Bailout Plan
“It’s extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can’t find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.” –Bono.
I don’t mean to make light of the current economic crisis in the United States, but there’s a part of me that wonders if we don’t deserve this.
As a country, we have been getting fat and lazy while two thirds of the world struggles just to stay alive. Not all of us, mind you, but collectively — as a country — we’re complaining not because we can’t survive but because our luxuries cost us more than we want to spend.
We want cheap gas and “affordable” four-bedroom homes. We want 200 channels on television and to be able to go out to eat two or three times a week.
As Americans, many of us believe we deserve those things. There’s a sense of entitlement. Meanwhile, on the other side of this tiny little planet of ours, someone is praying, pleading to God for a slice of bread.
So our government is working on a bailout plan. How can we maintain the “American way of life” without suffering the consequences of our decisions? A loan. We’ll loan ourselves money and turn a blind eye to the root causes of greed and selfishness.
We do that so well, don’t we? We attack problems by trying to change the circumstances, instead of battling the root causes. I know I’ve done it in my own life, so this is as much an indictment on me as it is on anyone else.
Then I start to think about the poor.
What is the bailout plan for that family living on less than $2 a day in a developing country? The family who struggles not with wants for luxury but needs for survival. Who will bail them out?
The answer, oddly enough, is us. Yes, the same “us” that’s struggling in the midst of this economic downturn. When our economy is bad, it trickles down to the poorest of the poor.
Higher food costs and fuel prices mean their $2 a day doesn’t go nearly as far. We have to look beyond ourselves, now more than ever, to be the church God intended us to be.
The Church is God’s bailout plan for the poor.
I’m not saying we should throw money at poverty and turn a blind eye to its root causes. I understand why Bono is frustrated over the lack of funds, I really do. But money alone won’t stop poverty.
It goes deeper than that. Besides, I think the Church can do better than any government. We understand the spiritual implications that despair and hopelessness cause. And no one can meet those needs better than the Church. If we’ll just be the Church.
This is a time to pray. Not just for the economic crisis in our country, but also for the ones hit hardest — the poor. And, there’s something else we can do: give more.
That’s right . . . more. I know it sounds odd, but what if, instead of hording our money during this time of economic struggle, we decided to be more giving? Wouldn’t that be something?
Imagine the headlines: GIVING TO THE POOR IS UP — EVEN AS STOCKS DECLINE. At the very least, we can’t afford to cut back on our giving. The poor simply cannot survive if we do.
I don’t know what giving more means to you. It could be sponsoring a child. It could be giving to a fund that feeds the hungry.
Maybe it means going on a mission trip and getting your hands dirty. But this is the time to do it. Now. Not tomorrow. Not to change circumstances . . . but to attack the roots.
Continue Reading ›Unbelievable
This past weekend was pretty amazing. Getting a quick trip home, full of family and friends, was just what the doctor ordered. Although, work was on my mind … especially Friday.
Curtis Fletcher informed me before I left on Thursday that he would be attending the entire cabinet meeting as a representative for Rick Davis and would be presenting the proposal on my behalf. Curtis also said he wouldn’t be able to let me know how the presentation went until the meeting was completely over. Needless to say, I was a bit restless from noon to three when he finally called.
“Hello?”
“So, do you want the good news or the bad news?”
“Bad news first.”
“Everyone was there except for a woman that we need for a unanimous decision.”
I stared at myself blankly in the mirror, and cocked my head to one side. Not bad, I thought. I had prepared myself for the worst.
“And the good news?” I asked with eyes closed.
“They love it and want to do it. Now. They fully approve and are ready to put the proposal into motion.”
I couldn’t bring myself to respond right away. I was shocked, overjoyed, and overwhelmed at the news.
“Oh my word… Thank you… I… huh, oh my goodness… Really? This is amazing. I mean, it’s unbelievable.” I continued to hem and haw, stammer, and fumble over what to say.
