I had the privilege of hearing a really good sermon over Christmas at the church of my sister's in a town outside Boston...it was a disarmingly simple message, but one that carried much weight. The basic message being, what we think is something, important, significant, God often shows is nothing. What we think is nothing, insignificant, God often thinks is very important. The minister closed with the blessing, "May God give you the grace to let go of the nothings that you think are something and receive the something that you think is nothing..."
One of my favorite writers on Christian faith, Philip Yancey, wrote an article along these lines - writing about worldly political power and how Jesus and the followers of Christ interacted with, responded to and viewed political power during their lifetimes...the rulers of the Roman empire, Herod and his brothers, seemed all powerful, rich, important, but in God's eyes they were nothing. And yet those things these wealthy and powerful people despised - the poor, the nothings - happened to be the most important in the kingdom of God. Read on...
I share this here because in my conversations on the forgotten, forlorn and poor of Uganda and other parts of the continent and the world, I'm reminded that the very places we think of as unimportant are so important in God's eyes. And those things we deem important, powerful, significant are far from it...it's a call and a reminder to see as God sees - not as the world teaches, but as His word does.
A Tale of Five Herods
If you had five minutes with the President, what would you say?
Philip Yancey | posted 12/28/2006 09:10AM
After a tumultuous election season, re-reading the Gospels gave me a needed reminder of the relative importance of politics—any politics—in the grand scheme of eternity.
In appointing rulers over Palestine, Rome practiced the "one man, one vote" principle in its purest form: Whoever the emperor chose, reigned. Herod the Great, king of Judea, gained imperial favor by consolidating territory and ruthlessly quelling opposition. He oversaw major building projects, including a magnificent temple in Jerusalem that even outshone Solomon's. He also murdered his wife and three sons, among many others.
Herod was sickly and approaching 70 when he heard rumors of a new king born in Bethlehem. Thanks to Herod's cruel response, the young Jesus became a refugee in Africa, one of many to be displaced in that tear-stained continent. The angels' stirring chorus of "Peace on earth" was soon drowned out by cries of grief from the families of slain infants.
Dying, Herod the Great divided his kingdom, and his son Archelaus so frightened Joseph that upon return from Egypt, Joseph settled in Nazareth of Galilee rather than in Judea, where one might expect to raise a child of such promise. Unwittingly, Archelaus helped consign Jesus to the ranks of an outsider. ("Can anything good come from Nazareth?")
History remembers Archelaus's brother, Herod Antipas, mainly because of his interaction with the scraggly prophet John the Baptist. John loudly condemned Antipas's immoral behavior: He had, after all, stolen his brother's wife, who also happened to be his niece. Antipas kept John in chains, unable to kill him yet unable to put him out of his mind. According to the Book of Mark, "When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him" (Mark 6:20).
Through a trick engineered by his wife and her daughter Salome, Antipas ended up executing John. Reports then filtered in of another prophet, and Antipas, perhaps plagued by remorse, tried to see Jesus, who avoided all contact. Jesus had resisted a temptation to power in the desert, and he was not about to cozy up to a Herod who had beheaded his cousin. Later, when Jesus heard of ominous threats from Antipas, he replied with scorn, "Go tell that fox. …"
Herod Antipas finally got his wish, courtesy of Pontius Pilate, who invited him to interrogate his prize prisoner. At last the two powers, spiritual and temporal, met. But Jesus, unimpressed with the vaunted institutions of Rome, refused to perform a miracle or even to answer Herod's questions. As he told Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (John 19:11).
One of Antipas's nephews, Agrippa I, continued his family's pattern by killing the disciple James and imprisoning Peter. His son Agrippa II, the last Herod to make an appearance, presided over an inquiry into the troublesome case of Paul, who had been languishing in prison for two years. Unlike Jesus, Paul had plenty to say to this Herod, delivering his longest recorded speech. Unlike John the Baptist, Paul did not focus on Agrippa's immorality (he was incestuously involved with his sister Bernice, also in the audience). Rather, he gave a stirring personal testimony, evangelistically pressing Agrippa to make a decision for Christ.
Herod the Great and his offspring, the epitome of worldly success in their day, ended up as bit players in history, remembered mainly as foils to the real story that began in a backwater town of Galilee. "He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble" (Luke 1:52), Mary sang in her Magnificat. A few years after Paul's trial, Agrippa II watched as Roman soldiers set siege to Jerusalem, razing most of his great-grandfather's mighty monuments.
Reading these various accounts, I thought of how some Christian leaders long for access to political power and collect trips to the White House like badges of achievement. I know the temptation, for I, too, was once invited there with a group of Christians. Mark Noll, the distinguished church historian, responded first to the question we were all asked, "If you had five minutes with the President of the United States, what would you say?"
