World AIDS Day: Kefilwe's Story

Here is an excerpt form my most recent blog post:

"My momma's got AIDS" the little girl whispered. It was one of those whispers that is so quiet that it knocks your breath away, like a sonic boom. Her skin was like copper, hardened, darkened, but smoother than silk. She had a pock-mark on the corner of her forehead, near where her coarse, black hair began to embrace her head. I couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful."

Please read the rest of the story (and comment) from this link, below:

http://elisasue.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/world-aids-day-a-story/

Pray for a Recently Attacked Village in Burma

This makes me sad, knowing this is just happening. This sounds like a typical genocidal displacement the Burmese Army has been conducting with regularity for years. They target villages of minorities and/or minority religions (like Christians, as in this village) and randomly attack them, trying to kill or at least hurt those in the village. Can you take a few minutes to pray for those in this village today? I don't know much about this ministry, although I have received their updates for awhile.The idea of making cards and sending them to encourage those who survived seemed to be a cool idea. I haven't researched the organization enough for me to recommend donating to them. Below is the email I received (Somewhat in thick Christianese).


-----------------------------

 

Brothers and sisters,

   If you are reading this, I am confident in the Lord in you, that the recent events of which I shall describe will be prayed over fervently.  On July 22nd an entire village was assaulted and razed to the ground in E. Burma.  This might not mean that much, perhaps a blip of news from a faraway country that has problems like this all the time, I pray and trust it means not so to thee.  As I prepare to send my team leader in before the sun shines this very moment, hiding in the jungle are countless men, women and children.  The casualty total is not known just yet, nor will it be soon.  The very pulpit of a church in which my Pastor, Joe Tuccinardi, myself, and other brothers have preached in is ashes.  The very schools that were built with men's hands through the donations of some blessed brethren stand no more.  As I write and hear the monsoon rains I know our brothers and sisters in Christ are burying their dead, hiding in the forest, wet, cold and hungry.  This is one of the brazen attacks recently, and there shall be more.  As I met with some strong brothers in the Lord this evening/night, as they prepare to answer God's call on their lives going back "home" tomorrow, we lose not hope.  We are not discouraged, we are not destroyed, we will not give up in believing that God shall use this according to His Will, that His sovereign hand was upon all the comings and goings of the Burmese Army.  We prayed for the "enemy", knowing that they are just in darkness, blind, needing love, compassion and grace to touch their hearts now.  We prayed for all those who are mourning, who have lost more than loved ones, who have no other desire but to till the land and worship Christ peacefully.  More than likely this very moment that you are reading this someone is being raped, someone is starving to death, someone is burying their child but they, nor we shall lose hope, for our hope does not disappoint.  Now is the time to pray more than ever, if I am a voice crying in the wilderness, so be it, I shall call upon the God of Jacob, the Lord of Hosts for only His arm is not shortened, it can save.  Until I have official clearance to release the full report of this massacre, God knows its name and more importantly His sheep that dwell within it.  Pray with us please, your prayers change things.  I am unworthy and so blessed to be laying next to my "miracle" son, and my wonderful wife right now.  I don't deserve to have a roof over my head for my Savior had none, I don't have a right to breathe if not for Christ.  As the faces and voices of the brothers and sisters in Muthraw District play over and over in my mind, only smiles, laughing, praying, worshiping, working hard with our hands, enduring hardship without a single complaint are their personifications.  I know not which ones I will see on this earth again, but I am confident that right now some are in a glorious new body, in the presence of the glory of the throne of God. 

   Weep with those who weep, yay, rejoice with those who rejoice, but I encourage thee ne'er to be tween the two, ne'er be in doubt, for our God is mighty, holy and the great I AM.  Please direct your prayers towards Muthraw District, E. Burma, specifically as the Holy Spirit imparts unto thee, or don't if you have not the time, we still love you the same only because He loved us first. 

    I am writing this as fast as possible, and prayerfully tomorrow the first load of relief will arrive, but God is there and here now, so pray, I beseech thee, as you have been so faithful before to do.  If you feel like writing I will make sure whatever you send (letters, postcards, a hand drawn picture) will be hand delivered to a weary soul in search of a cold cup of water, good news from a far country. If you are moved with compassion to be a part of giving immediate assistance, please don't hesitate, bibles, rice, plastic tarps, pots, baby clothes and medicine will get to those who need it, and we will rebuild the schools, the churches and the homes, so after the landmines are cleared and the SPDC retreats, warmth and love and fellowship in Christ will continue.  All information is below, all wisdom, power and authority is above, go boldly before the throne of God.

Unworthy to die for Christ,
P. James and the Love in Action team E. Burma
"Please don't pray that God takes away whatever sufferings He has for us, we thank Him, please pray we may be steadfast and have strength to be faithful until the end"-  Thera Doh **** **, Karen Pastor of the main church that was burnt down when I asked him what does he want prayer for.


