Hannah- Wonderment in Neverland

I left my heart in Uganda, Africa.

When Beth asked me to guest blog, she mentioned Africa, and it seemed appropriate considering I’m heading back over in three weeks. Revisiting some of my journal entries and thoughts brought back a huge flood of memories and nostalgia. 

Three weeks can’t pass fast enough.

When I went to Africa last summer, I won't lie, there weren't any gigantic shocks about the living conditions. This sounds heartless, but I had seen so many pictures and documentaries, it was hard to be shocked.

There was one thing that did shock me though. 

Joyfulness.

 The unhappiest time for me there was leaving. 

You can't help but be joyful in this place. 

People wave at you on the street and smile. 

Any child will laugh when you tickle them, and a piece of candy is the greatest gift they've ever received. 

Even though there are 9 kids shoved into one hospital room, if you paint their nails...

.

When people hug you there they mean it. 

They look at you right in the eyes and then embrace you into themselves.

 Some of the kids I hugged had never been hugged before, so when I hugged them, they didn't let go.

 

People have always told me that these are the most joyful people you will ever meet. 

But I know some pretty joyful people here at home. 

I thought maybe people just weren't looking for joy in the right places here in the states.

These are the most joyful people you will ever meet.

Again I say, three weeks can’t come soon enough.

-Hannah Elizabeth 

Check out Hannah's awesome blog Wonderment in Neverland!

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What is the Greatest Challenge of the New Millennium?

What do you think the greatest challenge of the new millennium is? Some might say it is oil or conflicts in the Middle East. Others might say nuclear weapons, while others might say health care.


When President Carter was asked this question in 2002, he gave a surprising response:

"At the beginning of this new millennium I was asked to discuss, here in Olso, greatest challenge that the world faces. Among all the possible choices, I decided that the most serious and universal problem is the growing chasm between the richest and poorest people on earth. Citizens of the ten wealthiest countries are now seventy-five times richer than those who live in th ten poorest ones, and the separation is increasing every year, not only between nations but also within them. The results of this disparity are root causes of most of the world's unresolved problems, including starvation, illiteracy, environmental degradation, violent conflict, and unnecessary illness that range from Guinea worm to HIV/AIDS." (emphasis added)

Does this shock you? The former president of the United States, winner of a Nobel Peace Price, said the gap between the rich and the poor is a big problem. Not poverty itself, but the fact that some of the world is poor and some of the world is rich.


I am currently reading Richard Stern's book, The Hole in Our Gospel. Sterns is the current president of the international non-profit organization, World Vision. He speaks in this book of his transformation after becoming president of this organization. He also challenges the reader to make poverty personal.


His passion is refreshing. You see World Vision ads everywhere- on TV, online, and at some concerts. I know the drill: send $30 a month of your money to help a child in poverty. In fact, at a FFH concert, my sister and I begged my parents to adopt a World Vision child. Her name is Sunitha and she is from India.


With such information overload, it is easy to become "compassion fatigue", a term used by Sterns and coined by journalist Susan Moeller. On top of becoming apathetic to these humanitarian messages, it is also easy to become jaded wondering if the money your spending is being put to effective use. 


Hearing the direct heart of Sterns passion for the poor gives me a stronger trust in an organization trying to make a global impact.


I agree with President Carter. The increasing chasm between those who have it all and those who have nothing is a challenge we cannot turn away from.


I urge to take President Carter, Richard Sterns, and Bono's challenge:

"We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies-but will we be that generation? Will we in the West realize our potential or will we sleep in the comfort of our affluence with apathy and indifference murmuring softly in of ears. Fifteen thousand people dying needlessly every day  from AIDS, TB, and malaria. Mothers, fathers, teachers, farmers, nurses, mechanices, children. This is Africa's crisis. That it's not on the nightly news, that we do not treat this as an emergency- that's our crisis.

Future generations flipping through these pages will know whether we answered the key question. The evidence will be the world around them. History will be our judge, but what's written is up to us. We can't say our generation didn't know how to do it. We can't say our generation couldn't afford to do it. And we can't say our generation didn't have a reason to do it. 

It is up to us." (Bono)

It is time to make poverty a personal priority. Let's take on the greatest challenge of the new millennium TOGETHER.

References: Sterns, Richard. The Hole in Our Gospel. Quotes from President Carter and Bono. 

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The Comfort of a Coffee Snob

This weekend, I went to visit my friend in St. Louis. I haven't seen her since November, so it was a joyous occasion. I basically got to live life with her for the weekend, which was grand.


Saturday morning, she had to work at the local coffeeshop. Around 7:30, I pulled myself out of bed for some breakfast and coffee. When I arrived, my friend's work was hopping. I stepped up to order my cappecino, met with a oh so familiar question: "Would you like a traditional cappecino?" I breathed out a thankful, "yes". Anyone, who works in the specialty coffee industry can relate with my feelings of relief when met with such a reassuring question that you are indeed in a legit coffee house.

As I sat sipping on my cappe and nibbling my mocha muffin, I just watched the craziness around me. It was incredible to see people frantically searching for seats. One couple sat so close to me, it was impossible not to eaves drop a little bit. 


But more impressive than the amount of people was the amount of diversity. A young almost hippie-like couple sat to my right. My left was an elderly man reading the paper. Ahead of me was an international student studying. Next to her, were two middle-aged ladies that looked like old friends. Next to them was a mother and a daughter. The little girl could not have been more than five and had the most enchanting red curls. 


It amazes me how one coffee shop can bring so many different people together, and the commitment that all of these people exhibit to this particular coffee shop at 8 am in the morning on SATURDAY!


Because one cup is never enough, I had breakfast and coffee with my cousins at Booster's Cafe. It was the most darling cafe. A significant portion of their profit goes to Africa. Hmmm...sound familiar? Most of the waitresses were international students, and again, the customers all came from diverse backgrounds. An interracial couple sat next to me and my cousins speaking in a language I did not recognize. What a breath of fresh air!


My coffee experience was not all wonderful in St. Louis, however. While we were walking in St. Louis, my friend and I passed a coffee shop that will remain nameless. Immediately, bad memories of horrible coffee and service flooded my mind. 


In high school, I had visited that shop with a fellow barista. That experience was so horrible that I wrote a paper on how horrible it truly was.


But that shop is special to me as well, because it was at that moment in high school that I realized I had truly become a "coffee snob".







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