children in this world that need hope. That need help.

We can’t change a million lives. But we can change one.

One beautiful child. With a beautiful smile. With a beautiful soul.

And now, one with a beaded bracelet.

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His name is Pramanik.

Several of us stood in his house, barely fitting into the 100 square feet. The walls were woven together with bamboo sticks and leaves. During the Monsoon season, they covered it in tarps. Living as close as they do to the water, it’s a miracle their home was even standing as firm as it was on the cement floor. Four people - Pramanik, his brother, and his parents - called this modest shack home.

His young parents answered an influx of questions from us while his little brother coyly stared at the video camera I was holding.  We learned Pramanik was relatively new to being sponsored, and that his father was having difficulty finding work because he’s been sick with jaundice.

I asked our translator to ask him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Maybe it’s the idealist in me, but I think that’s my favorite question to ask children. Their potential is beyond anything we can imagine.

What came out of his mouth surprised me.

Nothing.

He didn’t say a word.

You can watch the whole conversation in the video below. I couldn’t believe it.

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He doesn’t have a dream.

In situations like Pramanik’s, having a dream for the future isn’t a part of their reality. They just continue to live in the cycles of poverty their own parents, and grandparents, and great grandparents have known. Future plans and hopes don’t typically exist.

Because of someone’s $32 a month, Pramanik is going to his Compassion project everyday. They aren’t only just teaching him about God, and love, and feeding him, and caring for him…they’re painting a picture of his potential. He’s only seven years old now. He has at least ten more years of Compassion, and his sponsor (through his letters and support) to help him realize he can have a dream. Compassion has a plan for children to work through from the ages of 12 to 17, to evaluate their strengths and their passions and to put them on the right track to blowing those dreams out of the water.

Pramanik has a sponsor. He has hope. But there are 70 other children in the project (all of Compassion’s projects are conducted through a local church) who need sponsors.

They need to know they’re loved.

And they need to know they can dream.

Heck. They just need to know what a dream….is.

And can be.

Can you help them?

Below is a video from the same project…it’s a great overview if you’re new to what Compassion International does. And if you have any questions about Compassion, sponsorship, anything…please let me know and I’ll answer them tomorrow night India time — you’ll read them on Tuesday afternoon.

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East India Flickr Account: HERE

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It’s been sixteen months since I’ve seen Henry.

He was the first Ugandan boy I met while on the Compassion Trip in 2008. Our team departed for one of the schools only to find when we arrived, the school had let out.

Teachers were able to get word to some of the parents and caretakers that a group of Muzungus (white people) were at the school and eager to meet them. After spending half an hour touring the project (including my first experience with an African outhouse), a group of students had gathered in the meeting room.

Dressed to the nines in fresh school uniforms, the headmaster requested each of them stand up, tell us what they wanted to be when they became adults, and sit down.

A doctor.

A teacher.

An engineer.

A navigator.

As the boy in a yellow uniform sat down, I wasn’t quite sure I knew what a navigator was. Do they navigate ships? Planes? Is that like an air traffic controller?

The rest of the children finished sharing and our group began exiting the school, mingling with the students on the way out.

Uncomfortably aware of how my western social skills were failing me, the boy in the yellow uniform came up to my left side and tapped me on the shoulder.

“I’m Henry,” he said. “You’re welcome.”

It didn’t take long to learn “you’re welcome” was a greeting in Uganda, not a response to being thanked.

And we were.

Very welcomed.

I asked Henry how old he was.

“Twelve.”

He asked where I was from in the States.

“A place called Oklahoma,” I replied, attempting to find a way to describe it to him.

“It’s very red…like the dirt here. But there aren’t many trees.”

He asked me if I knew the Petersons. They were the family that sponsored him through Compassion. I asked if he knew where they lived.

“A village called Wisconsin.”

Henry and I continued to walk and talk for several minutes. I asked him about his family and his school, and what a navigator did. The kind he was referring to was like a boating guide for tourists.

I took out my camera and asked someone to take our picture.

He was fascinated by it, and after we had our own photo made, asked if he could take some pictures with it.

Henry was able to get a couple of photos in before our team made it back to the bus. He asked me to tell the Petersons he loved them, if I ever happened to meet them.

