Benefit of the Doubt: Mel Gibson vs Heredi

I found it very interesting that the People of the Second Chance chose Mel Gibson as their latest Never Beyond Poster Series choice… but after all the controversy that he’s caused, not so surprising.

His first movie, Passion of the Christ caused a large uprising of emotions, followed by his anti-semantic rants which made him a complete outcast around here…. Israel that is.

Yes, I live in the one country that probably hates him the most.

And to be honest with you, most of that hatred comes from one particular group… the Ultra Orthodox Jews (Heredi).

His new movie, the story about Judah Maccabee, has only outraged them even more, and to say there is no love lost between Mel and the Heredi is an understatement.  Sadly, second Chances are NO WHERE to be found on this side of the ocean.

Which leads me to my question of  “Who do I struggle to give a Second Chance to?”

…and the answer ironically is: them. The Heredi…

Living in Israel, I have seen and experienced first hand the struggle to love and show grace to this group of people.  The very same ones who are furious with Mel for his bigotry and hate-filled Jewish comments repeat the pattern by showing bigotry and hate-filled comments about various groups outside of the Orthodox Community.  I have seen countless videos, news reports, and with with my own eyes have witnessed the wrath of the Heredi.

So what makes Mel’s bigotry any different than the Heredi’s? Is his hatred any different than theirs? Should I give them the benefit of the doubt when they are throwing their stones?

Although I struggle in showing them love and grace, I know I must.  HE sacrificed everything not only for me, but for them.

Especially for them. and for Mel too.

So, they both deserve a second chance. And a third, and a fourth, and a fifth…..  Because how many more chances have I received from HIM!?!

Back to Work

As you can see from my previous post, last week was a week off for me. The week was filled with leisurely travel, relaxation, and celebration…. but as we know, all good things must come to an end, and such is the tale of my week vacation.

If it’s back to work I must go, then this was a perfect way to go back:

First, a field trip to the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem with some of my refugee kids.  It might not exactly sound like work to you, but trust me…. a zoo filled with hundreds of crazy kids running around from animal to animal can drive you to the point where you’re ready to jump in with the lion and take your chances! (but we did have lots of fun too!)

Second, an afternoon in the park playing basketball.  I was finally able to hook up with one of our Professional Basketball Players in the Israeli league (we’ve been trying to put something together for a while now), where he could come down and play with the kids.  It was a huge success, and the kids absolutely LOVED him! The weather is finally nice enough again where we can resume our basketball outreach, and I honestly forgot how much I really do enjoy spending this time with the kids.

Overall, not too shabby for my first two days back after holiday! 

I’ve posted all the pictures from the Zoo field trip and our Afternoon of Basketball on our Shine Facebook Page…go check them out! 🙂

It’s not about you.

I had a bit of a wake up call last night.

I was watching Secret Millionaire online (if you haven’t seen it, it’s a great show… cried through most of it) when the call came. It was from HIM.

You see…. I’ve been frustrated. Being called to missions in a foreign place isn’t always a cup of tea, but sometimes we add our own problems and issues on top of that.  I’ve been trying to set up a “presence” for Shine to build up supporters.  Facebook. Twitter. Blog. etc etc etc.

And I guess if I’m going to be honest, I’ve been disappointed.  Not only disappointed in the lack of response, but disappointed in myself. I’ve been caught up with the newsletters, support, finances, updates… things that we think we need to focus on; but really they should only be add-on’s to our mission.

But it wasn’t until last night that I realized what I was doing.  The “secret millionaire” went undercover to volunteer with non-profits to see where the real need was, and surprised them in the end with a huge check.  It wasn’t the huge check that got my attention, it was the org’s.  All of them were small, and unknown (except within their community).  They weren’t worried about who knew what they were doing or what publicity they were receiving…. they were concerned about the people they were helping.

And it hit me like a ton of bricks.

It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about them.

And while I adore all of you, I won’t be trying to gain your praises any time soon.  I’m re-focusing my attention on them…. (and I’m still hoping one day you’ll join me) 🙂

Monday Nights are for Basketball

I am getting ready to branch out and start something new.  Next Monday will be the first day of an Outreach I’m putting together for all the refugee kids in the South Tel Aviv area…. Monday Night Basketball.

There is a huge park in our area where ALL the refugees hang out, and it also has basketball courts. I have a couple of friends helping me out, and I’m pretty excited to see how it all unfolds.  At the same time, I’m a little nervous too.

I have no idea how the turnout will be or how the kids will respond.  I’m hoping that we will have lots of kids show up, but there’s just no telling if that will happen.

So here’s my request: Could you all just say a little prayer for this new adventure?

