Cheers!!

I remember as a young child seeing my mom smile over us one night as my brother and I were eating our dinner. When I asked her what she was smiling about she had a simple reply that has lasted all these years in my memory, "Mother's love to see their babies eat."

I don't know if it stuck with me because it was such an odd reply for an young child to fully grasp? Or maybe I had already begun to understand God's working in my heart to fight for impoverished children. Either way, it stuck with me.

During lunch when I sat down with my nearly three year old over grilled cheeses and Sun Chips, we get a knock on the door. (Yes a knock. All potential ringers are warned of their responsibility to babysit if they ring the doorbell.) It's a bright orange box. Vemma.

As I bring it in, June starts saying, "NEXT?? I want NEXT! Pleeeeeease!!"

There goes that same smile across my face and warmth in my heart just as my mother had all those years ago. And I get it. Fully get it.

Cheers Junie. And Cheers to you Vemma NEXT.

                  

On the Menu: Perspective

Ever have those days when you just feel down right sorry for yourself? I wish I could say that was completely below me. That of course I'm never ungrateful. That it can't cross my mind to take for granted all the blessings in my life.

But. Guess what. I can't say that.

And the funny thing is I am usually the first one to remind you that "it can always get worse." I have an entire career involving people's "worse" days. If anyone knows it can get worse...Maranatha.

So on the menu for today: some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective.

After a while of feeling sorry for myself, I gathered up letters from each of my 5 Compassion children. Each letter is written with care. Nearly every word has a different meaning to me than it does to it's precious author. Why? Perspective. When Ilder in Guatemala says to me "I thank you for the letter you sent me. It is very nice. I keep it in a special place," I wonder what this "special" place looks like. Thinking of the 4 walled home and dirt floor he shares with his parents and siblings snaps me back into reality. No longer can I feel sorry for myself that an offer fell through on a home. I still have a home. With heat. With electricity. And with clean running water. In 3 different places. He prays for "blessings" in our lives. What does this look like to him? What is a blessing to a 16 year old boy living in extreme poverty? It's a little different than the blessings we begin to expect, or heaven forbid feel entitled to.

So I drive to work, and again lose perspective. It's the Lord's Day, Sunday, and I'm going to work. Not only that, but my family is enjoying themselves some dear friends' house. Cue the violin. Agnes from Tanzania says to me, "I am happy at school with tailoring studies. When I am done, I will employ myself because I will make clothes for others, and I know I will get a good place to do my work."  Thank you Agnes. That was a fresh heaping plate of perspective. And it warms my soul.

  

There's a kind of a sort of cost

"There's a kind of a sort of cost, there's a couple of things get lost" -Glinda, Wicked

When I entered into the world of Apple, I didn't realize the cost. Not the monetary cost, but the cost of having constant connection to the social networking world at the very tips of your actual fingers. There was rarely a need to use my REAL computer anymore. So what's the cost exactly? Not blogging as much. No keyboard :: no blogging.

Oh yeah. And I had a baby.

There's a lot to say. Some of it will obviously have to wait. Or you'll be sitting here through Christmas reading it. After all, it's been since June 14th that I've posted.

So let's get down to it, shall we?

First on the list....

NEWSIES!!!!! It's coming to Broadway!!!! I say "coming" like I live there. I guess I should say "going" to Broadway. Unfortunately it's an Nederlander Theater which is not one of my favorites. But it's housed quite a few of my favorites, so I guess it's only fitting.

Have you guys read any of the latest blogs from Compassion's trip to Ecuador? Oh holy moly. There's some powerful stuff in there. Read some of them here. Or you can click on the Compassion Ecuador banner on the right hand of the page. My particular favorites are from Ann Voscamp this year.

Speaking of Compassion. We'll be offering the opportunity to donate money towards water filters very soon. These water filters will go directly to our church partners in Kenya. They provide clean water (no dirt, no microbes, no sickness!!) for an entire family for life! In fact, our local water expert Charlie Anderson did the math and he said it would make clean water for 65 people for life!!! And they're only $55!!!!! Crap dang. Sign me up! I want to be a part of that story in heaven!! So hold your horses, it's coming soon.

Ok, we'll do this again soon. It's been nice talking at you. :)

Nakuru: We Are Serving The Living God, Kenya Day 4

I just wrote an excellent blog. And it disappeared. Completely.

Since it's 4:30am and I'm awake, I'll rewrite. Although I fear it won't be as well written. Here it goes...

Sunday is always church day. No matter where you are in the world. I like that stability.

Church in Nakuru wasn't as, uh, how do you say it? Lively??? As I expected. But we danced. Yes. Danced.

Another group had their pastor say to them, "We don't want to offend, but sometimes we take out all the chairs so we can dance. Sometimes we hit into each other because we close our eyes. I know some like to worship still (with his arms at his sides and his neck stiff like he had meningitis) because they do not want to disturb God." Our American friends welcomed the African dance party as worship.

Why don't we worship with such excitement. We're worshiping the same God, aren't we? We just don't believe it. We don't need it. We're safe. We're comfortable. We have insurance and credit cards to protect us. We're loved and valued even if we don't acknowledge that sometimes. These people know hell. They smell it in their "backyards." They see it on their streets. They see it take their children. They live the injustice.