I promised I would.

Now, as I sit on this plane from Nashville to Chicago, soon to be Chicago to India, I fondly remember my time with Henry. I wonder if he remembers me.

And I wonder about the little boy or girl I’ll meet tomorrow in Kolkata. I wonder how old they are, who their family is, and what they want to be when they grow up.

Because one day at a time, they are growing up.

And sixteen months from now, they’ll be even closer to that dream.

Just like Henry.

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Today, Chris and I got an updated photo of Linet, the girl we sponsor in Uganda. I got to meet her a little over a year ago.

My goodness. She has grown a foot since we first laid eyes on her!

I put her new picture on our fridge with Abdukerim, who lives in Ethiopia.  You may remember him as the child we sponsor who bought a sheep with the money we sent him.  A sheep!

Our fridge is probably the favorite thing in our house…and not because it is full of chocolate pudding and Diet Dr. Pepper.  But because of all the letters we have gotten from Abdukerim and Linet over the last year.

In late April & early May, I am going on another Compassion trip to Calcutta, India.  Chris and I are going to sponsor a little boy there.  We can’t wait to add his story to our refrigerator collage.

Sponsoring a child (or two, or three) has been one of the most incredible experiences of our marriage.  Not just because we pay $32/month and know that they’re being taken care of, but because we stay connected to them. They are as much a part of our story as we are theirs.  It’s been amazing hearing how Linet and Abdukerim are doing in school, what they’re learning in church, what their family is like, or what their friends are doing.

Or if they’re buying sheep.

Or simply just growing up.

Yesterday was my 29th birthday. I don’t feel any older. I don’t look any older. I did my taxes and caught up on email last night.

Very, very sentimental.

Every Friday, I peruse the Compassion website to pray for the kids they have listed. Today, I picked the three year olds. The first girl that showed up was a girl named Anne.

Anne.

With an “E.”

Just like me.

It’s very sassy you know.

Anne with an E lives in Haiti. Once, I wrote about Haiti. This video explains more than the words I could write.

If you don’t watch the video, let me sum it up. People eat dirt there. Literally. They make cookies out of butter, water, salt, and dirt. About 25 a day will keep them from starving, but will eventually kill them.

This is where Anne with an E lives.

Anne with an E helps her parents around the house by doing laundry and running errands.

Don’t forget. She’s three. Years. Old.

By sponsoring Anne with an E, you’ll be positively influencing her whole family with food, medical care, and quite literally, the love of Christ.

You can click here to be taken to Anne’s sponsorship page.

Or if Anne has already been sponsored by the time you read this and you’d like to search for another child, you can click here.

This Nashvillian Anne with an E ate at Jackson’s with her husband for her birthday lunch yesterday. If you really want to get me something for my birthday, please give your support to Anne with an E in Haiti.

Lots of time on an airplane, or driving over the mountains between California and Las Vegas leaves much room for introspection.  Add in a plethora of amazing conversations, a life changing book, and being reminded that just one year ago, I was leaving Uganda.

Most of this time, I was unplugged.  During my week on the road, I opened my computer maybe three times, mostly to get directions to Dunkin Donuts.  I really didn’t check Twitter that much.  Or Facebook.  Or even my blog.  Or even your blog.

Next week I am going to share with you a commitment I am making.  A commitment that has been prayed over and thought over for hours and hours.  After Monday night, the book reading and gathering with my friend Shaun Groves and me, it only confirms more and more the direction my heart is going.

If you’d like to take a look at bits and pieces of the evening, you can watch the clip below.  Thanks to Steve Eller for putting it together.  It was an honor meeting so many of you face to face.

