Today, as I was soaking in the beauty of the my Christmas tree for the last time, it suddenly struck me that the the story of Christ’s birth seems to get put away in the attic like the rest of the Christmas decorations in the days after December 25. We probably won’t hear another sermon about that day in Bethlehem until next December. Have you ever considered how absurd this is? Why is the story that our Christianity is based upon only a seasonal topic?

I think I’m having these thoughts because the Christmas story means something completely new to me this year. I took some time to look at the other characters that surround the manger in a typical Nativity scene. Have you ever considered how amazing the story of the shepherds is? The shepherds are the first evangelists of Christianity! Think about this: God sent a whole host of stunningly beautiful angels to tell the shepherds about the birth of Christ. Immediately, the shepherds hurry into Bethlehem to see this thing the angels spoke to them about. But, after seeing Christ, they don’t simply go back to their flocks. According to Luke 2:17-18, “After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.” They couldn’t contain their joy! They had to tell EVERYONE! Think of how easily God could have used the same host of angels that he sent to the shepherds to spread the news of his son’s birth. I’m sure the angels, in all their splendor, would have had no problem convincing the people that the Messiah had been born. But instead, God spreads the word through lowly shepherds. He had a plan for them to be vessels of his truth. What an incredible parallel to the calling Christ has placed on our lives to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone” (Mark 16:15). This Christmas season, I identify with the shepherds. There’s this burning inside of me to spread the joy of christ to the nations!

Ok, now consider the Wise Men. As you may know, the nativity scenes that we often decorate with at Christmas time are actually historically incorrect. The wise men were never actually at the scene of Christ’s birth. They had to make the journey to Israel from the orient. It could have taken them over a year to reach Jesus with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I love the image of these magi, making the trek over thousands of miles, seeking something they don’t even understand. Now THAT is faith. I think there is a reason they are included in the Christmas story. This is God’s reminder to us to always seek him. It may take us a year of traveling over mountains and through valleys, but if we seek him, we will always find him.

So, let’s make sure and celebrate Christmas every day this year! December 25th should serve as our reminder that as we seek Jesus like the wise men, we are to go out into the world, just like the shepherds, and share the story of the Lord’s birth with all those that we encounter. After all, who doesn’t need a little good news these days?

Disclaimer: I am by NO means an expert on Israel, Palestine, Islam, religion, history or much else for that matter so take what I relate to you here with a grain of salt. This is only based on my limited understanding and experience.

In both Israel and Egypt, light and darkness is almost tangible. When I think about my Christian religion, my relationship with God, it is something personal, but in Israel, where 3 major world religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, intersect, religion is played out on a grand stage. The religious tension is intense. The three religions battle over holy sites. The Dome of the Rock is built over the Temple Mount. According to our local tour guide, many mosques are built directly beside churches denoting holy sites simply to make a statement. For example, the Church of the Annunciation (built over Mary’s home where the angel Gabriel appeared to her announcing the birth of Christ) is in Nazareth. Right next to the church is an open air mosque with a large billboard that reads: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers – Holy Quran.” Even if I had no religious association, I would feel that this was a bit overboard. Sadly, even the “Christian” churches are divided among different sects. For example, the Church of the Holy Seplechure and the CHurch in Bethlehem are both divided into 3 parts between the Armenian, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Apparently these churches had fought over the sites for so long that they eventually signed a treaty stating what times they could each control the area. For me it was just a reminder of how the volatile humanity of religion can easily cloud the truth and power of the belief that created religion. Loosing sight of Christ amidst the trappings of religion is not a recent problem. Our guide, Emmanuel, was born into a practicing Jewish family but now rejects all religion. Honestly, after being in Israel, I could understand how he arrived at this conclusion. He is surrounded by religion. Everywhere he turns, everything is DEFINED by religion. And they are all fighting each other. Where is the peace and love in all of this?

