Archive for March 18, 2008

Leaping Day 20 & 21 – Libraries and Books are a Gift!

18 Mar, 2008 

The purpose of these emails is to make this leap year a LEAP Year.  (Living to Educate ourselves and others About Poverty by spending 1% of our day on the subject or 14.4 minutes.)  After 29 days we hope to have 29 kids sponsored, $29,000.00 raised and a new way of thinking and good new habits formed.
Day 20:
I was being walked back to my ‘bed and breakfast’ in Nansana from the Children’s Home in Ganda village by Noellene, one of the children’s teachers.  She is probably 21 or 22 and very beautiful.  She wants to know all about America and teaching and schools there.  As I scramble in my skirt over garbage piles and culverts that are on the ‘path’ between little shacks less glamorous than the fort my brother built when we were kids, we land on the topic of the Library.
‘What’s a Library?’ 
‘Oh, it’s where we keep all the books we share at school or in the town.’
‘You mean the book shop, we call it a book shop in Uganda.’
‘Do they lend books there or do you have to buy them?  In America, we have shops where you buy books you want to keep, and Libraries for books you just want to borrow to read, so you be careful with the book and return it in two weeks, your allotted time to read it.’  (In theory)
‘We do not have this thing here.  What do you do if people don’t bring them back?’
‘We don’t let them borrow anymore.’
‘But how would you know who was good and who was bad?’
‘We don’t, but it is all on computer and we know after they have abused their privileges, and then someone gives them a warning call or letter to pay the fine.. etc.’
This went on for sometime.  It seems so simple, but she wanted details as to the complexities of the entire system from bond levies to the renewal process and waiting lists.  Then she seemed irritated as to how we could have so much that we were relatively unaware of in the community ‘share’ pile and people would still be ridiculous enough to BUY books if this ‘Library’ were really real.  And who would be so ungrateful for this blessing as to risk community shame by racking up (foreboding music playing…) the dreaded Library charge? 
Feeling like a major jerk and a possible felon in the mind of my sweet friend, I decided to be grateful, and to: Here forward, solemnly vow to read the books I purchase and pass them on; go to the Library more often instead of the book store or even the video store, which is the other place I have ‘a record.’
Several of you are going through your possessions to give books to Hope Children’s Home and school.  Can I persuade more of you to join in?  I can tell you from the books I brought with me last September, they will treasure them and the teachers will go nuts.  The teachers will want to read them too.  Not to the kids.  To themselves first.  They will want the same small moment of joy the kids do.  New Information.  New Stories.  And the pictures!!!  They will be able to build entire lessons around them.
A few practical reminders: 
Good condition Books, Cd’s, videos, and Dvd’s are welcome. 
Witchcraft is alive and well in Uganda.  Keep ’Casper the friendly Ghost’ on this side of the pond, please.  Even Harry Potter is not desired at Hope Children’s Home.  Violence is a fact of life in Uganda, so please be very discerning if violence is in the subject matter.  ‘Bodice Rippers’ A.K.A. Romance Novels don’t fit the culture either.  Men and women don’t touch in public and even the pregnancy of a married woman is a taboo topic.
We need infant through eighth grade reading material, fun and/or educational.  Got teaching materials that are self explanatory?  Flannel Graphs? Not sure what to do with the Encyclopedia Britannica from 1978?  (Anything you need to know you can find current info on the internet.) Ship it!  It is more than they have and they’d love it! Be sure to tell the postman it is books.  The Library rate is CHEAP!!
 (Any notes of encouragement or letters to your sponsored child can go here as well!)

