In my last entry, I wrote about a book. I was unable to walk away from what I read on the pages of that book and not do something, so I joined Team World Vision, which for me involved registering for the Philadelphia Marathon and starting an effort to raise money for water projects in Kenya and Ethiopia.
I would love it if you would join me on this journey in whatever way(s) you are able...words of encouragement, prayer, marathon training advice, news about water to add to my blog, etc. You can also take part in changing the lives of others by going to my fundraising page and donating whatever you are able...any amount is helpful. Thanks so much for considering this invitation, and thanks to those who have already been so encouraging!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Bathroom Inspiration
Here's the continuation of the story told in an earlier blog entry...the next part of the story began in my sister's bathroom. That's where my husband was when he picked up a book, started flipping through it, and found the same photo that I used for the drawing I discussed in the earlier entry. Dave was very familiar with the photo at that point. He came downstairs, book in hand, and showed me the photo. I started skimming through the book, which is called The Hole in Our Gospel and was written by World Vision President Richard Stearns. A few days later, I purchased it and started reading.
(A little background...by that point, I was already familiar with World Vision through our sponsorship of Simon. And I was already familiar with Team World Vision. In recent months, I came across a several articles and was involved in a couple of conversations where people were talking about running for Team World Vision. In fact, a few weeks before I read the book, I told my sister that she should check out a informational session for Team World Vision in her town).
Richard Stearns writes of his own journey from hot shot CEO to World Vision President to broken advocate for the world's poor and orphaned. His story is nothing short of amazing...that God would care enough about this rich, white, Christian man to invite him to leave his position of entitlement and connect him with some of the most materially needy people on earth is truly compelling. Richard Stearns had the courage to say yes to God, even when he didn't want to. And his decision is changing his life and the lives of countless others forever. His book invites others on this same journey.
Did you know that God is like Martha Stewart? If Martha walked into a room with a crooked painting, she would need to straighten it. That is who Martha is; it is her nature, her character.** In the same way, it is God's character to set things right...to comfort the grieving and broken, to care for orphans and widows and poor people, to heal the sick, to give grace where it's undeserved. God says it much better than me through the prophet Isaiah (a little context...God is talking about being displeased with religious people who do all of the right religious things, like fasting, for all of the wrong reasons)...
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring."
Isaiah 58:6-11, New Living Translation
That God wants to set things right in our lives and in the lives of people all over the world is comforting. That He invites us and chooses us to share in the action of setting things right is awesome and humbling.
**I wish I could take credit for this illustration! But it was Sherman Snow who shared this during an InterVarsity urban program Bible study several years ago.
(A little background...by that point, I was already familiar with World Vision through our sponsorship of Simon. And I was already familiar with Team World Vision. In recent months, I came across a several articles and was involved in a couple of conversations where people were talking about running for Team World Vision. In fact, a few weeks before I read the book, I told my sister that she should check out a informational session for Team World Vision in her town).
Richard Stearns writes of his own journey from hot shot CEO to World Vision President to broken advocate for the world's poor and orphaned. His story is nothing short of amazing...that God would care enough about this rich, white, Christian man to invite him to leave his position of entitlement and connect him with some of the most materially needy people on earth is truly compelling. Richard Stearns had the courage to say yes to God, even when he didn't want to. And his decision is changing his life and the lives of countless others forever. His book invites others on this same journey.
Did you know that God is like Martha Stewart? If Martha walked into a room with a crooked painting, she would need to straighten it. That is who Martha is; it is her nature, her character.** In the same way, it is God's character to set things right...to comfort the grieving and broken, to care for orphans and widows and poor people, to heal the sick, to give grace where it's undeserved. God says it much better than me through the prophet Isaiah (a little context...God is talking about being displeased with religious people who do all of the right religious things, like fasting, for all of the wrong reasons)...
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring."
Isaiah 58:6-11, New Living Translation
That God wants to set things right in our lives and in the lives of people all over the world is comforting. That He invites us and chooses us to share in the action of setting things right is awesome and humbling.
**I wish I could take credit for this illustration! But it was Sherman Snow who shared this during an InterVarsity urban program Bible study several years ago.
Monday, September 27, 2010
training update
A few random notes about my marathon training...
Dave and I just joined the local YMCA, at least temporarily. Up until now, I'd been completing my training runs in the morning, before the kids were up and Dave needed to leave for work. But it's been more and more difficult to run outside at 6 AM. I'm a little klutzy, and I was getting concerned that I may injure myself running on the city sidewalks in the dark! It was either join the Y, or invest in a headlamp!
