Saturday, November 29, 2008

Zimbabwe Videos

I'm not sure if anyone is still out there in my blogging world, but if you are, take a few minutes to watch these videos about Zimbabwe created by the Dispatch Foundation. They are also partnering with our friend Ryan's organization, Forgotten Voices, to help the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe. The latest has been a cholera outbreak which is killing hundreds. There are many worthy causes to give to, but if this is one you care about I encourage you to give to one of these or the many other organizations that are working to help our friends in Zimbabwe. Let's not forget them!




How many people can we feed? from Dispatch Foundation on Vimeo.




Starvation and Hope from Dispatch Foundation on Vimeo.




Love and Unity from Dispatch Foundation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Diary from Zimbabwe

A women living in Harare writes a diary every once in awhlie for the BBC Africa website. I always find it interesting to hear how life continues to change for people in Zimbabwe. You can read it here.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Sugar Fast


Tomorrow I'm starting a 5 day sugar fast. It's no secret how bad sugar is for us, and yet it's my weakness. The first thing I do when I get home from work is find something sweet, usually a handful of chocolate chips. I like doing these little fasts, just to prove to myself that I can and I have some small ounce of self-discipline in me. A few weeks ago it was a Facebook fast and it felt good to be successful. Luckily I love fruit so I'm hoping that will satisfy my sugar cravings for the week. And somehow posting it on here will help me follow through. But for tonight, a Coke and bowl of ice cream are waiting for me...

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Could it get any worse?

Conditions in Zimbabwe continue to deteriorate rapidly and people are getting desperate. People are starving! I'll let you read more about it here.

We received an email from a friend in Zimbabwe this week. Here's what he wrote:

"The underlying fact is that the situation is getting worse everyday. The Zimbabwean Economy has just collapsed. Prices of all commodities are far above reach. I sometimes wonder how we are surviving. Our survival is through grace. Out in the communities people are starving to death and some are surviving on feeding on wild trees that have never been eaten. The yesterday Chronicle Newspaper mentioned the New prizes for mealie meal. A 50kg now costs 10 million. No one gets that much as a
salary.Most of the commodities are now basically sold in Forex."

It was over 2 years ago that Joel and I left for Zimbabwe. Things were bad then and they've progressively gotten worse. I have no idea how people are surviving, and I know many aren't. In the next few weeks I'll be putting together some Christmas gifts for some of our good friends in Zimbabwe. I wish I could just send all the mealie meal they'll need to get through the next year.

A situation like this demands a response. It is time to start giving... sacrificially... because even my tiniest sacrifices don't come remotely close to what my dear friends are experiencing.