Almost anyone with even the most simple knowledge of Christianity has heard about how Jesus Christ was born in a stable in Bethlehem because there was no room at the inn when Joseph and Mary sought lodging there. In countless churches around the world, the familiar story is told about how he slept on straw in a manger—literally a place where farm animals ate. “Away in a Manger” and other Christmas carols tell about how cattle were near the holy infant. You probably can’t imagine any more simple surroundings than that. Of course, the brief description in Luke 2:7 and the carols don’t tell the full story of what a stable is like—especially the smell.
Have you ever visited a modern dairy barn in the United States or another developed country? It’s not a simple place anymore and is instead much more like a milk factory than the kind of farm where I was born in the hills of Tennessee 67 years ago. In my young years, we didn’t have electricity. Cows relieved themselves where they stood in the barn, and it was a very smelly place. Flies and other insects were almost everywhere. In contrast, today’s American dairy farmer uses computerized equipment that automatically brings special formulated feed to the cows, removes their waste products, and keeps things so clean inside the milking barn that the old time manure smell is almost gone from it.
I also remember what it was like to live in a rural and small town area where no one had indoor plumbing. Instead of a bathroom, there was the outhouse (with big spiders). I clearly remember the first time of going to a city and seeing a toilet flushing. How amazing it was that the water swirled around and the contents magically disappeared. After my parents moved us to Detroit, we went to visit my grandparents and other Tennessee relatives every year. Once I remember watching my grandfather put a rope around his outhouse and using his mule to drag it to another location—then filling the old hole with fresh dirt. There was plenty of room between that and the spring or well where they got drinking water, so we didn’t worry about contamination. The previous location’s ground was safely enriched with new natural fertilizer and produced better vegetation the next year. It was a simple idea, but it worked.
A few years before I was born, public health officials and educators began spreading the news about how safer drinking water systems and better sanitary facilities could eliminate the intestinal parasitic worms that drained children and adults of so much nutrition and energy. With electricity and indoor plumbing so much more available now, and the massive changes in farming, the “Away in a Manger” words no longer describe rural life in the more affluent parts of the world.
Yesterday I used my computer to read a few news articles. One was a major story in the New York Times (12/23/05). It told about how girls in many parts of Africa are not able to get very far in school for a very simple reason: lack of appropriate toilet facilities. As they reach puberty, they are embarrassed by not having toilet privacy—especially when they begin menstruating. The article noted that if more appropriate bathrooms could be provided, more girls would stay in school for more years—thus being able to anticipate more promising futures. Given all of the possible subjects for their front page, I was impressed by how much emphasis this world-famous publication gave to such a basic need.
Last month, I was among the over 2,500 people at the Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s the largest faith-based event of its kind anywhere on the planet. Learn about it at http://www.medicalmissions.com Among the many excellent workshop speakers was April Perry. She is a pediatric cardiology advanced practice nurse at Duke Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. That’s among the most highly respected medical centers anywhere in the world, and she has all of the advanced equipment and facilities to work with. Ms. Perry is especially interested in Haiti and recently wrote a book about her experiences there: THEY SUFFER IN FAITH: STORIES OF THE LIFE TRANSFORMING WORK OF GOD AMONG AND THROUGH THE PEOPLE OF HAITI (Xulon Press, 2005)
One of Ms. Perry’s main themes was that she had to change from her role of being a specialty nurse having all of the medical advantages and get down to the most basic issues. Quickly she realized that one of the main concerns was the lack of sanitary facilities in most of Haiti. On page 71 she writes: “In an environment where there is 80% unemployment…, where the life expectancy is 49 years, and 30% of the children die before age 5 from preventable diseases, it is clear where the most work needs to be done. Think about latrines instead of bone marrow transplants. Think about clean water instead of bypass surgery. Think about tetanus prevention in newborns instead of laparoscopic surgery facilities.” She was especially happy to be able to help raise funds for more latrine construction and then move on to other concerns.
Haiti certainly isn’t the only place in the world needing help, and I strongly believe that we Americans and other folks in the developing world don’t have all of the answers. I believe that we need to help the nationals learn to help themselves. Three years ago, my wife and I shared our home with a man from Haiti while he earned his M.A. in Pastoral Counseling at a seminary close to us. Last Saturday he got married to a nurse from Finland in her hometown, and they will be going to Haiti next month to continue their work with Medical Ambassadors International. See http://www.medicalambassadors.org They will be working on an intense house by house, community by community basis to share the blessings of God’s love as they help empower local people to solve more of their own problems. Again they strongly emphasize starting on simple things.
