Rob's Blog

Tomorrow is the last day of my 40 day Pepsi Fast for Food. This is the second time I have done this. This time was much harder than last year.

Although I will NEVER know what it is like to not have enough food to eat or clean water to drink, I have experienced a small amount of understaning of sacrifice. The difference is that I know after 40 days I can go back to my Pepsi Addiction.

What the spirit has shown me is that I need to be aware of how much I spend on things of this world. I can easily spend $1.00 to 3.00 a day on pop. How rediculous is that? Children are starving while I sit and drink can after can of pop.

Will I go back to drinking soda? Yes I will. But I pray that I will limit my consumption.

I planned to give my pop money to the Global Food Crisis. Instead, I have made a donation to the relief in Haiti.

I encourage you to give something up and try to appreciate all the blessings we have been given. “To whom much is given, much is required.”

I have been reading Exodus. Today as I read I had a burning question.

So Moses goes up the mountain to spend 40 days with the Lord. While he is there, God gives him the directions on making lots of different parts of the tabernacle and all of the things inside if it. These directions are very detailed.

My question is his, “How did Moses remember all of the measurements?” Now I know God can do anything. My humaness couldn’t help but think of my inability to remember to things. I have to write everyhing down. Moses didn’t have a notepad.

I guess I will have to wait for heaven to ask.

My heart is burdened. My heart is heavy. My heart is broken. My heart is with those in Haiti. It is especially with the children. Children who had little before have nothing now.

Like you, I sit in my home and soak in the stories of what has happened. My mind tries to understand the magnitude of the devastation. I just can’t grasp the fullness of the crisis that has taken place.

I feel helpless. My being longs to jump on a plane and head to help those in need. But like many of you, my family and my job require me to be here.

What can we do to really save lives? It’s not like we are pulling people to safety or feeding those who haven’t eaten in days.

This is a question that I keep asking myself. First we can pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT) says, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” We have to trust that our God is in control of this situation. The people of Haiti can feel our prayers. Our friends that have the opportunity to travel to Haiti to serve need our prayers. We can also donate to Compassion’s Disaster Relief Fund. It is going to take millions to rebuild what was lost. We can encourage those we come in contact with to do the same.

This battle is just beginning. We need to support those who need us most. Right now who needs us most is in Haiti. We may not be able to be there in person, but we can surely be there in Spirit.

Pray with me, Lord, we know how awesome you are. We know you are much bigger than this disaster. We know you have shown up in Haiti. You have shown up in the lives of the workers pulling people out of the wreckage. We pray that somehow through this tragedy, you will be glorified. We pray for those who have lost family and friends. Please comfort them and give them the strength to continue on. We pray for those serving that you give them the strength to also continue on. Place your loving arms around the church projects and development centers. Help them to assess and continue to do what they do best, releasing the children from poverty in the name of Jesus. We pray this is the name of Jesus, Amen.

The catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12 has resulted in unfathomable chaos and devastation for hundreds of thousands of children and families.

Compassion sponsors and donors serve more than 65,000 children in Haiti. At least a third of them live in the areas that were hardest hit.

I am asking you to please send a generous gift today to help precious children and their families, and to encourage others to give to Compassion International. The people of Haiti desperately need our help and hope.
Compassion International is working rapidly to assess the situation and determine the full extent of damage:
• Sadly, we anticipate there will be many deaths.
• We anticipate thousands of children and families will have lost everything.
• We anticipate many of our church-based child development centers will have been destroyed

To donate, go to https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/haitiearthquake.htm?referer=105120SocialSponsorshipBlitz

All funds raised in response to the Haiti earthquake will be used immediately to provide for Compassion-assisted children and families affected by this crisis. Any funds raised in excess will be stewarded by Compassion for additional and future disaster relief efforts.
You can provide immediate relief today.
• $35 helps provide a relief pack filled with enough food and water to sustain a family for one week.
• $70 gift helps care for their needs for two weeks.
• $105 helps provide relief packs filled with enough food and water to sustain two families for two weeks.
• $210 gift helps care for two families’ needs.
• $525 helps provide relief packs filled with enough food and water to sustain 10 families for two weeks.
• $1,050 gift helps care for 10 families’ needs.
• $1,500 helps rebuild a home.
• $2,100 helps supply 20 families with the basics for three weeks.
*Due to the high number of responses it may take longer than normal to process your transaction.