At our partners' church, I was blessed by the purity of the Gospel. The simplicity of the lyrics. The look of understanding on their faces.

Church lasted for 4 and a half hours. And the pastor spoke for only 30 minutes to keep it short for the visitors. He started at 12:00.

The night before was an all night time of prayer together for the men. Then everyone met together -women, children, men - at 6am for prayer before church. That's 7 hours of God. In one day.

6am.

That wouldn't fly back home. I can hear it already - that's my only day to sleep in. I stay up late Saturday night because it's the only day I have off. I need that time to enjoy myself.

In America we would never. Over 4 hours of church?? I've got other things to do!! I have a nap to take. Or a game to watch. Or dogs to take to the park. It's The weekend for crying out loud! Don't I DESERVE a break?!

In Kenya, there's nothing else to go home to. No couch to take a 3 hour nap on. No restaurant to beat the crowds. There's nothing to sleep in to. After all, a dump is behind their tin walled home.

So they pray.

The worship.

They grace each other with their steadfast presence every week as if to say, "THIS is what life is about." It's not about freedom to do as you wish. It's not about "rights." It's not about ambition. It's about worshipping GOD. Together.

A hot time of worship for me was listening to my new friend Susan Magiri sing "We are serving the Living God. We are serving the Living God. We are serving the Living God. Hallelujah. Jesus Christ." As the Compassion children sang next door in their classrooms (wearing their best hand-me-downs and street bought dresses that were too short for the age of their legs but fit their skinny waists), I thought to myself, "Yes. Yes you ARE serving. You are serving the Living God."

And what are we doing? Going home to lay on the couch.

Nakuru: I Met Your Sponsored Child Today

This is going to be short tonight. I think my baby is hindering my usual ability to adapt to a severe time change. (Another thing I'll hang over her head later on in life.)

As we took our journey out from Nairobi to Nakuru early this morning (well, not that early since I was up by 3:45am...), we had great conversation in the car with Peter (a formerly sponsored Ugandan/Rwandan who is now a US field staff) about the country of Kenya. It's surreal to be driving into a part of the country that was under so much political and civil unrest that started only 3 years ago.

We turned the corner to the Great Rift Valley, and...woe.

Majesty.


Around the corner dad and I took our first Kenyan picture together. Only took us 3 days.


That's right folks! Coke and chickens.

On the way we saw baboons!! Lots of baboons!!! Momma baboons. Daddy baboons. And even a baby baboon! We passed to quickly to get pictures of any of them. Then around another turn...Zebras. God's famous work.

So fast forward 2 hours...

We arrived at the KAG Church in Nakuru and were greeted with (now familiar) Kenyan warmth and formality. Immediately dad and Pastor Wallace hit it off. It was evident. Beautiful Peninah showed us a tour and we saw tons and tons and tons of Compassion children. Tons. They were in class with their other sponsored friends.

On Saturdays the Compassion children meet at the project center for bible class and other learning. So it was a great day to be there.

We had a long and detailed discussion about both our churches' beliefs, goals, ministries, and various other things. I believe both sides feel it went very well. Pastor Wallace kept referring to us as "married" churches now. He mentioned all the things past donors had done for them, and although they were greatly appreciative, they have never had someone come alongside of them as a partner. We are making that come true now.

Some of the children in a dance club performed for us!! Cindy and Charlie - your beautiful boy is in the back row, 2nd to the end on the right.

Peter said, "We're in Africa now!!"

After lunch we met 4 sponsored children. Their sponsors are Charlie and Cindy:



Matt and Angie:


Holly and Brad:


And mom and dad:


Notice the expressions. For those of you who have asked, "why isn't my sponsored child smiling in their picture?" I'll tell you. Before the picture they're laughing and giggling and shaking their head "yes" to a photo op. The camera comes up. Smile goes away. camera comes down. Giggling ensues. Sometimes (like holly's little Elsie) the giggling becomes jumping.)

Culturally these children aren't used to having the attention of a camera. So they don't know to smile. Even when told.

We went to Denis' home. It was similar to the tin walled home from yesterday. Small. Multiple seats. Lace curtains. Dad gave him and his little brother some gifts. And they were a hit!!


After that. I met YOUR sponsored child. That's right. I said YOUR.





There are currently 300 children in this center. And starting February 13, we'll have 50 more of them to sponsor by Celebration Fellowship! This is our first, and most crucial step, in partnering with KAG Nakuru.

And I should mention, your sponsored child....

is beautiful.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (in the usual Broadway song and dance style)

Kamangu: Reaching A Community Thru Mommies And Babies, Kenya Day 2

One thing I love about being with Compassion - each day brings a new joy.

Today we spent the day about an hour west of Nairobi in Renguti at the Kamangu Child Survival Center. (Child Survival Program or CSP is for pregnant moms or moms with children under 3 - they are sponsored as a community, not individually like in Child Sponsorship.)

Sorry - video won't load - connection is too slow.

