Red Cards in South Africa

Here is some follow-up articles on human trafficking in South Africa during the World Cup. May we all continue to become informed and pray.

http://www.startribune.com/local/96523539.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUsT

http://www.tonic.com/article/journalists-use-world-cup-hoopla-to-spotlight-human-trafficking/

World Cup in South Africa

Thousands of women and girls (as young as 6 years old) are being trafficked to South Africa, as we speak, to "serve" tourists who have arrived for the World Cup, which kicks off today.

It is so disheartening. It is so frightening and despairing, that many of us do not even want to go there - we do not want to think about it. I get it. I have two daughters.

And as people of faith, this is where our title as such comes to bear - do we really have faith? Do we really believe that we can each make a difference? An impact? Anything?

Here are some suggestions:

1. Start praying in a knowledgeable fashion. What I mean is this: start reading some articles, as difficult as that may be, and stop and pray as you read as the Spirit leads. And follow up with reading Scripture as well. Pray over the verses that God leads you to as a follow-up to those articles, and again, let the Spirit lead you in prayer. Do this somewhere where you are not distracted by kids. Even if you can do this just once a week, I believe, in faith, your prayers will make a huge difference.

2. Check back at this blog every few days. I am going to continue to post links to articles myself, as well as any other relevant ways we can take action, such as writing to leaders of influence in South Africa, or other agencies that can make an impact based on our participation collectively.

3. Do NOT allow yourself to succumb to fear...especially those of you who are mothers. We worry enough already, but this topic alone brings up so much angst and fear in relation to our families - especially in relation to our daughters, nieces. Fear is NOT of God. Being aware, talking to your children about how to be aware themselves - that is responsible parenting. But do not let yourself succumb to fear. Again - is is NOT of God.

4. Share. Take the time to share this information with others. Pray for these women and children in your small groups, over coffee with a friend, at a men's breakfast. Get the word out.

Here are some articles to get you started. May God reign over the World Cup in South Africa.

http://www.ngopulse.org/article/human-trafficking-and-2010-fifa-world-cup

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=5251940

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952335,00.html

Kyron Horman

A boy has gone missing in Portland, Oregon. As most of you know, Portland is currently ranked #1 in human trafficking in the United States.

PLEASE, please help in the following ways:

1. Post his information on your social networking pages - Facebook, MySpace, email.

2. Consider posting fliers.

3. Should you see a child you think might be Kyron, DO NOT engage him or anyone with him and DO NOT try to intervene. Instead, please call the hotline at 503-261-2847 IMMEDIATELY.

4. Pray, pray, pray and get others to pray for the safe return of this boy.

Thanks.

http://www.childseeknetwork.com/horman.htm

Get Involved This Summer!

It is beginning to look a lot like summer around here. I love summer. I love the IDEA of summer - lazy days, water, picnics, vacations, more sleep, no schedule. The REALITY of summer hits me about July 1st. All of the sudden, there is a lot of planning happening. All of the sudden there are swim lessons, play dates, packing for vacation, unpacking and laundry after vacation, kids who are "bored" and want to be entertained, and the list goes on and on and on...

Summer is also a time of great opportunity for families to get involved in local and international missional work. Now is a good time to get that built into your summer, if you have not already. Here are some ideas:

1. Family-friendly mission trips: It is typical for a parent to send their teen/college student on a mission trip in the summer. One thought is to consider going WITH your child. Yes, there is the whole embarrassment factor, but this is such a great way to see your child in a very different venue and vice versa. It is a great way to set up a lifelong love of compassion for others and for you both to learn about another culture and how we can be a voice and advocate on the behalf of those who need it.

And if your children are younger, this does not mean you cannot be involved. Find out what your summer missions teams need. Get your children involved in creative fundraising on behalf of your missions team, host a mission team meeting in your home and have your kids help prepare snacks, find out if you and your kids can shop for any needs (like first aid items or school supplies) to gather for the missions team to take with them. And then, use these times as teachable moments to engage your kids about missions, about the geography and culture of where the missions team is going, etc.

2. Homeless: There are numerous ways to get involved with your local homeless community with your kids. Here are just a few suggestions, but it is always a good idea to check in with local organizations who work with the homeless (shelters, food banks) to see what specific needs can be met.

a. Brown bag lunches: Prepare brown bag lunches with your kids for the homeless, put them in a red wagon, and head for a local homeless hangout to pass them out. Have your kids color a picture or write a note and stick it in each lunch.

b. Cook a meal as a family for a local shelter. Oftentimes shelters welcome meals being prepared and delivered for dinner one night. This is also a great one to do with your small group, or another family or two. Just make sure you check with a shelter first.

c. Neighborhood canned food collection: Call your local food bank and see what they need. Have your kids create a flier stating when they will come back and collect the canned foods the shelter says they need and pass it around the neighborhood. Come back to collect and have your child leave a thank you note.