 
Day 21:
We have three full time residents left to sponsor and about 15 school kids left to sponsor. 
So what happens if we don’t sponsor all of the residents?  Well no one gets kicked out, but everything just gets spread a little thinner.  This also, happens sometimes when sponsors need to discontinue their sponsorship for one reason or another.  Hope does not send ’Tony’ back to the street, but it does make ‘Timmy’ and ‘Tommy’ share their food until a new sponsor can be found. There is a little slush in the general budget, but that usually gets spent on the unforseen, such as a child needing to go to the hospital or a necessary building repair.  Gas and food prices are rising all over the world., not just here.   ( www.showmercy.org )
What happens if not all of the school kids get sponsored?  Show Mercy can pull of keeping the teachers paid and they certainly do not reposess the uniforms the children are given, : >) which is usually the only modest/complete outfit they own.  However, the ability to feed all of the non-residents a healthy lunch is severely hampered, nor will they be able to keep the kids stocked with school supplies.  The local parents can rarely afford to buy their children school supplies.  So, little ‘Tina’ can show up to school everyday, but she has to memorize everything because she has no pencil or paper and it is a little hard to do, because she is having trouble concentrating on the teachers voice over her stomache growling, which if she brought a lunch from home… Oh, wait. There isn’t any extra there either.   (Open attachment and email me back.)
Again, the kids will try to pick up the slack with one another and tear one paper to bits, so everyone has a tiny scrap to write on as small as they can.  They will also break their pencil into bits, instead of passing it back and forth, so they can all write at the same time.  They catch huge flying ants to snack on or find some sugar cane.  They all pray for sponsors to be found soon.
I fully realize that not everyone can or will sponsor a child.  But everyone can spread the word, and some more prayers would certainly be appreciated. 
Another fun fact is that the kids don’t just share with other kids; when special holiday donations come in that they can share beyond the Hope property, they are very happy!  Children at Hope had the opportunity to experience the joy of giving to others for Christmas.  Some villagers received gift baskets of simple items like rice, flour, and salt.  They also received some meat!  The kids are lucky to get animal protein once a week and yet they were overjoyed to carry some to the other villagers.   
Some kids handed out Mosquito nets with me and some other volunteers back in September.  They would tell them, ‘Jesus sent you a net because He loves you.’  They took no credit for the gift and showed no jealousy that the price of the net purchased for another could have bought something to improve their own lives. 
Hope also allows the villagers to use the well on the Hope property.  This usually means they break the pump, and the kids must now fetch water from futher down the road at the ‘bad’ well until it can be fixed again.  The well is not in eyesight or earshot of the adults, so the kids always go in pairs.  The water is not as good there either.  It is more work, frustration, and dangerous to share and yet they do it anyway. 
Hmmm.
Humbled,
 Lia
 

We may never have a computerized checkout system, but what if our ‘hungering for knowledge’ students could finally stuff themselves silly?
 
Striving to no longer owe a single late fee any where in town,
 
Lia 

Leaping Day 18 & 19 – Oprah’s Big Give touches Show Mercy

18 Mar, 2008 

The purpose of these emails is to make this leap year a LEAP Year.  (Living to Educate ourselves and others About Poverty by spending 1% of our day on the subject or 14.4 minutes.)  After 29 days we hope to have 29 kids sponsored, $29,000.00 raised and a new way of thinking and good new habits formed.
Day 18:
 
This is from a former co-worker/current friend.  :>)
 
I wanted to share something with you. I don’t know if you watch Oprah’s Big Give show. It’s a new one, on ABC Sundays @ 9pm. I would suggest you watch it this Sunday if you can catch it… it is a will to inspire millions across the world to GIVE BIG, a great way to open people’s hearts to Show Mercy!!!!  We sit down as a FAMILY and watch the Big Give show every Sunday so far… I am hoping it will inspire the boys to see others giving themselves!
 
In fact, we, as a family have decided our Big Give will be to the children of Show Mercy, in the ways you and I have already talked about(books, clothes, etc.)  Today we went through D’s clothes and Vince’s. I gave Vince a choice (after the background story a few weeks ago about these kids): make a pile for clothes you would like to hand down to your step brother and another pile for clothes to give the kids of Show Mercy. After all was done, he wanted to give all the clothes to the Show Mercy kids, such an inspiration.
 