We were greeted today in the same Kenyan Karobi (welcoming) fashion - with song and dance. But this time, with the little ones strapped to their backs.
We were given the blessed opportunity to hear testimony from the women. The first mother who spoke told us that the first "tool" she was given was the Bible. Before CSP, she could not even read, now she is able to teach the other mothers from the Bible. She learned cleaning and how to give a balanced diet. She learned the importance of playtime for her child and how to make toys out of household items. This made her proud. She learned social skills and how to choose her friends wisely. Friends that have positive influence on her life. She learned about family planning so her young child could get proper attention before having another. She was able to have a chicken when before, she could not afford even an egg. The chicken makes eggs for the family to eat, and they sell the others for income. This also made her proud.

After she spoke, the CSP director spoke on her behalf, and said that before she got involved in the project, this mother was very shy, and now she has grown into a leader who is able to teach the other women.

Something that was mentioned about CSP is how it doesn't just affect the families involved. It affects the whole community. When the women are cleaning their homes, or gardening, or making toys for their children, the other women see this and they copy the behavior.

Then a father from CSP spoke. Men - listen up here. This father was very transparent with us. Through meeting with the other CSP fathers once a month, he has learned how to be a good father and how to support his wife. He has learned what it means to be a leader and the head of his household. He cares about the well balanced diet of his family. And he takes pride in providing a home for them.

I can't tell you how adorable these kids are. They are strapped to mommy's back in what dad called a "baby bag," but it's simply a beautiful price of dyed cloth tied around the mom's shoulder. And they're all wearing long sleeves and a ski hat. It's a cultural thing. Keep the babies warm. The CSP director told me this was an issue when they first came. The babies were sweating and it was hard to gain weight. So they apparently aren't as bad as it used to be!!

At the CSP we saw where the babies go to play!! It was so much more than I could have imagined! We watched a couple small children (under 3) use pencils to draw cups and suns and their numbers! At 2 years old!!! In KENYA!!


And we watched another little boy play....and he watched us watch him.


Here is a homemade toy that frankly, is pretty dang impressive!


Later in the day we went on a home visit. We visited Grace and her 2 1/2 year old daughter Alice. Their humble home is about 10x7 feet. Tin roof. Several chairs. One small end table. And a coffee table that serves as a kitchen table. Grace showed us how she prepares and cooks a balanced meal for little Alice. She washed her hands and told us she didn't know before that this was important. Then she prepared the onions, the spinach, and got an egg from her chicken coop. (The sheep outside looking on suspiciously.) She took us out to an open walled tin roof area that served as the kitchen where she fired up her coals and put in her ingredients. The egg gets mixed in so the little one is sure to get the protein. Sometimes they only like the vegetables and then won't eat an egg by itself. Little Alice waited at the door.


She said she is careful to not over cook the spinach so it doesn't lose it's vitamins. (Take note America!!) After it was all done - it smelled fabulous - and she put it in a bowl with some cooked cornmeal for Alice to enjoy.

Little Alice put her hands in the bowl and whimpered as Grace ran back to her.

Too hot.

So little Alice ate her lunch. And I watched in silence. Without yet having children, I can only imagine the joy it gives a mother such as Grace to watch her baby eat.

We prayed for Grace and Alice before we left. And I was amazed at our awesome God as we thanked him for "saving Grace." How wonderful to have a name with such an impacting message of God's love for us.

Sponsors, you're making a difference. Whether you see it or not.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (in the usual Broadway song and dance style)

Dandora: The Day The Light Came, Kenya Day 1

I apologize upfront for the lack of pictures. My plan was to use the computer to blog and upload shots from the day, however, the Internet is very....unreliable and it's easier to stay on the iPhone. (Apple wins again in a developing country. I have many great stories about the iPhone in the midst of poverty. Praise God for technology.)

Today was quite full. And quite wonderful.

We started the morning off with a visit to Compassion Kenya's headquarters to get a tour and meet the staff. Might I just say...a well oiled machine. And there are dozens of checkpoints for integrity. It really is impressive. We don't have these kind of checkpoints even in our own churches or businesses.

We met Moses and Julius, the IT guys who keep it running (a formerly sponsored child); Brenda who is in charge of the Highly Valuable Children (or vulnerable children - suffering abuse or disability); Patricia who handles all the curriculum for the Kenyan programs; Jeffery who does financial training to the church partners; Samuel who works in the communications department and helps translate our letters; Joel, the Kenyan director (who so poignantly said, "we are fighting for dignity and for the dignity of our people"); and Fred, a program facilitator who works hand in hand with church partners - he's an ambassador of sorts between the American HQ and the people doing the real work at the Compassion programs.

There are a dozen more, but you want to hear about the child development sponsorship center we visited. A CDSP is a Compassion program hosted at a local church - they are the people who do the work, the real work.

Today it was the Dandora Baptist Center, KE-528. A program located to one of the largest dumps and subsequently the largest slums in Kenya.

This program is doing amazing work. I mean truly life changing work. Not just in the lives of the children, but in the community as well. The time in Dandura was started off with a welcome program from some of the primary children. They sang songs about how Christ has saved them and performed poetry. The tears came to my eyes as the 12 or so children recited their poem about how God used Compassion to redeem their hope and their future. They spoke of how they were sick and dying and without hope or a will to try, and they remember when Compassion came, and showed them restoration and guided them to the ever empowering love of God - they called this "I remember the day the Light came." There was no hope for school, no hope for health, no hope for survival, and Compassion was there - I remember the day the Light came.