Finally, I want to call your attention to a new edition of the Bible. It is called the FAITH IN ACTION STUDY BIBLE: LIVING GOD’S WORD IN A CHANGING WORLD. Published by World Vision and Zondervan (2005), it uses the New International Version language. For anyone interested in missions, I don’t think you can find a more interesting Bible. Almost every page refers to some aspect of missions, and many useful stories, charts, and statistics are presented in a helpful manner. More than one billion children live in poverty. It also notes how many simple things can be done at little expense to help them and others. More information on that and other World Vision activities is on their website: http://www.worldvision.org
What simple things can you do to advance the gospel of salvation and healing that Christ brought? I hope that my Helping Overseas Directory gives you a few ideas, and I look forward to hearing from you. May the peace that Christ came to bring in this world be with you and yours.
H. Bruce Carr
Last Updated ( December 28, 2005 )
Our God is more powerful than any hurricane.
September 01, 2005
Bruce's Blog, September 1, 2005
The attention of just about everyone in the United States, and much of the world, is focused on the recent Category 4 Hurricane Katrina tragedy in New Orleans and other areas of southern of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. It is estimated that at least 1,000 people are dead. Destruction is everywhere, and there are uncounted tales of woe. As I write these lines, television reports say that the helicopter crews sent in to help are to "ignore the dead and concentrate on rescuing the living" until further notice. Again and again, one hears reports about how this is one of the worst natural disasters (and certainly the most expensive one) in U.S. history. The effects will continue for many years.
Katrina reminded me of some personal hurricane-related experiences a few years ago. Along with friends from several states, I had planned to go on another mission trip to La Romana, Dominican Republic, in mid-November of 1998. Two months before that, Hurricane Georges swept through that coastal community and caused a lot of suffering and damage. We wondered if it would be necessary to change plans, but our hosts advised us to come. We brought a lot of medical suppies for the Good Samaritan General Hospital and various things to donate to hurricane victims.
Georges made me think of another idea: designing and getting custom-made t-shirts. They had these words in Spanish, Haitian Creole and English encircling a large cross: "Our God Is More Powerful Than Any Hurricane." We were all wearing them upon our arrival and gave the extras to our hosts. They were delighted and said that we couldn't have chosen a better message.
Although we saw plenty of evidence of the destruction caused by Georges, we were in a safe environment and were able to help in many ways. We were also assured that no hurricanes had ever come ashore around there in mid-November. Thus it was quite a surprise when, as a friend and I were helping at a small church in La Romana that was being used as a temporary medical clinic, our driver came with an urgent message. We were to get into his truck immediately. A category four hurricane had been spotted about 130 miles offshore, and it was headed towards us.
We were taken to the safest place available--a solid building constructed with reinforced concrete and designed to take just about any hit. We put mattresses on the concrete floor and awaited the dawn (when the hurricane was projected to arrive.) A lot of prayers went up that night. Fortunately, this new hurricane changed its course and never hit land. There was some very minor flooding for a day or two, but nothing of consequence happened. We certainly had many reasons to count our blessings as we continued our volunteer work and then headed home to the U.S. on schedule.
What happened with Katrina was infinitely worse than my experiences, but three observations come to mind.
First, some people escaped and some did not. Innumerable efforts were made to warn everyone along the Gulf Coast as soon as the size and projected course of Hurricane Katrina became apparent. Most people were able to heed the warnings and evacuate. Tragically, however, many thousands could not. Most of those who could not escape are extremely impoverished. They don't own a car or could not afford enough gasoline to escape if they had one. Others were too physically weak for regular travel. Some stayed behind to care for a family member. They could only hope and pray for the best.
Yet others felt that because other hurricanes had not been as bad as predicted, this one probably would not be as bad as what they had heard. "We can ride it out," was a common response. Some people were successful in surviving, but many were not. "I wish that I had known that it was really going to be that bad," some of them sobbed. Hindsight is 20/20. Foresight is not.