* An awesome turnout.

* Safety.

* Communication. I’m the only one who speaks Hebrew out of the group, so it might be a bit challenging for me at times.

* Open Doors. I’m really hoping that this outreach will open doors for future endeavors.

* Fun. Overall, I just want to bring some fun and enjoyment into these little lives.

What a Week!?!

Wow! I don’t even know where to start but to repeat the title: What a Week!

I had honestly been planning on blogging throughout my One Bowl of Rice Week, but due to some MAJOR technical difficulties (like my computer crashing on me) that just didn’t happen.  Not only was my body going through a week of eating barely nothing, my mind was also going through an internet-deprived week as well. Let’s just say it was a bit rough at times.

Here I am though, surviving through the ordeal and feeling good.

The first two days of eating just a bowl of rice were rough, I’m not gonna lie. That very first night I even tormented myself before finally nodding off, debating whether or not I should just get up and eat anything I could grab.  I guess my self-controlled side won out, because I managed to get through the entire week only eating one bowl a day (except for day three when I ate 1 1/2 bowls).

As far as the computer issue is concerned, I also ended up winning. My parents SCRAMBLED to get me a new computer and send it along with my friend who arrived yesterday.  Not only is it a new computer, it’s the new MacBook Pro, which I’m completely in love with now.  The only glitch is loosing information that wasn’t backed-up on my old MacBook. 😦

All in all, I learned some valuable lessons from this ordeal:

1. I can totally survive on only rice. (especially cooked after frying a bit of garlic in the pan first… yummy!)

2. A week with no internet only reminds me that I spend way too much time on it anyways (I read 4 books, 2 being over 800 pgs. with my spare time).

3. Seven days without communication with my family is NOT fun at all!

4. I’m a MAC girl, through and through!!!

5. I’m sooooooo ready for some FOOD! 🙂

Project One Bowl of Rice

(photo by georgereyes)

One bowl of rice isn’t much to eat.  Usually its enough to accompany beans, chicken, or a slab of meat; but a bowl of rice by itself…. ummmm, not so much!

Now imagine that bowl of rice being the only thing you eat ALL DAY!

Hard to even think of, but to about half the population of this world we live on, that’s ALL they get!

I remember when I was little and hungry, I would use the phrase, “I’m starving!” (ok… I still use it today) The truth be told, I have NO idea what starving is really like.  Most of us from West don’t.  I don’t think it’s a BAD thing that we don’t know the feeling of starvation, but I also don’t think it’s a GOOD thing that we don’t think about those who actually are.

The difference between sympathy and empathy is this: understanding through experience.  Until we ‘walk a mile’ in someone else’s shoes, we cannot empathize with them, only sympathize.  It’s something I battle with on a daily basis, literally seeing starving families all around me, but only on a sympathy level.

So, I’ve decided for ONE WEEK, I am going to see what it’s like to empathize.  I am going to only eat ONE BOWL of rice a day throughout the upcoming 7 days.

Sure, I know it’s not the same as truly living in poverty and not having a choice about how much to eat.  I can easily choose to give up and eat more during the day.  This isn’t  a special diet or trying to starve myself for poverty’s sake, its more about putting myself in someone else’s shoes for a week in order to gain a better perspective of what true poverty is. I know its not going to save the world, or even a portion of it, but even if it brings an awareness to myself and others through the experience, it will have served its purpose.

Hopefully, I’ll be blogging about how it’s going and what I’m learning throughout the week, so stay tuned.  And if you want to join me, even if only for a day, please feel free! That would be awesome!

Here’s to ONE BOWL OF RICE A DAY!

A True Meaning of Hospitality

Yesterday I went to the house of one of the refugee girls, who I am working with, to speak to her parents.  Her dad is Ethiopian and her mom is Eritrean.  I originally went to make plans as to what time I will pick up Rivkah each morning, but I ended up staying for much longer…

…They live in a TINY 2 room apartment, all 6 of them.  There are 4 children, all under the age of 10.  Rivkah is the 2nd oldest at 7. She has an older brother, 10 yrs old, a younger one, 4 yr. old and a 6 month old baby sister.  And they all live in that 2 room apartment.

One room consists of 2 beds and a couch with a couple plastic chairs while the other has 2 more beds, leading into the kitchen (which is technically the same room).  There is a ridiculously small bathroom, which they all must share. There is no art on the walls, no decorations brightening the place, and certainly no “extras” as we all tend to have in our lives. They are all ‘refugee status’, but haven’t been given work visas yet.  This is the main concern of her dad, as he cannot provide for his family.  Looking around, my heart is breaking, but I must remain positive for them all.  They are beyond poor, not even having diapers for the baby.