A woman from the program, who is a mother of Compassion sponsored children spoke of something very familiar to Celebration Fellowship. She spoke of transparency. "Transparency is high class."

She introduced herself and said, "I have been living HIV positive for 24 years. I have 3 children of my own, and 8 orphans who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS - my own family." Through Compassion she was able to start a support group for women living with HIV/AIDS. There are 34 of them now, and they have lost 3 of their friends in the past few years. She lives with a deep rooted conviction that I see in many of our own church - that through community and transparency, there is a way to full life and purpose. There is restoration to hope and ultimately to God - in a way that can only come through true trust and transparency with your community. How freeing.

Of course there were stickers passed out - which crosses all cultural boundaries in the land of small people. Lots of laughter and waves and "monzugu!" which means "white person."

To finish the day we had diner with 4 Leadership Development Students which is always a great
joy for me. To hear the stories of how these young men and women had no hope, and how God used Compassion International to break the chains of poverty. Now they aspire to be leaders in their country, and many wish to work with children in order to give others the same opportunity they had. One LDP graduate, John, mentioned that he was sick often as a young child. And this gave him a sense of hopelessness. But after he joined the Compassion project, he was able to receive medical care. With a shaky voice, he told us that this medical attention empowered him to gain hope, to try hard in school, and to make something of the life he'd been given.

Some things they all had in common before Compassion intervened: with food being scarce, education was not even an option since you pay to go to school; they all lost family members early on in life; and they each had a stack of letters written by their sponsors that they still read over and over today for encouragement.

And you thought you were too small to change the world. So did they. But they're doing it. And by writing a letter, you are too.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone in Kenya (in the usual Broadway song and dance style)

Weird. January 25, Then and Now

A year ago today I was sitting in this airport.

A year ago today I was anxiously waiting the fate of our next 7 days, unsure of what they would hold.

A year ago today I was at the final stages of a long awaited journey.

Haiti had been on my heart since college. And it never came to fruition.

A year ago today, it did.

Then, I was heading to Haiti for medical disaster relief with Compassion International. (You can see the story and updates by clicking on the link.) Our time there was unspeakable. Here are some of the words Scott Todd, our trip leader was able to put together for Compassion's blog. My musings aren't quite as eloquent.

Now, I sit at the airport and await a new adventure with Compassion. And a much longer plane ride. And this time pregnant. Life is much different Now than Then.

But no matter how much time passes, I can still smell the smells, I can still see the faces, and I can still taste the pain of a country devastated. And they will forever be in my heart.

But Now, it's time to look ahead to a new country and to new relationships. Kenya, here we come.

What You Need to Know Before We Go

Tomorrow afternoon dad and I leave for Nairobi and Nakuru, Kenya! It feels like a long time coming, but truthfully, it also kinda snuck up on me!

For those of you new to this adventure, you can read previous related posts by clicking on Kenya or Church to Church under the Curtain Call section.

We are heading out Tuesday, arriving Wednesday night in Nairobi, and we'll spend sometime at various Compassion projects and Child Survival projects. I'm especially excited to see a CSP since I wasn't able to do this on our visit to Haiti after the earthquake a year ago. (Wow. A year ago....)


We'll head out Saturday to Nakuru to meet our church partners. And Sunday we'll have the opportunity to attend church with them!! That is going to be an experience.

At some point during the trip, I'll get to meet our 2nd sponsored child, Samson. This is going to be a dream come true for me! What a joy to finally meet this young man who has faithfully written us letters and who we've watched grow over the past 3 years.

We'll also get to meet 4 other children recently sponsored by people in our church! I can't wait to show you guys pictures of this!!!

Get ready for a great ride Celebration Fellowship! It's going to be exciting!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (in the usual Broadway song and dance style)

"Morning", Kenya, and A Wizard

Have you noticed I haven't made many posts this year? I've been a little overwhelmed. Here's why....

Besides starting a new job as a Nurse Practitioner, completely changing hospitals, and getting through the holidays...there's been a few things going on. All good of course, but even good stress is still stress. I think they taught me that in a psych class. Or maybe a patho class??? Anyways...not the point...

"MORNING":

For the past 3 weeks I have been battling "morning" sickness. But my mornings last about 22 hours a day. 

No really. 22 hours.

I've tried it all: crackers before getting out of bed, sprite, ginger ale, ginger snaps, peppermint oil, peppermints, eating frequently, eating light, lots of fruit, lemon water, protein, preggie pops (which actually worked but I can't suck on a sucker 23 hours a day...). I finally got the hook up with the all too famous Zofran, and it's done the trick. (Along with eating a handful of something every 2 hours) However, it's taken away feeling sick, but I still walk around with an occasional gag out of the middle of nowhere. But I'll take it. And the baby making fatigue is pretty extreme. Praise the Lord I work 2 days a week!! 

