It's In Your Hands

She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20

“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be." Deut. 15:7-8

"This is what the Lord says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed." Isaiah 56:1

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Ecc. 9:10

If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. Isaiah 58:10

The junior high and high school students at Park Academy (our homeschool co-op) are doing the 30-Hour Famine for World Vision. They will raise money and sponsors to fight world hunger. Then they will fast for 30 hours while they do community service projects and pray for the needy. These are their hands.

Please visit their blog here. Become a follower and watch their fundraising progress! Their goal is to beat last year's total, which was $2603.53. Can you help them?

You can be a part of the solution to world hunger! Join us!

Post-Election Reflection

(Ok, Claire, here you go.)





If you click on the politics label on the sidebar you will quickly learn that we were not rooting for the Obama/Biden ticket.





We were interceding a lot pre-election. We went to TheCall and I realized that it went even deeper than I thought as I began to wail. I am just recently starting to learn that I am an intercessor. But, the gift never manifested the way it seems to have for others. Yet, I seem to bodily and emotionally carry burdens for others.





The day before the election a heaviness came on me. The spiritual atmosphere around here was not defeated, but definitely not joyous. The morning of the election I took Meg and Israel with me to the polls and let them vote (we had prefilled out the sample ballot for them to follow).





We came home and worshiped and prayed and soaked in God's presence. The kids begged to stay up late to see election results--particularly Prop. 8 (defining marriage as between one man and one woman), Prop. 4 (parental notification before a minor has an abortion), and the presidential race. Meg had a slight interest in Prop. 11 because she remembered from her tour of the Republican Headquarters that gerrymandering seemed so unfair.





We sent them to bed, but they kept poking their heads out. When it was announced that Obama had won, Meg and Israel's eyes swelled with tears. They said, "What about the babies?! Why don't people think that is the most important thing?" These days their political conversations go more like, "We really need to pray for God to change Obama's heart and make it really a Christian." Israel also now says things like, "Even when I was hoping Palin would win, I knew somehow that Obama would win."





Their innocence is so beautiful and refreshing. The issues are very clear for them.





And in the days post-election I've had several conversations with fellow-believers who did not feel the spiritual atmosphere change. They did not grieve the loss of the unborn. They did not feel concern over the possible passing of the FOCA, marriage being redefined, the ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research being reversed, etc. All they said was how great it was to have a black president and how much hope they had for that elusive change Obama promised.





Their oblivion stood in stark contrast to my children who pray for the unborn almost daily and grieved that America elected an anti-life leader.





It reminded me of Jesus who said, "But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.'" (Matthew 11) It's as if Jesus is saying, "What is wrong with you?! Even children know when to dance and when to mourn!" We are so out of touch with the Father's heart. Jesus goes on to say in that same chapter that if Sodom had seen the signs and wonders that this generation has seen it would have repented and remained to this day. That's how bad it is to be so unaware.



Awareness.



That's been the gist of my post-election meditations. How is it that atrocities can be committed all around us and we just continue business as usual? How can we even rejoice that the man we elected happens to be dark-skinned while ignoring his dark heart? (He protected infanticide, people!)



I came across this picture and now can't get it out of my mind. Know what it is? Guess.

Give up? It's the staff at Auschwitz having a great time eating blueberries at an on-site retreat! (You can see the full album here. H/T Jennifer at Conversion Diary.)

Amazing, isn't it? Can't you just hear the heart of Jesus. "Even children know when to lament!"

If I had been a young mom in Germany during WW2 would I just have continued raising my children, tidying my home, going to church and living oblivious to God's broken heart? I hope not. But how would you know? Would it have been too difficult to go against popular thought? Would it have been easier to just pretend that we weren't at war with evil?

My post-election prayer is that I always remain aware and never jaded. God take my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh, one that feels the pain of others, one that isn't afraid to stand up for righteousness, one that never dances when she should weep, nor weeps when she should dance. Lord, keep me aware. Keep my eyes open. Keep my feet ready for action. I may not be able to prevent every injustice, but Lord, don't let me ever get to the point where I stop protesting against it.