So I sent an email just letting people know what we were doing and where our motivation came from. I told them to tune into the show and see if they can create their own Big Give, just to start a positive chain reaction. Not more than two minutes after sending out my email, my cousin from California emailed back and was ALL over it. She said, "How can I help?  I’m a mother and I can’t STAND to see kids this way."  She forwarded out my mailing address as well as my email to her entire office! She said after she did that, people came to her office in person asking how they could help these kids! (I’m in tears already)…. so they are going to be gathering clothes, etc and mailing things to me before end of May so that I can pass them onto you for these kids!
 
All of this within an hour or so… so we’ll see if I get any more responses! What’s amazing is that wasn’t my intention at all, but because I shared my BIG GIVE, others wanted to help in their own way….
 
Please see the show, like I said… it may create another avenue for these kids!!! I can’t wait to start getting things in the mail, and for the day I can pass it all onto you and your fellow mission-ers for these kids!!!!!
 
Angela ~

Would you be willing to pass along how you want to help?  Would you be willing to send out an encouragement or challenge to your "contact list"? 
 
Filled with encouragement and anticipation,
 
Lia
 

 
Day 19: 
 

Don’t forget to be kind to strangers.  For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.  Hebrews 13:2
 
I am 98% convinced that Regina is an angel.  Regina is the Hope Children’s Home Cook.  She is a hard working Grandmother who spends her long days in a smoke filled room, hunched over large pots suspended above open fire that is floor level. Day in and Day out. Then she spends every other minute of the day and night caring for her grandchildren, as their parents are dead or gone.  But lots of Grandmothers in Africa do that, (except probably on a much smaller scale) without pay. 
 
So why is Regina angelic?  She still has an impish grin.  She still has joy.  She still gets as excited about tiny presents as the children.  She laughs and she teases.  She is the only adult who gets in "line", (more of a herd) with the rest of the 100+ kids to give me my arrival/good bye kisses.  She talks to the toddlers, who sit on her smokey "kitchen" floor, just because they like her company.
 
"Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" Hebrews 1:14
 
That is Regina, for sure!! 
 
In the Bible, Angels were also sent by God to: assist, protect, and instruct people, (just to name a few of their jobs).  If you would like to help any of the Angels that do the laundry, teaching, or cooking at Hope Children’s Home, they can be sponsored as well.  Though they are paid staff, if their wages were covered by sponsorships, there would be more money in the budget for school/home/kitchen improvements, supplies to make their jobs easier, and additional training.  (Most of Uganda uses straight memorization as their only teaching style.)  Though these Angels are the highest paid people in their village, they pull in about $50 a month.  We’d love to up that someday.  (I scrimped and saved to live on $20 a day.  I do not know how they do it.)  Also, if all of the current staff were sponsored, they might be able to hire more "mommas".  Currently there are only four adults that stay evenings and nights on the property with the 100+ children.  
 
Knowing what Angels you all have been to me,
 
Lia
 
Please let me know any thoughts, ideas, questions, or concerns you have about these emails, Show Mercy, the kids, etc.  Before we draw to a close I want to make sure that everyone has a chance to weigh in.  Hopefully, by thinking together, we can be educated about the base needs of Hope Children’s Home in these 29 days.  

Leaping Day 16 & 17 – Bark Dust and Uganda

18 Mar, 2008 

The purpose of these emails is to make this leap year a LEAP Year.  (Living to Educate ourselves and others About Poverty by spending 1% of our day on the subject or 14.4 minutes.)  After 29 days we hope to have 29 kids sponsored, $29,000.00 raised and a new way of thinking and good new habits formed.

Day 16:
 
Ahh, Spring.  Spring Cleaning inside and out.  A combination of hope for getting the yard to look even more inviting than last year and dread that it might take a lot of work to get the house ready for those who will, responding to that inviting looking yard, stop by.
 