Our first doctor's appointment was surreal. We saw our little growing baby and the tiny little arm and leg buds. Mom things he/she looks like Darth Vader. I hope that doesn't mean he/she will have Davis' head. The horrors of working labor and delivery are still too clear in my mind.

KENYA:

In less than 2 weeks, Dad and I will be headed to Kenya to meet our Church To Church partners in Nakuru, Kenya! I just received my packet from Compassion International with my visa, itinerary, and plane tickets. Along with it they sent 2 children from this project to be sponsored by our church! So if you have been waiting to get involved with Compassion, now is the time! Or if you have loved your involvement already and want more - you can sponsor another child! Dad and I will have the wonderful opportunity to meet these children and can take them gifts or pictures from you.  One thing I'm eagerly looking forward to is meeting our 2nd sponsored child Samson. He lives somewhere between Nairobi and Nakuru and I can't wait to meet him face to face!! He's the 2nd of our 5 sponsored children, and I love so much getting letters from him. He's an "older" child so he actually writes his own letters - in English too! Hopefully the "morning" sickness will be subsiding by then....

A WIZARD:

In my classes with Betty Buckley, I have moved on to a wonderful piece of work: The Wizard And I. At the end of March there will be 3 concerts at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth featuring her students. This is a talented group of performers that you won't want to miss. And watching Betty Lynn teach is a joy in itself. She's a Wizard, herself. Of course, the "morning" sickness has put a little damper on class....but I'm pushing through. 

It's worth it in the end. I'll be so happy I could...melt.

Put 5,000 Slaves On Standby

Aida!!! I love it. Best musical ever. Maybe 2nd only to the original Beauty and the Beast cast.

Taking place in 3000 BC Egypt, the pharaoh's ministry advisor opens by telling his son (the captain of the guard played by the talented Adam Pascal) to gain power and "put 5,000 slaves on standby - build another pyramid."

Humorous. Catchy. A little sad. Especially when you think about the probability that the slaves he was talking about were Israelites. But we'll skip over that for the tongue-in-cheek sarcasm put to perfectly timed melody and a firey orange back drop with a hint of fuschia in the morning sky.

The real point of this is how we encourage - yes, I said ENCOURAGE, not allow - the continuation of slavery today.

There are 2 huge share crops that promote the use of slavery IN and OUT of the USA. The one I'm most concerned with at the moment is coffee.

Understand upfront, I am a lover of coffee. My husband loves coffee. We drink it every morning and sometimes more than that! So don't think I'm going to start off on telling everyone to drink nothing but tap water. (Although I'm an advocate for that as well! Good use of natural resources and gives you the daily fluoride you need!)

A few facts about slavery and coffee:

1) The world market average for 1 pound of coffee beans is $0.60

2) The USA consumes 1/5th of the coffee in the world

3) Coffee prices are at an 8 year low for the farmers, however consumer prices are higher than ever leaving the farmers in poverty

4) Slave labor is used in the production of coffee including child labor

We can be smart about how we buy and drink coffee. And honestly it's easy. Fair Trade coffee is becoming more and more available to the consumer. What's Fair Trade?

Glad you asked.

Fair Trade was begun and approved by the UN in the late 1980's-90's in order to pay small farmers what they were worth. Currently, a fair trade farmer makes at minimum $1.26 per pond of coffee. Note this is more than double what the global average is currently. Small coffee farmers receive prices that are less than adequate for their product forcing them into a cycle of debt and poverty. Fair Trade takes out the middle man (the coffee trader between farmer and corporation) and requires adequate payment for products. It is a viable solution to this crisis and ensures consumers that the coffee they drink is being purchased under fair conditions. Keep in mind, the majority of the world live on less than $1 a day. You are in the top 12% of the world if you make $43,000 a year in your entire household.

So maybe you don't buy into the fact that slavery is very much still real. Try this: It's also good for the environment. Small farmers are the best stewards of the land. Fair Trade farmers don't have the capital input to clear forests, buy chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They generally grow small plots of mixed-crop, shade grown coffee organically.

Even if you don't get all warm and fuzzy about the polar bears and the oil covered ducks, I employ you to get righteously angry about using children to harvest your coffee. Especially when it costs you $5 to drink it.

Would you drink a cup of coffee if it was handed to you by a homeless child without shoes and a swollen belly? It sounds harsh, I know. But this has to be personal to us!! So would you take it? Or would you toss it and feed the child? I wouldn't ever drink it again. I would be sick at the site of it. I would never ever get over the fact of how selfish I am. But I beg of you to see, this is in fact what we're doing. Maybe the coffee you drink isn't harvested by that child. But it's harvested by his parents. Or his grandparents. Or his older caretaker sibling.

So here's how to get Fair Trade coffee. First, look for the Fair Trade symbol on the bag:






If it's not there, it's not Fair Trade. We purchase FT coffee at the grocery store. You can even buy it at Starbucks. They offer 2 types of FT coffee as whole bean bags. Please take note, the (RED) coffee from Africa is NOT FT!! Although it's supporting the AIDS initiative, it is reinforcing slavery.

PLEASE ask your local Starbucks BEFORE you order if they will brew your drink with Fair Trade coffee. They have a "yes" policy, so if it's in the store, they have to do it.