3. Ronald McDonald House: Our family knows from personal experience that summer is an extremely busy time for Pediatrics at hospitals. Most major surgeries, organ transplants, chemotherapy sessions happen in the summer when kids are out of school. Check with your local Ronald McDonald House and see what their needs might be this summer. If you live near a hospital, you might even want to call and see if you can reach the person in charge of activities for Pediatrics to find out if there is a need for art supplies, children's books, DVDs, etc.

4. Toy & Clothing Drives/ Garage Sales: Summer is also a great time for instigating a local drive of some kind - again, very fun to do with multiple families. Check with local charities and see what their needs are, and then go for it! :)

If nothing else, I hope this gets you thinking about how you might be able to use this summer as a time for your family to grow together in compassion for others.

Enjoy your summer together!

Craigslist

If you have not already heard, Craigslist is right on schedule to increase its revenue by 22%. And do you know where that revenue comes from? Sex ads, and even more specifically, the prostituting of minors.

So, here are some ways you can take action::

1. Facebook and twitter this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/technology/26craigslist.html

2. Go here and complain:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/emailForm.cgi

3. Or here (or both):

http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/feedback

4. Boycott Craigslist and let them and others know why.

5. Start praying for Craig Newmark and others at Craigslist - that they might understand the ramifications of such ads and instead, use their site to bring about justice (as happened to the Gambino family).

It is always good to see attention drawn to the atrocity of human trafficking so that we collectively can do something about it.

http://larrykinglive.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/04/lucy-liu-human-slavery-is-real-we-must-stop-it/

What to Do, What to Do

One statement I often hear from parents of young children is as follows: " I am so overwhelmed already. I watch the news and it all seems so hopeless. I can barely keep up with my life as it is! I am exhausted and do not even know where to start to find ways to help my children learn compassion and how to truly 'Love Thy Neighbor' ".

Our hope is that this blog will be such a resource for you and your family. Our hope is that this blog is a resource for anyone who wants to put social justice into practice.

It is kind of like a one of those all-inclusive TravelStop Centers when you are on a major highway. I always love to stop at these places. In one stop, I can use the restroom, grab lunch, purchase a new CD of all my favorite 80's hits, and procure some gum claiming to bring mountain-top minty freshness to my mouth.

To start, here are some very tangible, real ways you can incorporate compassion-minded practices into your home.

1. Purchase the book, Operation World. This book is updated and published every year. It contains 365 days' worth of information on what is happening around the world and how you can pray for that particular country or city's issue that particular day. It also contains many facts and figures on countries which help you and your children to be able to pray more effectively and expand your Biblical worldview.

http://www.amazon.com/Operation-World-Definitive-Handbook-Nations/dp/1850788626/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268331770&sr=8-1

2. Oatmeal Night :: I received this idea from a friend, Dave McIrath, who runs the Ethiopian Guest House in Addis Ababa where we stayed while picking up our daughter. He and his family have oatmeal every Thursday night. And while doing so, they talk about what is happening in the Third World - Ethiopia in particular. And then they pray - as a family - for the particular needs for that week.

3. Homeless kits :: We keep kits in our car. They are usually a large ziploc bag, or a backpack that we got on clearance. Inside, we shop as a family and put the following:: small toothpaste and toothbrush, coupons for McDonalds, soap, socks, powerbars, bandaids, wipes, etc., a business card for a local shelter, and Bella draws a picture to put in. When we see someone on the street, she or I hands this kit to the person.

4. Meals:: Often, we come across people in our community who need a meal. And often, we moms are the ones to prepare the meal! Next time, include your children in the shopping and preparation of the meal. When it is ready, have your child(ren) add some artwork and pray together for the family and their needs. then, deliver it together.

5. Humane Society:: This may seem like an odd one, but one piece of social justice is Creation Care. One very tangible way for children to learn about their responsibility in caring for this world God entrusted to us is in relation to animals. Kids love animals. Often, the Humane Society welcomes kids coming and volunteering to help with their furry patrons.

6. Your Neighborhood:: In this day and age, we know very little about our neighbors. Start thinking and praying about how you might, as a family, reach out to your neighborhood. Some ideas: a spring/summer backyard BBQ, baking cookies together for neighbors that are on your heart and perhaps are particularly difficult, inviting a neighbor for dinner or Saturday brunch, putting on a neighborhood garage sale for a local charity, and on and on it goes...

7. Become Familiar with Your Local Charities :: I just know this one sounds tiring, because it requires doing some research. Again, no pressure, here. But most often your kids' schools and your place of worship are involved with charities and NPO groups. Most often, there are ways you as a family can help these organizations. Talk with them. And get creative! :)

Hopefully, those are some places that you can begin to explore in your journey to rise compassion-minded kids.

Perhaps with all that is going on in the media right now, you are wondering what in the world this term SOCIAL JUSTICE is all about.

Stay tuned.

Our next post is going to explore this term and how stinkin' Biblical it really is!

Peace-