Mailing address:
LIA c/o James Garwood
P.O. Box 67
Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son
Thailand, 58110

Paypal donations:fordomosake@gmail.com

In USA email Pastor Joe Tuccinardi for more details thaicalvary@aol.com

Love in Action

5353 Steamboat Way

Boise, ID 83713

In Search of the Refugee Resettlement Office

Today I tried to carry out an ambitious idea that I had last Sunday, June 20th, on Refugee Awareness Day. I got the kids ready, looked up information about the nearby refugee programs, and took off. It didn't matter that I didn't know their office hours and no one was answering the phone. Yet, luckily, while on my way, I was smart enough to call multiple times before I actually went too far. To my disappointment, no one ever answered the phone. I made a few pit stops, hoping to eventually hear from them. Finally I recognized I probably shouldn't drive out to their main office in Arlington without at least knowing if they were open.

So, I guess this adventure will have to be completed some other time. I wonder if what it will end up being. Will we end up donating things? Or will it be more of a commitment, helping someone learn English? Or maybe our church's ministry, L2F Needs Network can adopt a refugee family. At least I can explore the options, right?

Maybe you guys can hold me accountable to following through with one of my many ideas!

Earth Day: Being Green, Trendy, and Advocating for a Cause

I once heard some very smart person say that the people whose beliefs are most suited for celebrating Earth Day, are Christians. Why? Well, because we believe we are given a gift of creation. We are part of that creation which has purpose, while the opposing view is that chance made us part of an earth that apparently exists and is still evolving. Yet, we have a gift we are challenged to be good stewards of. We believe in life. Whether this is saving a baby, saving a whale, or saving a baby whale, it is our responsibility. So, Happy Earth Day!

Now, let me make myself clear. I am not a vegetarian or a vegan, even though I like to shop at farmer's markets. I believe God gave us this earth to use its resources. But using is different than misusing. Sure, you can call me a tree-hugger. In fact, in an hour or so I am going to be planting baby trees with some teens. I sometimes use reusable shopping bags and I use cloth diapers on my baby's booty. I grew up in California, where we think the whole world recycles in perfect harmony. Its something kids do for fun on a Saturday morning, instead of watching cartoons. We also like to save the whales on Saturdays. Saturdays are busy days in California. Really, though, I should confess, I can be obsessive about recycling. In fact, just the day before yesterday I was fuming mad because our new recycling service will not take "clam-shells" (the plastic things that strawberries and such come in). The audacity! Lastly, in effort to prove where I stand when it comes to being "green," I hate pesticides, and harsh chemicals (besides bleach) because I have had bad experiences with them. I am far from a green activist, but I would say I am more green than the average Joe. Or Josephine.

And then, one day, I realized everyone else thought being green was cool. The cheapest shirts I can find for my kids from Target or Walmart have "Save the Earth" written on them. I remember having a distinct conversation with my cousin about how we were grossed out by how being green became a trend. But, since I believe I am at the front-line of the trend (whether true or not), I am okay with it. You see, I don't mind being a trend-setter.  I only mind being a trend-lager. Which, mind you, is not a type of beer.

Some characteristics of human nature influence the way we are green, besides just flowing down the trend-pipe. Psychology has a term for when everyone doesn't do something because they think someone else will. I don't know what it is, although I can assure you I have studied it. For example, if there is a crime, and there are many people to witness it, its more likely that no one will actually call the police. Also, in CPR training, we are taught to direct a specific person to call 911, or else that too likely won't happen. On a similar, although different stream, humans tend to do another illogical thing I don't know the term for. This is an example: if I feel like I did a good job running a mile today, I will happily go home a drink a 900 calorie milkshake.

All of these things can apply to being green. If everyone is doing something for the planet, its okay if I don't do something. Or, since I bought Seventh Generation soap today, I can justify cleaning my bathroom with the unknown ingredient death killer cleaner. Therefore, the way the human mind thinks mixed with being green solely for the coolness factor, doesn't necessarily change much to make our planet better. It might a little; it is better than nothing. Yet, if you actually care about creation, challenge yourself to take a next step. Especially if your motivation is it to honor God, rather than be part of a trend.

I read this article today that my husband sent me which I mostly fully agreed with. Take a skim:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/236722/page/1



Often, what this article is talking about can be applied to activism in general. Activism is an art. You motivate for a cause, which many people just don't really care about. They might care, but not enough to really do something about it that is meaningful.  I read a study the other day which was talking about how the whole cause to end genocide in Darfur has almost single handily been brought about through activism. This is amazing! This proves that in our global, technological world, being an advocate for a cause makes a difference and can actually start a global movement. Everyone has heard of Darfur, thanks to awareness campaigns, new organizations that have been birthed, and just everyday, grassroots movements coming from average people like you or me. Even so, the main people who really can make a serious difference, by forcing change, are governments and international organizations. Who haven't done too much.