Nazareth - the sign with the church directly behind it

Anyways…let me get down off my soapbox. Seeing the sights really brought the New Testament to life. I have walked where Jesus walked. I have never doubted the authenticity of the stories in the Bible, but I must say seeing the places these stories actually occurred adds a whole to element of understanding to my personal Bible reading. I will never forget standing on the Mount of the Beatitudes and reading the sermon on the mount in Matthew. I was actually shaking as I thought, “This is where Jesus actually spoke these powerful words thousands of years ago.” Yesterday in church, my pastor was talking about the Israelites fleeing Egypt and I instantly thought, “Hey, I’ve been there.”

Floating in the Red Sea

Now for a few highlights of my trip (in one jumbled paragraph that is primarily stream-of-conciousness) …I sailed and learned to cast a net on the Sea of Galilee. I floated in the Dead Sea and covered myself in Dead Sea mud. My skin has never been so smooth! The Garden of Gesthemene is possibly the most peaceful place on earth. I ate tons of Falafel, Humus, Schwarma, and salad for breakfast. I visited Bethlehem, which is completely under Palestinian control. It is surrounded by HIGH walls in the middle of Israel and you must go through border control to get inside. I visited the Garden tomb. I cannot even explain the overwhelming joy my heart felt there. I was baptized in the Jordan River. I visited Capernum where Jesus performed a majority of his miracles. I went to the room of the last super and took communion there. I wrote the prayers of my heart on a tiny piece of paper and put it in a crack in the wailing wall.

Now a bit about Egypt. I have been fascinated by Egypt ever since we studied the Pyramids in Middle School at Cedar Hall. As we all know, Egypt has been in a state of unrest ever since all of the protesting occurred there. Probably not the safest time to visit but fearlessness is one of my many downfalls. Sometimes I wish I was a man so that I would have the strength to defend myself in order to match the lack of fear I have in most dangerous situations. We felt pretty safe while we were there but this may be due to the constant presence of our own personal, armed secret service man with us at all times…

Petra, Jordan

On the way to Egypt I visited Petra in Jordan, on of the modern wonders of the world. The whole civilization was carved into rock. simply STUNNING. I fulfilled my dream of riding a camel in front of the pyramids! I climbed on the pyramids and even went inside the smaller one. I learned how to make papyrus. I saw all the splendor of King Tuts tomb. I went to a Egyptian perfume shop where they manufacture essence from flowers and send it to all the big perfume labels like Polo, Burberry, etc. It takes 1000 flowers to make 1 ounce of essence! (I bought some of course). I learned how to weave Egyptian carpet. I pretended to kiss the Sphynx. I ate dinner on the Nile. I saw the presidential building, burned down during the protests. The dirty, crowded city of Cairo truly intrigued me. 

I’ve included a few photos but unfortunately I LOST all my Israel photos due to leaving my memory card behind in the hotel room in Eilot Israel.

Social Media and Non-Profit Organizations 

First of all, the “trendy” aspect calls me to question the sustainability of such a movement. What happens when social justice isn’t the “thing” to do anymore? Will all support be lost? This is something that simply cannot be afforded. Are the people following these movements taking time to connect to the issues and take them to heart?

On the flipside, as they say, no PR is bad PR. Does it matter why people begin caring about the issues as long as they care? There are plenty of people devoted to the cause, using their everyday lives to make changes. Will it matter if the outer realm of supporters may be in it for the wrong reasons? Maybe the trendiness factor is what captures their attention first but eventually it becomes a deeper commitment.

A similar question can be raised about the fad, Toms Shoes. As many are unaware, Toms is not a non-profit organization. There is a reason their simply-made shoes cost from $40-$75. They are not only sending a pair of shoes to a child in need but they are also leaving room to make a profit. If the circumstances were different and Toms was a non-profit, imagine how many more pairs of shoes could be sent to needy children. The interesting part is, people are willing to buy these expensive shoes because it is satisfying to know that while buying something for yourself you are also helping someone else. The same question applies here. Does it really matter if the company is profiting as long as they are helping thousands of children along the way?
So, will this fad last? Only time will tell.

Bono has a heart. Speaking out for poor who cannot speak out for themselves has become who he is, reflected in his music as well as his lifestyle. He is unashamed. He is bold.

So often I put him on a pedestal, with his product (RED) line, books, and TV interviews. I think to myself, “Wow, he is really changing the world.”

