Passions of the Soul

It's never enough!

I've been conversing, by e-mail, with a new Compassion friend, Kees (pron. "case") about helping to find sponsors for more children.  We've agreed that, no matter how many sponsorships we help to bring about, it's never enough.

While millions of children are still hungry, foraging in garbage dumps for food, drinking filthy water and getting sick from largely preventable illnesses, it isn't enough.  It's never enough, when so many people are so very hungry, many of them starving to death, that some of the children served by Compassion feel guilty for eating the meal they receive at the project, because they know their families are hungry.  It's never enough, when many Haitians eat cookies made of dirt, vegetable oil and salt, in order to "fool" their stomachs into thinking they're not hungry.  It's never enough, when that is so common that those who can afford to buy the bags of soil, make the cookies not only to eat and to feed their own children, but to sell to others!  And it certainly isn't enough, when the cost of the bag of soil rises so much that fewer and fewer people can afford to buy . . . DIRT!

If I were to find (pick a number) 75 sponsors every year, by my own efforts, that wouldn't be enough--and I'm not even close to that.  There is no number that would be enough!!

Maybe you can't afford to make a $32/month commitment to sponsor a child.  Could you contribute to the Global Food Crisis Fund?  I won't ask if you did, because it's none of my business.  Increasing the awareness of the needs, however, is my business.

 

Sugar

I have just made a momentous commitment to myself:  I'm going off all empty-calorie, sugary snacks.  I seem to go from one to another; for a while, I'll pig out every day on one favorite, until I take myself by the scruff* of the neck and make myself stop.  Before long, I'm onto a different favorite.

I Googled the question, "how does sugar affect arthritis" and looked over several pages of links, hoping for something fairly scholarly, as opposed to Cousin Ginny's "research" and personal experience...whoever Cousin Ginny might be.  In six or seven pages of links, I didn't find anything that looked directly applicable and reasonably reliable, but I did peruse one document that purported to tell all the ways sugar--especially the stuff that isn't a natural part of foods, like fructose--is harmful to our bodies.  Some of it I already knew; who hasn't heard that sugar will rot your teeth?  Some I hadn't heard, and I don't know if any of it was based in junk science, but it was convincing enough that I just threw out almost half a canister of my latest and greatest snack.

You might notice that I haven't identified any of my favorite sugar "fixes."  I would really hate for someone with a similar problem to read this post, with snacks named, and say, "Oooh, that sounds good!" and then go to the store and start pigging out on them.  I don't need that guilt.  Got enough of my own!

Who knows?  Maybe I'll lose weight more easily, too.

*Does anyone know what this is??

Announcing...

First, my guest post is up at Compassion's own blog.  Reading it is not required, and there will be no quiz.  However, I have it on the authority of my friend Candy, at Compassion, that she laughed, and she cried, while reading it.  (One of my former graduate-school professors would have given me an A on it, simply because a reader was moved.)

Second, and very important, is a bulletin just in from Compassion:  April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  Compassion's board policy states:

Concern for children is the cornerstone upon which Compassion International has been built.  We are opposed to all forms of child abuse and exploitation and will do everything within our power to ensure that no harm comes to any child registered in our program due to his or her involvement in the ministry of Compassion International.

The bulletin goes on to define some ways in which workers in the field "safeguard children in Church Partner activities from all forms of abuse and exploitation...:

• Providing a positive and save environment for children that enables them to fulfill their potential;
• Engaging the active commitment of caring adults who surround them, to care for children with dignity, respect and integrity at all times;
• Preventing and/or reducing the risks of the incidence of abuse through enforcing policies, strategies and procedures on child protection;
• Educating children on the limits of acceptable behavior as it relates to physical, sexual and verbal abuse.

"As child advocates, our mandate is to ensure that all children in our care as well as those we come into contact with every day enjoy safe, loving and well protected lives thus releasing them to achieve their ultimate potential."

And anyone who thinks this is just a nice-sounding board-room policy needs to read Too Small to Ignore:  Why the Least of These Matters Most, by Dr. Wess Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International.

As Kenya calms...

I'm about three weeks late with this reference, but--having looked over the list of prayer requests at this link--I believe every one of them is still needed.  Please continue to pray for Kenya, for all of God's work going on, over there, including Compassion's.  Pray also for all Kenyans who participated in the violence, that their hearts will be changed through Jesus Christ and they will participate in peaceful resolution, instead.

Praise!!--I have received a letter from Rebecca!  She and her family are okay, and she is continuing her studies at the university.  Thank you, Father!

Better news on Allie!

You can read about her latest venture out for a little fun.  My word, she's cute!  But she, Charity, Bryon and Susan still need our prayers--always. 

Mondok blog

I have posted a number of times about little Allie, grandparents Bryon and Susan, and mom Charity.  I'm linking to Bryon's blog; he's crying out for prayer support for all of them.  Please lift them up, and thanks.

Prayer needs

Blogger friend Beverly left a comment on the previous post about a young wife and mother who is in the hospital--has been there for some time, now.  She has Cystic Fibrosis, and is now on the list for a lung transplant.  Her husband and baby girl need her well, strong and with them, so please pray for them.  You can read more about them here.

