(Click HERE to read yesterday's post and catch up.)
Here's the clip & quote again:
Solomon: "You are writing about what is happening here?"
Mandy : "Yes."
Solomon: "So when people in your country read it they will come help us, yes?"
Mandy: "Probably not."
When i watched that the 1st time it was like someone stuck a knife of reality through me. I almost fell off the couch. I KNEW it was true. (There is a similar scene in Tears of the Sun that had the same affect.)
The things that are "happening here" are atrocities like slavery, children being kidnapped as child soldiers, inadequate medical care & health supplies, no access to necessities like food & clean water, people being torn from their families, more orphans than buildings, and refugees as far as the eye can see.
seriously, imagine yourself in another country. Put yourself in Solomon's shoes (who represents MILLIONS of REAL PEOPLE) - children being taken to fight in a war, no clean water, etc... you know Americans can help EASILY if they just knew what was happening. You would be SURE that if they just knew they would COME AND HELP YOU!!! What else would a human being do for another human in these situations??? "They will come help us, yes?"
Yeah, Solomon. I'm going to come help you & the millions you represent. I'm going to get there as fast as I can... as soon as I'm able & I'm bringing a lot of help with me.
But, right now I'm here... and when I think about things like this... and I hear things like this it's all I can do to force myself to stay here. It's a feeling like guards are holding me back.
Because I know like Andy says - "Waiting does not reflect a lack of faith. Usually it is evidence of wisdom." AND
Because I know like Andy says - "Waiting does not reflect a lack of faith. Usually it is evidence of wisdom." AND
"There seems to be a correlation between the preparation time and the magnitude of the task to which we are called"... BUT it's HARD to wait... to prepare.
Plus... there's got to be a way I can do something about it NOW! And of course there is. There are ways for all of us to do something about it!
1st of all (something we don't think about often enough) KNOW about the people/companies you're buying things from!!! Like when you buy a diamond for your girl... did it come at the expense of hundreds, maybe thousands of lives? Think about that and do your research... not just where to find the cheapest price.
& not just with diamonds, but with everything you buy... don't just assume that just because a store is in the mall that they're not involved in crazy injustice to sell you those products (like Nike and Gap).
There is SO much you can do NOW to help people in Africa and all over the world who are dying and suffering from injustices that WE CAN PUT AN END TO. WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
here's a few websites/orgs to get you started doing something:
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2 comments:
http://www.drinkcoffeedogood.com/
This is an awesome blog, Patrick! You know we share your passion and compassion for Africa. I came across another organization that is helping through coffee. Their website is above and they also have a Facebook page. See what you think. Thanks for bringing all this to light. I am going to have to watch that movie - never have! Peace and love to you and your beautiful wife! K
hope you guys are doing awesome too, Kim. I'm familiar with Land of 1,000 Hills & thought about putting them on here... They do awesome stuff. I've met some of their execs & had that fresh Rwandan coffee... mmmmm
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