Plan B

My follow up for last week is that solidarity in experiencing even slightly, the plight of over half the world, eating a similiar diet was hugely eye opening. Rice and beans, oatmeal, minute portions of meat and vegetables, how can this be? Taking the grandkids to one of the Meal Packing functions yesterday was one of those great teaching moments, well really two hours of teaching. We donned hairnets and learned how first, second and third world countries share the world food supplies. Sharing is not the right word. It is a gross mismatch. The group of 112 of us were divided into three groups. Group one made up of three people represented the first world countries like the US, Japan, the UK. Second world countries like Mexico, Poland had seven members of us and the rest of us, 103, were all the Third World countries, like most of the countries in Africa.

The world food supply was represented by 48 little tubes of M & Ms, each containing roughly 50 M & M s. As the Third World countries, we received exactly one tube, 50 M & M s for 103 people. (Denver protested that wasn't fair, he's right.) Second World countries got one and a half tubes, 75 M & Ms and First World countries got all the rest, 2275 M & M s for THREE people. There is enough food; we all just have to figure out how to balance out this crazy equation. Feed My Starving Children is one organization trying to work it out. We measured, bagged, sealed and boxed enough meals in our two hour stint to feed 79 starving kids for a year. As a group we all got a sample of the cooked rice concoction at the end of our two hours. Denver, Maya and Isaiah, although they liked it, liked the ice cream cones we stopped for much more. We learned alot.

And as for Plan B, I just finished my first night of the Spring session at Grief Support. My table of 12 shared their heart wrenching stories of loss of their children. Each of us are facing Plan B, how we do life when Plan A, the way we thought life would be, turns into Plan B. Will we allow ourselves to see and seek God in the worst times of our life? I just watched the video of The Smith Family on this blog, http://withoutwax.tv/ , a beautiful example of Plan B. 22 minutes of inspiration. Go there. Be blessed.

Celebration of Hope

My church does some amazing things with great regularity. Right now we are in the Celebration of Hope which is focused on world hunger in big ways. Check out www.willowcreek.org/coh08 .

This week, one piece is the Five Day Solidarity Challenge. As an act of solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world, we are choosing to eat as they do. Several of us are doing this, and Day One so far is not too bad. A cup of plain oatmeal for breakfast, dry salad greens at lunch and about a half cup of rice and a piece of chicken about the size of a chicken McNugget (without the breading) and some more dry salad greens. Of course for me the big challenge was not burning the house down. I started the cup of water boiling this morning for the oatmeal and did not notice I lit the wrong burner. Pete's keys and a leatherette pouch with a microphone and cables started smoking and smoldering. Nothing like the smell of burnt PVC to wake you up. And then the rice tonight, almost but not quite crunchy. I will get the hang of this!

Second Challenge: Limit your consumption. How appropriate this being Earth Day and all. The really terrific idea is being conscious of ways to conserve and put those saved dollars in an envelope. This will go to a special offering on Mother's Day. Every dollar collected will feed more than six children.

Third Challenge Provide meals, actually Meal Packs. these are nutritionally complete packets developed by Feed My Starving Children. As a church we are meeting at various times and locations to help measure, mix, bag and seal and then box, are you ready for this: 3.5 million Meal Packs. These will feed 10,000 kids from Zimbabwe for a year. I think when we were shown the pictures of a little 8 year old boy, Omar, who weighed 19 pounds when he was first brought into Rescue Center and how he thrived on this concoction doubling his weight in two months, his hair growing back, I was hooked.

And for the next two weeks we will experince the World Market, where we can support Fair Trade artisans and be part of long term solutions to world hunger by supporting microenterprises. This is truly cool.

The Challenge is really not so daunting when I can see and do small reasonable parts that can still have an impact on world hunger. And maybe tomorrow I can do it without burning anything!

I love this picture from my sister, the chicken rancher...

Love so pure, it hurts

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/


It is easy to get caught up in blogland if you have a few hours to read and absorb stories. I have found great inspiration in some blogs, especially those of young families who have dealt with tragedy and still can find God in their journey. There is an amazing blog linked to Mandy's (who is linked to mine right here). Be Strong and Courageous is the name of the blog and right now you would start reading and not get the significance of what seems like a pretty ordinary life in New Zealand. But go back a few months in her blog or really look at the picture of the family.

Or another link on Mandy's is Ben's blog. This little guy just had surgery and he and his sweet family need prayer. And the link here is one of the most beautiful letters from a mom to her daughter. So pure it hurts.

Just a thought, get lost in blogland and realize what blessings can be found there.

Enjoying sunny Italy.

Yep, they took the romantic gondola ride in Venice.

Travelin'

Since Greg took his blog private, I am sure there are some who wonder how they are doing. Well, this past week they have been on a well deserved and much needed vacation. They traveled mostly without prearranged reservations and went to all the wonderful spots you would want to visit in Italy, even to the city of Cheryl's relatives.

Ashley and Brooke went a day earlier with the KL International School's music department. They performed in Italy! How cool is that? Greg and Cheryl did some cities on their own and then met up with the girls to complete the family vacation.

I have been to Italy once for a business meeting probably at least 6 or 7 years ago. I have always said that some day Pete and I will go back together. After seeing the Bonciminos pictures, I hope it is sooner rather than later.