By TWon two girls one cup
Found myself wondering why Sierra Leonean blokes were so ripped… check out this for a workout. Squats then lifting weights (bowls full of gravel or concrete) above their heads to pass to the next person… and all in sync with each other! Everything built by manual labour here. Every rock, rio and concrete is manually lifted to the roof. I love how they’ve worked out this system. What an amazing work out. Seriously these people know how to work there butts off!
We’ve all heard of the tragic earthquake that hit Haiti over a month ago… but have we thought of the implications of such a horrific disaster? Not sure if you’ve seen this or know how bad it really is down there but this sermon by Mark Driscoll called Helping Haiti is highly worth watching. It’s a somber recap on his visit firsthand to see how the Churches of Haiti – now many of which are reduce to rubble – are surviving. One person they first met told them to prepare themselves to witness an ‘apocalyptic disaster’. Many, many Christians were killed in the Earthquake because they were already in Haiti helping rebuild, restore and share Christ with them. They came across a Haitian Pastor with four little boys who was on his way home from his wife’s funeral. Somehow despite the pain and obvious sorrow he still had the ‘joy of the Lord’ glowing from his face.
Something so hard to understand. So hard to put yourself in a Haitian’s shoes… think about how hard it is to loose someone close… Imagine finding out you’d lost a family member or friend (or many!!!) and then rocking up to a church for help only to find it in ruins… and people tragically killed within the ruins! Such a somber reality. A reality that lives on now a month later… and could live on for many more as efforts to rebuild the country slowly begin. Before this tragedy Haiti was one of the poorest country’s in the world… now even those not affected structurally by the earthquake are economically as the banking system had collapsed (literally) so access to money isn’t possible.
Last night I went to Brock and Auny’s house for a Party with a Purpose to help raise money for Compassion’s Efforts in Haiti. The Gill’s put on a 5-course meal… turned their home into a restaurant and asked us to all come dressed in style. So much fun! They encouraged people to give and educated us on the looming need.
Maybe you could think about how you can help… raise awareness and financial aid. I’ve just been checking out Flowerdust’s blog. She’s currently there… see for yourself what is still going on. This country is not going to be rebuilt overnight… the church is who was there from the beginning and I believe the church will be there till the task is completed! Last night I heard stories of streets being filled with people worshiping GOD. Praise Jesus. Haiti’s major religion before this quake was Haitian Vodou.
What can you do?
1. Get educated… watch or at least listen to the video below.
2. Support financially… whether its $5 or $500 000. One dollar will go far in a country like this. Some places I can recommend – Compassion, Compassion Australia or an organisation founded by a young guy in my church during his college years – Restore Haiti.
3. Sponsor a child – through any of the above links!
4. Attend a fundraiser event – Feb 27 – Restore Haiti is putting on their annual Haiti Benefit Ball. Grab a ticket here. Magician Brock Gill will be showing off some of his MAD skills!
5. Run your own party with a purpose to raise funds.
6. Go to Haiti. (Comment if you’d like more details on this)
Let’s do something friends. We can’t just forget. It will be old news soon. We’ll go on with our lives wasting cash on worthless stuff while REAL people in Haiti will try to keep their children alive by feeding them literal mud pies.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQo76Itl6cw]
As you are probably aware Haiti has been hit by another major earthquake. Huge devastation. You can see the photos streaming here if you need some visuals. Friends of mine here in Nashville who support and help Haiti throughout year have set up a way we can give right now to help these already poverty stricken people get back on their feet. Will you join me on the $25 challenge wherever you are in the world? Click on the DONATE NOW but found at conduitmission.org.
This article has been written by Darren Tyler founder of Conduit.
We’ve heard reports that there is destruction all around. Haiti is predominantly made up of shacks. The vast majority of buildings are made up of unreinforced concrete. Think about the damage in a place like California with all the reinforced concrete buildings, and imagine what a waste land it would be with out any of those safety standards.
The images will be coming very soon of the death, destruction and suffering that is already going on. We don’t know the exact needs, but we do know that there are going to be desperate needs.
I’m not asking where is God, I’m asking where is the church. This a time for us to shine in the darkness.
Please pray. Stop whatever you’re doing an pray. And then..
Our friends in Haiti can’t ask you. We can’t hear their cries for help, or their screams of pain and fear, but please know that they are real. They’re not statistics, they are humans that God loves.
I’m asking on behalf of them.
I challenge you and everyone you know to donate $25 to Conduit Mission. We will give EVERY penny you donate over to Restoration Ministries in Jacmel Haiti as soon as the banks will allow.
Please, don’t take this lightly. Please know that you can make a difference. Maybe you fast a day or two and use that money. Maybe you put something on craigslist. Or Maybe just go through the cushions. Pray about it, and give as the Lord leads.
This is our time to be a Conduit of His resources from our land of plenty to a land desperately in need.
Please forward this to whomever you can.
Thank you.
Darren Tyler
To donate NOW please go to www.conduitmission.org hit the donate now button. Thank you
I’m digging myself out of ‘Australia tour mode’ to catch up on my blog. This past couple of weeks we have travelled over BLA miles from a summer camp to the Northeast for Soulfest and then back to Michigan for Unity Festival.