We were sitting around a table with both the President and the Vice President. The scholarly Noll began, "As an evangelical, I would say the same thing to you as I would to fellow academics and ordinary people: Put your faith in Christ and follow the Lord with all your hearts."
Many more things were said that morning by very impressive people. But I cannot help thinking, after reflecting on the Herodian encounters with John, Jesus, and Paul, that Mark Noll said the wisest thing of all.
Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Words of Truth, Life and Hope
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”- Matthew 11:28
Psalm 25
1 O Lord, I give my life to you.
2 I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
4 Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O Lord.
8 The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
9 He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.
10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
11 For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.
16 Turn to me and have mercy,
for I am alone and in deep distress.
17 My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!
18 Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.
19 See how many enemies I have
and how viciously they hate me!
20 Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.
21 May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.
22 O God, ransom Israel
from all its troubles.
Psalm 25
1 O Lord, I give my life to you.
2 I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
4 Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O Lord.
8 The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
9 He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.
10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
11 For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.
16 Turn to me and have mercy,
for I am alone and in deep distress.
17 My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!
18 Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.
19 See how many enemies I have
and how viciously they hate me!
20 Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.
21 May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.
22 O God, ransom Israel
from all its troubles.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Truce Extended
Ugandan LRA rebel truce extended
By Sarah Grainger
BBC News, Kampala
A ceasefire agreed between Uganda's government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels has been extended by two months, a minister has confirmed.
This is the second extension to the truce agreement originally signed by delegates from both parties at peace talks in southern Sudan in August.
There is a new air of optimism at these negotiations which have been plagued by deadlock, walk-outs and slow progress.
The talks are aimed at ending a 20-year war, which has displaced 1.5m people.
Under the original agreement, the LRA had been given until mid-September to assemble at designated points in southern Sudan, in return for a temporary ceasefire by the Ugandan government troops.
The rebels missed the deadline, saying the Ugandan army had surrounded the two assembly areas, threatening their fighters.
The agreement was then extended to December, and the deadline has now been pushed further back until 28 February 2007.
'New spirit'
Ugandan Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem told the BBC, by telephone from the venue of the talks in Juba in southern Sudan, that a new change in spirit on the ground had persuaded the government negotiating team to agree to this extension.
He confirmed that the agreement was signed on Saturday.
He said a select group of government and LRA representatives were now having direct talks to speed up the peace process.
They were meeting on Monday in the absence of the mediator - southern Sudan's Vice-President Riek Machar - and their decisions would be put before the full delegations for their endorsement.
The government team also extended an invitation to the LRA delegates to spend Christmas and New Year in Uganda.
The LRA spokesman at the talks, Obony Olweny, said the team had yet to discuss their response.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Jeff Buckley and...Uganda?
Jeff Buckley, a singer and songwriter who died an untimely death at age 31, performed a version of the song, in fact, a hymn, called, "Hallelujah" (click to listen) on his album, Grace. He never claimed to be Christian, but the lyrics and the song are beautiful and reflect much of the themes of this blog and of my experience in Africa; the mystery, the beauty of suffering, grace, redemption...hope.
...Love is not a victory march, it's a cold and a broken hallelujah.
...Remember when I moved in you and the holy dove was moving too and every breath we drew is hallelujah.
Syntax may be wrong, but he sings, "is" not was...hallelujah.
Hallelujah...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Psalm 40
(Photo care of In an African Minute, blog.)One of the things that has happened to me the past several years and in particular, in Uganda and since I returned, was seeing how my brokenness and sin are in fact, blessings from the Lord.
A paradox in some ways, but I realize that there was and is much that God has used to break me and humble me to hear His voice more clearly...and to come in repentance to him time and time again. My deep need for love, hope and security - I learned could only come from Him - and as often as I fall, He offers hope to lift me up again.
I was reading today, Psalm 40 and it struck me that this is what I have been praying to the Lord in so many words. Someone at church today shared his testimony - that in the depths of his pain and suffering - he finally was able to release his life to the Lord when he read in a book, that God was not a father that stands apart from us and wishes us well, or gives us a pat on the shoulder...He suffers with us. He feels our pain more than we feel it ourselves. In our brokenness He touches and heals us, when we finally acknowledge our dependence on Him, and His grace and mercy...Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and he did it by suffering for us, with us and because of us. The verse in our liturgy today had this verse from 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."
And as Bishop Niryingiye shared in a powerful sermon previously posted: "Brokenness turned into joy...is the story of the Christian life."
Psalm 40
"I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the sticky mud.