Second, all of us have a responsibility to do what we can to help now. Current conditions in the desperate Gulf Shore areas have been described as "Hell on earth" and "America's Tsumani." Some medical care workers there have also had experiences helping in developing countries. They describe working in a New Orleans hospital without electricity or basic supplies as being just as challenging as overseas mission trips.
Regardless of where you are or what you can do, you can help in some important way. Many of the organizations in this directory are already involved or will be doing so in the near future. Go to their websites, and you will find many examples of how you can provide hands-on or financial assistance. Many other organizations, such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Arrmy, are doing a tremendous job. My church is part of American Baptist Churches/USA, and we have an excellent disaster relief program called "One Great Hour of Sharing." It's wonderful to see how people all over the world are getting involved, and each of us should do whatever we can. Begin with prayer--and don't forget to use your checkbook!
At the same time, we should not foget the needs in other countries where equally (and sometimes even more) devastating tragedies take place--but where there are not the kind of major resources available in the U.S. Far more people in developing countries die every day because of diseases which can be prevented very inexpensively than will be killed by Hurricane Katrina. Are their lives any less important than ours?
Third, the news should cause all of us to reflect on our own mortality. The word "saints" is commonly used. It also refers to professional football in New Orleans and the happy old song: "When the saints—go marching in, when the saints—go marching in. Oh, how I want—to be in that number—when the saints go marching in." I've been at some Christian funerals when that was sung as the casket was carried out of the church. It seemed so very appropriate. For one who is a Christian, death is a victory, and those who die with Jesus Christ as their savior will have eternal life and truly are the saints—not just anyone who happens to like the word.
The Bible repeatedly says that the opposite is also true for those who do not accept Christ as their personal savior. Just as many of Katrina's victims who could have escaped did not heed the numerous warnings, many people will suffer eternal punishment because they did not accept the gift of salvation before it was too late. Unlike the Katrina victims, no one will be left behind because of poverty--but they will lose if they make the wrong decision about Christ. It makes no difference whether one is rich or poor; the same eternal warning applies.
Another song has these words: "Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem tounderstand. But I know who holds the future, and I know He holds my hand." If you were a hurricane victim stranded on a roof, you would be thrilled to see a rescue helicopter come and for someone to reach out his or her hand to save you from death. Have you accepted the hand that Jesus Christ extends to save you from an infinitely worse disaster?
If anyone wants to communicate with me about any of these matters, I would be glad to hear from you. Our God Is More Powerful Than Any Hurricane!
H. Bruce Carr
Last Updated ( September 03, 2005 )
Helping Our Homeless Neighbors – Across the Street and Across the World
July 22, 2005
Often I am asked a question that goes like this: “We know that you are concerned about international poverty. But what about the poverty in our own community. What about homeless people who are in our own town and other nearby ones? Are they important as well?” Leviticus 19:37 tells us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
July 3 marked the completion of one of the busiest weeks in my calendar. The church to which I belong (Covenant Baptist in West Bloomfield, Michigan) is part of South Oakland Shelter (SOS). The name comes from being based in the southern half of Oakland County (immediately north of Detroit), and it began in 1985. Visit the SOS website: http://www.sos1985.org
SOS is an interfaith network of about 65 churches and synagogues. Although Oakland County ranks among the most affluent counties in the United States, its population includes hundreds of homeless people at almost any given moment—and the number is increasing. Almost every year for the past two decades, my church has opened its doors to up to 30 homeless men, women, and children who stay with us from Sunday night until the following Sunday morning (but are gone during the daytime).
This year we were joined by a nearby Jewish synagogue, a Catholic church, and another Baptist one. Each congregation took a 24 hour responsibility for helping the homeless guests who come to us. There were over 200 volunteers. Again I was the coordinator for the SOS week at my church, and I also have a broader perspective by serving on the SOS Board of Directors.
Every homeless guest who came to us had to first go through the SOS screening process. That included an interview by a SOS intake worker and an agreement to comply with all of the SOS policies. Often the number of people seeking help exceeds the maximum number that SOS can serve, so it contacts other similar agencies on their behalf. If they are also full, the homeless people may end up sleeping in alleys, under bridges, or wherever else they can manage to exist.
