A Sobering Start...

I thought I should add the article that Gary discovered yesterday that was one of the catalysts to get this blog going.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/21/begging.africa.ap/index.html

I can't stop thinking about this little boy...about his brothers...about his family. My main thought when I was done was HOW IS THIS HAPPENING and WHY IS IT NOT BEING MORE PREVENTED?? and WHAT CAN WE DO??? My first thought was directed toward organizations like IJM...but then I started thinking about the root of the problem, and the root of the problem is not the traffikers themselves, but the poverty in these villages. Can you imagine being so poor that you would knowingly send your children into an environment/lifestyle like that? Not that the people exploiting these families and their children should not be punished...but there is definitely a bigger problem in the grand scheme of things. It's even crazier when you consider that this sort of thing is happening in the states, as well. Mind boggling.

It was interesting to me that this article made both Gary and I think of Kiva...a creative and practical solution to this very desperate picture painted in the article. This is a HUGE problem! I mean, did you read the amounts of some of those micro loans that people need?? COME ON!

What is really amazing to me is that that little boy's story was on CNN...not the first of these kind of stories...and with ALL of the resources of ALL of the people who are aware of things like this that the problem still exists. It reminds me of the night we were watching Idol Gives Back and Bono (or somebody rich like that) was talking to people about giving so they could pay for $2 mosquito nets and pills. He could fund the entire country! I'll get off that mini soap box now.

I love the idea of this blog. I love that we are changing together, making a difference together. The potential is huge...not only to wipe out poverty, but to share Jesus' love...I think about Coli's family, and how they were not only motivated to send their children away by their poverty, but also by the hope of eternal life. What if they knew they could truly have eternal life...for NOTHING?

Let's do something about this!

I hope and pray that as we live each day, wherever that may be, that God would give us hearts of generosity. That we would be compelled to give back...not only physically, but spiritually. God has given all of us SO much. Why would we not be delighted to share that with others? His love and grace is truly a Gift.