He stood me on a rock and made my feet steady.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many people will see this and worship him.
Then they will trust in the Lord.
Happy is the person who trusts the Lord,
who doesn't turn to those who are proud
or those who worship false gods.
Lord my God, you have done many miracles.
Your plans for us are many.
If I tried to tell them all, there would be too many to count.
You do not want sacrifices and offerings.
But you have made a hole in my ear to show that my body and life are yours.
You do not ask for burnt offerings and sacrifices to take away my sins.
Then I said, "look I have come. It is written about me in the book.
My God, I want do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart."
I will tell about your goodness in the great meeting of your people.
Lord, you know my lips are not silent.
I do not hide your goodness in my heart;
I speak about your loyalty and salvation.
I do not hide your love and truth from the people in the great meeting.
Lord, do not hold back your mercy from me;
let your love and truth always protect me.
Troubles have surrounded me; there are too many to count.
My sins have caught me
so that I cannot see a way to escape.
I have more sins than hairs on my head, and I have lost courage.
Please, Lord, save me.
Hurry, Lord, to help me.
People are trying to kill me.
Shame them and disgrace them.
People want to hurt me.
Let them run away in disgrace.
People are making fun of me.
let them be shamed into silence.
But let those who follow you be happy and glad.
They love you for saving them.
May they always say, "Praise the Lord!"
Lord, because I am poor and helpless,
please remember me.
You are my helper and savior.
My God, do not wait."
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
At the Margins: John 1:43-51
The title of a sermon delivered by Ugandan Anglican Bishop David Zac Niringiye at First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, CA on October 22, 2006.Here's the link to the audiofile for a good listen, here. A challenge, a call to think about one's life in the West from the view of the rest...based on John 1:43-51.
Here are some quotes from this sermon:
"We all live today hoping for tomorrow...hope for tomorrow is what shapes to some extent how we live today; but it is also true that our view of the present shapes the way we hope for tomorrow."
"The majority of our world live today as if there are not a tomorrow - those on the fringes of life live as if today were the last day."
"Caution: There is a deception that comes with power and establishment. You and I that represent the power centers of the world - you and I who enjoy social and economic privilege - there is a deception that you and I who occupy the power centers of the world, shape the future. That is a deception."
The shape of the future does not lie with the center. The shape of the future lies not with today's powerful, but with those we consider to be on the margins...the powerless the voiceless. It is to them that the future belongs..."
"He took little children in his arms and said that the kingdom of God belongs to these...anyone who does not receive the Kingdom of God, like a child, will not enter. How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God...!"
"Jesus was crucified not in Jerusalem, but on the fringes, outside Jerusalem."
"Jesus invites us to the fringes, to experience the brokenness of the world, to identify with the margins - there we find the seeds of the Kingdom of God."
"Identify the fringes within you…the Nazareths within you.
Come and encounter that brokenness within you…because it is through this that God wants to work and transform you!
Brokenness turned into joy...is the story of the Christian life."
In an African Minute
The title of a blog of a random guy I met in on my way to Northern Uganda..of Jewish of descent. We had an animated discussion about life, politics, Africa, and of course, religion. He explained why he does not believe in the Messiah of Jesus Christ, but happened to be reading the book of Job and reflecting on it when we spoke. The long post bus ride from Kampala to Gulu was made easier by my riding companion who had much to say about his interests, passion and ideas for promoting sustainable development in Uganda.
Josh is currently working for USAID and founded an organization for youth abroad to encourage them to contribute their skills, passion and energy to investing in Africa...Here is his blog: http://inanafricanminute.blogspot.com/
He's applying to Columbia and other policy schools for the coming year - sorry Josh, if you're reading this and I let the cat out of the bag! Amazed that I haven't offended him yet with all my Jesus-talk; but so be it. Good luck to ya, Josh and stay in touch.
Josh is currently working for USAID and founded an organization for youth abroad to encourage them to contribute their skills, passion and energy to investing in Africa...Here is his blog: http://inanafricanminute.blogspot.com/
He's applying to Columbia and other policy schools for the coming year - sorry Josh, if you're reading this and I let the cat out of the bag! Amazed that I haven't offended him yet with all my Jesus-talk; but so be it. Good luck to ya, Josh and stay in touch.
Great new site on Uganda...
da, tah dah...
Friends for Peace in Africa: http://friendsforpeaceinafrica.org/
Colleagues of mine on the site and seems like a great resource.
Find ways to learn about the situation and help, if you feel so compelled.
Friends for Peace in Africa: http://friendsforpeaceinafrica.org/
Colleagues of mine on the site and seems like a great resource.
Find ways to learn about the situation and help, if you feel so compelled.