I’ll share a bit more tomorrow about a few events coming up I’d love to see you at. But for now, I would really appreciate your prayers as I take some more time to focus and pray about the upcoming months.

a year ago today, i was in uganda with 15 other bloggers.  it was the first time poverty and i ever had a go at each other. i don’t think it liked me very much…coming in with my western attitude and designer jeans.

and honestly, i loathed it right back.  i loathed it so much, i’ve woken up every morning since this trip determined to crush it.

a year ago today, i wrote this:

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today is one of those days i don’t want to end.

we started early, and headed to compassion’s ugandan central office. the professionalism, humility, and passion the staff shared literally glowed the moment we walked in. i was surprised to hear how many of them are reading our blogs…so to the compassion staff, thank you. thank you for teaching us so many things.

we spent most of the day at a project about an hour outside of the city…and let me tell you, i will never, EVER complain about oklahoman roads again. i have to admit, it was actually a pretty fun bus ride with everyone bouncing all over the place. things i didn’t even know i had jiggled!

at the project, we had the chance to see how compassion’s child survival program works…putting a special focus on meeting the needs of pregnant women, and their children from birth to three years old. we visited homes where we saw the program in place. workers from the project visit and help set goals for the family and the child, as well as provide for some basic needs.

after a delicious lunch, we broke off into groups to help observe and serve within the project. carlos and i taught a group of kids the motions and words for YMCA and Jesus Loves Me…we served the smallest children a special milk mixture that helps both nourish them and give them energy…

and then we played. out in the back of the project is a huge, grassy hill (complete with cattle at the bottom) and overlooking the amazing ugandan landscape. sophie and i played a game of ball (and let me tell you, some of these girls could out throw ANYONE)…we blew bubbles, picked up kids, loved on them, and made a very slow journey back to the bus…with children latching on to any available spot on our bodies, screaming “BYE, MUZUNGU!!! BYE, MUZUNGU!!!” (which means “bye, white person!!!”)

i was tired. a little sunburnt. sweaty. smelly. really needing to use the bathroom. and really not wanting to leave.

about 20 feet from the bus, a nine or ten year old boy in a school uniform ran through the crowd, jumped in front of me, faced me, and gave me the biggest, tightest hug i think i’ve ever received. he simply muttered the words, “thank you, muzungu. thank you.” and then walked away.

to those of you who have recently sponsored, or have been sponsoring a while…allow me to say, thank you, muzungu. thank you.

Chris and I were having this incredible conversation the other night as we drove to welcome the new Seays to America.  We were talking about how difficult it is to portray real life issues in third world countries without turning it into “poverty porn” so to speak.  Not exploiting anyone, or anything.  But simply telling their stories.

I am wondering if we have erred to far on the side of caution.  While I completely agree that poverty porn and exploiting is a terrible, terrible way to manipulate people, at the same time, some of the real life circumstances of how people live in poverty, in slavery, in starvation…is just that…

It’s real.

And if we were to capture it on film or through photographs, it’s going to shock people.

And I think sometimes people need to be shocked.

Take for instance this picture I found on Flickr.

It was taken during the Calcutta famine of 1943, although if you look for pictures from today, they’re actually worse.

It’s shocking.  It’s disturbing.

Yet it’s truthful.

It speaks volumes of truth about humanity.  Both abroad and here in the states.  We have become so desensitized (or apathetic) that sometimes it takes a shocking image to snap people out of it.  The video I posted the other day was shocking, but not exploitative.  And people responded to it.  Some people sponsored children.  Others were shaken out of their reality.

And so I’m left with the question — is the value of shocking appropriate when you’re communicating the truth of someone’s story?

it’s been almost a year since i went to uganda with compassion international.  every day since i’ve returned i think about that trip — the kids we met, the need we saw, the hope we experienced.

every.

stinking.

day.

for a while after the trip, i’d share the stories of a couple of children who need sponsors.  and i haven’t done that in a while.  and i wish i had a good reason why.  other than the fact i’ve been busy…which is really no good reason at all.

so, there’s no better time like the present.

sponsoring a child is simple.  it’s $32/month.  over 80% of your sponsorship goes directly to support that child and his/her family with basic needs - food, health care, education and also, compassion is dedicated to sharing the gospel with these children.

i had the opportunity to see the whole thing in progress…where the letters are sent to the children, the books that keep record of every penny, and had the chance to meet linet, one of the children chris and i sponsor.

it’s not only about helping these children though.  quite honestly, compassion has changed the way chris and i do life.  it has changed where and how we spend money.  as my friend shaun says, it’s not just about releasing children from the burden of poverty — it’s about releasing us from the burden of wealth.

if you have any questions about sponsorship, feel free to ask.  if you’ve sponsored a child, i’d love to hear your story.

and if you know this is something you have wanted to do but kept putting off, there’s no better time like the present.

