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aiding Africa

In roaming through the few blogs that I read last week, I came across an article that discusses the truths behind all the major media campaigns for financial aid for Africa.

Though I am no expert in what the needs of Africa really are, I do think this writer brings up some good points. First, the whole idea that the major campaigns seek to make the sacrifice on us the individual to be as little as possible (a clear contradiction to what we're called to as Christians). Second, marketers even sulk to using consumerism to drive some of the fund raising (so, we buy more crap in order to feel good about feeding starving kids in Africa). And third, money is not the solution for all of Africa's problems (imagine that)! Yes, it seems that the billions of dollars of foreign aid over the last 40 years has done little to bring about real change. Not because the African people couldn't use the money, but rather that those in power chose to take most of the money themselves, leaving the uneducated, needy lower class to fend for themselves.

So, guess who is really doing the most effective work in Africa? Christian Missionaries! Imagine that -- the one group that the government and media would most like to shut off from the mainstream is the one group who is making a significant difference.

The sad part is that the major funders, like Bill Gates, Bono, and, most recently, Warren Buffet, will probably never give a dime of their money to any Christian relief group like World Vision.

Sorry if I sound a bit pessimistic. I'm not saying that Bono, Gates and others cut off their funding, but they may want to be a little more careful with knowing where that money is going.

[update 4/18/07]
after reading over this post again, I realize I sound really harsh towards the mega-fund raising going on for Africa -- and I know it's easy for me to rant and rave about what is not going right, and ignore all that is going right. True, even if only 1/10th of what gets raised is ending up where it is needed, then of course it is worth it. I only hope that each of us can be diligent in two areas: 1) not relying on some big hyped gimmick sort of event to make us aware of the world's plight, and 2) that we do give freely to those organizations that are making a big impact, like World Vision and Compassion International.

Charlie the Unicorn

So, some of you may think this is a bit stupid.............but, I personally found it pretty hilarious!

You can thank Shaun Groves for sharing this with me!

Work, school, and Lewis

You know, when I first started this blog for Esmeralda and I, I really thought I was going to have so much to say, to tell the world all about what I think....

then realities of working, planning for grad school, and establishing a "married" routine came full force, and so I've been otherwise occupied. My oldest brother, Ryan, could surely attest to the difficulties in keeping blogs going (he's started and stopped about three, I think).

So, though I'm fairly certain that there are only a couple of people out there who will actually ever see this blog again, I figured I'd go ahead and keep it up just to post an occasional rant or two!

Good news though -- I've been accepted to 2 of the 6 grad schools I applied to. I should hear from the rest in the next couple of weeks. I visited one last weekend, and am planning another visit at the end of March to another. This whole process has been rather arduous, and both Esmeralda and I will be quite happy once the decision is made and we're on our way! (of course then will be the time for me to prove whether or not I'm really worthy to be a grad student!)

Work......not much has changed there.

My birthday was a week ago and I managed to received a collection of books that should keep me busy for some time. From the collective works of John Calvin, to the 7 Habit of Highly Effective Living by Stephen Covey (which strangely I first heard about from my 9th grade Health teacher), to Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis -- I've got a myriad of readings.

I'm starting now with Mere Christianity and A Year with C.S. Lewis (a daily reading of various works of his). After having been turned off by Lewis some years ago, simply by what I thought to be "difficult language", I am now rather intrigued by his writings (what a difference several years makes). Although I've only read the Preface to Mere Christianity, I am rather turned on to the logic that Lewis exhibits. I mean, he spends the entire Preface simply laying out the "rules" that he went by in writing this book (such as writing on the basis of Christianity, without any attention given to specific denominational disagreements).

If anyone is actually out there reading this, feel free to drop a comment to let me know what's going on with you!