I’ve never been on T.V., but I want to change the world too…

We cannot all be rock stars, speaking out about injustice to millions of adoring fans every night, using only a guitar and a microphone. We cannot all be missionaries or work for the Peace Corps, caring for the displaced in Africa or feeding the hungry in Asia.

Most of us will spend our days in the business world, climbing the corporate ladder or teaching kindergartners how to read.

It is so difficult not to get immersed in the world around us where our only frame of reference when it comes to hunger is the time we spent in college living off of Ramen noodles and Mac and Cheese. We forget so easily about the hunger, poverty and disease that ravages the world.

We must not allow ourselves to forget. To make a true difference on an everyday level, social justice cannot simply be an afterthought. It must become a lifestyle. It does not matter what your job is, where you live, or who you are, you can make a difference. When it comes to changing the world, a dentist in Michigan is just as important as a politician on Capitol Hill.

The fight against injustice begins by simply making people aware of the issues that are affecting people around the world.

For example, I bet you thought that slavery was abolished after the Civil War. As I learned recently at a human trafficking round table at the U.S. State Department, there are 12.3 million people worldwide, adults and children, enslaved into forced labor and sexual servitude.

Some of the most common forms of human trafficking enslave children as child soldiers, sex workers, and forced laborers. Many of these children slaves are either kidnapped or persuaded with false promises of a better life.

The idea of slavery produces certain images in my mind. I picture people shackled and chained, living behind bars, being forced to work. But,in the trafficking system, something more permanent than chains binds the victims to the abusive situation. Most of the enslaved have been abused in such a manner that they believe that they have no other option but to continue as they are in their situation. Those who enslave them create a sense of dependency that kills all hope of escape.

It is so easy to dismiss this crisis because it feels so far away, but the truth is human trafficking exists in the United States. Areas such as Houston and Atlanta are known to have underground trafficking networks.

Not only can you speak out against injustice, but you can also be an example through your choices. Choose to purchase goods that are guaranteed to have been produced without the use of slavery. Get involved with an organization, such a World Vision, that works to combat these wrongs through development and funding.

If you turn away, who will tell their stories? Speaking out against injustice does not require a particular college degree or occupation. It simply requires a bold heart.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

During my internship at World Vision I learned that as little as 10 calls to your state senator or representative can make a huge difference. 10 people calling in can make the issue a priority in governmental offices. Force them to take a stand. your representatives need to know that poverty issues are important to you.

Calling in sounds frightening but don’t let fear be paralyzing. It’s as easy as calling and saying, “I’m asking Senator ________ to support the International Affairs Budget.”

You can find YOUR senator’s contact information through this link from the One Campaign.

Also click here to sign the One Campaign petition to tell senate that budget cuts could cost lives.

World Vision’s Director of Advocacy and Government Relations Bob Zacharitz on the importance of the International Affairs Budget

Blood:Water Mission is a non-profit, grassroots organization empowering communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crisis in Africa. All the money that they raise goes directly towards their projects in Africa. They already have 971 existing water projects in 11 countries, varying from wells to water catchment tanks and all the money raised through 40 Days serves to maintain the existing projects as well as begin new ones. By simply saving money you would otherwise spend by drinking water, you not only change someone’s world but you are also able to make a statement that those across the globe, without access to the basic right of clean water, are worth that sacrifice. By making a choice to be without certain pleasures in life, we can ensure that others have the water they need to live.

40 Days of Water Facts – From Blood:Water Mission

• With Blood:Water Mission, $1 a year = one year of water for an African
• 328 Million people in Sub-Saharan Africa alone still used unimproved drinking water sources
• Over 3.5 Million people die of water related diseases every year
• For every $1 invested in clean water, the economic return is $3-$34
• 2/3 of Africa’s population live in urban slum settlements without clean water, sewerage, transport systems, and sanitation. 
• It’s estimated that 40 billion hours a year are spent collecting water in Sub-Sahara Africa.
• One tenth of the global disease burden could be prevented by improving water supply, sanitation, hygiene, and management of water resources.
• Over 1 billion people in the world don’t have access to clean water. That is 1 in 6 people.
• A person can live about a month without food but only a week without water.
  