Although I am concerned about homeless people of any age, I am especially so when children are the victims. Did you know that the average age of homeless people in the U.S. is only nine? On the final night of our SOS week, a mom came to us with her 14 month-old daughter. She needed milk and clothes for her baby. We gave her a room with another homeless mom and her six year-old daughter. Still another homeless mom who was with us had four children—including an 11 year-old who is autistic.
We want to help our homeless guests get back on their feet and restore their broken lives. Helping them overcome bad habits, upgrade their skills, find (or improve) their employment, and budgeting are among the goals. Some guests are overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. Others have lost their jobs for reasons that may have been beyond their control—such as a manufacturing plant closing or a business bankruptcy. Some are dealing with mental illness, spouse abuse, or are returning to society after having been incarcerated. The wide variety of clientele also includes some with college educations and previous affluence.
If there is a program in your community that helps homeless people, I encourage you to get involved in it. You might cook and serve a meal, provide transportation, tutor children, be an overnight host, or help in some other way. It can be among your most rewarding experiences.
At the same time, you should also realize that even the most destitute American people who are served by programs such as SOS have advantages far beyond those of people in most of the developing world. It’s very unlikely that a homeless American has parasitic worms that steal about 1/3 of the person’s nutritional intake (but most Africans do). The laws throughout the U.S. provide for free public education (but that’s not available in many areas of the developing world). It is illegal for any U.S. hospital to deny emergency care to a destitute patient (but many parts of the developing world are beyond the reach of just about any kind of medical care).
In the aftermath of our nation’s birthday celebrations, we should still remember why the United States is called the land of opportunity. We attract people from everywhere who are searching for better futures for themselves and their families. Yet we should also remember the poor farmer in Haiti who fears every major rainstorm that can wash the mountains down upon him or her (and needs immediate help as well as longer term ecological assistance). Remember the children in Cambodia, and so many other countries, without shoes. Also think about those who have lost legs and feet because of landmines and can’t get artificial limbs. Remember that although one can find homelessness in many areas of the U.S., it has become tragically so much, much more commonplace throughout the developing world.
I hope that you will realize that providing help is not an “either or” situation. Certainly we need to remember our local, regional, and national problems, but we must also realize that we live in an international society.
In Acts 1:8, Paul tells us to “go into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the outermost parts of the earth.” Putting that into today’s language, you need to be concerned and involved about what’s happening in your local community, your state and nation, and everywhere else. Although this directory primarily focuses on alleviating overseas problems, I hope that it also gives you some ideas and resources to help on the home front as well.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions.
H. Bruce Carr
Relief for Only Three Cents a Day
May 24, 2005
Did you ever wake up with a strange physical feeling and wonder if it was worth a visit to the doctor? That happened to me last week. As a middle class American, I am very blessed to have excellent health care and good insurance. For the past 25 years, my care has been through a major hospital network based in Detroit. Every time I go by its historic building, I think about
how good they were to me each time in my adult life when I needed to be hospitalized and how they, their satellite clinics, and their related institutions help tens of thousands of people annually.
I felt that I should do something, but not knowing what would be the best action, I wrote a description of my situation and faxed it to my primary care physician for his advice. Soon his office called and said that he wanted me to come in for an exam that morning, so I did. Then after conferring with colleagues, he arranged for me to go to the main hospital immediately for very
comprehensive testing that required an overnight stay. I did that and was again very pleased with my care.
The highlight was going through one of the most advanced diagnostic testing machines of its kind anywhere in the United States, having the results reviewed by two specialists, and then hearing good news. All of my basic systems are in good shape, I don't have a major problem, but I should take a "baby aspirin" every day. This over the counter item costs only three cents. No doubt my insurance company and Medicare will be billed several thousand dollars for what led to this finding, but at least it was much better news than other possible outcomes. Eat healthy food, continue to exercise regularly (I especially enjoy bicycling), and take an 81 milligram aspirin costing only three cents every day. That's simple advice, and I was glad to get it.
Henry Ford Hospital is a fascinating place. U.S. News and World Report Magazine includes it on their "America's 50 Best Hospitals" list. People from just about every country have had an experience with it in one way or another as a patient, employee, medical student, or a beneficiary of its outstanding teaching and research.
One of my nurses was from Belize, and when she had some extra minutes, we compared situations there with some that I had seen on a recent trip to Nicaragua. Another nurse has hospital friends who are going on a medical mission trip to the Philippines. I gave him a copy of my Helping Overseas Directory for them.
