Our Trip to Ethiopia

There is a quote that reads: preach the Gospel always, and when necessary;use words. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times this quote went through my head on on mission trip to Ethiopia. Because of the language barrier; I knew the best way I could 'preach' about Jesus was through my actions and through my love. I pray this lesson stays with me always.

My favorite day of the whole trip was when we went to Ziway, Ethiopia. We went to a preschool, sponsored by Lifesong for Orphans. The kids there were literally wearing rags, they walked miles to school in shoes that were falling apart, yet here in America, everyday at school I see kids in their hundred dollar jeans and their new Nikes, but their joy for life doesn't seem any deeper than these children in rags. I have found that people often try to fulfill their happiness with more. More clothes.More toys.More boyfriends or girlfriends- always searching for someone or something to make them feel like they are enough. It may work for a little bit, but then there's something better that they want and they run off chasing after that 'thing'.


For a long time I have felt God calling me to missions. I don't know what the future holds, but having the privilege of spending the day with missionaries in Ethiopia was like a dream come true for me. The work they had done ranged from building a school and feeding program, to constructing a bridge so that the people didn't have to wade across a river to go to the trade market. What I loved about what these missionaries did was they would see a need, get the project started, and then equip other individuals to see the project to completion. in an amazing way, this bridge became a symbol of connecting God's people for His glory.
Another place the missionaries took us was to one of their medical clinics. My new baby sister had a rash on her neck and we were going to have it looked at. Trust me when I say it was nothing like the doctors' offices here in America. There wasn't even glass on the windows, and their supplies were very limited. As we pulled up to this tiny little building I have to admit, I was wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. We walked in and saw a sweet Ethiopian man, with a huge smile on his face, ready to treat the rash. Then, I was blown away by what happened next. He wouldn't accept payment. This sweet man with obviously nothing would not take payment. My mom pleaded with him and he shook his head no, explaining that "we are in this together-we are brothers and sisters in Christ, and this in what we do for each other". As I watched my mother weep, I learned something very important that day, no matter how little you have-you always have something to give for God's glory.

What's the Buzz about Google Buzz?

If you are a Gmail user, you probably saw a tab labeled Buzz under your Inbox tab. Much like Facebook, Google Buzz is a social networking site. It is used through Google, and like Facebook you can `like’ statuses and reply directly to postings. Google launched Buzz on February 9th, and since then, the program has skyrocketed. There are over 200 mobile check-ins per minute, and about 160,000 posts and comments per hour.
Google Buzz can be used to contact people, get ideas and access information, which is why it is beneficial to students. It’s a great way to stay in touch and share thoughts or information both publicly or privately. Plus you can connect to other sites you use like Google Reader or Flickr. It also recommends posts that it thinks you are interested in and can summarize posts so that you just get the `good stuff ’ and everything goes straight to your inbox!

I need your help...

Halfway across the world, there’s a place called Ethiopia. Where the average income is less than a dollar a day, and less than half the people can read and write- we can help them. On March 6th I get the chance of going to Africa. While I'm there I will be working with Lifesong for Orphans, who is starting a school in Ziway, Ethiopia (pictured above), but they need our help. By bringing your gently used childrens' books to school, we can help give kids across the world a chance to learn.

Photo Courtesy of Lifesong for Orphans

Haiti

Wow. I don't even know what to say. After seeing the hurt of these precious people, just in pictures. The devastation of this earthquake has been incredible. It was 7.3 on the scale. The death rates in feared to be 200,000, close to the amount of the tsunami in Indonesia a few years ago. Watch this video taken from a camera at a stoplight as the earthquake happens.




It's painful to watch what they are going through. The hospitals are filled but there's so many people that need help. So far America has raised approximately 200 million dollars to benefit Haiti. If you want to help there are many places collecting donations. You can text donations to the salvation army, or there are places to help on twitter. THEY NEED OUR HELP!!!

elf yourself!

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What I want to pass on to my kids...

*I had to do this typing assignment for BCIS*

There are many things my parents taught me that I want to teach my kids too. Some of the things my parents taught me were not to be ashamed of who you are, you should always be yourself. They also taught me to always help others, no matter what. If there’s someone who needs money give it to them, while they may go and do drugs with it, they were still desperate enough to sit on the side of the rode with a sign. God’s going to look at your heart, and whether you did something nice, not what the other person did with what you gave them.

Social Setworking Age Restrictions

(C) 2009 Mike

38% of teens age twelve to fourteen said they had some kind of online profile, including me. With my parents permission, I created a Myspace account when I was almost 13. It was a great way to connect with friends in the towns that I previously lived in, but many people wonder if my age was too young. Kaveri Subrahmanyam, a professor of psychology at California State University- Los Angeles says,"For the most part, although there's so much press about all the bad things they're doing, much of what they do on these sites is stuff they would be doing anyway." Which I believe is true. Kids who don't have a myspace or facebook text each other more often than most people would message eachother on those sites. They can still find way to talk and send pictures. I don't think there's anything wrong with having an online account.I don't talk to anyone online that I don't talk to in the 'real world,' so it's harmless. My Myspace is private, so unless you know me and I approve you, you can't see any of my personal information. We're a technology-driven generation, you can't stop people from getting online. I think it's perfectly fine for teens to have online account, until they misuse them.