Why do I bring this up? Thanks to people advocating for Darfur, there is money, political pressure, prayers, and support networks for those in the Darfur region. The good ol' activists have made a difference. And, at the same time, for a greater difference to be made, those with the most power (yes, bureaucracies) need more pressure.So, if you want to make a green difference, the same principle applies. You can't justifiably be claiming to make a serious difference unless you are also trying to create peaceful political pressure. I am not saying you need to write your congressman, but I think we do need to have our veil of ignorance fall off. The veil which allows us to pose as being trendy green while we really aren't willing to take the steps which are shown to have impact. I think it is okay if being more earth friendly is not your passion; its not mine. But I do want to honor God. Therefore I want to be responsible. And I want to use my minimal greenness to portray to my green friends about how Jesus probably didn't hate environmentalists (as so many cultural American Christians instead seem to portray, being very anti-"save the earth").

So, what are the lessons to be learned? Support a cause. Support caring for the earth (although, I highly suggest caring for the people of the earth, prioritizing that). But, as you support it, pick it up a notch. Do something more, something than has more value than just buying an overpriced piece of recycled paper that you can write on and throw in the trash. More importantly, move from just doing or being something because of a trend, to doing so because you care a smidgen. As you do that, you will rub off on other people. These other people might be doing it just because of the trendiness of it at first, but someday they might care about the cause, also.

Thank you God for this beautiful world you have blessed us with! Let your creation sing of your glory until Jesus comes back again, and makes a new world which will not fall apart on us! 

Global Prayer Day for Burma

I believe I might have written about Burma, before. Although my rumpled Spanish might seem like a clue that I have a thing for South & Central America, my heart is full for Asia. Considering Burma, (politically referred to as Myanmar, though not international recognized as such), there are a lot of human rights abuses and other issues to keep in prayer this day. We are not just talking "Boy would it be nice if they were democratic, like us." We are talking about an authoritative military regime trying to drive out or kill anyone who is a minority group, a Christian, or overtly an advocate for democracy. Let's just say that I would not be welcomed there, and neither would you. I mean, they aren't that terrible. In the recent protest led by myriads of peaceful Buddhist monks (The Saffron Revolution of 2007) only a hundred people were killed, a few thousand were jailed, and a few hundred were beaten/shot. Of course know one knows for sure, as the official toll from the military government is undoubtedly very understated, and its not too agree on other estimates.  Sadly, the attempted revolution didn't change anything. 

This link gives a lot more information on the current state of things: http://prayforburma.org/
This video actually somehow makes understanding a little more about Burma entertaining, if you want to check it out:

Child Protection Compact Act

I was reading this blog the other day, its a good reminder how blatant human trafficking or sexual slavery can be in other parts of the world. Eastern Europe, is, sadly infamous for human trafficking:

http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/learn/advocacy-newsletter-201003-journal-romania?Open&et_cid=14124531&et_rid=76514601&campaign=11390512&ppi=76514601

Of course, as he notes, obviously some women choose to go into prostitution willingly. Yet, many don't, which is heart breaking. At the end of 1 Corinthians 6, the Bible says sexual acts with a prositute make you "one" with her. I don't think we want to imagine how many people a sex-slave "becomes one with" without a choice. So not only are there physical effects, but there are emotional and spiritual bondages that sex slaves endure. Now, to make this worse, many of those forced into prostitution are children.  Its easy for us to choose not to help free someone from oppression, simply because we are comfortable. Maybe we should think twice about that. The Bible doesn't teach us to be activists, but we are challenged to love others, second in importance to loving God. Here is a small oppurtunity to love someone else this week, even if these children seem just like numbers to us...........

Here is an easy way to help end child trafficking, for sexual or other purposes:

https://secure2.convio.net/wv/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=285

(Be sure to refresh this page with your information, as its vital that your representatives know you are one of their constituents.)

International Women's Day

Okay, I am far from a feminist. In fact, in looking at the International Women's Day Website (http://www.internationalwomensday.com/default.asp) I realized I really, personally care less about many of the issues. Maybe this is only because, generally, I am treated equally. Yes, there are thousands of arguments: I might get less pay, I do more housework, I can't rule the world. But feminism is not my thing.

First of all, to be clear, the Bible does say that the woman is under the authority of man. Yet from this we can easily tangent into a discussion about the verses in the Bible that seem to downgrade women. There are a lot of views on those scriptures, and no matter what your opinion is and whether we'd even agree, there is no way this could ever be used to support oppression towards women. Personally, I think its a good thing for women to be under man's authority, when fathers, husbands, and church leaders guide in love, laying their lives down. Its one more load of stress taken off my back. 