UN Envoy Assigned for Northern Uganda; and other developments
This just posted on reliefweb's site (to the right) on Uganda.
Good news and reason to be optimistic and hopeful about prospects for peace, though the poverty, conditions of displaced persons and other social, economic and political issues will likely take years to resolve.
***
Uganda: Museveni optimistic peace will prevail
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]
KAMPALA, 5 December (IRIN) - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday expressed optimism that lasting peace would prevail in the north, despite a decision by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to pull out of peace talks.
He said the Ugandan military was capable of pacifying the entire country and that no "trouble-making" would be allowed in the north.
"As far as we are concerned here in Uganda, there is nobody that will disturb our peace," he said. "Whatever happens in Juba [the southern Sudan venue of the talks] there will be peace in northern Uganda," the president told reporters in Kampala.
He said he had yet to talk to the southern Sudan leader, Salva Kiir, about the status of the faltering peace talks. The government of southern Sudan is mediating the talks to end 19 years of conflict in the region.
The LRA last week pulled out of the talks, claiming that the Ugandan army had killed three rebel fighters, thereby violating a ceasefire agreement.
The army, however, denied the claims, saying they were intended to divert attention from the rebels' failure to assemble their fighters at Owiny Ki-Bul and at a second camp in Ri-Kwangba, along the border between southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as provided for under the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
The LRA walkout was seen as a significant blow to the peace process, which started in July in the south Sudan capital of Juba, and was viewed by many as the best chance to end the conflict that is regularly described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Other than the truce agreement, the talks have made little progress on how to restore lasting peace in northern Uganda. Both sides have bickered repeatedly over allegations of ceasefire violations and failed to reach compromise positions on how to deal with war crimes. Post-war power sharing has also been a bone of contention.
The LRA leaders have said they will not sign a peace deal unless the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, lifts its arrest warrants against its leader, Joseph Kony, and four of his senior associates.
Museveni used Tuesday's news conference to address human-rights concerns over the disarmament exercise in the restive northeast region of Karamoja, promising to punish soldiers who tortured civilians. He, however, justified the army's use of force in the exercise, saying there was no other way to disarm people.
"The cordon and search operation in Karamoja will continue and will be intensified, but soldiers who torture people in the process will be punished," he added.
In a related development, the outgoing United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has named Mozambique's former president Joaquim Chissano as his envoy to help end the conflict in northern Uganda.
"He will develop a cohesive and forward-looking policy approach among all external actors," the outgoing UN chief said in a letter to the Security Council.
Annan said Chissano would also address the regional dimension of the conflict, which has left thousands of people dead and displaced two million more. "Its [the LRA's] presence and activities in the north-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo also represent a serious security threat for the civilian population and the region," he wrote.
The statement added that Chissano would seek a solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict and would liaise with the International Criminal Court.
Good news and reason to be optimistic and hopeful about prospects for peace, though the poverty, conditions of displaced persons and other social, economic and political issues will likely take years to resolve.
***
Uganda: Museveni optimistic peace will prevail
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]
KAMPALA, 5 December (IRIN) - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday expressed optimism that lasting peace would prevail in the north, despite a decision by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to pull out of peace talks.
He said the Ugandan military was capable of pacifying the entire country and that no "trouble-making" would be allowed in the north.
"As far as we are concerned here in Uganda, there is nobody that will disturb our peace," he said. "Whatever happens in Juba [the southern Sudan venue of the talks] there will be peace in northern Uganda," the president told reporters in Kampala.
He said he had yet to talk to the southern Sudan leader, Salva Kiir, about the status of the faltering peace talks. The government of southern Sudan is mediating the talks to end 19 years of conflict in the region.
The LRA last week pulled out of the talks, claiming that the Ugandan army had killed three rebel fighters, thereby violating a ceasefire agreement.
The army, however, denied the claims, saying they were intended to divert attention from the rebels' failure to assemble their fighters at Owiny Ki-Bul and at a second camp in Ri-Kwangba, along the border between southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as provided for under the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
The LRA walkout was seen as a significant blow to the peace process, which started in July in the south Sudan capital of Juba, and was viewed by many as the best chance to end the conflict that is regularly described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Other than the truce agreement, the talks have made little progress on how to restore lasting peace in northern Uganda. Both sides have bickered repeatedly over allegations of ceasefire violations and failed to reach compromise positions on how to deal with war crimes. Post-war power sharing has also been a bone of contention.
The LRA leaders have said they will not sign a peace deal unless the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, lifts its arrest warrants against its leader, Joseph Kony, and four of his senior associates.