Meet Melany

Melany is five and lives in Ecuador.  She doesn’t have a father, so she lives with her mother and four siblings.  Right now she’s not in school, and has been waiting for a sponsor for over six months. The little guy we sponsor in Ethiopia (the one who bought a sheep!) wasn’t in school when we started sponsoring him…and now he is!

Melany lives in the mountainous community of Otavalo, home to approximately 43,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of cement floors, brick walls and tile roofs. The most commonly spoken language is Kichwa.

The regional diet consists of maize, beans, chicken, bread, bananas, rice and potatoes. Common health problems in this area include malnutrition, parasites and respiratory illnesses. Most adults in Otavalo work as day laborers and earn the equivalent of $120 per month. This community needs suitable housing, job opportunities, technical training and school materials.

Your sponsorship allows the staff of Otavalo Student Center to provide Melany with Bible teaching, medical checkups, nutritious food, health education, camps, birthday celebrations, sports, tutoring and vocational workshops. The center staff will also provide parents’ school and health education for the parents or guardians of Melany.

You can sponsor Melany by clicking here.

MELANY HAS BEEN SPONSORED!!

==

Meet Cephas

Cephas is 5 and lives in Kenya with his parents and brother and sister.  He is also not in school presently.  Some interesting facts about his village and what your sponsorship provides:

Murimi lives in the community of Kirima, home to approximately 4,500 residents. Typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, wood or mud walls and wood or grass roofs. The primary ethnic group is Mbere and the most commonly spoken language is Kimbeere.

The regional diet consists of maize and beans. Common health problems in this area include malaria, fevers and pneumonia. Most adults in Kirima are unemployed but some work as day laborers and earn the equivalent of $15 per month. This community needs educational materials, income generating activities and playgrounds for children.

Your sponsorship allows the staff of ACK St Lukes Kirima Child Development Center to provide Murimi with Bible studies, health screening, health education, games, music festivals, counseling, tuition, school visits and nutritious food. The center staff will also provide opportunities for community service for the parents or guardians of Murimi.

To sponsor Cephas, click here.

CEPHAS HAS BEEN SPONSORED!!

==

BOTH MELANY AND CEPHAS HAVE BEEN SPONSORED, BUT DON’T WORRY! YOU CAN STILL SEARCH FOR A CHILD BY CLICKING HERE!

how true. watch until the very end.

happy thanksgiving.

[ht: message in hand]

==

**if you haven’t yet, donate $5 to buy 2 pairs of shoes for the needy and be entered to win a chance for two round trip southwest airlines tickets! just visit 50000shoes.com

from my friends at the international justice mission:

“Please pray for our team in South Asia as they execute an operation on a large brothel today. Pray for continued good cooperation with the police and safety for our staff as they enter an especially dangerous situation. Pray that the girls would be rescued quickly as they are currently suffering very violent treatment.”

read more. think twice today.

sponsor a child
donate some shoes

and pray.

today, the world has been heavy on my heart. as i pick up my soon-to-be spoiled bananas, throw away my grocery receipts, hang up my dry cleaning, and get ready to eat overpriced airport food…i am constantly reminded the world is broken, yet in its disparity, has potential for so much hope…

forgive me if my words are disjointed or fuzzy…they are in my head and it is taking a lot of effort to make them make sense on my computer. it’s late (mavericks game is on ESPN - my one and only sport team), i have a head cold (thankful it is not a full body ache cold), and therefore my blood alcohol level is probably about 1.25 due to the amount of nyquil coursing through my veins.

on to the show…

chris and i got a letter from abdukerim, our compassion kid in africa. we had sent him a $25 gift in addition to our sponsorship and he wrote us back letting us know he bought a sheep. a six year old bought a sheep??!!

he lives in a farming region of ethiopia, so i wonder if it’s like when we buy a dog, but better, because it can actually generate income for his family, whereas dogs just poop and pee and slobber and eat pillows.

does it graze in the front yard of his mud house? has he named it? will it have sheep babies? (sheeplets?)

he also asked us if we had sheep in america, so i think we’re going to drive and find some and send him some pictures. oh, and then he asked if we had coffee in america. i have a feeling he and my husband are going to be soul mates.

