Feeling Refreshed

Well this morning I participated in the Compassion Canada fast for the Global Food Crisis.

It was a great time of reflection and prayer. I was amazed that I wasn't grumpy or starving throughout the morning! I guess God knows that this was for a great cause.

Here's a great website from Compassion International (USA) that gives a lot of wonderful information about the Global Food Crisis. My favorite links would be "Will I Eat Dinner Tonight?" and the "Hunger Fact Sheet".

I think we as Canadians really need to step up and recognize the crisis that millions (or billions) of people are starving to death. Their meager income ($2-3 a day) is not providing for them and their children.

We can easily sacrifice a few little things (ice-capps for me) and consider contributing to their relief. Did you know that sending $13 will feed a child for one month?

That is amazing. I can't even fathom eating only $13 worth of food in 30 days. Can you? Even with all the KD and ichyban noodles, it would still cost more than $13!

You really can make a difference! Please think about it today. If you are ready to make a donation, you can do so here.

You Can't Run On Empty

Today I received an amazing brochure from Compassion.

This picture is on the front.

Too often we forget that these kids are real.

They don't have enough food to eat.

The food that they do have is not always very nutritious.

They lack so many basic necessities that we so easily have within our reach.

On Sunday June 29, consider setting aside some time for the Global Day of Prayer and Fasting.

I'm not typically a fasting kind of person, but what does it really matter if I skip a meal? Sure I will be hungry, but am I going to starve? Of course not.

Will I be irritable? Perhaps.

Will it be hard to do with kids around? Definitely.

But this afternoon I've been thinking about those moms in struggling countries. It's not like they can avoid those grumpy moments or pick a snack off the shelf whenever they want like I can.

So I'm thinking why not make a small sacrifice? I can skip one meal on Sunday and set aside some time to pray for the Global Food Crisis.

Why don't you think about doing it too? Or, if you would rather donate some funds, you can do so here.

Compassion Bloggers

Some of you may know that Compassion US sent 15 bloggers to Uganda this February. They each shared their amazing experiences through their blogs. I learned so much, particularly that I need to be more involved with our own child, Ashly.

Ashly is 4 years old, like Brianna, and she lives in the Dominican Republic. One of the reasons that I chose a child from the DR is that it may be possible to visit with her someday if we ever travel there.

Right now, Compassion is sending another group of bloggers to the DR in November. I have no idea if they are accepting anyone from outside of the US, as I would absolutely love to go, but regardless of who they send, many great stories will be shared. As a result, many more children will be sponsored. How cool is that?

I just added another Compassion banner on the right side of my blog. You can click on it to get more info about Compassion Bloggers.

Compassion

It's always amazing to me how God works out timing in our lives! As some of you may already know, John and I are sponsors to a little girl in the Dominican Republic. Her name is Ashly and she is 4 years old. Just last week we received 2 letters from her. They are very simple, but I love and appreciate the heartfelt gratitude that is apparent in each and every letter.

I have been trying to figure out how to better communicate with Ashly and to make it an entire "family" experience, rather than mostly myself. When I signed up at Breakforth last year, I was one of almost 1000 people that also signed up to sponsor a child! 1000 people! That's huge! What a difference it makes in each of these children's lives.

After reading Jen's blog last week I discovered that Compassion (USA) sent 15 bloggers to Uganda in February, with the purpose of blogging about their experiences. I have read several of their blogs lately and it has really inspired me to get more involved with Ashly, as well as helping to spread the word about the great organization that Compassion really is.

I have already added a banner to the top of my blog. You can get lots of info on sponsoring a child there. It's only $35 a month. Not everyone can afford it, but realistically...most of us can. Without even noticing it! I encourage each of you to see if this is a good option for your family. So often in these experiences, we think we will be blessing someone else, but they in return bless us so much more!

April 6th is Compassion Sunday. My plan is to promote it in our church. What can you do to help these kids out? Pray. Promote. Provide. Very simple.