Now that I have seen, I am responsible

“Albertine”

I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
Her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine
There in her eyes what I don’t see with my own
Rwanda

Now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
Now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
And the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda

I will tell the world, I will tell them where I’ve been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine

I came across this video tonight and it struck a cord deep with in me. The words, the landscape, the buildings, the people, the children… it all reminded me of Sierra Leone. I could have sworn it was Sierra Leone… it took me back to our time there. I know at times it was very hard, but I find myself wanting to go back. I miss it. I miss Remie, Ali, Beatrice, Keyara… and so many others. I think about them often and wonder how they are doing.

I remember reading this book after we left Sierra Leone and recalling how we felt upon our departure. Almustafa has waited a long time to return to his birth place and is joyful as he learns he is leaving the city of Orphalese…

But as he descended the hill, a sadness came upon him, and he thought in his heart:

How shall I go in peace without sorrow? Nay, not without a wound in the spirit shall I leave this city.

Long were the days of pain I have spent within its walls, and long were the nights of aloneness; and who can depart from his pain and his aloneness without regret?

Too many fragments of the spirit have I scattered in these streets, and too many are the children of my longing that walk naked among these hills, and I cannot withdraw from them without a burden and an ache.

It is not a garment I cast off this day, but a skin that I tear with my own hands.

Nor is it a thought I leave behind me, but a heart made sweet with hunger and with thirst.

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Ryan and I were ready to leave at the time… anxious to get home to what was familiar and comfortable… yet there was a sadness at the same time. Although we didn’t spend years in SL, I can liken our feelings to that above. And now as memories and faces come flooding back, all I can think is…

Now that I have seen, I am responsible.

We are responsible. I pray that God grows, not only me and Ryan, but in all of us, a heart and vision to live out this responisbility.

Simple Acts of Solidarity: Water

Facts about water:

– 42000 people die from lack of clean water every week

– 98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world

– 84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 - 14.

- An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day

- In America, bottled water accounts for 66% of the nonalcoholic beverage market

Water.  It still amazes me that today, in the 21st century, we can walk on the moon, we can connect with anyone throughout the world at any moment,  but we still allow thousands of people to die every day from lack of clean water.  I know for me, in my world,  the problem seems so distant. The multibillion-dollar bottled water-industry in America has taken our deserving, individualistic, selfish attitudes to a new high (or low, depending on how you look at it).  We no longer have to be content with plain old tap water, but we have our choice of hundreds of types of clean bottled water.  In this society, it makes it hard to understand, or care, that there are other parts of the world where there are THOUSANDS of funerals EACH DAY for people who lack clean water and proper sanitation.  The problem is real and the problem is preventable.

The hope is that there are those who have seen this problem and chosen to take action. There are those who are finding creative ways to raise awareness, and money, and hope to provide water to those without.  These are just some of the organizations and people, but I’ll let them share their stories:

- 300 Voices     (http://www.water4christmas.com/)

- Blood Water Mission    (http://www.bloodwatermission.com/)

- Lifewater International  (http://www.lifewater.org/)

- Living Water   (http://www.water.cc/)

- Water Aid   (http://www.wateraid.org/)

So, this week, in our simple act of solidarity, Candace and I are only going to drink water. We’re also going to be conscious of each time we turn on the water, whether dishes, showers, laundry, and try to find ways to prevent the wasting of clean water.  It’s not much, but it’s a first step (especially for those like us addicted to coffee and sweet tea).  We’re going  to calculate the money we normally spend on other beverages and support water projects in Africa.  We encourage you to do the same.  There is clean water for all, this problem has a solution, there is hope.

“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.”  – St. Augustine

Simple Acts of Solidarity: The Homeless pt.2

We really appreciate all the support we have received for our homeless solidarity project. More info will be posted soon on how you all can help out if interested.

So, I was able to go out a few mornings this past week to  spend a little time with my new brothers on the streets.  Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect.  I had my big backpack loaded up with stuff and an awesome coffee thermos I found at Goodwill for $4.  I walked around for about an hour and got to share a cup of coffee with 4 or 5 guys each morning. Meet some of my new friends:

1) Sam – Sam is an older guy, and definitely fit the stereotype of the homeless. He was a Gulf War veteran and had been on and off the streets for many years.  He has an awesome heart and spends a lot of his time at city council meetings and other venues trying to advocate for the homeless and fight for their rights.  It was amazing to see how selfless he was and how much he was looking out for his friends on the streets. He made sure everyone else got a pack before he took his.

2) John – John was with Sam when I walked up.  I originally thought John was in his early 30’s, but  I found out later as we were talking that he was actually 19.  He had been on the streets since he was 13, when he was kicked out because he couldn’t get along with his abusive stepfather (a leading cause of youth homelessness).  He has spent time on the streets of L.A., Denver, and CO Springs.  He is currently living under a bridge so I gave him a tent that I had brought along. I like John a lot and hope to spend some more time with him in the future.

3) Mountain Man – this guy was definitely a character, and unfortunately, like many homeless, he definitely had some mental problems.  It made for some fun stories though.  He said he had been living on Pikes Peak for the last 3 months and had found numerous artifacts there including a gold nugget and a cross filled with rubies.  He also said he was about to start his new job making $75/hour then he was gonna bring tents and sleeping bags to all his friends on the streets.  He was too prideful to take one of the homeless packs I had brought, but once I showed him the McDonald’s card, he changed his mind.

