1.4 million children die as a result of diarrhea each year.
90% of all deaths caused by diarrheal diseases are children under 5 years of age, mostly in developing countries.
I took this picture on a city street in Haiti.
This morning I watered my flower bed. Just so it would look pretty when I drive up, I sprayed precious clean water on the plants. Meanwhile, these kids have this as their only water source. OUCH. I don't want to cruise through my life consuming and throwing out while babies die from starvation and diarrhea.
So, how's my Radical Experiment coming along? Well, today marks 2 weeks since I've gone through a drive through. That's good!! Yippee, but don't celebrate yet. We did all go to a nice Italian restaurant a few days ago to celebrate school being over. As for new clothes, haven't bought a stitch--for myself anyways. I did get Abby a pair of shorts and the boys some Tshirts. Making a big change takes time. I want to keep plugging away though. And, let me clarify, there is nothing wrong with buying some things or enjoying the fruits of our labor. It is just that we live in such a gluttony consumerism society and rarely think about the people suffering while we consume more and more and more-it is never enough for most of us!
In "Radical", David Platt gives a blazing statement about our wealth and the millions in the world without the basic necessities of life.
We look back on slave-owning churchgoers of 150 years ao and ask, "How could they have treated their fellow human beings that way?" I wonder if followers of Christ 150 years from now will look back at Christians in America today and ask, "How could they live insuch big houses? How could they drive such nice cars and wear such nice clothes? How could they live in such affluence while thousands of children were dying because they didn't have food and water? How could they go on with their lives as though the billions of poor didn't even exist?"
If you are doing a Radical Experiment, drop me a comment and let me know how it is going.
Hey, just wanted to recommend the book "Quaker Summer" by Lisa Samson....Christian fiction...not cheesy Christian fiction though...convicting majorly! Its a book about simplifying our lives. So good. We started to do this several years back when we were in the adoption process and after reading that book along with conviction from the Holy Spirit we are trying to live a more frugile lifestyle, keeping in mind how truly blessed we are and trying to use our finances to bless others.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing, check out Water is Life at
www.waterislife.com
it is a water straw that costs $10 and purifies water for an entire year for one person (how many of us can't afford $10??). Amazing. A man who used to attend/be an elder in our church developed the system. I have never met him but he is apparently an amazing man and has a real heart for the nations and a heart for orphans worldwide.