You can also order FT in bulk from www.larrysbeans.com. A friend just showed me Drink Coffee Do Good that you can purchase fair trade coffee from online. Duncan Donuts brews FT in the store and SOME of their bagged coffee is FT (although I've yet to find it for purchase). Some versions of Folgers and Millstone are FT but look for the symbol!! Here it is again!



Great websites to go to with more info on Fair Trade:

Global Exchange

Fair Trade Coffee

I know this sounds extreme, but this is personal to us. We WILL be held accountable for how we treat others even if we are ignorant of this. I am terrified to think what faces I'll see in heaven whom I refused to help for the sake of my own coffee indulgence.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (in the usual Broadway song and dance style)

We're Gonna Paint The Town And All That Jazz

Scadoo

Chicago here we come!

This week is the training event for church leaders for Compassion's newest ministry, Church To Church. We're excited to be linked with a church in Kenya, and we'll have more detailed info this week!

A trip is being planned for the key leaders after the first of the year, and a subsequent trip will be open to members of Celebration that will be planned for late summer or early fall of 2011. If you're interested, go ahead and get your name in. Without having met the church yet, we're not sure exactly what the trip will entail, but I can tell ya, you'll wanna be a part of it.

Having traveled with Compassion International in the past, I learned so much about the heart of God's people and how the global church is effectively empowering the poor.

Our involvement with C2C will bring not only an immense opportunity for personal growth and a challenge to be involved and aware about how our brothers and sisters across the globe live, but it will also bring hope and encouragement to a church who is striving to reach their community for the name of Jesus Christ....

And all that jazz.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone in the air (in the usual Broadway song and dance style)

Wait A Minute Mr. Postman

Waayait Mr. Pooostman.....

I love getting mail. Real mail. Maybe that's one reason I'm an internet shopper. There's something real special about getting real mail. Maybe because we have all these new fangled ways of communication like email and twitter and facebook. So getting genuine mail is rare. And special.

I remember I used to write letters to my best friend Anna Sweeney in the 7th and 8th grade over the summer. Passing notes was a big thing during school. Helped keep you awake during class when discussions of feminist writers wasn't doing it for you. (Oh 8th grade AP English....and Ms. Rob....) Anyways...so Anna and I would decorate our envelopes, write in markers, and sometimes color on top of the entire letter. And how exciting it was to get a letter in the mail!!!

Because of this memory, I try to write to our Compassion sponsored children at least once every 4-6 weeks. Sometimes the turn around time between here to Colorado Springs to their country takes about 4 weeks. (Longer to Tanzania where I get letters dates 2-3 months prior to arrival.)

Something I have heard frequently from newer and even more experienced sponsors is, "What do I say to my sponsored kids?? It doesn't even sound like they're the ones writing back to me."

Don't be discouraged. You're not alone.

Ever wondered if your letter really means anything? Look at this well read letter that was held on to for over 3 years in a shack in Kenya:

More of Eliud's heartbreaking and hopeful story is found with Compassion bloggers Brad Ruggles and Shaun Groves (who's one of my favorites). Warning: Eliud's story will change your life. Especially after watching his video in Brad's blog.

If you don't follow Compassion's blog, you need to. Recently a wonderful post was written about what Compassion kids want to hear from their sponsor. You'll be surprised. And filled with a sad sort of hope for them. Here's a few examples:

I would like my sponsor to write me more about her future plans, hobbies, and what she does during her free time. I hope she will never forget to write me and pray for me.” — Pauline

“What I like most about everything she writes is how she tells me to walk on God’s path. I also like it when she praises my talent, my personality and everything I do is a blessing to her. She writes mostly about her work in a camp and how she spends her time with her husband. One thing I’m curious about my sponsor is if she’s pregnant because she’s been married for almost two years now and I still haven’t read in her letters of them having a baby.” — Hallelujah

“My sponsor always sends me greetings and holiday cards. It feels like I am physically with them during special occasions when I actually am not. She really loves me and shows care for me in each of her letters. I am curious to know how it feels to live in their country. Is it like also here in the Philippines?” — Christopher

Other great ideas can be found at Relationship Building Through Child Sponsorship

Some interesting statistics have crossed my path about the letter writing relationship that I think you'll be interested to know.

Sponsored children do 40% better in school if they receive 2 or more letters a year.

A group of sponsored children were polled, and when asked what is your favorite part of being sponsored, the main response was "receiving letters from my sponsor" more than gifts, going to the center's activities, or receiving the lunch meal at the center (sometimes their only meal of the day).

On Sunday November 7th, we are hosting the first annual Christmas Letter Writing Party for Compassion at Celebration Fellowship. And you're not going to want to miss it. We'll have all the paper supplies you could dream of (but if you've got a scrapbook-junkie friend who wants to get rid of some stuff, we'll gladly take it off her hands).
You can even write unaddressed letters that will be given to Compassion kids who are still waiting for a sponsor.

Now they can all join in the excitement of a handwritten letter together.

So bring your photos, your sponsor number and child's number, your friends, and your family, and we'll see you there. November 7th, 4:00pm. Don't miss it. It'll could change the life of a child.