I have heard that the bark dust industry was created to clean up the debris around the saw mill in such a way as to make it profitable.  Take something there is excess of and convince everyone that they need it so badly they are willing to, not only pay for it, but spend hours distributing it after they have purchased it.  No yard is good enough without some bark dust trimming the edges of it. 
 
It does actually serve a purpose, however.  It can reduce weeds by raising the acid level of the soil. And it does provide another texture for aesthetics. AND… you don’t have to mow it! There is nothing wrong with wanting some bark dust to beautify your property… But you don’t actually NEED it.  In my travels around Uganda, I did not see any bark dust and it was still very beautiful.
 
Is school a need or a want? Our government says it is a need through high school graduation or age 21.  Uganda is trying to make it a need for primary school children, but since few people pay their taxes, or can afford to, the schools are few and far between with huge class sizes and the children are still responsible for their own school supplies.  Government provided secondary school is not in the near future.  The community primary school on the property of Hope Children’s Home is trying to make school a Need, and not a Want, for all of the children in Ganda village, and not just the residents of Hope Children’s Home.  School is free to those who cannot afford it, but it is certainly not free to operate.
 
Talk to your kids and ask them what they would think, if all the boys and girls they knew really wanted to go to school, but not all of them could?  What would your children think if they knew, Ugandan children Needed to go to school to get a good enough job when they grow up to raise their standard of living?  What would you think if you knew that ‘raising their standard of living’, only means: all household members eating regularly from all of the food groups; having clean, damage-free clothes and shoes; maintaining their home with wood doors, shutters for windows, and a leak free roof; they might be able to put down an actual floor, instead of dirt; all household members can afford to pay school tuition/uniform/school supply fees and successfully attend school.
 
Show Mercy is trying to Reach out in Love, One Child at a time.  Sometimes that means rescuing children off of the street, or out of abusive homes and placing them in Hope Children’s Home where they would be protected, provided for, and loved.  Other times it means helping the working poor, (or unemployed) to care for their children so that they do not become so discouraged that they abandon them.
 
Where is your heart?  To aid the orphans? Go to www.showmercy.org to sponsor a resident of Hope Children’s Home.  Or is your heart to aid the children who have a chance to stay connected to their birth families if we can offer a little assistance?  Email me back and I can send you my spread sheet with pictures and bios of the children who asked me to find them sponsors because they would like to continue attending our neighborhood school.
 
Needing the hearts and actions of both kinds of people to continue to change lives in Ganda Village, Uganda,
 
Lia 
 
 
Day 17:
 
Now that some of you may need to sponsor a child, more than you want Barkdust, download the attachment.  It shares just a few of the many stories, (only a paragraph each) you might like to read. If I were smarter I could have pasted them into this email, but I can’t get this contraption to cooperate.  I am, however, very grateful to have my laptop back.  
 
Blessings on all you do this hope-filled spring,
Lia

Leaping Day 14 & 15 – Is Africa a Blackhole?

18 Mar, 2008 

The purpose of these emails is to make this leap year a LEAP Year.  (Living to Educate ourselves and others About Poverty by spending 1% of our day on the subject or 14.4 minutes.)  After 29 days we hope to have 29 kids sponsored, $29,000.00 raised and a new way of thinking and good new habits formed.

Day 14:

Let me share a quote from a friend.

 
“I see Africa as a black hole of endless need.  Anything we contribute is only a temporary fix due to the corrupt governments and tribal conflicts which can cause everything to fall apart in an instant.  I am so sorry for the miserable people who live there. It is all so sad.”
 
I only share this quote with you to further illustrate the point that we do not have to be involved in the exact same charity to encourage one another. I enjoy and appreciate her candor. Her honesty is why I like being her friend.   This friend fully supports me and is always encouraging me, she is just overwhelmed by the thought of Africa. I fully support her and wish to be an encouragement to her as she works tirelessly with the mentally disturbed here in the U.S., though it is not currently an outlet of my passion. 
 