which, all this compassion stuff reminds me…there are nine blogging strangers-turned-friends who just returned from a compassion trip to the dominican republic. you can read about their adventures here. i can’t wait to read their posts over the next couple of weeks as they process what they have seen.

now, i know you want to get cool letters about sheep and coffee. or maybe you just want to change the outlook of a child’s life. take a look at some kids who need you.

and speaking of kids who need you, myself and about 150 other bloggers have a super big secret to share with you on monday. it was released on the newswire yesterday and has already been picked up by forbes.com and cnbc.com. so i have a small feeling that it could very well make a big dent on this crazy little world. it’s not too late to get involved if you haven’t signed up already. just email me before monday morning and i’ll send you the details.

have a great weekend…

in february, i was flying from oklahoma city to chicago on an american airlines flight. after having one too many diet cokes, i walked the green mile to the back of the plane to, well, take care of business.

much to my surprise (and dismay, and fear), i was locked in. the sliding latch that moves the “unoccupied” to “occupied” was stuck. surely there was no oxygen coming in. i was going to die a lonely death in the bathroom on an airplane. fortunately, my certain death did not come, and five minutes later i was back in my seat drinking more diet coke.

now, in chicago, i’d meet up with fifteen almost-strangers and together we’d travel to uganda for a week on behalf of compassion international.

we’d laugh together. we’d play with kids together. we’d run from bats together. and ultimately, we’d fight poverty together. you can read about those adventures - the good, bad, and challenging - here.

yesterday, another group of blogging strangers departed from around the country to meet at an airport in miami before heading down to the dominican republic. from what i can tell, nobody was locked in an airplane lavatory and they arrived safely.

today was their first day in the dominican. i imagine they’re probably at a project now, meeting a pastor and learning how compassion is releasing children from poverty. they’re learning about what some of the local children want to do when they grow up. and they’re probably starting to ask a lot of questions.

i encourage you to follow them on their trip this week. you can read more about it here, or subscribe to their group RSS feed here.

and while you’re thinking about it, do more than just read along. sponsor a child by clicking here.

it all started with a woman named annette. she’s a single mom who lives in six-by-six room with her five kids (sometimes a sixth stays with them too).

i had seen poverty before, but from my 32″ TV inside my trendy little house. i read about it online, saw books and magazines dedicated to photodocumenting those who have the least.

but, i had never touched poverty until i took a seat on that bed in annette’s house.

i had never smelled poverty until we walked through the slums where she lived.

i had never tasted poverty until the combined smells of sewage, cooking, and poor hygiene combined and entered my mouth as i inhaled deeply.

before my trip to uganda, i cared about the poor, but i didn’t love them.

if i loved them, i would have done something, plain and simple.

and i hadn’t.

in crazy love, francis chan writes

lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling guilty. they want to do the bare minimum to be “good enough” without it requiring much of them…they ask, “how much do i have to give?” instead of “how much can i give?”

it took about a month of struggling through my emotions (which i had shut down because denial is easier to handle than the pain of reality) and i finally realized if i am truly a follower of christ, truly a believer, i must change.

i must act.

there is no excuse for us not to love - and therefore act - on behalf of those without. without food, water, healthcare, or freedom. the bible does not give us an option. we are told over and over again what we need to do, but we get lost in our burden of wealth and we forget.

we compartmentalize “poverty” and “injustice” as causes and don’t integrate serving those trapped in them in our minute-by-minute living, as our continual act of worship.

In the 19th century, Robert Murray M’Cheyne wrote,

I fear there are many hearing me who may know well that they are not Christians because they do not love to give. To give largely and liberally, not grudgingly at all, requires a new heart; an old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money.

today is blog action day and bloggers are posting about poverty. which me writing a blog and you reading it is all fine and dandy, but it’s blog ACTION day.

there are thousands of kids who need sponsors through compassion international. for what you would spend seeing a movie or buying a new shirt or going out to eat with a friend once a month, you can release a child from poverty. the math is easy. and if you think you’re too poor to do anything, and you’re reading this on your computer or your phone in america, you’re not too poor. and forgive me, but you need to stop thinking that you are.

if you already are showing the love of christ to someone less fortunate and you’re sacrificing then with all my heart i say thank you.

if you’re not, you can start today.