My long run partner, Val, and I completed a 16-mile long run this past weekend. The longest we've gone up to this point is 18 miles. We do 20 this Saturday, and we're looking forward to the challenge (right Val?)!
Please let me know if you are interested in hearing more about my marathon training, or if you have any general questions about training, by commenting on this blog post. Do you picture yourself being fascinated by the details of each and every run, potential injury, running-related toenail problem, etc.? (Some runners eat this up...I'm NOT kidding). Or not so much? I'd love to know what YOU think. Really. Thanks!
Dave and I just joined the local YMCA, at least temporarily. Up until now, I'd been completing my training runs in the morning, before the kids were up and Dave needed to leave for work. But it's been more and more difficult to run outside at 6 AM. I'm a little klutzy, and I was getting concerned that I may injure myself running on the city sidewalks in the dark! It was either join the Y, or invest in a headlamp!
My long run partner, Val, and I completed a 16-mile long run this past weekend. The longest we've gone up to this point is 18 miles. We do 20 this Saturday, and we're looking forward to the challenge (right Val?)!
Please let me know if you are interested in hearing more about my marathon training, or if you have any general questions about training, by commenting on this blog post. Do you picture yourself being fascinated by the details of each and every run, potential injury, running-related toenail problem, etc.? (Some runners eat this up...I'm NOT kidding). Or not so much? I'd love to know what YOU think. Really. Thanks!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Questions
A lot of the time, I am a skeptical person. It's hard for me to trust. In a former life, at least it feels like a former life after being home with kids for a couple of years, I was a civil engineer. I spent many days analyzing plans and checking calculations, looking for errors and broken rules. I'm pretty sure other engineers didn't appreciate my letters, which arrived with lists of my findings; I was the bad guy....or girl. It was my job to be questioning and even suspicious.
I have to admit that I still have some questions about that water projects that World Vision and other non-profits complete in other countries. Do they work over the long-haul? Does the village/neighborhood take ownership of the infrastructure and maintain it? How does the presence of a new water source change the culture of the community? Are there any unintended negative impacts? Sometimes, I feel like I may need to go and live near one of these projects to satisfy my curiosity!
Thankfully, some women from Kenya were able to answer one of my questions. A couple of weeks ago, while visiting the World Vision Magazine Blog, I read an entry titled Assignment Kenya, which included an invitation for readers to write in with questions about the water crisis. I commented with a question and received a response. I'll include the edited version below. Please visit the actual blog entry for the full version.
I have to admit that I still have some questions about that water projects that World Vision and other non-profits complete in other countries. Do they work over the long-haul? Does the village/neighborhood take ownership of the infrastructure and maintain it? How does the presence of a new water source change the culture of the community? Are there any unintended negative impacts? Sometimes, I feel like I may need to go and live near one of these projects to satisfy my curiosity!
Thankfully, some women from Kenya were able to answer one of my questions. A couple of weeks ago, while visiting the World Vision Magazine Blog, I read an entry titled Assignment Kenya, which included an invitation for readers to write in with questions about the water crisis. I commented with a question and received a response. I'll include the edited version below. Please visit the actual blog entry for the full version.
One thing that I have wondered is if there is anything valuable that would be lost in providing clean and reliable water sources for these people? Is there anything redemptive about the process of getting water (i.e. is this a community-building time for the women and children?).
World Vision’s first rule is to do no harm. We ensure that our projects will benefit, not damage, communities. But I thought your question was so intriguing I asked several women about it. They told me that getting water at a closer locations will have no negative effect on their sense of community. The women are together constantly. They go to the market together, to church together, they plant crops together, and gather firewood together. When one of the women is sick, the others organize to help her. One woman will bring her water, another firewood, another food, and another will care for her children. It couldn’t be more different from our culture, where our garage doors close us off from our neighbors’ needs. Getting water is just one of the things that bonds these women. They’ll still meet at the nearby water kiosks to talk, laugh, and share. But now they don’t have to walk miles and miles back home.
I have more questions, but I've found that when I wait for all of the answers, it leads to inaction. To really live, I need to move without seeing the whole picture and rely on grace for my missteps.
