Oh Haiti

I feel so powerless. At the same time I feel awe. I'm in awe of the beauty of our earth, of humanity. We sometimes act like we don't care about each other, then something heartbreaking unites people and nations and brings us together as we do our part to help out our fellow people. People are no longer French, or American, but are a helping hand, a caring soul, a strong arm to grab onto, someone who removes the debris and reaches in to lift you out of suffering. And it's beautiful -- the tears, the dirt, the pain, the hope after the storm.
What can I do to help? There is one thing I am sure of, the most powerful thing I know how to do, the thing that breaks walls and gives hope and heals wounds and rescues souls. I can pray.
It may seem like a small thing, but prayer is the best way we can help Haiti. I believe that God has a plan for these people. Buildings will be rebuilt. Lives will be rebuilt. Right now, it's hard, but what about tomorrow?

I Wish I Could Be Better

Last week, I went on a cruise. On that cruise, I met some people. Of those people, there were Jamaicans.

On my balcony, looking out at the glassy open sea, I closed my eyes.
I made a wish.
Most of my wishes have something to do with a million dollars, perfect skin, or Nick Jonas.
This one was different.
I wished for the Jamaicans. I wished for the basket-weaver who was screaming at my mom. I wished for the security guard with his two daughters. I wished for the manager of Margarita Ville who I figured could use some Jesus. I wished for the bus driver who told us he was trying to be a good person. I wished for the women who begged me to buy their jewelry so they could have money for food.
I wished things were different for them. I wished they weren’t so impoverished. I wished they could have a safe home, good food, and nice clothes.
Most of all, I wished I could hug them. I wished I could tell them I cared. I wished I could tell them that Jesus loves them. I wished I could help them somehow.
But I didn’t.
I smiled. I bought tanzanite rings. I complained of the heat. I refused water offered to me.  I did nothing. I am a tourist. A shopper. I am part of a crowd -- a herd -- of cheap people with money. That is all. Am I just money to them? Am I just a ticket to get through the day? Is that all I am?
Then I realized I wasn’t wishing just for the Jamaicans.
I was wishing for myself.
I wish I could be different. Stronger. Better. I wish I had lent a hand in some way, no matter how small. I wish I had loved them enough, cared for them enough, to tell them that Jesus loved them.
But I didn’t.

India - Pastor Attacked

On my birthday, just earlier this month, a pastor in India was attacked. He is still in custody. Here is his story according to The Voice of the Martyrs.

On Oct. 4, Pastor Prakash was attacked by 25 Bajrang Dal extremists while he was ministering in Kaiwara village, Bangalore Rural District, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts.
The extremists assaulted the pastor and accused him of cheating people. After the attack, the pastor was questioned and held on complaints of “illegal activity.” Fortunately, other believers provided evidence that the pastor had not broken any laws but had visited their homes for prayer. At last report he was still in custody.
Pastor Prakash has been in ministry for more than 10 years and pastors a church of 80 members. Recently, he had expanded his ministry to Kaiwara village, where 15 believers had been meeting for prayer on Sundays evenings.

The Voice of the Martyrs actively supports persecuted believers by providing legal assistance to Christians like Pastor Prakash who have been arrested for their faith. VOM encourages you to pray for Pastor Prakash’s immediate release. Pray for the safety of his family and other believers in the area.

We've Never Felt Real Hunger

Have you skipped breakfast one day? Chances are you got hungry pretty fast. When you sat down for lunch, bacon burger within reach, you said, "Let’s eat! I’m starving!" You finish all but a few bites of your burger and some fries, which you toss to your dog.
We all do this in our everyday lives, but when you really think about it, it seems so selfish. We skip one meal and say we’re starving? Then we just trash the food we have? You know how it feels when you’re at someone’s house and you’re – well, starving, of course – and you find out they eat lunch an hour later than your family normally does. You start to feel like you’re being deprived and all you think about is food.
What if I told you that a human being would actually beg for those scraps of food you toss in the trash? People all over the world don’t have adequate food. People – children, even – die of starvation every day. What little food they may get is so small and is probably something that would make you lose your appetite.
Statistics show that 1 billion people suffer from malnutrition and hunger. Even in the United States, thirteen million people have to skip meals or eat less so they can pay the rent.

Want to fight against world hunger? Go to www.bread.org & www.thehungersite.org now.