She also wrote this: “… I pour my effort into people God brings to me – I treat my jobs as my ministry.  (That’s why I enjoy working.) 
You & I are both responding to our “calling.”  Being true to that calling is what makes life worthwhile, so blessings to you in your mission to help Africa.” I am blessed by her, and she is right about what is worthwhile. I love her very much.
 
So, why am I not overwhelmed with the black hole of endless need in Africa? I am not trying to help or change “Africa”, just Hope Children’s Home. I figured I would attempt one arm of one ministry before revolutionizing the village, the capital, the country, and then… (cue the trumpets) the continent! :>) (That is a joke. One of my friend’s does tease me, and I tease myself, about constantly looking for “dictator” job openings in the newspaper because occasionally, I can overconfidently bite off more than I can chew. :>)
 
Seriously, though I would be lying if I didn’t tell you I had a tantrum or two with humans and God about the amount that needs to be done at Hope. It can be overwhelming. But, I recently read something that has “freed” me to not be overwhelmed and to try anyway. “I do not need to save the world; Jesus Christ has already done that. I cannot transform the world, but I can allow God to use me to transform some part of it.” I have read words like those before, but this time, I leaned towards believing them. I lean further with every conversation and every email.
 
So, as we all find ways to transform our selves and thereby, those around us, I thought this video was great. 
 
 
Appreciating that you even read these,
Lia
 
Day 15:
 
Some of you have shared with me the charities you assist, and it has been very encouraging to see I have so many giving friends. I hope everyone finds an outlet for their gratitude, even if it doesn’t match mine. For clarity sake, however, I am not adding charities, other than showmercy.org, to the 292929 emails at this point. However, everyone that comes to my birthday party can share what they support with the other guests. :>)
 
As you choose a charity to partner with, or begin one of your own, my cousin had some great pointers as to how she chooses to get involved with a mission. These were the highlights I gleaned from her email to me.
 
  1.  Make sure they have a fabulous website, with a variety of programs from which to choose. 
  2. You should be able to read about the programs, choose a one-time gift, or an on-going gift for one or several projects they are currently working on. 
  3. They should have special programs that you can get in on, and a phenomenal reputation for how the money is spent with very little going to administration fees. 
  4. You should be able to give an on-going monthly contribution for as little as 10 bucks a month….everyone can afford that!
  5. During the holidays, are there any promotions? Let’s face it, we all have too many things and no one needs a Christmas <or Easter> gift…but if you can’t come to terms with the idea of NOT buying a gift for someone, <donating towards a project on behalf of a friend> is an easy way to say you care, not just about your friends and family, but about change and the world around us.
  6. Do they make available volunteer opportunities and travel possibilities if someone is so inclined? 
  7. Is it a great resource for those who need and those who want to give? 
  8. It should be easy… a no- brainer, that anyone … can do right now…TODAY!
 