I have more questions, but I've found that when I wait for all of the answers, it leads to inaction. To really live, I need to move without seeing the whole picture and rely on grace for my missteps.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Water Walk
I'm planning to do a water walk to get some small idea of what life is like for the women and children who need clean water. I don't have anything firm in place at this point; I'm thinking of walking to a stream that is about 1 mile from our house (or finding another stream further away...most women and children walk more than 1 mile each way), getting water, and walking back. I don't have a date in mind, but it would likely be a Saturday or Sunday in October.
I'd like to invite you to consider joining me. Please comment on this post or send me an email/facebook message if you are interested.
I'd like to invite you to consider joining me. Please comment on this post or send me an email/facebook message if you are interested.
The Burden of Thirst
If we can look at the people that are suffering and not turn away, then perhaps we can start to change things. - Lynn Johnson, photographer
I urge you to watch the following video by National Geographic, titled The Burden of Thirst.
The video interviews are courtesy of www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org
I urge you to watch the following video by National Geographic, titled The Burden of Thirst.
The video interviews are courtesy of www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Night At The Chameleon Club
Friday night, I found myself at the Chameleon Club (my first time in the 10 years that I've been here...can I say that I'm TRULY from Lancaster now?) for an Ed Kowalczyk concert. It was rockin! Ed is the former frontman of the band Live. According to his website, Ed got involved with World Vision due in part to a realization during his daughters' bedtime routine. He was giving them their nightly cups of water when it hit him that it is a privilege to be able to provide clean water for his children; some fathers don't have a clean cup of water to give to their children every night.
I felt really grateful to have the opportunity to volunteer at the World Vision table and help generous concert-goers sign up to sponsor a child. It was particularly meaningful to me because all of the children sponsored Friday night are from Zambia, the same country where our sponsored child is from. When the night was over, 13 people signed up to sponsor children. But the night wasn't all cheery; I was left with some unsettling feelings. One of the men that signed up to sponsor a child appeared to be drunk. This type of situation was not discussed during our volunteers' training. When he woke up Saturday morning, did he remember that he committed to providing monthly support to a poverty-stricken child? Another woman told me that she has cancer and may be able to support her child for only a few months. These new child sponsors felt compelled to give financially; I am hoping that, somehow, their act of providing financial support to a needy child serves to meet some of their own unspoken needs.
We are all needy. Some of us are more aware of our neediness than others. Some of us have more socially acceptable kinds of neediness than others. Some of us need money. Some need friends or family. Some need physical or emotional healing. Some need a deeper relationship with God.
It feels uncomfortable to be needy. We try to cover it by buying the right clothes or cars or houses, or appearing to be happy or spiritual all of the time or working hard to keep the right job or having good social connections. It requires courage to admit our neediness and to ask for help.
I felt really grateful to have the opportunity to volunteer at the World Vision table and help generous concert-goers sign up to sponsor a child. It was particularly meaningful to me because all of the children sponsored Friday night are from Zambia, the same country where our sponsored child is from. When the night was over, 13 people signed up to sponsor children. But the night wasn't all cheery; I was left with some unsettling feelings. One of the men that signed up to sponsor a child appeared to be drunk. This type of situation was not discussed during our volunteers' training. When he woke up Saturday morning, did he remember that he committed to providing monthly support to a poverty-stricken child? Another woman told me that she has cancer and may be able to support her child for only a few months. These new child sponsors felt compelled to give financially; I am hoping that, somehow, their act of providing financial support to a needy child serves to meet some of their own unspoken needs.
We are all needy. Some of us are more aware of our neediness than others. Some of us have more socially acceptable kinds of neediness than others. Some of us need money. Some need friends or family. Some need physical or emotional healing. Some need a deeper relationship with God.
It feels uncomfortable to be needy. We try to cover it by buying the right clothes or cars or houses, or appearing to be happy or spiritual all of the time or working hard to keep the right job or having good social connections. It requires courage to admit our neediness and to ask for help.
In the nightly bedtime routine at the Kowalczyk house, I am in charge of getting two glasses of water for my daughters' night stands. One evening last year, as I handed my 8-year-old her glass, it hit me like a freight train; this clean water is a blessing that thousands of fathers, just like me in this world, do not have. I don't have to worry that the water might make my children, the loves of my life, sick with a possibly fatal illness. I simply take it for granted. I decided then and there to make a difference. It is with great pleasure and profound gratitude that I announce my partnership with World Vision. Let's all work together to give parents in need that simple joy of putting a glass of safe and clean water on the nightstands of their little ones."
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