“We’ll have some meetings when you get back to start putting together a plan of action for Phase I. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
I hung up my phone and, with the help of a close friend, did what any girl would do in my case… jumped up and down and squealed at decibels only dogs can hear. (more…)
Continue Reading ›Amar Walks In
And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:16-21 (NIV)
Yeah, sure. The oppressed are released and the poor are getting good news. Sure. Have you looked around lately?! The economy is bad, prices are soaring and our financial system got caught with its regulatory pants around its free-market ankles. AIDS is rampant, people are starving and the most lethal of diseases is carried on the wings of mosquitoes. How do you fight a mosquito? Forget about atomic bombs and IEDs. Try disarming a mosquito.
I feel this way most days.
But not today. Today a kid named Amar strolled into the story (the story that seems to revolve around me). Amar introduced himself outside a massive dump on the outskirts of Delhi. That dump was his home.
The son of migrants, Amar was born into one of the lowest castes of India. A death sentence.
When he was young he spent his days rummaging through a dangerous pile of debris that stretched on for miles, getting paid a few rupees for a day’s work (that would be about $.20/day). But today Amar is preparing to finish high school and plans to attend technical college as an IT engineering student.
Amar is smart. He speaks Hindi and English with ease and clarity. And what is most impressive is the hope and energy in his eyes, the kind that comes from knowing you were created special by God. He understands his worth.
How the change? What kind of transformation occurred? What kind of miracle? The miracle was a few ordinary Christians who started a Compassion child development center on the outskirts of the dump. They poured years of love and effort into Amar (along with many more children). The center staff got an official birth certificate for Amar, something extremely difficult for poor migrants to attain. With that certificate he was able to start attending a local government school and Amar has stuck with it all the way.
I think Amar gets it. He understands what Jesus was talking about when he said the oppressed would be set free. Against all the odds God’s redemptive work pushes, pokes and claws its way through the systems and circumstances that strip a man of his worth. No wonder they call this good news. Amar is good news.
Do Things Differently
If Compassion did one thing differently, I think it should be . . .
Complementary Interventions With Heidi Partlow
The first thing Heidi Partlow does each morning is check her e-mail. It’s always packed. As Compassion’s complementary interventions manager, she gets all kinds of e-mails each day.
E-mails about how to submit a proposal for a complementary interventions (CIV), e-mails from marketing departments about the particulars of a CIV, e-mails about a disaster that has just occurred.
So her e-mail inbox pretty much dictates her day. After attacking the onslaught of messages each morning, she has a cup of tea at 10 o’clock.
Then she spends a lot of time running around, especially during a week where there has been a crisis, like with the recent hurricanes, getting approvals for funds to be distributed.
But she slowed down enough to give us a peek into CIV and her world. (more…)
The Story of Pablo Moises
Pablo is a 13-year-old boy who lives in the city of Danli, located at the east side of the capital city, Tegucigalpa. His life has been marked by a rare illness that has caused him the loss of his hair and eyebrows since he was five years old.
Because of this Pablo faced depression and nervous breakdowns while growing up. His mother, Petronila, was his support during this time of adjustment. Perhaps the most difficult time for him was school time; the idea of attending school without hair was a hard situation for Pablo. (more…)
A Different Visit to the Doctor
In the colloquial language of Ecuador, a doctor’s visit means a very short visit, a courtesy visit. It’s more like a social ritual through which someone shows his gentleness to others. The name also reflects the short length of a regular visit to the doctor in the city, where this encounter — usually impersonal and cold — lasts only for a couple of minutes.
But Dr. Pablo’s visits are not like that.
I Share Compassion
I share Compassion . . .
How Drug Running Affects a Community
Like in any place where drug smuggling is done, a strong clandestine support structure is needed. A list of packers, sellers, messengers, gunmen, guards, lawyers, policemen, drug-storage-home owners and front men are supposedly kept on payrolls, and the financial benefits are still enough to make the capos richer. Gualey is no exception.
Scheduling Schisms
Another week, another update, another way that God is taking things into His hands.
After a number of revisions, I presented the business case to Rick Davis, the head of the marketing department. Remember him? His approval and support is crucial . . . and we have it.