4) Alvin – I am pretty sure Candace and I have seen Alvin on the streets before.  He looks like  Santa Claus with big red cheeks and a big white beard. As he walked up I offered him coffee and asked how he was doing.  He said he couldn’t get a job because he has epileptic seizures and that he got kicked out of the local shelter because of his drinking.  He is supposed to be on disability but can’t get it from the government.  I didn’t spend long with Alvin, but he was very appreciative of the pack and the coffee.  Before I left, I asked if he needed anything else and he said just needed a handshake.

I have truly enjoyed my time with the people on the streets of CO Springs.  As I was sitting there on the sidewalk, sipping coffee with a few guys this past Sunday, multiple people walked by dressed in their Sunday best, obviously headed for church. It just felt weird, ironic, and sad. I felt God confirm in me that it’s not in the walls of the church where I’m gonna find him right now, but amongst those men on the street.  I can’t think of a better place to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection this coming Easter Sunday than with my new friends.

Simple Acts of Solidarity: The Homeless pt.1

Homeless facts:

- Homeless are classified in 1 of 3 groups: families, youth, chronic homeless

- The average age of the homeless in America is 9

- 3.5 million homeless within a given year in the United States

– Over 2000 homeless in Colorado Springs

- 40% of the homeless are families with children – the fastest growing segment

- Apprx.  2/3 of chronic homeless have mental health problems

- 25% of homeless were abused as children; 27%  were in foster care

- 5000 homeless minors die each year from illness, assault, and suicide

Ever since Candace and I have been back in Colorado Springs, one area we have continually felt our hearts pulled to is the homeless. Don’t get me wrong, this is not LA or New York, but CO Springs still has its fair share of homeless. For us, the homeless seem to personify the marginalized in society, the down and out, the ‘least of these’. As we’ve been thinking through and looking into the problem, we have continually felt helpless. However, I realized the tragedy isn’t just that people are on the streets, cold and hungry each night, but that these are human beings, real people made in God’s image, with names, and a story. But they are treated as though they aren’t human, ignored, ridiculed, neglected.

So, we decided that although we can’t solve the problem of homelessness in this society, we can at least provide a few people the dignity they deserve. We are hitting the streets. We’re not going to be throwing the gospel in their face, pointing out their problems or anything like that. And, while we will be handing out some small emergency homeless packs, the goal is bigger than that. We’ll be sharing a cup of coffee with them, talking with them, and offering them the chance to simply tell someone their story. The goal is to remind these people that they have a voice, that they are loved, and that they are not forgotten.

For those of you who are interested, each of these packs cost us about $12-$15; however, our goal is to cut down the cost of future packs to about $10 through donations. Our current packs include:

- Blanket

- Canned fruit

-Canned pasta

-Granola bars

-Bottled Water

-Fork/Knife

- Hand warmers

- Coffee mug

- McDonalds gift card ($5)

-Toothpaste/toothbrush

-Soap

Compassion is a Choice

Well, we’ve been here almost a month now, and I have to say overall things are going well.  We definitely have our ups and downs, but overall we’re in good spirits and enjoying our time here.  As I have been thinking through our first month here, I wanted to share what I believe is the biggest lesson God has taught me since I’ve been here:  Compassion is a choice.  Part of me thought that I would arrive in Freetown, see the poverty and immediately be changed.  I thought my heart would immediately break for the people I saw or encountered, but it honestly didn’t happen.  The first few weeks I honestly felt disconnected from those around me.  Even living in the midst of the poverty, only 1/4 mile from Kroo Bay which is in the midst of floods that annually ravage the community, my heart wasn’t changed or broken.

After a few weeks I began wondering why my heart hadn’t been more deeply moved, then God reminded me:  Compassion is a choice, not a feeling.   I realized that I have to choose to enter into the poverty, not just physically but personally and emotionally.  Simply being here is not enough.  For some reason this was a huge realization for me.  Since that point I’ve tried to think about and approach situations differently.  I have tried to move past seeing poverty on a universal level, and begin seeing it on a personal level.  When I choose to see poverty on the personal level, when it has a face and a name and a story, suddenly my heart begins to break.

My heart breaks when I see the double amputee simply sitting on the sidewalk, not just because he’s one of many in Sierra Leone but because he has a name and story.  He used to be a child that laughed and played. He, like most in Sierra Leone, has experienced death and probably lost many people close to him in the war, maybe even his wife or kids. He used to have a job and could provide for himself.  But now his life has been reduced to sitting on the sidewalk for 12+ hours a day, relying on the handouts of others to survive each day.  My heart breaks because you can see in his eyes that he’s lost hope.

My heart breaks when I see the baby at the Kroo Bay medical clinic who is malnourished and doesn’t have the strength to lift his head.  Based on his length, my guess is that he was at least 6 months old,  but when they weighed him he was 12 pounds.  My heart breaks not because this child is just one of hundreds of starving children in Kroo Bay, but because this is a child who has never been given a chance.  No chance to grow and laugh and play.  He has a mother and a family who have to daily experience the guilt of not being able to provide and slowly watch their child die.  Because possibly they had no control over the poverty that they’ve experienced and have never been given a chance to get out of it.

So, in conclusion, my daily prayer is that I will choose to enter into the poverty of these people.  I don’t want to leave this place and look back at my time here realizing that I took the easy way out. I’ve realized that while poverty is the lack of the necessary physical means to survive, it is also just as much the lack of hope. While I realize that I’m not going to forever change Freetown or Kroo Bay in my time here, that I can’t feed every hungry child or give to every needy person, I’ve realized that each day I can give someone hope and love.  I can view them as God’s child, as a person, with a name and a story, and in some small way give them hope again.