Time went quickly as I relaxed with favorite music and read a book entitled The Healing Connection. Written by Harold Koenig, M.D. of Duke University Medical School and published by Word Publishing in 2000, it presents statistical evidence that having a strong personal faith is a major asset in one's physical, mental, and emotional health. Dr. Koenig is a Christian physician, and his research has been published in dozens of professional and popular books and journals, highlighted at numerous conferences, and has been the subject of many television appearances. Attending church regularly, he noted, adds as much to one's longevity as wearing seatbelts or not smoking cigarettes (see pages 121-22). I certainly recommend the book.
During my 24 hours in the big hospital, I thought of how many people throughout the developing world wish that they could have even the most basic medical care. Mine would have beyond their fondest dreams. I remembered the long lines of people I saw when, as retired high school social studies teacher, I went with medical teams to impoverished areas of the Caribbean. Often the patients walked for miles and then stood there in the hot sun (and sometimes rain) for many hours just to be seen by a visiting medical professional for a few minutes and get a handful of pills.
When my hospital meals came, I thought about pictures and stories of families of medical patients in Africa who must come and cook for their members in whatever clinic or hospital is available otherwise the patient is not fed.
As I saw all of the diagnostic equipment, I thought about a physician who had just completed residency and e-mailed me a few days ago seeking basic medical supplies. He turned down a financially lucrative career in the U.S. to help in a hospital in a remote area of Cameroon. About all they have is a building. The same is true in countless numbers of other places worldwide.
God didn't make me any better than anyone else. My life is not any more significant than someone in a place like Haiti. Why am I so fortunate when the vast majority of the world's population has so little? This question is one of the main motivations for researching and writing my directory.
When I got home, I saw an e-mail newsletter from an organization in the medical supplies section of my directory: Vitamin Angel Alliance http://www.vitaminangel.org, They joined another in my
directory: the Worm Project http://www.fmc-online.org/wormproject_
to make anti-parasitic worm pills more easily available. The newsletter also noted that the World Health Organization has found that providing anti-worm pills to people in the developing world is the most effective way of improving the health of more people for less cost than anything else. I was glad to learn that a simple three cents daily item can take care of me for a day, but a nearly identically small sum can take care of a child or adult with parasitic worms for up to six months. That beats my bargain!
When I went to Haiti in January 2004, I brought 13,000 anti-worm pills to donate. They easily fit in one suitcase. If you (or a group) want to do something worthwhile, I suggest that you look into this possibility and help fund similar efforts. About 1/3 of the world's population has to deal with parasitic worms, and that often leads to many tragic forms of illness and early death.
I also suggest that you look through the various other organizations listed in my directory and see if there are additional ones with which you may want to connect. You may also find that helping others is good for your health as well.
Dr. Koenig notes on page 156 of his Healing Connection that "Our research confirms that¦ helping behavior was invariably and consistently related to positive outcomes, less depression, better quality of life, and more spiritual growth." In a nutshell, he concluded, try to help others.
It's good for you too. Some of that help may cost even less than three cents a day! I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions about this "blog" and anything else that might improve my directory efforts.
H. Bruce Carr
An Unfortunate T-Shirt Message
May 07, 2005
A few days ago, my wife and I were in Washington, DC. It happens that I serve on a panel that evaluates outstanding high school student applicants wanting to spend a semester as a U.S. Senate Page. The 30 Senate Pages attend the Senate Page School, work on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and see history being made. It’s a fantastic experience for them, and I wanted to see the place and say “hello” to the young lady who currently represents Michigan. She was very glad to take us on a tour.
Then my wife and I became regular tourists as we walked through other famous parts of the city. We weren’t alone. It seemed that almost every eighth grade student in the U.S. was there on a field trip. Many high schoolers and other students were there as well. You can easily spot them in their group t-shirts as see their group leaders try to keep all of the energetic youngsters under control. One especially exuberant student had a different shirt caption: “I Understand Your Problem And I Don’t Care Anything About It.”
His parents probably would not be happy about it, and he may not have been the favorite student of his teachers. Maybe he was simply joking, but I think his shirt conveyed a message that the attitudes and lifestyles of many adults reflect daily—even though they don’t express it as openly. More about that thought later.