We experience a very personal ‘mudfest’ at Soulfest. It bucketed down rain the first day… basically until Alabaster Box’s late night set started which conveniently was undercover. Fans sopping wet and covered in mud from hardcore moshing to Family Force Five and Skillet rolled on in. I felt sorry for them….eeew. Some of their tents had just slide down the hill… kinda seems like an interesting place to put a tent in the first place I think…
The second day it was fine and nice… but then on the third day when Alabaster Box was scheduled to play mainstage the heavens opened again. At Soulfest, which I think is really cool, the show just happens despite the weather conditions… and thankfully the people come prepared for it. Armed with raincoats, umbrellas and gumboots people turned out to watch Alabaster Box play and Naarah sing in some borrowed gumboots! So proud of them… I didn’t even go over. Baby Mitchell would have gotten wet! We listened from the merch tent.
The festival was at a ski resort. I got to ride the chairlift to the top and on my trip up some hardcore, fully tattooed, heavy metal band peeps started talking/yelling at me from the chair behind. Quite a classic moment! The view from the top was breathtaking. So worth the 20min ride to the top.
Our mates from Global Benefit made it possible for us to come to Soulfest. Love if you can check out this crazy movement they have started. I will scream for Change. They literally took pics of kids screaming for changge! It was so funny… Actually…. Why don’t you go upload a picture of yourself SCREAMING to join the movement with me. See if you can find my pic here.
Please take a couple of mins and watch the video here…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZys4TQuuvo]
Can you join the movement and scream for change? 
Don’t leave me hanging… they are hoping to get 1000′s of people to SCREAM FOR CHANGE! SCREAM for injustice to be broken! You can make a difference! SCREAAAAAAAAM!
It’s a twitter thing… Twitter-er’s from over 175 different cities worldwide are hanging out this Thursday, Feb 12, for an evening of fun and to raise money and awareness for charity: water.
I feel like I’m always sharing about some charity or some organisation doing something… and I too agree it can get quite overwhelming how many non-for-profits are sprouting up and wanting support… during the most hard pressing economic season.
Add @twestival to keep posted.
I’ve done a little research on charity: water and they seem real legit guys. You can read about founder Scott Harrison’s story to make your own call.
Details and tickets available from here.
Twestival Nashville
February 12, 2009
5pm-8pm
Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar
411 Broadway
The Twestival is organized 100% by volunteers in cities around the world and 100% of the money raised from these events will go directly to support charity: water projects.
charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations by funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need.
I love what Scott Harrison’s says
CHARITY:For me, charity is practical. Sometimes easy, sometimes inconvenient, always necessary. It is the ability to use one’s position of influence, relative wealth and power to affect lives for the better. charity is singular and achievable.
There’s a biblical parable about a man beaten near death by robbers. Stripped naked, lying roadside – people pass him by, but one man stops. He picks him up and bandages his wounds. He puts him on his horse and walks alongside until they reach an inn. Checks him in and throws down his Amex. “Whatever he needs until he gets better.”
Because he could.
The dictionary defines charity as simply the act of voluntarily giving to those in need. The word comes from the latin “caritas,” or simply, love. In Colossians 3, the Bible instructs readers to “put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
Read Luke 10:30-37
I have people talk to me who are semi wary of all this hype relating to charity and non-for-profits. The major concern I’m hearing about is whether or not once people have access to better qualities of life (stuff we take for granted like clean water and food) do these people have access to the message of Jesus? Maybe maybe not. I have noticed that many of the American charities are actually ‘affiliated’ with ‘Christian’ organisations in Africa like Living Wells International… so yes… often aid is given in conjunction with the gospel.
However… just a thought… was the ‘good Samaritan’ physically told the gospel in this chapter? Do you think that this selfless giving was indeed an act of Jesus’ love that may have saved his physical life and possibly later lead to him inquiring of the true Saviour? Reality is no food or water = death. What’s your thoughts on this… I know I’ve only dabbled lightly…
Also let me know if you’ll join me at Twestival… I need a friend
Today I was reminded once again why I work with the Christian band, Alabaster Box and why their latest album, ‘We will not be silent’ has such a profound message the youth (and adults for that matter) of this generation need to hear.
I watched the youtube video below and very quickly started to tear up. We cannot be silent about seeing this… or if we can be we need a huge reality check.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v7ZQUzr0yo]
How did this affect your spirit? Do you feel powerless or does it spark something inside of you that beckons you to make a difference?
This year Alabaster Box is partnering with Global Benefit.
Global Benefit was founded on the idea that there is something that you can do in your town, with your friends, or at your job or campus that will overcome the suffering and hopelessness found in places of extreme poverty or natural disaster. And it’s not hard! Just take what you already know how to do, and do it with a purpose.
We hope to partner with youth ministries and youth ministers all over the United States and further abroad to tap into public schools to show students how they can with so little make such a difference in someones life. I believe when we perform acts of justice, love, compassion humbly and sincerely people will ultimately see the heart of Jesus.
Contact me if you are interested in finding out how Alabaster Box could compliment your youth or church ministry. We want to make a difference and will do whatever it takes!
