The Awful Reality of Poverty

That was difficult to watch and even more difficult to not watch now that it is over.

I’d like to answer your question! I’m taking the profits I make from my Mary Kay skin care classes/makeover parties and donating them to the Global Food Crisis Fund this summer.(I’m a Mary Kay Consultant) Through my customer’s purchases and donations, I’ve managed to raise $242.50 so far. My goal is to raise $1000 by September 15th.

Also, blogging about the effects of the crisis helps put the reality in front of people so those stories dont get lost in the news… I’ve blogged about the article I found on CNN. Here’s a link to it.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/09/ethiopia.hunger.ap/index.html

We can all do SOMETHING!

Thanks for passing along this video. Emotionally disconnected is exactly where I was… God used this video (and a few other divine moments this week) to soften my heart again.

“Emotionally disconnected” is a good phrase. I recently heard the word “philantropassion” and think that adequately describes what you do here at Compassion, Int’l!

Jen
http://www.marketing-helper.com

I just returned from 14 days in Ethiopia out near the border with Sudan. I saw first hand what the global food prices are doing to normal people who live on the same income they have for years, but are now paying much greater prices. I visited an orphanage where the kids are eating so little each day that starvation is always a threat if prices go up even a fraction.
Not to be harsh, but here in America we don’t even understand this type of living. We do feel the pinch of rising costs for fuel and food, but we have the option to cut out that daily Starbucks or not to go to a movie. Out in the area I was, the people work all day and the only thing they have to cut out of their lives when prices rise is the food they eat.
While there, we were able to help out over 10 families by giving them basic food stuffs (grain, oil, sugar) that will last them for months and only cost us the equivalent of a few US priced meals.
I was convicted by seeing the face of poverty that I have a responsibility to help as much as I can.

Thank you for sharing the film with us — a very sobering reality.

We forget how truly, abundantly blessed we are. I couldn’t imagine living like that, and it’s hard to think about all of those who do…

Yes, the video was very difficult to watch. I wish I could just reach out and fix it…but I can’t. It makes me feel so helpless to see such suffering and be so limited in my ability to help. But I know that I am so blessed in comparison to the poor. So I must do what I can…even if it seems small in comparison to the enormity of the problem. And there is strength in numbers…by working together we can help feed more of the hungry, heal more of the sick, and touch more people for God.

Here is a utube video that has really touched my heart. I have a hard time watching it without crocodile tears streaming down my cheeks. Get out the tissue before waching. Be sure to have the volume turned on. It is also very sobering.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSdP6PqsbJY

Thanks for the video. It’s so hard to maintain a global perspective when we live in a land of plenty – I think we all need the foundations of our soul to be shaken from time to time, to help us maintain the right perspectives.

Thanks for sharing the video with us. We should know that such circumstances are what bring forth drug use to escape reality. Let us all try and stop this by helping our fellow man.
…………………………….
Diana King
christian-drug-rehab.org