Christians sometimes forget to protect the value of women in fear of getting too liberal-feministic. That's a shame. When Christians shy away from women's issues, and no men step up to the plate on our behalf, the Church does not represent God. It also looks pretty crappy to the rest of the world and is used as justification to oppress women more, even if subtly. Here are two Bible verses to give us some godly perspective:

In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
1 Corinthians 11:11-12

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galations 3:28

So, from the perspective that we all come from God, are eqaul with one another, and are NOT independent of eachother, Happy International Women's Day! Let's move forward, valuing and protecting women! As even though feminism isn't' my thing, there are a couple of things that are- oppression and poverty both are some things that really need to be fought against. And women have a hard time in this world in both regards. Check out the following statistics:

Global Issues

• Females in developing countries on average carry 20 litres of water per day over 6 km

• Globally women account for the majority of people aged over 60 and over 80

• Pregnant women in Africa are 180 times more likely to die than in Western Europe

• 530,000 women die in pregnancy or childbirth each year

• World population hit 6,872,741,131 on 1 January 2009

• Of 1.2 billion people living in poverty worldwide, 70% are women

• 80% of the world's 27 million refugees are women

• Women own around only 1% of the world's land

• AIDS sees women's life expectancy of 43 in Uganda and Zambia

• 5 people are added to the world's population every 2 seconds 

• Women are 2/3 of the 1 billion+ illiterate adults who have no access to basic education

International Women's Day. (2010). "Gender Facts." Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://www.internationalwomensday.com/facts.asp

Women in the Third World

•    An estimated 500,000 women die of pregnancy-related causes each year, more than 90 percent of them in the Third World.

•    100,000 women die each year from unsafe abortions, almost all in the Third World.

•    The World Health Organization estimates that seventy million women, most of them Africans, have undergone some form of female circumcision.

•    In 1991 bridal dowry disputes led husbands and in-laws to kill more than 5,000 wives in India.

•    Approximately 855 million people in the world are illiterate (almost one-sixth of humanity); two-thirds of them are women.

•    Of the 1.3 billion persons living in absolute poverty, 70 percent are women.

IN SOUTH ASIA

•    One of every eighteen women dies of a pregnancy-related cause.

•    More than one of every ten babies dies during delivery.

IN NEPAL AND BANGLADESH

•    One in every five girls dies before age five.

IN INDIA

•    Approximately 25 percent of the twelve million girls born each year die by age fifteen.

Point: As difficult as life may be for the vast majority of humanity, it is even more trying for females.

Note, this last set of facts is dated 2006. Source: www.undp.org, UNDP 2006 Annual Report.
(Viotti. 2009. International Relations and World Politics, 4th Edition. Pearson Custom Publishing p. 18.2.1).

Global Prayer Day for Burma

What's Going on In Burma?

Officially Myanmar, the country of Burma is nestled between Thailand, India, China, and the ocean. The current government is a military dictatorship which will not relent to the people's democracy, keeping the rightful leader of the country under house arrest. The U.S., along with other countries, do not officially recognize the military regime of Myanmar, hence the confusing dual-names. The military is ruthless to non-Buddhist religious groups (along with Buddhists who make a stand), political groups and ethnic minority groups. Burma is considered one of the world's most brutal and oppressive regimes; there is virtually no freedom of speech, assembly or association. Media control, forced labor, human trafficking, child labor and rampant sexual violence are all some of the common abuses carried out by the government. Various ethnic groups, notably a people group called the Karen, seem to be marked for extermination. Although the international community does not consider the people groups that are being chased down and killed as genocide, it is likely that is what is happening (After all, when has the international community ever officially acknowledged a genocide while it is in the process?). There is a large number if Internationally Displaced People within the country and many refugees that try to escape do not have success. Also, the economy is terrible due to mismanagement. Along with the oppression, the Burmeses difficulties are worsened by the typical difficulties the poor face in underdeveloped countries. Recently, there was also an extremely deadly cyclone which destroyed part of the country, in which the government blocked international aid at the most crucial time.

That is a basic summary of why Burma needs prayer and advocates. Although these people might be on the other side of the globe, in a different world than us essentially, they are still humans. They are individuals with their own families and stories. Many of those targeted for death and destruction have the same faith as I do. They are my brothers and sisters. God doesn't promise a life of peace, and safety. Rather Jesus stated that those who follow Him would suffer in many cases. Yet if we can relieve their suffering we should. Although I can't physically be there with them, binding their wounds, hearing their hearts or be in an international court as their representative I can still do something. I can still be aware of them, that they aren't too far beyond me. I can share their trials with you. I can pray that God gives them strength in the difficulties they face, that He would bring them life in their suffering and that God will be made more famous because of these beautiful people who have to suffer from the evil in this world.

If you'd like some more information, hear some stories of what is going on, or look for ways to help please check out some of the following websites:

http://www.prayforburma.org/
http://uscampaignforburma.org/
http://www.prayforburma.org/