The meeting went well; questions had answers, investment costs were justified, and the next steps head forward. Forward to another conference room in front of the child sponsorship program cabinet.
This process may seem as though it’s being drawn out, but in fact, I’m encouraged. I’m at the final step — a presentation to the decision makers from throughout the company who determine how resources are allocated in regards to our country staff and the child sponsorship program.
There’s a glitch though.
The presentation is October 10 at noon. And on October 10 at noon I will be back in Texas helping my friend stay calm and sane before she walks the aisle of matrimony the next morning.
Ironic? Possibly. But probably not. The Lord apparently has something else in mind.
Believe it or not, I’m not upset that I can’t present — I don’t have the right to be that selfish. The creation of the campaign and the progress I have made thus far have all been outside of my own ability or direction anyway. No reason to claim it now. If anything, getting to see it unfold, to witness God move how He wants, when He wants, is more fun.
Knowing that its success is wholly dependent on the Lord’s will and allowance assures me that I can rest confidently in the project’s achievement. No matter when that may be.
In other news, I heard back from HR about the position that I applied for. They gave it to another girl they felt was better qualified. It is an awesome answer to prayers. Let me tell you why.
Thursday, the day before, I was talking with Curtis Fletcher, and I told him that I had applied for the job. He looked at me and asked, “Do you really want that job?”
“Yes.” I replied. “I think I could do it, and I think it would be a good learning experience.”
Apparently I am not very convincing because he looked at me and repeated his question and sure enough I had a different answer. “Sure . . . maybe. I don’t know.”
Friday morning, as I sat in my car in the parking lot, I prayed that the Lord would make it apparent what He would have me to do. I asked Him to speak loud and clear, and to tell me in some form or fashion if I were to accept the position if it was offered.
I know myself pretty well, and I knew that if I were offered the position, even if it wasn’t what I wanted, I would accept out of fear of security and longevity here at Compassion.
I got out of my car, made my way to my office, and answered a phone call about an hour later. “We have given the position to someone else.”
Pretty clear, wouldn’t you say? I’m grateful I didn’t have to come to that conclusion on my own, either. I’m terribly indecisive.
A New Beginning for Eric
Compassion seeks to register the poorest children around the world, and Eric in the Philippines is one of them. Compassion gives hope to those who need it most.
Based on its studies on poverty, Compassion in the Philippines identified Rio Tuba as one of the neediest towns in the country, and Eric’s family is the neediest of them all.
In this isolated town where only one bus line is willing to travel from the main city, Eric’s family is even cut off from the rest of the residents. They live in an unfinished, tiny bamboo hut in the middle of an open field. Although from time to time their closest neighbor gives food and offers help, he often mocks them for their predicament.
Eric’s father, Benny, is a carpenter. He used to earn a daily income of US$5.60 when there was available work. This was not enough to feed his seven children. Since his wife left them in March 2008, Benny stopped working completely to take care of his children full time. (more…)
Tag Along on the Global Advocates Tour
One hundred and thirty eight Compassion advocates from the United States and countless other advocates from around the world will be gathering in the Dominican Republic from October 5 to October 11 for the first-ever Global Advocates Tour…And we want to do our best to bring the experience to you!
Beginning slightly before our departure and continuing through the trip itself, we will do our best to bring you updates, tales, and highlights, in picture and in word, of this momentous world-wide Compassion event.
Our intention is to:
- Upload photos to Compassion’s Flickr group, which you can see in the sidebar under Your Flickr Photos (Kees will be doing this.)
- TWEET! – send regular text updates of what’s going on – so follow us on Twitter (That’ll be Kees too.)
- Share stories and commentaries on our blogs – Jesus and Compassion, Sheep Droppings and the “official unofficial” blog of the conference.
- Get YOU close to the action
- Provoke you (in a good way) to jealousy
We will be visiting many child development centers on this trip (too many to list here) and many of us, myself included (Oh! This is Compassion Dave.) will have opportunities to visit with the children we sponsor. It is our hope to transmit as much of the excitement and joy as we are able, so please tag along and be inspired!