Calling All exScrapbookers!!!

Hello to you who only thought you were that crafty.

Hello to you who got sucked into the world of tiny stamps and brightly designed paper.

Hello to you who lost the time to care.

Hello to you who had well intentions of keeping the memories of your small children together in a pristine little scrapbook with pristine little cutouts and pristine cornered pages.

Your time for redemption has come!!!

On November 7th there will be an area-wide Christmas letter writing party for Compassion sponsors! And we need your extra scrapbooking material.

ANYTHING you have will be greatly appreciated, but we are specifically looking for:

paper
stickers
stamps
ink pads
letter cutouts
scissors
shape cutouts
organizers/storage
markers
color pens/pencils
envelopes
cardstock
Christmas "flavored" papers/stickers/cutouts etc.

Let me know you've got them, and we'll get it from ya! An easy drop off at Celebration Fellowship in the office can be arranged as well.

Just Around the Corner...

I feel like lately that life continues to be "just around the corner" for me. The corner is at least getting closer and closer, but we're still not there yet.

Just around the corner is a new professional role.

Just around the corner is the return of free time.

Just around the corner is a new experience with Compassion and Celebration Fellowship.

Just around the corner is.....

What's just around the corner for you?

Actually, today my flight was booked for the Church To Church training event in South Barrington, IL in November. Excited about it. Not about the flight, I don't particularly care for flying, but for the event.

Hey - don't forget to send in your Christmas money by October 31st for your Compassion sponsored kiddos. https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/compassion-christmas-gift-program.htm You can sign in there.

And the winner is......

ME!!!!!

Finally!! A notch in my sad excuse of a recent win column. Pediatric Primary Care boards are passed and done with!!! I may now proceed with my life.

What's next? Finishing my acute care hours, interviewing for a job, and taking my acute care boards. (Yes, 2 licenses means 2 boards....3 if you count my already passed RN board exam. It's just an adding on of extra letters at this point....)

On the already pressing calendar for fall of twenty-ten:

Compassion Advocates retreat on October 8-9 in my old stopping grounds of Waco, TX! B B BAY L L LOR BAY LOR Baylor Bears fight!

Then it's off to the Church To Church training event in South Barrington, IL with Compassion International mid-November. Hopefully we'll finally make a trip by the history museum to see the Man Eaters of Tsavo! Fitting since we're going there for Kenya purposes in the first place.

Tuesday night my hubs and I leave with my parents for a graduation celebration (and now a passing of the board exam celebration)! Rome, Athens, Grecian islands, and Venice here we come!!!

Later gators.

Tiffany Morgan, RN, MSN, PNP-BC
(pending online recognition from the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (in the usual Broadway song and dance style)

Things That Make You Go Hmm

As I've been studying for my Primary Care Pediatric boards today, I'm reminded a lot of Haiti. Understand that pediatric healthcare in Haiti is much different than here. However, with the increased MISUNDERSTANDING and blatant DISREGARD by Americans for immunizations and healthcare in general, there is a ever increasing need for pediatric providers to identify and treat diseases that were almost extinct from our continent.

One review question just read:

A 17-year-old student is seen in the school-based clinic for a fever and sore throat of 4 days' duration. The results of the rapid strep screen confirm the diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis. The student has had a problem remembering to take other medications, and the PNP wants to ensure compliance with an antibiotic. The PNP decides to give: A. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole orally two times a day for 10 days B. A single IM dose of procaine penicillin G C. A single intramuscular (IM) dose of penicillin G benzathine (Bicillin)

D. A single IM dose of ceftriaxone (Rocephin)

In Haiti, right after the earthquake, I came in contact with probably 500 children. All broken in someway. If not physically then emotionally. Socially. Spiritually. We gave out thousands of prescriptions, vitamins, over-the-counter analgesics. And lots of shots. Rocephin. That's what we had.

Now as a pediatric trauma nurse, we don't do a whole lot of shots. Contrary to popular belief, shots don't cure all. But somehow this idea is multi-cultural. The Haitians see a cure-all in a good old fashioned shot, too.

This summer I was present for probably 200+ immunizations during my clinical time in a pediatric primary care clinic. About 80% of the time we had to wrangle and struggle and LAY on top of kids - OLDER KIDS sometimes to give them their immunizations, only to be kicked, grabbed, spit on, you name it - it happened.

Engrained forever in my visual memory is a young Haitian boy about 7 or 8 (maybe older? they are all skinny and short due to malnourishment...) who walked over the the "pharmacy" in which I was the "pharmacist" for the day and handed me his little piece of torn off paper with a smile. This paper acted as his "prescription" from one of the doctors he just saw.

"Rocephin"

Got it. So I sat him down in a chair, spoke to him in my broken French and pulled up his sleeve. He was there alone. No parent holding his hand. No onegiving him the pep talk, or telling him he could have ice cream when we were done. So I gave him that nurses look deep into his eyes that said, "this will hurt, but only for a second." He nodded at me, took several deep breaths in and out, and with eyes open and not a flinch or a tear, he took that whole IM needle into his skinny little arm and said "merci" when it was over.

And that was it. No drama. No crying. No fighting. And no parent to encourage that behavior. He took his sticker that I gave to all my patients, and went on his way.