Beverly's own granddaughter also has CF.  You can read a lot about precious little Ella, and see pictures of her incredible little self, here.  Ella is doing so well, but with CF, prayer is always appropriate.

Prayer needs and praises, updated

Reading some information about my friends' grandbaby, I realized I hadn't updated the requests and praises, lately.  So...

Ken is about half-way through his radiation treatments and is doing very well on them, with few of the anticipated side effects.  That's a praise!  He still has the remaining treatments to go, of course, and prayers for his continued endurance, lessening side effects, and gaining strength are needed.

Ken and Jeannine's newest grandbaby, Abigail, is making great strides, better than expected, for one born so darned early.  We praise God for bringing her along as well as He has and is, and pray that He'll keep her from getting any more infections, while in the hospital.  Also, issues of optimal weight gain (without use of a feeding tube) and breathing are factors in when she can come home.  If weight were the only factor, it appears that she would go home very soon, as she is at just under 5 lbs., now.

So many things are possible with a preemie as young as Abby, but God knows how to grow babies to be strong.  I keep hearing that children who were preemies have strong personalities; with a body to go with it, Abby could be one formidable little girl for her mommy and daddy to deal with! :o)

Different family:  Miriam, who was supposed to have had back surgery last Friday morning, was surprised to learn on arrival at the hospital that it had been rescheduled.  At this point, she is to report at some unearthly hour like 5 a.m. this Friday morning!  Please keep her in prayer, too.

Little Allie continues with various therapeutic modalities.  She no longer looks like a little baby, either!  She, Bryon and Susan, and Charity all need continued prayer.

One of the Compassion Advocates on our team is Hans, who is getting ready to graduate from college.  Hans has been fighting a recurring gastrointestinal problem for several months, and it has defied every doctor he has seen.  Please pray that God will heal Hans and given him the strength and presence of mind that he needs to finish his coursework and graduate.

And then there is Kenya.  Compassion's children are scattered all over, so many of them displaced by the violence that has robbed them of homes and belongings.  Compassion Kenya continues as best they can to care for all of the children who can be located, but conditions are even more heartbreaking than usual...which is saying a lot.  If you want to help, you might consider making a donation to Compassion's Disaster Relief Fund; in a comment section, you can specify that you want your funds to be used to help in Kenya, although there are other areas in need of assistance, as well.  And, of course, if you want to change the world for a child in poverty, in Jesus' name, you can do that here.  While you're praying for Kenya, please remember Rebecca, who is in the Leadership Development Program, there, and whom we sponsor.

MORE UPDATE:    I previous wrote about Tom and Karen, and her journey through diagnosis, surgery and treatment for endometrial cancer.  She finished her chemo' treatments sometime in January, I think, or early February.  Tom and Karen like to come to Arizona, now and then to do some hiking on snow-free ground, and this is their weekend to be in Tucson.  They came to church, this morning, so we got to visit a little bit afterward.  Karen looks great, and as far as they know, she is free of cancer.  They will appreciate prayers, however, as she will have a three-month checkup in April.  Praise God for having brought her through treatment as well as He did!

I'm a little behind in the news

I missed the recent reports from Haiti, which describe the reliance of those in extreme poverty on making, selling and/or eating cookies made of dirt, shortening and salt.  Because of the high cost of oil, prices of food have risen sharply, so that many are unable even to afford one meal of rice per day.  In fact, the cost for the dirt to make 100 cookies has risen to $5!  That is more than two days' pay for many of the extremely poor...even closer to five days' pay for some.  I am truly horrified.

Compassion International's Advocates Network chose, a couple of years ago, to sponsor one Child Survival Project, at a cost of $20 per month per participating advocate.  But you don't have to be either a child sponsor with Compassion, nor an advocate, to contribute to other Child Survival projects, or to any of Compassion's funds.  You might, for example, want to contribute $10 for a treated bed net to help prevent Malaria.  But, of course, if you do want to sponsor a child, go here.  It costs $32 per month. 

There are other options.  The worst option you can choose is to sit back and do nothing, while children die and their caregivers get sick from eating cookies made of dirt, or from malaria, dehydration, malnutrition, or other largely preventable illnesses.

If you have ever read the book of James, in the New Testament, you will know that the religion that God considers pure and undefiled includes caring for orphans and widows.  Over 2,000 scriptures in the Bible have to do with the poor.  How we respond matters to God.  It matters to our world.  Please--do something to help.

Updates on two babies

Abigail, the newborn/preemie I told about before Christmas, is coming along, breathing with apparatus in her nostrils, now, rather than with a tube down her throat.  Other areas of development are coming along, some more slowly than others.  She is, of course, still in the hospital and still in need of God's care--and her parents are very aware of His presence.  I'll re-read Grandma Jeannine's letter and come back with more specifics, if I see that I blew past something notable.

Ali/Allie's grandfather posted the recent progress report.  It, too, is mixed, but overall it's good news.  This is the first time, I think, that I have seen her diagnosed with quadriplegia, but physical therapy is helping.  She is still visually impaired.  Bryon and Susan credit all progress to God, in answer to all of the prayers being offered for Allie.