Bless you!
Lia
 

Leaping Day 12 & 13 – 5 Love Languages

18 Mar, 2008 

Last Wednesday was a good day.  Most of my days aren’t bad; this one was just really good.  However it started off terrible.  I hadn’t slept well, I got the time wrong for when I was to be 35 minutes away with a prepared presentation, I hadn’t had any coffee, and I couldn’t remember if I brushed my teeth or not.  “Agggghhhhh!” (Don’t speed, Don’t speed.)
I made it in time to speak during the second assembly.  I forgot stuff in the car and locked myself out of the building twice.  Oh great! I prayed that my brains would return and the kids and I would both learn something as the 5th through 8th graders took their seats.  Talking a lot might be a trait of mine, but cohesive public speaking is not my gift.  However, since I spoke toe- to- toe with murderers in a Ugandan prison on the spur of the moment, (when I thought I was going to be waiting outside), I am no longer scared by public speaking.  No one at this event had any weapons or was a felon, to my knowledge.  Piece of cake.
I talked about love, the 5 love languages, (physical closeness, gifts, acts of service, words of affirmation and encouragement, and quality time) and how we react to all 5, but usually have one that is more effective in “topping off the love tank” for us, and  they are universal/cross-cultural.  We talked about how we do those things at home and school for those we care about and how we could do those things for those whom we have just met.  Jesus did all of those things and still does.  Showing love, and being ready to answer when asked why we do, is following Him.  Since they were already doing all of those things, they were, and could continue to be, “missionaries” as often, and wherever, they chose.  All that is necessary is a willing heart and many prayers, because occasionally people are not “loveable” and/or we do not feel particularly “lovey” towards anyone some days.
They asked lots of questions.  The best part was watching them connect or facially/physically react to my answers, pictures, and demonstrations and see the “light bulbs” go on about how much they have in comparison to the rest of the world.  (What was one of the most shocking things you did? “  “Holding a tiny baby while the missionary demonstrated to his grandmother how to keep shoving his hernia back in until it healed.”  The combination of sickness, sadness, and shock silenced an entire row of preteen boys.  They were really wrestling with what life is like for many others.  I have many more, but we were out of time. 
Then I was allowed to go to all of the classrooms of the kids who were in the first assembly I missed.  They are selling popcorn to raise money for the kids in Uganda so they were very interested in learning about the country.  I told them of the torrential rains, the beautiful foliage, the wild animals, the poverty, the culture, the homes, and the schools.  I shared an example I had heard.  If you have enough extra income to buy a book and the education with which to read and comprehend that book, you are in the top 15% of the world population of wealth holders.  The responses went from, “Cool!” to “Can I give them some of mine?” as they realized 85% of the world couldn’t buy a book even if they could read.  One little boy said he would buy 10,000 bags of popcorn so that the kids could have a better life.  I didn’t say, “That’s not realistic, but thanks anyways.”  What if he does?  I simply said, “Awesome!”
Is there a passionate statement you’d like to make, but don’t feel it is realistic? What if you just said it anyway?  What if you gave it a shot and didn’t care if you missed the mark because at least you would be further along than when you started?  What if you reached out in love, one child at a time?  Here are some ideas:
“I will go to an impoverished area and help.” (Physical closeness)
“I will write or call missionaries regularly.”  (Words of affirmation and encouragement)
“I will sponsor a child.”  (Quality time)
“I will spread the word about Hope Children’s Home.” (Acts of Service)
“I will donate towards projects.”  (Gifts)
I will give you more ideas tomorrow.
Much Love, Lia
Day 13:
Here are some ideas the kid’s of Bethel Christian School, and some others came up with, to help the willing get started Reaching out in Love, One Child at a time:
Have raffles for your homemade Easter Cards, Easter Baskets full of goodies, ???
Auction off donated goods and/or services from friends and family in your community.
Have a plant sale, an art sale.
Get your club or organization (Music, Sports, Dance, Drama, Martial Arts, etc.) to put on demonstrations or events to raise money for others.
Have your office or club sponsor a child.
Have leaping competitions with paid entry fees and fun donated prizes for the top leapers.  :>)
Have a Movie night.  (I think it is illegal to charge to see the movie, but selling snacks while they watch is not illegal.)
Basically, do what you were going to do anyways, but just say a few words and pass the hat.  :>) Whatever it takes to Spread the word, Sponsor Kids, and Support ongoing improvements in third world countries.
Smart kids.
XO, Lia
The purpose of these emails is to make this leap year a LEAP Year.  (Living to Educate ourselves and others About Poverty by spending 1% of our day on the subject or 14.4 minutes.)  After 29 days we hope to have 29 kids sponsored, $29,000.00 raised and a new way of thinking and good new habits formed.

Day 12:

After yesterdays email about ways to integrate technology into our giving, I learned some new stuff.  Apparently they have these new things, only about a decade old or so, that send email to your cell phones with a nifty “ding” signal to let you know someone wants to show you something.  Oooops!  So this is my blanket apology to anyone I woke in the night with my “special thoughts.”  I am soo sorry.  Please forgive me.  I will try to send these during “normal” hours from here forward.  :>) 

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