In the days ahead we may find our voices for life muffled by the culture of death. Please don't stop speaking up. Mordecai said to Esther, "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14

Six Hours In Beijing

We had a six hour layover in Beijing. So, we hopped a bus and went downtown, looked around a bit, grabbed a bite to eat, and caught a taxi back to the airport.


Wow, Beijing is changing...at least in what tourists usually see. But, Gana and I don't like the tourist thing. We usually walk back allies, eat at little mom 'n' pop places where their cooking your food over a fire, stay in youth hostels that cater to the nationals rather than to foreigners, etc.

Chinese beer and Chinese tea....choices, choices!

We ordered some yummy noodles that seemed to have a life of their own:

Views from the bus:




Views on our self-guided walking tour:





Right as I was talking a picture of this young man barbecuing some sort of kabob, this transvestite prostitute stepped into my shot. It shocked the _____ out of me. He walked towards me talking in Chinese, to which I responded by jumping behind Gana and calling on Jesus!


Seeing the side of Beijing that we usually choose to see made me wonder what was going to become of these people that live in hovels, cook from their porch, and spend their days in back allies when the Olympics come. Certainly they don't want the above picture to be anyone's image of China--a land of supposed equality and communist brotherhood. What will become of them? Will they direct tourists away from these areas? Will they gather up the poor and homeless and cart them off to the countryside? Temporarily clean up the allies and give the poor decent clothes? Will they bankrupt the treasuries and ignore the needs in other parts of the country to make Beijing the showcase they want it to be--a few weeks of utopia and then let people starve the rest of the year?


I do wonder. Don't you?

The Root....

In light of what's been on the news and recent discussions with friends, I've been thinking about the root of many sociological issues.

Discrimination, racism, abortion, unjust wars, oppression of the weak, genocide, euthanasia.. ..they all have the same root.

The problem is not really political. The problem is that as societies we do not see all human life as being equal. We hold that some life has more value than others. A woman's life has more value than her baby's. Healthy people have more value than the sick or disabled. One race has more value than another.

It's all the same thing. In philosophy there is no difference between Rev. Wright's comments and Dr. Kevorkian. In philosophy there is no difference between the genocide in Dafur and Planned Parenthood.

They all have in common that some lives are more worthy of living than others. Some life is dispensable.

If we really believe, in the words of President Lincoln, the proposition that all men were created equal we cannot abide racism, abortion, oppression in any of its forms. Is it really "self-evident, that all men are created equal" as it reads in the Declaration of Independence? If it is then how can we allow abortion for any reason to remain legal? If we allow it we are saying that the life of a baby is not equal the life of a mother. If we allow that those with inconvenient disabilities are euthanized we are saying that those with perfect health have a higher value than those considered in some way damaged. If we do not stand up to stop genocide in Dafur or human trafficking or slavery or abortion it is evidence of one thing for sure...that we have bought into a philosophy that all human life is not equal.

And where does that leave our salvation? Did Jesus die once and for ALL or only for some? Hebrews 10:10 says Jesus was offered once for all! All human life has equal value. This is a foundational Christian principle on which our original law was based. The Civil Rights Movement did not begin with Dr. King. It began with Jesus Christ who in a passionate act of obedience and love made a concrete statement that all human life is worth saving.

Filter your political beliefs through that.

30-Hour Famine Testimonies

An appropriate sign on the campus of the William Carey University, where we held our famine.

World Changer #1, age 11

I had a lot of fun learning about people in other countries. I hope that I can help a lot of them someday. It made me feel lucky to be alive at 11 years old, when some kids are starving. I have so much that they don’t. While I was at the 30 hour famine, I felt that God really wanted me to be there, and really wanted me to learn about kids in other countries so that I can help. I can help by raising money, collecting food, and by fasting and praying. Over the years, I’ve been touched by God after I had a lot of doubts. Now, I feel that He’s drawing me closer and closer to being a pastor, because I know that I could help a lot of people if God shined a light through me. It was fun hanging out with friends while learning about God.