YET, the first thing Rivkah’s mom did when I entered her place was offer me coffee.  She barely has enough food in the house to feed her 4 children, but she is concerned about my well-being and me feeling welcomed.  At this point I was almost in tears, thinking about this gesture of hospitality.

As I left their humble abode, I will admit I felt ashamed, angry, and sad. Ashamed for all the times I complained about where I live, what I don’t have, and how difficult life can be. Angry at how society perceives the African Refugees in Israel and how they are treated on a daily basis. And Sad because of the situation, not only that they were in, but for the other 20,000+ families who were in the same boat.

What I walked away with yesterday was this: It doesn’t matter how much you have or don’t have.  It doesn’t matter how much money is in your pocket or in your bank account.  It’s not about what car you drive or the size of your house.

It’s all about how you treat others.  Years from now the details of their apartment will probably be forgotten, but I will never forget how I was treated and welcomed by them.

A lesson I need to constantly remind myself of….

Calling All Music Lovers!

Do you love music???

Do you love kids???

Are you looking for a simple, wonderful way to help a refugee child this summer in a way which will bring music into her life??

Head on over HERE to the Shine Website to find out how YOU can help in the most practical way.

This summer sounds of music will be filling South Tel Aviv!!

Any Trekkers Out There?

I recently had the opportunity to preview a documentary by Director, David Kiern, called Journey to Everest. The movie follows a group from Nashville, Tennessee, who travel to Mt. Everest, only to come across some obstacles along the way.

I enjoyed following along on their journey, and even thought about how amazing it would be to trek.  (Though, I should probably start out with something a bit less challenging.) If you like hiking, trekking, or just adventure, I think you would really enjoy it too.

The film will be released on July 11th, and will be played in churches all across The States.  Here is a short clip about the film, and the official website as well:

www.journeytoeverest.com

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the documentary, this is a great opportunity to show it at your church/youth group/or as a mission fundraiser! Go to the website for more information…..

Happy Trails 😉

Step by Step

Sometimes you have to take baby steps in order to reach a giant goal.  I’ve been taking them for a while now, and finally I feel like I’ve taken a leap instead of a step.

It’s been since 2000 that I’ve lived abroad, working with various ministries and organizations, and its been a trip!  I’ve had my ups and downs, worked with some amazing people and some…. well, to put it nicely, some not so amazing people.  All of them though, have helped shape and mold me into the person I’ve become.  I’ve been able to see leadership in its finest, and glean from them.  I’ve seen leadership in its weakest, and realized what NOT to do. Either way, its been an adventure.

And now I’m ready (or at least I hope I am) to begin an adventure of my own.  Yep! I’m breaking forward.  I’ve talked about this before, my vision and goals, but now its starting to come to fruition.  Though there is still SOOOO much more to do, my leap of faith has been taken.  The journey of my ministry, Shine International, has begun!

I’m so excited about what’s to come, and I wanted to share with all of you, faithful bloggers and friends, my joy.  The website for Shine is officially up and running, with lots of additions to come.  Please, take a minute to go check it out:

http://www.shineinternational.info/

As you can see, I will be blogging from there with ministry stuff, but also continue to blog from here with more personal stuff.  I would love for you to follow along on both…I’ll make it interesting 🙂

Lastly, I MUST publicly thank a couple of amazing guys who helped me with the website process.  First, my dear friend Spence, who gave me the theme.  If you don’t already follow him, you must….he’s AMAZING!!!  Also, a new friend, Jon Webb, who did the “technical CSS” stuff of getting it set up.  You two guys are such a blessing!!!

Here we go…. step by step! Thanks for joining me on the journey!!!

If money were no object…

Being the fashion lover that I am, I subscribe to the InStyle and Vogue fashion blogs to see the newest and latest in fashion. One of my favorite sections on InStyle is something they call “We’re Obsessed! If money were no object….”

I love looking at the amazing shoes and boots, the incredible jewelry, and the “must haves” of the season; but it all comes with a catch.  Each item is designer made, making a pair of Swarovski Idomeneo Crystal Pocket Binoculars a mere $1000. Or what about a Judith Leiber Maharaja Elephant Minaudier (basically a small clutch) only $6,000.

I mean, come on…. are you kidding me?  $1000 for a pair of binoculars??? With that elephant evening clutch you can feed an entire African village for a year!

To most of us living on this earth, “if money were no object” will never be a phrase we can actually completely comprehend.  Money IS an object; and unfortunately, one that speaks loudly about how we live our lives.