NOTE: this is a long post, but HANG IN THERE. VERY COOL STUFF AHEAD!!!!

first, you guys donated

$2,332

to the compassion global crisis food fund. in just a couple of days. HOLY SMOKES, y’all.

i have to admit…sometimes it’s easy for me to see how big the problem is, and you all gave me so much hope. which isn’t what it was about, but it happened anyway. it was so encouraging to see you care the way you did.

=====

second, yesterday at cross point was very cool in quite a few ways. we celebrated our volunteers (read more here and here). i have never enjoyed working next to so many people. everyone worked so hard, from setting up and planning, to last minute video tweaks, to doing dishes, cutting cake, and taking out trash.

pete announced four very cool initiatives we are focusing on as a church. (you can read more about the specifics here on his blog).

-we are adding a fourth service. for those of you unfamiliar with the church, we currently lease an auditorium (with pews - it rocks) from a baptist church and space presents challenges, especially with parking.

-we are beginning a third campus (but we don’t know where…or really when…but we’re so excited we just couldn’t wait for the details to share)

-we are partnering with habitat for humanity to build three houses this fall. this is going to take several hundred volunteers and i love seeing the people of cross point serve together!

and…if i can have a favorite, this is mine…

-currently, cross point gives 10% of it’s income straight to missions. we have committed to increase that by 1%, every year, for the next 10 years. so in 2018, we will be giving 20% of our income straight to missions.

pete had a great idea to get other churches on board with this kind of sacrificial and incremental missions giving. we want to see 100 other churches get on board and we think in that ten years, these churches will give over $100,000,000 to missions simply by increasing it by 1% every year.

we realize it’s not all about the money, but where your treasure is, your heart follows. we truly believe this can be a life changing, church changing experience.

if this sounds like something your church would be interested in doing, please shoot me an email at anne@crosspoint.tv.

so…yes…it has been an amazing weekend!!!!

i’ll admit. sometimes when tony comments, it makes me mad. he likes pushing buttons.

but i also have learned that deep down inside, he’s a sappy teddy bear. (see, that’s what you get for making sarcastic comments…i publicly call you a sappy teddy bear. that’ll teach you.)

all kidding aside, tony has offered to match a $300 donation $400 to compassion’s global food crisis fund.

so, if you donated last night or can donate now, please do so and leave a comment with the amount you donated. if you would prefer to stay anonymous, just put in fake information in the comment name and email field.

but seriously…here is an opportunity for at least $600 to be given to help feed people who desperately need it…that is feeding over fifteen families!

let’s do it! you guys have always rocked on stuff like this. i really wanted to eat out with my husband today, but i’m going to put that $25 in the fund right now.

your turn!

so let’s all donate something and make this sappy teddy bear match our $300 $400 in donations.

We are already at over $800 $1000 $1100 $1200 $1600 over $1800, but don’t let that stop you from giving!!!! Let’s get as many kids fed as we can. You guys never cease to amaze me by your generosity!!!

according to feedburner, there are about 700 more subscribers to this blog than there was when i went to africa back in february with compassion international. so, if you are new, i really encourage you to read about that trip (it’s in reverse chronological order).

what was amazing was the opportunity to meet linet, one of the children chris and i sponsor. she is beautiful. shy. smirky. and the smartest girl in her class.

it has been a little over six months since i returned, yet my heart has only grown heavier for children living in poverty, and especially those in uganda. just last week, chris and i watched a documentary about orphans in uganda. i freaking cried during the whole thing. sometimes they were happy tears. sometimes they were tears of longing to be back there. sometimes they were tears because i was devastated by the unfairness of it all.

i got an email today about the global food crisis. we all know it’s affected places like haiti and ethiopia and india. but my email today talked about the crisis affecting uganda.

it’s affecting our little girl there.

so i just wanted to give you this link this weekend…if you can donate anything at all to the global food crisis fund. it’s in an emergency state. any amount will help. $5. $10. $50. just click here.

thank you.