World Changer #2, age 14

When our group leader gave us the list of activities we could do as a missions class, the 30 Hour Famine sort of jumped out at me. So in the five minutes or so that we had to look over the activities, I was campaigning hard for the 30 Hour Famine. I didn’t know what it was or what it would entail, I just knew I wanted to do it. So I convinced most of the group to make it one of the two choices they were entitled to and we began to plan out our 30 Hour Famine.

However, as time passed and I began to realize that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought it would be as simple as not eating for 30 hours, but what would anyone get out of that? But then I was given my World Vision Student Guide and my donation envelope and was told to ask everyone I could think of for a donation. As I began to understand that this was not going to be some quick and easy assignment, I became angry that I’d been so ignorant and not correctly informed myself on the task at hand. Though it seemed modestly high, the donation goal I set for myself was one I knew I could achieve without much effort.

Something I noticed while I was receiving these donations was that everyone would always tell me that I was “doing good” or doing the Famine and knowing all of this information at my age was “amazing.” It wasn’t really that great. Not because I don’t agree with their comments, but because I wasn’t really a willing participant. Had I heard about the Famine from one of my friends, I probably wouldn’t have done it. So to put it in clear words, up until the day of the Famine, I had no real desire to help these kids. It was more about self-recognition.

The day of the 30 Hour Famine, I arrived knowing that I wouldn’t be able to eat for 30 hours. I also knew that I would be locked in a building with a dozen people who, under these conditions, could make me a very irritable person. Yet, as we began our tribe game, I realized that I should be the last one to complain. The child I was to portray for the next 30 hours has been in and out of slavery and was so emotionally scarred from it that he couldn’t bring himself to talk. Most of the tribe games were fun (except maybe the one where I was pelted with a dodge ball repeatedly), but the mix and match game was by far the best. In terms of it being entertaining, it was the worst. But in terms of it being educational, it was the best. I had heard the statistics before, but because we had to remember what they said, they began to imprint on my mind. After the game, I laid down in a corner and tried to read a book, but the thought that 29,000 children would die while I slept made me rethink why I was doing the Famine. It wasn’t about me! If there was one thing the Famine wasn’t about, it was me. The purpose and the plan for the 30 Hour Famine was to help these kids and to get a very small taste of what they go through.

I would recommend that everyone do this. I don’t care if you’re upper class, middle class, lower class, or whatever. It doesn’t matter. Compared to these kids, none of us can truly understand poverty and suffering. But this tiresome and exhausting 30 Hour Famine that World Vision has concocted will at least give you a small taste of their lives. I promise, that if you have a heart, this event will impact you in one way or another.

World Changer #3, age 12

I thought that the famine was a great experience. It gave me more of an appreciation for the starving children around the world. They have to go through that every day, not knowing when they’ll eat again. I would definitely do it again next year because it was fun, even though I was hungry the whole time. The games were fun, like the Mosquito Menace game and the Dragon Dodgeball.


It was also educational and it helped me draw closer to God through worship.

World Changer Parent

I never would have expected to be so changed by this experience. On Saturday morning I woke up early to worship and pray. It was one of the sweetest encounters I've ever had with the Living God. And as I prayed for the students, for God to birth a passion in them for the oppressed, the hungry, the homeless, the poor, the orphaned, and the widowed, God was birthing a passion in me. A hunger like I've never felt before. As I prayed for each of the students to hear the call of the Kingdom, God began to call me. He was calling me to be an example to my sons, my husband, my extended family, and my friends. And now I can't seem to stop looking for ways to help feed the hungry, to educate myself about the oppressed, the hungry, the homeless, the poor, the orphaned, and the widowed. Not only that, but I can't help to get others involved in whatever I'm doing - whether its feeding the homeless, packing kits for caregivers of those living with HIV/AIDS, watching documentaries about HIV/AIDS and the people who are affected by it, or going to meet a missionary in person. I cannot thank God enough for the opportunities He's placing before me to be His hands and feet, to be a voice for those who don't have one. I want to seize every opportunity He gives me to bring the message of hope, faith, love, and reconciliation in Jesus.

This event was a turning point in my life. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to serve Jesus and those whom He loves!

For past posts about our 30-Hour Famine and lots of pictures, click here.