Museveni used Tuesday's news conference to address human-rights concerns over the disarmament exercise in the restive northeast region of Karamoja, promising to punish soldiers who tortured civilians. He, however, justified the army's use of force in the exercise, saying there was no other way to disarm people.
"The cordon and search operation in Karamoja will continue and will be intensified, but soldiers who torture people in the process will be punished," he added.
In a related development, the outgoing United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has named Mozambique's former president Joaquim Chissano as his envoy to help end the conflict in northern Uganda.
"He will develop a cohesive and forward-looking policy approach among all external actors," the outgoing UN chief said in a letter to the Security Council.
Annan said Chissano would also address the regional dimension of the conflict, which has left thousands of people dead and displaced two million more. "Its [the LRA's] presence and activities in the north-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo also represent a serious security threat for the civilian population and the region," he wrote.
The statement added that Chissano would seek a solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict and would liaise with the International Criminal Court.
Monday, December 04, 2006
A Friend Helping Uganda Youth
Today, I received an email from a friend and colleague who has worked for a number of years in northern Uganda. He helped to found an organization: "Survey of War Affected Youth," (SWAY) and now this fund-raising effort for youth affected by the ongoing conflict called "Uganda Youth."
Please read on for his message and more information about his efforts:
***
Friends and family,
Many of you know that Jeannie and I have been working in northern Uganda for the past two years, helping UNICEF and other humanitarian organizations design and develop post-conflict programs for young men and women affected by the 20-year war.
The war in Uganda has displaced millions to crowded camps, and thousands of youth have been kidnapped by rebel forces, many of them young children. During our time there we have met some amazing young men and women with terrible stories who are striving for a better life. We want to help them fulfill their incredible potential, and so earlier this year we started our own charity, offering tax-deductible receipts in the US and Canada.
To our amazement, we raised nearly $10,000 this year, more than we ever expected, and so we have begun to support an inspiring youth organization in Uganda with your donations. While we continue to send many youth to school, we are also helping this youth organization set up a grinding mill to generate income, and are supporting the creation of a small micro-lending program. Both are described in the attached newsletter.
Our new goal is to raise an additional $10,000 in order to expand these savings and credit groups to a thousand young men and women in 2007. If you are interested in contributing, this is an opportunity to be closer to the people you help, to hear their stories, and to see their success along the way.
We have set up a charitable giving site, offering tax-deductible donations in the US and Canada, at the following web address: http://ugandayouth.givemeaning.com
A little can go a long way. $70 can help a young woman set up a small kiosk. $120 will pay for a computer course for a disabled young man. $250 will help us form a woman's savings cooperative. $750 will cover a year in secondary school.
A number of you are still in graduate school, are having new babies, or for other reasons find it difficult to give. In this case, feel free to pass this appeal on to friends or family. The viral success of the last year was due in part to the widespread attention we received from all of you.
Thank you all, have a terrific holiday, and I hope you won't mind hearing from us again next December!
Chris
Please read on for his message and more information about his efforts:
***
Friends and family,
Many of you know that Jeannie and I have been working in northern Uganda for the past two years, helping UNICEF and other humanitarian organizations design and develop post-conflict programs for young men and women affected by the 20-year war.
The war in Uganda has displaced millions to crowded camps, and thousands of youth have been kidnapped by rebel forces, many of them young children. During our time there we have met some amazing young men and women with terrible stories who are striving for a better life. We want to help them fulfill their incredible potential, and so earlier this year we started our own charity, offering tax-deductible receipts in the US and Canada.
To our amazement, we raised nearly $10,000 this year, more than we ever expected, and so we have begun to support an inspiring youth organization in Uganda with your donations. While we continue to send many youth to school, we are also helping this youth organization set up a grinding mill to generate income, and are supporting the creation of a small micro-lending program. Both are described in the attached newsletter.
Our new goal is to raise an additional $10,000 in order to expand these savings and credit groups to a thousand young men and women in 2007. If you are interested in contributing, this is an opportunity to be closer to the people you help, to hear their stories, and to see their success along the way.
We have set up a charitable giving site, offering tax-deductible donations in the US and Canada, at the following web address: http://ugandayouth.givemeaning.com
A little can go a long way. $70 can help a young woman set up a small kiosk. $120 will pay for a computer course for a disabled young man. $250 will help us form a woman's savings cooperative. $750 will cover a year in secondary school.
A number of you are still in graduate school, are having new babies, or for other reasons find it difficult to give. In this case, feel free to pass this appeal on to friends or family. The viral success of the last year was due in part to the widespread attention we received from all of you.
Thank you all, have a terrific holiday, and I hope you won't mind hearing from us again next December!
Chris
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