Me and Whit

1. Maybe Lee University isn’t a huge state school with a football team to entertain us…but we do have nature on our side! There is nothing better than heading up to the Ocoee River with friends on a random day during the week. Such a getaway, without even really leaving Cleveland. Even the ever-ghetto Parksville Beach can be a perfect place to spend a overly-hot day.

2. Took a random road trip with my Epsilon little sister Alyssa to see Courtney Henry, who is now

Court and I after eating Italian Ice

working and living in Atlanta. Gosh I was made for the city. We explored the Virginia Highlands and Little 5 points, some of the most eclectic, artsy, perfect places I’ve ever been. My heart just felt so welcome there, beating to the rhythm of the city. We went to the Human Bodies exhibit where real bodies and parts are cut open and separated for you to see. Ok i know this sounds like a scene from Saw, and if you know me typically I’d be running the other way just at the thought, but it was actually incredible interesting. You could see what the full form of the body looked like, muscles, nerves, veins. It was incredible. Seriously I don’t know how you could doubt God’s supremacy after seeing such intricacy. Then we went to this thing called Dialogue in the Dark which is basically a blindness simulation. They give you a blind person’s cane and put you into pitch blackness. You have to navigate your way through the park, the grocery store, the beach, the street, and a restaurant. Trying to find the crossing button to safely cross the street was probably one of the most disorienting things I’ve ever experienced. All my senses were going crazy!

3. Just when I thought I wouldn’t be returning to Atlanta for a while, my dear friend Nick surprised me on Tuesday morning with tickets to the Jimmy Eat World concert in ATL that night. I was beyond excited because I was pretty stuck on Jimmy Eat World all throughout Middle and High School. Bleed American, that was my jam. It still is one of my favorite records. The concert atmosphere was incredible. Honestly, they had one of the best stages presences I’ve ever experienced at a concert, and the crowd was pumped.

Jimmy Eat World

“Are you gonna live your life wonderin’ standing in the back lookin’ around?
Are you gonna waste your time thinkin’ how you’ve grown up or how you missed out?
Things are never gonna be the way you want.
Where’s it gonna get you acting serious?
Things are never gonna be quite what you want.
Or even at 25, you gotta start sometime.
I’m on my feet, I’m on the floor, I’m good to go.
Now all I need is just to hear a song I know.
I wanna always feel like part of this was mine.
I wanna fall in love tonight.”

- Jimmy Eat World – “Praise Chorus”

College is my soul mate. And I’m in love.

STOP ABUSE

When I looked at the date of my last blog post it seemed almost unreal to me that it’s been almost 2 months since I returned from South Africa. So many things have happened here in Cleveland, but not much has changed. Tap Night came and went. The summer is turning into fall and pretty soon I will trade my sandals in for my cute new brown leather ankle boots. The cycle of life continues. But amongst all the familiarity, I’ve changed. As Nelson Mandela said himself, “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” My experience in South Africa was like a cup of strong coffee. I feel more awake. I feel more alive. Moments mean more. I didn’t know that my heart needed healing but being somewhere other than the familiar showed me that I wasn’t familiar to myself anymore.

Me, Hannah, and Carley insanely close to giraffe

My last week in the SA was a whirlwind. I went on a safari where I saw lions, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and zebras. I never realized how strange these animals are until they were up close and personal. I mean, giraffes are the most oddly designed thing I’ve ever seen! We serve a crazy creative savior.

Skydiving

I went skydiving for Brennon’s 18th birthday. Let’s just say they do things a little differently over there in Africa. Within 15 minutes of arriving at the skydiving place, I was harnessed up and in a plane flying 5000 feet above the ground. They didn’t even tell me how to jump or how to land until we were actually on our way up. This may have been a good thing otherwise I may have been more nervous. Someday I’m afraid my fearless tendencies may backfire. The free fall of falling out of that plane was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It was such a rush, such a freeing experience. As soon as I landed, I wanted to jump again. Brennon and I have already researched our next skydiving location.

About to jump out of the plane!