Hungry? We Were!

back row l to r: Kristy, Delaney, Josiah, Michael, Tyler, Donavan; front row l to r: Destinie, Kellee, Daja with Belgee, Dean-Paul

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of
injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed
free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the
hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the
naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and
blood?....and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy
the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the
darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah
58:6-7,10

Famine Weekend! What an amazing experience! It was amazing for me, my students, and their parents. This weekend was both spiritually impacting and physically challenging...and FUN!

It started months ago when my students started raising money for World Vision. They did fundraising individually (two students even sold Krispy Kreme donuts as a fundraiser!) and as a group. As a group they had a pizza feed, a parent's night out and went door-to-door asking for donations.

The money is still trickling in. But, they are at about $2600! (I'll post a final count when we write the final check to World Vision.) Their original goal was $2,000. So, call me immensely proud of my kids!

On Friday they ate their final meal at lunch. At 1pm we gathered at the Harvest Rock Church office building on the campus of the William Carey University. We opened with worship, led by a band made up of my students. I had no idea they were so musically talented!

Then we shared an opening devotion. We took a ball of yarn. I tossed it to one student and said, "I know you love Christ because...." and I spoke to him a way I have seen him demonstrate that love for Christ. He held the string, but passed the ball and repeated the phrase, "I know you love Christ because..." By the end there was a tangled mess of yarn. I read to them from the Bible about how we are one body, we are connected and need one another.

Ready. Set. Go!

We set off on our last fundraising adventure. Let me just say that this group knows how to keep the FUN in fundraiser! We went door-to-door. The kids shared with the neighbors what they were doing. One of my students, Dean-Paul, gave a moving speech that began with, "Did you know that 29,000 children will die today of preventable causes?" That got people's attention!!

After that the kids got a little juice to sustain them. And we headed off to Draw Near, a night of free worship expression hosted by The Remnant. We were like any army...marching out with our matching Famine t-shirts! One of the worship leaders even made a comment from the mic about all those kids in color-coordinated shirts!

We got back to our base about 9pm. Ready to sleep?

No way!

We played the first round of TRIBE, a fantastic interactive mission game created by World Vision to open our eyes to the plight of children in impoverished places. The whole group became two tribes from Indonesia--Papua and Sumatra.

Each person was issued a new identity, that of a child in Indonesia. Most had some sort of disability to cope with--demonstrated by blindfolds, heavy backpacks, bandages, etc. The tribes competed against one another in challenges, trying to earn survival cards to meet the daily needs of their tribe.



Lights out at 1am! But, we were up and at 'em at 8am, with the help of a little bit of apple juice.

We had a day of outdoor activities planned, but the weather was not cooperating. It was lightly raining. The librarian at the Latourette Library was so nice and let us use the library for the morning. We had morning worship and then personal devotions. We came back together and shared what the Lord was saying.





It is wonderful that the same Spirit says the same thing! Many got very similar words. Josiah brought it out beautifully when he shared his insights from 1 John--love not the world, neither the things in the world. Josiah's mom finished up that thought with "Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it."

After that we were off for a scavenger hunt for Casa Hogar, an orphanage in Mexico. We collected food, toiletries and even some baby blankets.








The rest of the afternoon was filled with the TRIBE game (which included a lot of reflection and journaling) and some free time to rest. At the completion of the game, each participant wrote a letter to the child whose identity they had played. It was a letter of commitment to remember the "least of these" and a letter to honor that child.

The 28th Hour

At 6pm, Destinie and her team, led us in worship again. Guess what happens when two or three gather together in His name?

The Holy Spirit was so evident.

"I will, I will, I will seek You, relentlessly! I will be Yours,
forever!
Nothing, nobody, no one, no Can take Your Place, Jesus!"
James Paek, Worship Pastor for the youth group at
The Cause Community Church

At 6:30pm we took communion to break our fast. I read to the group from 1 Corinthians 11, "For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk....Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another." We spoke of the importance of offering grace to one another. We wanted to take seriously what we were doing. We had given up food for these 30 hours for His glory. Now we wanted the first thing we received to be His Body and Blood. I took a piece of bread and a cup and gave it to one student. "This is the Lord's Body and Blood, given for you. And Jesus is so excited about you! He was even the day He hung on that cross. He's so into you! Don't forget that." Rather than take communion immediately, that student got a piece of bread and a cup and took it to another student and spoke a prophetic blessing to them. And on it went until each one present had been served. By the end I was in tears. It was so beautiful. Then we all partook together, in one accord.

