Saturday, January 23, 2010

Just $1 a day

That's the average amount it takes, worldwide, to feed a child for an entire day. My breakfast alone usually costs between $3-5.

I've been learning recently that world hunger isn't in anyway a lack-of-food problem. In fact there's more than enough food on this planet to give each person something like 4.5 pounds of food a day. And that's quite a bit of food if I'm remembering correctly from the time when I backpacked carrying all my food for the week around on my back. No, world hunger isn't a shortage of food problem, it's a distribution problem. And in many cases a political problem.

Food is used as a weapon. But who are the ones suffering the most? Women and children. And what is your country gaining by letting your women and children die from malnutrition and all that comes with it? It's infuriating.

26,000 children die EVERY DAY from this problem. 1 child EVERY 7 SECONDS.

When I decided to set up the 30 Hour Famine event through World Vision for my youth group I thought I was just giving them a sweet new free-for-them activity and would open their eyes to the needs of the world. And sure, I am doing that. But I've also rediscovered my own passion for this problem, and my longing to see the day when it ends. There's a part of me that thinks this is the start of something new in my life. I've always known I wanted to work for a mission organization in some capacity. Perhaps this is the beginning.... who knows.

While I figure that out, though, do me a favor and go to this page and donate to World Vision to help end world hunger. And tell all your family to go and do the same. And then tell all your friends, teachers, classmated, whoever to visit too. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Eeeeeeeeeeeek!!

I just booked a mission trip!!!!!!!!!!!

So excited/nervous about this. Who wants to help me figure out how to come up with cost/person and other logistical things?? (coughjoelharbargercough)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Christy

My parents bought me a new copy of Catherine Marshall's book Christy for Christmas, and also the complete series that once ran on television. Needless to say I've spent a good bit of time since Christmas watching some of the episodes.

I'm not sure when I'll re-read the book again but I'm glad I got a replacement, I've read my original copy enough times that some of the pages are falling out.

The main point of this though, is that I love the story and the characters. It's set in the mountains of Cutter Gap, TN where a young girl moves from her home in Ashville, NC to go teach the children of Cutter Gap. It's like it's own universe. It's like Christy (the young school teacher) has stepped back in time.

In reading and watching this story I realize how strongly I myself seem to be called to the mountains. Just the outdoors in genearl. The families in Cutter Gap live day to day, moment to moment.

Winter Camp was a great week. Perhaps it's the kairos kind of schedule still wearing away after last week, or perhaps the foothills of South Eastern Ohio that tugged so strongly at my spirit but I long to live where I can be in the mountains, just living moment to moment.

I think I'd fit in well in West Virginia.

Thank goodness I was a Rec Major. We're much more kairos time scheduled people than the strict chronos schedules of a classroom.

Oh what great adventures lie ahead.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Undying Love.

When I first started this blog I had named it Please Explain. I would pose a question to whoever might be reading and hope for an answer. When I didn't recieve many responses or comments at all, not to mention thinking that my blog title was dumb I renamed it and stopped trying to think of things that baffled me and started to just write whatever I was thinking at the time of posting.

The first thing I'd like to do (well, second I suppose since I just explained some back story) is ask a "Please Explain" question with the hope that perhaps someone out there has a good answer. My question is this: why must I try and figure out new ways to meet people, hoping that one day I'll meet a lovely eligible bachelor who will then fall head over heels for me and I for him. It seems to me that I already know a ton of eligible bachelors, have a fair share of crushes and gentlemen I pine over. Why can't any of them just go ahead and express their undying love for me. It would certainly make my life a whole lot easier. I could just stop looking, work on an already exisiting relationship and carry on with my life. Someone please explain.


Now that that's out of the way I feel like it's time for me to say a few words about 2009. Everyone else seems to be giving end-of-year or beginning-of-year reflections or so I might as well do the same.

Here are some things that happened:
+ Finished one last quarter of classes, including a bowling class.
+ Lived off campus for the first time in my college career.
- Felt hurt and betrayal like I've never felt before.
+ Went to my first camping conference and visited family in Chicago.
+ Survived my internship.
+ Graduated.
+ Celebrated with multiple friends on their wedding days.
- Changed summer camps after 4 summers.
- Got my heart more or less broken, again.
+ Went whitewater rafting multiple times and got paid for it.
- Got asked where my counselor was by a raft guide.
- Learned how to drive a mini bus without a CDL.
+ Got my family to go whitewater rafting.
+/- moved into an apartment.
+ Started a new job as a part-time Christian Education Director.
-/+ Got my substitute teaching license.
+ Co-planned the 3rd annual Camp Otterbein Winter camp.
- Went on a couple of extremely awkward dates.
+ Got to spend sometime with my IWU in both August and December.


Overall it was a kind of so-so year. Not one that I'd relive. I believe the last year that I'd want to realive again is 2007. That was a great year from what I recall. Or at least the latter half of it was.

I'm really looking forward to 2010. Maybe that's just because I read a horoscope that lead me to believe that it's going to be a great year. If only I put a lot of stock into horoscopes, you know. But I suppose there's nothing to lose looking into the new year with an optimistic spirit. Yet I really am. Hopefully it'll be one of those "I'd relive that!" kind of years.

So, cheers and here's to a new year! One that will be altogether re-livable.