With every culture and country I visit, I’m left with these memories that I just don’t know what to do with. How do I compartmentalize this experience? How do I file it away in my brain? There are just too many moments, too many experiences, too many lives. I tried so hard to show you all what I was experiencing but it is impossible to write out the feelings that are still churning within me today. Sometimes faces just pop in my head. The faces of my Ocean View kids, LSEs, patients in the clinic, other volunteers. There is a connection there. These people have seen me through a process that I am overwhelmingly grateful for.

“Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth.”
-Psalm 46:10

His love is strong.

Building a house up in Red Hill

I can’t imagine that I will ever have the chance to build another house from the ground up. I’m no bob-the-builder although I do have my own professional, hardcore toolkit that my carpenter of a grandfather gave me for Christmas one year, so I’m always prepared. But apparently I’m fully qualified to build houses in Africa, mainly because the house we built was only a wood frame with strips of aluminum nailed to the sides. This sounds like a strange structure but it’s how all the structures in Red Hill are built. Living Hope doesn’t usually build houses because if you build one house in a community, how can you deny the thousands of other people living in that township a house as well? This was a special circumstance though because in this case we were re-building a house that had burnt down, right behind the Living Hope container. It was a great afternoon with all the volunteers working together in one community. All the hammering and sawing attracted lots of area children and several local guys even came out to help. It really became a joint community effort. Red Hill is such an incredible place to work. It is built into the side of a hill and is probably one of the most impoverished areas but I couldn’t help but notice a difference among that community. Even though they are among the grimmest of circumstances there was such an undeniable joy among the children there, even in comparison to my perfect Ocean View kids. I was happy to be able to be a part of what God is doing there, even if only for one day.

I think the coolest part of the day was the moment I looked up and saw a perfect rainbow stretching all the way across Red Hill, covering the people there with God’s promise. Sometimes I

God's promise over the poverty of Red Hill

look around me, at these people living in such poverty and I wonder, “God where are you? How is this fair?” I mean, some days my biggest worry is if I will have time to make a sweet tea run before my next class. I’ve never had to worry about a roof over my head, food to eat, or really my future. But, this rainbow reminded me that the promises God has for me still ring true for those in Red Hill. He promises: to provide for us, that his grace is sufficient, never to abandon us, victory over death, that all things work together for the good of those that love him, eternal life, and much more. That rainbow reminded me that God is doing great things in Red Hill, just as he promised.

Brennon inside a cell at Robben Island

On Saturday, Brennon and I, along with several other volunteers took the ferry out Robben Island, the home of the infamous prison that held many political prisoners during the Apartheid era in South Africa, including the former president, Nelson Mandela. This was an inspiring trip for me because I’ve always admired Nelson Mandela. This man was imprisoned for 27 years for standing up to the apartheid government and yet he became president with the sole intention of bringing peace and unity to his country, blacks, whites, and couloured. He was all about reconciliation between whites and blacks. If you haven’t seen the movie Invictus, I would definitely recommend it. You will learn so much about the history of apartheid in this wonderful country that I currently call home. The lovely folks at Blood:Water Mission gave me his autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom” as a part of my internship this summer and I’ve been reading it during my time here. Reading his words while witnessing the culture he talks about taking place all around me is an irreplaceable learning experience. The cover of the book cites a quote from the Boston Globe that days, “Should be read by every person alive. I must say, I think I agree with that statement. It is amazing to me that all the Robben Island prisoners were released in 1991, the end of the apartheid era. That really wasn’t that long ago.

Some of my favorite Mandela quotes:

- “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
- “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner”
- “It always seems impossible until its done.”
- “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

Crocodile Kebabs

For dinner we hit up the hottest tourist-dining experience in Cape Town, Mama Africa for dinner. Now I see why that restaurant has received so many rave reviews! They have all kinds of South African game to choose from from Springbok stake, to ostrich. I chose the crocodile kebabs and they were DELICIOUS. Crocodile is a mix somewhere between steak and chicken. (aka amazing) While we were eating there was a traditional, African Style band playing. After we ate we all got up and started dancing. Never has dinner been such an adventure.

Part of the group