Then came the celebration....

Louise's Trattoria in Pasadena donated our break-fast meal.

But wait! There's more!

On Sunday, as a last event in our famine weekend, my class prepared and served food to 150-200 homeless people at Lake Avenue Church.

Is this not the fast

God has chosen?

It's almost Famine Time!

In one week students from Park Academy Homeschool Co-op will embark on a 30-Hour Famine for World Vision.

They have worked diligently in preparing for this. They had a pizza feed at a local Round Table (how's that?! Eat pizza and fight world hunger!), a Parents' Night Out where they had a party for kids so parents could go out on Valentine's Day and they've gone door to door asking for donations!

Next Friday we will all come together with the money we have raised and fast for 30 hours! During these 30 hours the young people will be gathering supplies for an orphanage in Mexico, worshipping, praying and learning more about how they can make a difference in the lives of the poor. They will end their fast on Saturday evening by taking communion together and offering themselves to the Lord. On Sunday they will come together for one last Famine Weekend event--prepare and serve dinner to the homeless at a local soup kitchen.

I don't know if the impact of this has sunk in for you yet. But, listen--these are American teenagers who chose to do this of their own freewill. This is not a class requirement. It isn't something their parents told them to do. This is something they decided to do! Forget the stereotype of the selfish teenager who hogs the phone and eats all the cereal and only looks out for number one! These are caring, giving, passionate young people who are making a difference! I, for one, am so proud of them!

If you would like to help, we would be honored! We are still looking for financial sponsors! You can be a part of our Famine and help these kids change the world by a donation of any amount! Email me for the address to send the donation: mrsgombojav@yahoo.com

What does World Vision Do?

Child Sponsorship: More than 3 million children are enrolled in World Vision child sponsorship programs. Of those, 921,000 are assisted by the monthly donations of U.S. sponsors.

Food Aid: World Vision is the largest aid distributor for the United Nations’ World Food Programme, and distributed 225,000 metric tons of food for WFP and U.S. government funded programs in fiscal 2006.

Clean Water: In 2007, World Vision dug 194 wells in West Africa, expanding access to clean water to an additional 118,000 people in the region.

HIV and AIDS: World Vision’s HIV and AIDS care and prevention work, started in 1990 in Uganda, is ongoing in AIDS-affected communities in 60 countries, including most of sub-Saharan Africa.

Emergency Relief: World Vision responded to 85 humanitarian emergencies in 2007 alone, providing food aid, basic supplies and child-protection centers. Rapid response teams reached major disaster sites within 48 hours of events such as the November cyclone in Bangladesh and the August earthquake in Peru.

Humanitarian Crises: World Vision is one of the few agencies still aiding displaced people in Sudan's Darfur region.

Development: More than 530,000 poor men and women in 47 developing countries are building their own businesses with small loans received World Vision’s microfinance programs.

Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Hungry.

Some thoughts on poverty and riches

2 Corinthians 8:9, For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though
he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty
might be rich.

I've been meaning to comment in response to some comments left on this post.

After watching Bono's passionate plea for us to remember the poor, a commenter said:

"I can't help thinking that if they just scaled back these awards shows, they could use the difference to help some of those folks he's talking about. And it bugs me when celebrities get up and ask all of us for our hard-earned dough (which I am happy to donate if I can, fyi) while they live ridiculously extravagant lifestyles. How much good could they do if they used their riches for "their" causes? I'm not saying none of them do, but you just don't hear about a celebrity who lives a simple lifestyle while giving millions to charity. You just don't hear it. Bugs me."

Another said:

"ya, looking at everyone stand up and applaud made me think, "which of these people, wearing clothes worth thousands of dollars, just like the idea and which are actually helping?"