When was the last time you looked on a website and saw the header, “if money were no object….” and the items were something like:  Build a school for orphans in India: $6,000… or Send a homeless alcoholic to rehab for 6 months: $1,000.  How many of us would actually keep on scrolling through the list, wishing we had the money to purchase our favorite option… or would we go back to wondering if those boots would look good with our favorite pair of jeans?

I know I’ve been guilty.

Help-Portrait Tel Aviv

I am super excited about an excursion I am putting together for this Friday, 11.12.09.  It’s actually a world-wide outreach happening on 12.12, but since 12.12 is Shabbat here, I need to do it one day early.

Help-Portrait is a way to give back to the community via photo’s.  To make a long explanation short, photographers will be offering their services free of charge to those in need.  We will be creating portraits as keepsakes for families who might not be able to afford professional pictures at all.

How am I getting involved???? I have decided to put together Help-Portrait Tel Aviv for the Sudanese/Eritrean Refugees who I work with.  Most of them have NO pictures what-so-ever of themselves and their families… and this is an excellent opportunity to give them this gift for the holidays.  I have been recruiting like crazy: volunteers to help out on Friday to come and give of their time and services.  We will also be providing gifts for the children, cookies, coffee, tea etc. A time to let them know that we love them and value them.

How can you help???? I need your prayers on Friday!!! I have literally put this thing together in less than a week, and its starting to crunch down on me.  The weather is calling for rain, and that will just complicate it even more.  I want this to be a blessing to them, but also not a burden to us.

Take a look... Here is the promo video from Help-Portrait, giving a background on how this all started:

A few other links you might want to check out:

The official Help-Portrait Tel Aviv group website

The facebook event I created

Can’t wait to see some smiling faces!

I’m not the only one…

I’m getting anxious with my youth center plans, and I have a feeling I’m not the only one.  Though its not official, and most people here don’t have a clue of what I’m about to embark upon, I think the feeling of something new must be brewing in the air.

Lately at the Food Distribution more and more kids have been coming, not just to pick up food for their moms, but to stay and chat (and sometimes help out!).  Last night we were graced with the presence of our two little “translators”, a term and position they have appointed themselves.  Since most of the mothers only speak Arabic, and I only speak Hebrew, they like to be the ones to communicate all the in’s and out’s of the procedures.  It’s very cute, actually.

They sooooo need this youth center, to have a place to go.  I’m getting excited about the vision I have, and this week I will be looking at some potential buildings for the site.  In the meantime you can see my adorable, little helpers for yourselves.  These girls are two reasons why I am passionate about future plans…..

My 1st Guest Blogger Gig!

Today, I’m over here as a GUEST BLOGGER!  Yep, that’s right….my first gig as a guest blogger!

Not only am I excited for this cool opportunity, but I’m even more excited about WHY I was asked to be the guest. Here’s a little preview:

Do you remember life back in elementary school? (Some of you might have to think real hard!) 🙂

What were your favorite games? Who were your friends? What snacks did you like to eat?  Where did you hang out?

For me, growing up in a smaller-sized city in Eastern Michigan, I remember LOVING coming home after school… grabbing a snack… hopping on my bike…. and riding around with my friends.  Some days we would turn our garage into a roller rink and roller-skate around and around for hours, (With this info. you can probably age me easily).  In the winter, we would go out and play in the snow, building forts and having snowball fights.  Fall would mean lots of leaves, great for constructing huge piles in the yard and jumping in them.

Yes, I really have such fond memories of my childhood; but I have come to realize that in our world, growing up like that is one in a million. There are so many children who NEVER experience half the joys I had when I was young….

To read the rest, and find out the TRUE REASON for my presence as a guest blogger, click here.

Hand of Hope

On their site, (in)courage asked, What Hope looks like in our lives.  I was going to sit this one out, but then I received the following email from my aunt with a story that I could not NOT write about.  Even though I have no connection whatsoever to these people, THIS is what HOPE looks like to me……

This picture began circulating in November, last year.  It should be “The Picture of the Year, but it won’t be.  In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never see it.

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby, named Samuel Alexander ARmas, who is being operated on by surgeon, Joseph Bruner.

The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would neot survive if removed from his mother’s womb.  Little Samuel’s mother, Julie ARmas, is an obstertrics nurse in Atlanta.  She knew of Dr. Bruner’s remarkable surgical procedure; practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby.  As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully-developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped he surgeon’s finger.  Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity.  The editors titled the picture, “Hand of Hope.”  The text explaining the picture begins, “The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus, Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother’s uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.

Little Samuel’s mother said they ‘wept for days’ when they say the picture.  She said, “The photo reminds us pregnancy isn’t about disability or an illness, it’s about a little person.  Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100% succesful.