Most of my 32 years of teaching social studies was at an inner city high school in Detroit, and most of my students were African-Americans with major economic and other challenges. When teaching the section of American history that dealt with World War II, I would try to take them on a field trip to a Holocaust memorial center about 25 miles away or bring a Holocaust survivor to my classroom. It always was one of the most significant highlights of the school year to help my students come to grips with those horrific issues. Often they compared experiences that Jewish and other victims of Nazi persecution faced with those faced by their enslaved ancestors in early American history. I also tried to help my students realize that there have been, and continue to be, other ethnic conflicts throughout the world.
The last time that my wife and I were in Washington was before the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum opened in 1995, so we were looking forward to our first visit. The museum is very impressive, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to see an excellent depiction of one of modern history’s worst tragedies. The exhibits make it very clear that Hitler and his Nazis didn’t operate in a vacuum. Much of the world knew what was going on (especially in the early stages) but chose not to respond for one reason or another. This tragic lack of appropriate action was a major factor in the death of six million victims (about 25% of whom were children).
As I watched the middle and high school students tour the Holocaust exhibits, they quickly became subdued. Then some started to cry—both girls and boys. Their cries turned into sobs, and they held their arms around each other as they watched the exhibits depicting increasing depths of the tragedy. Although I didn’t say anything, I wondered how many of them realized that the number of genocide victims in the past six decades is significantly higher than the number victimized by the Nazis before 1945. I also wondered how much the student and adult visitors knew about the Rwanda crisis a decade ago and the Darfur crisis right now in western Sudan.
I was very impressed to learn that this outstanding museum opened a special exhibit a few weeks ago called “Genocide Emergency Today”. After the permanent exhibits, the visitor gets a small card with these words:
Darfur, Sudan. Hundreds of thousands of civilians may perish in western Sudan, targeted because of their ethnic identity. Visit the Museum’s Wexner Learning Center orCommitteeonConscience.Org
Check out that excellent website; you will be impressed. It notes that some of the organizations included in this directory are already involved in the Darfur crisis. Others want to do so. There have been quite a few reports on some of the major television networks, commercial news agencies, and public radio and public television. Sadly, however, the amount of news coverage about that in the past six months is only what one commentator called “a blip on the radar screen” in comparison to the recent massive publicity given to Terri Shiavo (the brain-damaged woman in Florida).
It usually does not make headlines when a hungry child in Haiti, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, or dozens of other developing countries has intestinal parasitic worms. Nor is it much news when typically 40,000 other children die every 24 hours because of preventable causes—such as dirty drinking water, lack of appropriate food, or basic medical care. It may not be possible for you or me to personally go there, but the organizations listed in this directory are among the many that are trying to make a positive difference. In saying this, I am not neglecting the importance of helping on the local homefront as well. My religious faith tells me that I am responsible to do what I can at all levels.
I applaud everyone who helped in financial or other assistance for the recent tsumani crisis. However, the number of people who have died under far less spectacular—but preventable—circumstances every month is far greater.
Sometimes our help is by collecting things to send where needed. At other times it is through financial contributions. Certainly we of faith need to pray. Groups like Bread for the World (one of the newer listings in this directory) also seek to influence public opinion and encourage lawmakers to take positive steps. I was glad to visit their office in Washington. We might volunteer some time with groups that sort out medical supplies. I was glad to visit Crosslink International (near Washington, DC) and MERCI (at the University of Virginia) and learn about their programs of recycling medical supplies for overseas use. Likewise I enjoyed seeing Ray Martin of Christian Connections for International Health and learning about his upcoming CCIH conference. More organizations in this directory are located in California than any other state, and it would be nice to visit some of them someday. With the internet and other communications, however, we are so connected that personal visits are not as essential as they were previously. The goal of this directory is to help you find some way whereby you can make a difference.
Let’s return to the “I Understand Your Problem And I Don’t Care Anything About It” t-shirt. If we take the time to watch newscasts or read the newspapers or use the internet, we certainly can find plenty of problems for which we may be able to help provide some help. The Bible has plenty of inspiration. Is there a larger problem that you can better understand and for which you will try to do something about it? I hope that the t-shirt I described does not show how you feel about so many of the problems out there. Maybe you can find and wear a shirt that says “One Person Can Make A Positive Difference”
*Bruce's Blog