I think this is a common response when one feels passionately about social justice. However, the answer to the world's ills is not for all the rich people to cease being rich. Being successful and enjoying one's success is not in opposition to living a life that blesses the world and aids the poor.

How effective for his cause would Bono be if he eschewed celebrity and only played in tiny clubs in the midwest? I have a feeling the world would not have rushed out to buy (RED) Gap clothes to support his work with AIDS victims!

Rich Mullins once said in an interview: Before I got into this music business, I was determined to live a life of dire and grinding poverty. I remember my uncle saying, "Wow, you are so proud of being poor--what's so great? You would do a lot better to be a little more industrious, a little more frugal. If you're really concerned about the poor, becoming poor isn't going to help them, it's just going to ease your own conscience. If you're really concerned about the poor, go out and make a fortune and spend it on them."

Before we turn poverty into a virtue all on it's own, we need to deal with a couple things.

Psalm 35:27, Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant."

Psalm 1:3, "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

3 John 1:2, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

When I see a wealthy person I do not feel badly that they are wealthy and I am not (yet). I do not feel, "Well, if they wouldn't buy their clothes at Macy's and would shop at the thrift shop as I do, they could share more with the poor." That attitude is the attitude that the disciple had when Mary broke the alabaster box at Jesus' feet. "Well, she should have given that money to the poor!" Why? Because it would have eased the conscience of the treasurer a little to have someone make a sacrifice that he wasn't willing to make?

When I see a prosperous Christian, I rejoice! I'm glad they can afford a BMW! I'm happy that they get to eat out at a trendy bistro after church! I'm glad they can go to a nice hairdresser and look so sharp! Good for them! If I keep being faithful and industrious and keep and open heart and hand before God, I pray that God blesses me to the same extent! When He does, I promise to keep giving to the poor and to work for justice on their behalf. But, don't expect me to be suddenly showy about it. If you don't see me doing it, don't assume it's not being done. Maybe I'm just not letting my right hand know what my left hand is doing. (Matthew 6:3)

There is nothing unholy about enjoying one's blessings. There is nothing necessarily evil about being rich, just as there is nothing necessarily virtuous about being poor!

Ecc. 2:4, There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

God is with us if we are with them!

To hear this clip, you may have to scroll down and turn off the slide-show first. Sorry 'bout that. Want to help end world hunger? Sponsor our 30-Hour Famine.

Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Hungry

(Turn on the music by clicking the sound icon in the lower left-hand corner of the slide.)

I teach a missions class to a group of homeschooled young people. When we began the class I presented them with about 10 different ideas for putting feet to our faith and making a difference in the world, because I believe that the Great Commission was given to every believer regardless of age, education or culture.

As a class they chose to do a 30-Hour Famine for World Vision, making a personal sacrifice and raising money to end world hunger.

Did you know that 29,000 children die every. single. day. from preventable causes? It boggles the mind.

How can we change the world?

It is such a huge problem.

The world is too big.

I'm only one person.

I'm not wealthy.

I can't go.

It overwhelms me.

How can we really do anything to change things?

We've decided that perhaps we can't save all 29,000 children today. But, with your help we can make a difference in the life of a child. And changing the life of a child changes the world.

Here's how the famine works: Each young person has set a personal fundraising goal and as a group we have set a fundraising goal. We are looking for people who are willing to forgo a latte, a movie, a new pair of shoes, a new video game, a Big Mac, a round of golf, [insert what you spend your pocket change on] to support our famine. On February 29 we will gather together and fast for 30 hours. (That by itself is a sacrifice and act of faith for most American teenagers!) While we fast we will be serving the homeless at a local soup kitchen and gathering supplies for Casa Hogar in Mexico, all the while aiming to raise money for World Vision and the needy children of the world beyond our own borders.

We know that 29,000 children die each day from preventable causes (lack of basic food, clean water and medical care), but tomorrow's number is up to you and me.

Please consider financially sponsoring our famine. Together we can change the world, one child at a time!

Email me for more information or to send a donation: mrsgombojav@yahoo.com All donations are tax-deductible.

(By the way, the children in the video above are my mission class kids who will be fasting for 30 hours. My own children are in there, too.)