Why should you give to Compassion? The FBI is warning of several Haiti charity scams that have popped up in the wake of this earthquake. http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/wayoflife/01/13/haiti.charity.scams/

They are suggesting that donations only be made to organizations monitored and rated by CharityNavigator.org and The American Institute of Philanthropy. Both organizations have given Compassion International their highest approval ranking. Compassion International is the only non-profit in it’s category to receive eight consecutive years of four star rating from CharityNavigator.org.

Lastly, I ask that you pray for those effected by this crisis.

In his book, Crazy Love, Francis Chan writes…

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Life isn’t perfect when you follow Christ wholeheartedly; you will have trouble, Jesus says – it is pretty much guaranteed.

But he has overcome the world. So take heart, keep on, fight the good fight, pray continuously, and do not grow weary. There is nothing better than giving up everything and stepping into a passionate love relationship with God, the God of the universe who made galaxies, leaves, laughter, and me and you.

This Christmas, remember Jesus was sent to save us from what we deserved. He took our cross.

Those were my nails
That was my crown
That pierced Your hands and Your brow
Those were my thorns
Those were my scorns
Those were my …tears that fell down
And just as You said it would be
You did it all for me
After You counted the cost
You took my shame, my blame

February 10, 2010 is Compassion International’s Global Food Crisis Day.

You may not know, but a dramatic rise in the cost of food over the past year has created a life-threatening crisis for millions of the world’s poorest families. Most Compassion-assisted children and their families have been affected and some have been absolutely devastated.

Compassion is working through our church partners to fight hunger and related issues impacting Compassion-assisted children.

• Children are being weighed and measured to identify the most vulnerable and to monitor progress over time.
• The range of food supplies provided includes food staples (rice, beans and cooking oil); meal complements of fruits, vegetables and meat; and vitamin-enhanced beverages.
• Mothers/caregivers of all children registered in the Child Survival Program have their nutritional needs provided and are learning how to care for the nutritional needs of their children

Emergency food assistance is needed now. Compassion will distribute food and other means of support to the most severely affected families first, followed by less affected families, as determined by our program staff.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

How can we help? What if starting January 1, 2010, we all give something up each and every day until February 10 and donate the money saved to the Global Food Crisis. What you give up is your own decision. For some it may be Starbucks. For others, it might be eating out for lunch each day. For me it is soda.

You may or may not know, I am addicted to Pepsi. Although I have tried to cut back to one can a day, most days I have at least 2 or 3 cans. That doesn’t count when I go out and have lots of refills.

What you may not know is that about every 7 seconds a child dies from hunger related causes. When I think about those who try to live on only a dollar a day, I realize I have way more than I need. That challenges me to do something about the Global Food Crisis.

I am taking a Pepsi Fast for Food. For 40 days I am going to take a break from Pepsi or any other soda pop. At the end of the 40 days, I am going to make a donation to Compassion International’s Global Food Crisis Fund. I plan to give at least $1.00 a day for the 40 days which equals $40.00. This is the minimum amount to Pepsi I drink a day. Many days it is much more.

Will you join me in this fight to help those in poverty have enough to eat today and every day.

You can make a donation to Compassion International’s Global Food Crisis Fund.

As I think about Thanksgiving tomorrow, I immediately thank God for my family. Especially my wonderful wife who is a great mother. I also thank God for my two princesses who have changed my life forever!

My thoughts then turn to Katherine, Anthony, Edison and Gracia as well as the mothers and children at the Mi Casita Child Survival Program. These are our sponsored kids and the child survival program we sponsor. I think about how much I take for granted. I thank God for these children and what a blessing they are to me. I thank God for providing me with enough… enough food, enough of a house, enough of everything.

This Thanksgiving I am just thankful…

Each interaction I have with children is a divine appointment from God.

I find when I have this philosophy in the front of my mind my day goes much better. I feel like I have better lessons and the students are much more receptive to what I have to say.

I pray God uses me daily to show His glory to my class.