So I think of this brave young soul who survived an earthquake, who may have lost family members but most certainly lost friends and shelter. I think of him being brave enough to endure a needle in a malnourished arm with the hopes that western medicine can make him well. Because he knows what it looks like to be ill. He has seen death from flu and diarrhea and pneumonia and other preventable illnesses. He's seen the value in protection and treatment.

I think of him as I read the review question about a 17 year old who can't remember to take his medications but is sick enough to walk into your clinic. And I'm sad it's even worth bringing up on a test for pediatric care licensure in America.

It's Gonna Be Good, Good, Good....

"It's gonna be good, good, good
It's gonna be good, good, g. o. o. d. good
It's gonna be good, uh huh
It's gonna be great, mm hmm"
-Next To Normal

How's that for a little positive thinking in the morning?! Oh - it's afternoon. Well whatever. It's the rain. throwing me off.

There's a lot going on, yes? Last night at the song interpretation workshop I'm taking, we all noticed (quite emotionally) that there's a lot going on. Life change is happening everywhere. Or not - which might be a change for some (ahem, me.)

Today the Compassion Blogger team gathers and leaves for Guatemala in DFW. As we all know, the weather ain't so great for flyin' today....some are having a hard time making it to DFW to begin with. Pray they have a safe arrival and departure. You can follow their blogs during their experience with Compassion at

It will be well worth your reading pleasure. I promise, promise.

Now I'm off to study for my Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification. Pfh...I'd rather be singing in the rain...
uh oh...

By the way, I know you're out there cause I can see my page hits. Give me some love and click on "follow" in the top right corner so I can submit to be a Compassion Blogger. (Gotta have the followers, you know?!) No emails or notifications.

It's Official: Kenya here we come!

Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY!!!

Remember that time I told you there was something big coming? Singing In The Rain big? Broadway and 42nd big? Yep. It's here.

Celebration Fellowship meets Kenya in 2011.

We have been chosen by Compassion International to pilot a new ministry program called Church To Church. You may be familiar with Compassion's 1:1 child sponsorship. This is like that. Only for churches.

Very soon we will be matched up with a Compassion church in Kenya (eharmony style) and be able to partner with them in their ministry. This can look like many different things including discipleship (on both sides), encouragement, or financial support.

We have agreed to sponsor a minimum of 50 kids in their church and/or area. And you know what that means....you might get to meet them....face to face.

What a joy it will be for me personally to meet dear Samson who we started sponsoring almost 4 years ago now. Many of you at Celebration sponsor children from Kenya, and Lord willing you join us next fall, you will get to meet your Compassion child face to face as well! (Yes, even if they are not in the church we are matched with...)

The generalized timeline is this:
November: training event in Chicago for key leader and leaders
First of the new year: exposure trip with key leaders of Celebration to Kenya
March/April: Compassion Sunday to sponsor children in Kenya
Fall 2011: mission trip to Kenya with MEMBERS of Celebration Fellowship!!

For all of you who have been looking for a way to expose yourself to missions and the rest of the world, God has answered our prayers. This is going to be huge!! We will have the ability to communicate with them over the internet and email throughout the year as well as be able to meet them in the flesh! There has already been a lot of excitement about this throughout the leadership at Celebration, and we're all very excited to see how God will use us and what He will teach us.

How can you prepare?

1. Begin praying with us now that this relationship will lead to lasting changes in the lives of our people and of our partnered church. That God will use us together in mighty ways to release the Kenya children from poverty in the name of Jesus Christ. That the enemy will be stunned by the work of this church in their community. That there will be fast and seamless communication between our two cultures. That we will be an encouragement and a mentor to the newly sponsored children from this area. That God will show you how to be involved in service as well as financially.

2. You can also prepare by talking to your lifegroup about this, bring it up in ABF, visit the Share Compassion Board in the Place To Say Hey (across from the coffee, closest to the entry) and post your own Compassion stories.

3. Follow the Compassion Bloggers in Guatemala September 7-11 to see how moving it really is to visit a Compassion site and how you might feel if you meet your child face to face.


This fall we will be introducing a program new to our church, however not new to Compassion:

Leadership Development Program.

LDP is the sponsorship of college/university students, and we'll be sponsoring one or more in Kenya. More info on this to come.

Get ready Celebration....here we go!!!

Please post your comments.

One less bell to answer...

One less egg to fry. One less thing to put on my calendar.

And if I haven't said it lately, Barbra Frickin' Streisand.

My head has become (even more so) a constant playing of showtunes. No, no, no, I mean constant.

For those of you opposed to a life that breaks out in choreographed song and dance, you are missing something incredible - there's a broadway song written for every moment!! Don't you see the implication of this?!?! If we all became musically savy, we really could live life in song and dance! Together!!

Well, maybe not the dance part.

But whatever.

This past Friday I hosted a Compassion table for a Willow Creek conference at a local church. There's some big things coming up that you are going to want to be a part of.

I mean BIG.

Show stopping even. Defying Gravity big.

But we'll come back to that later. There's still a few things that need to be ironed out on my part, and we'll all get big together.

New York City big.