[edit: i couldn't take it anymore. i had to post it. yeah it's earlier than i said. i was just so excited!]

i really thought about titling this with the word “boobies” because statistics have shown that is the word that gets people to read your blog.

but anyway.

thank you for humoring my title and reading this.

i cannot tell you the number of times that i have heard people say blogging is so narcissistic, but it’s been a lot. i cannot tell you the amount of hate email i get because people think i like to cause fights by asking questions that aren’t always religiously correct, but it’s been a lot. if i’m not careful, i can let the few bad things outweigh the good.

and good? there is a lot.

today, i just wanted to share an important stat about YOU. not stats as in how many people subscribe to my RSS feed or give me technorati points or whatever.

but one important number.

$80,000.

in just six months, you guys have donated (through instant payments or gifts or commitments) $80,000.

one blog. just a few hundred people. six months. $80,000.

at least 40 children have been released from poverty from just this site (over 500 as a result of our blogging trip, which they tell me would equal about $960,000 based on the average sponsorship length!)

110 mosquito nets to help prevent malaria have been paid for and sent to third world countries

120 books have been purchased and sent to pastors in the dominican republic.

over $850 has been given to various causes like haitian rescue centers, mission trips, and people just barely scraping by.

$80,000.

that number blows me away. i am speechless yet cannot thank you guys enough for putting your money where your mouth is, literally. you have shown that faith is not about rules or theological opinions but about loving others.

so next time someone tells you that blogging is a waste of time, you can share with them otherwise.

wow. just, wow.

==

ps - if you want to sponsor a child through compassion international, and make that number 41, you can click here to meet some incredible and amazing kids.

los angeles is 1700 miles away from nashville.

this is where people eat.

haiti is 1700 miles from nasvhille.

this is where people eat.

i got this email from brian yesterday, updating us on the food crisis in haiti. it is written by one of the compassion international staff serving there.

The unprecedented rise in the cost of foodstuffs raise concerns in the Haitian community especially those whose daily income is less than $2US. They are all wondering if they will survive at all. Despite the promises made by the Haitian government and the aid programs conducted by the international community, food prices do not stop skyrocketing.

“There is no hope that things are going to be improved; the situation is worsening. The population is silently starving and no one seems to care’’ said angrily a young professional.

brian also sent a list of staple food costs.

it.
blew.
my.
mind.

1 half full-sized bag of rice has gone from $28 US to $35 US.
1 full-sized bag of beans has gone from $54.6 US to $63.6 US.
1 full-sized bag of sugar has gone from $25.3 US to $34.8 US.

i responded to brian and asked if children in compassion international projects were guaranteed food, to which he said every child in every project receives at least one meal a day. some receive two hot meals…and they are working very hard to keep adding projects to the two-meal program.

naiva is one of many children in haiti who need to be sponsored. she has been waiting for more than six months. it’s just $32 a month, and with that, you can know that one more child is getting the food she needs to survive.

click here to sponsor naiva.

if she is already sponsored, you can click here to find another child.

you can also make a donation to the global food crisis fund here.

honestly, it is so difficult for me to understand why this happens. it still makes me feel sad, and angry, and guilty, and motivated, and desperate.

you?

it’s the fourth of july. tonight, i’ll be hanging out with friends eating large amounts of food and watching people blow things up. we are celebrating our independence.

a few months ago, i talked about the trap freedom can also bring, if we’re not using it for things like truth and love.

it’s the fourth of july. it’s also ingrid’s birthday. even though nicaragua celebrates their independence in september, ingrid is still very much bound by the chains of poverty.

she’s probably spending much of today like most six year olds…she likes swimming and playing with dolls. most adults in Bo. Pedro Avendaño (where ingrid lives) are unemployed but some work as street vendors and earn the equivalent of $62 per month.

it’s easy to sponsor ingrid. just click here to be taken to her page to learn more about her. if you decide you do want to sponsor her, just click the “sponsor this child” button at the top. (if you decide not to, please don’t click that button as it will remove her page for a while and someone else may miss the opportunity to sponsor her.)

maybe this fourth of july can start a new tradition for you. not only can you celebrate our freedom, you can celebrate ingrid’s birthday as well. and next fourth of july, and the next, and the next, you can celebrate the freedom she and her family will come to know when they are released from poverty in jesus’ name.

INGRID HAS BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU! sponsor ingrid here.