There Are More Slaves Today Than at Any Time in Human History
By Terrence McNally, AlterNet.Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Read All About It
This came through the twitter-feed today thanks to our friend @shuttergrace and I thought it was worth a share. This article gives an interview with journalist & humanitarian Benjamin Skinner. A very well articulated interview about some of the realities of human slavery internationally. Check it out!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Summer Days
Ian is finally done with the dreaded California bar exam and we have moved on to the greener pastures of Michigan in August! We've been having a great time hanging out with family and friends and getting a chance to get our collective 'ducks in a row' before heading back to DC and off to Asia.
Be on the lookout for our next update letter letting you know how our fundraising is going and different ways that you can help as we work to secure justice for those in bondage internationally!
I've already had some really interesting conversations with people here in the mid-west about how wide-spread the issues of human trafficking are. Many of the people I have conversations with are sincerely sad to hear about trafficking internationally, but do not realize that trafficking and slavery still exist in their own country... perhaps in their own town (here are some State reports that Ian helped research and put together a little while ago). I think we all have a lot to learn from one another and I am really excited to share what we have learned as well as hearing what is going on here.
We're hoping to have some sort of get-together or event within the next two weeks if you are in the North-western Michigan region and interested in hearing what we are up to. As for now, here's a little eye candy via our fancy-dancey cell phone camera (seriously am going to miss that thing).
Quintessential trip to House of Flavors!
Hanging out with the MCRC worship team (John tried to steal my phone..stinker)
More updates to come!
B
Be on the lookout for our next update letter letting you know how our fundraising is going and different ways that you can help as we work to secure justice for those in bondage internationally!
I've already had some really interesting conversations with people here in the mid-west about how wide-spread the issues of human trafficking are. Many of the people I have conversations with are sincerely sad to hear about trafficking internationally, but do not realize that trafficking and slavery still exist in their own country... perhaps in their own town (here are some State reports that Ian helped research and put together a little while ago). I think we all have a lot to learn from one another and I am really excited to share what we have learned as well as hearing what is going on here.
We're hoping to have some sort of get-together or event within the next two weeks if you are in the North-western Michigan region and interested in hearing what we are up to. As for now, here's a little eye candy via our fancy-dancey cell phone camera (seriously am going to miss that thing).
Chef John's with Bekah's sisters and our friend Sean
Quintessential trip to House of Flavors!
Hanging out with the MCRC worship team (John tried to steal my phone..stinker)
B
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Week of Justice
In case you haven't heard, there is a great series of events going on at Ebenezers Coffeehouse in DC called Week of Justice! AND guess who is making a cameo appearance? Us!
Come out Thursday at 7pm for a night devoted to learning about and discussing the issues of Modern Day Slavery. Everyone is invited! Click for more info :)
B
Friday, July 31, 2009
Signs of faithfulness
God remains faithful to us even when we aren't faithful to him, and this past week seems to be a gleaming reminder to me of that fact. To be quite honest, this whole process leading up to our departure has been really tough already and I have found myself getting crabby for no apparent reason. I've come to think of these (ever seemingly increasing) moments where I get really angry and then get really humbled as part of the growing pains occurring in this process.
For example... when we were in the midst of licking and sticking all of our crazy envelopes and re-folding letters I had a moment where I did a little Shirley Temple hands-on-hips and said "God! Why haven't you been faithful to us in this process yet? We have put ourselves out on a limb because we think this is where you want us and nothing has happened yet!! Grrr! Throw me a bone here!"
Luckily for me, on numerous occasions when my spiritual immaturity is hanging out for all the world to see, God whispers back a reply instead of making me the kid who gets spanked in the super market (don't you try to tell me you haven't been around for that uncomfortable experience!). Almost immediately I felt my heart stop racing and my eyes open to realize I hadn't even mailed the letters and already God had provided me with a summer job, people who had already started giving towards our fund-raising goal, and friends with amazing hospitality who have been our rock this summer. Man, I felt dumb. I quickly got back to work as we zoomed all of those letters to the post office and waved good-bye sending them with a quick prayer thanking God for his faithfulness and asking for eyes to see his work more clearly.
I'd love to say that since then that our goal has been accomplished and we are good to go, but at the moment that is not the case yet. Still, the encouragement and love that has been all around us and the presence of a holy dream seems very tangible at important times. I am looking forward to looking back on these times and pointing back down the road saying "see.. God was and is faithful. He did it again and worked a miracle."
Thank you dear friends, for being the vehicles for God's faithfulness.
B
For example... when we were in the midst of licking and sticking all of our crazy envelopes and re-folding letters I had a moment where I did a little Shirley Temple hands-on-hips and said "God! Why haven't you been faithful to us in this process yet? We have put ourselves out on a limb because we think this is where you want us and nothing has happened yet!! Grrr! Throw me a bone here!"
Luckily for me, on numerous occasions when my spiritual immaturity is hanging out for all the world to see, God whispers back a reply instead of making me the kid who gets spanked in the super market (don't you try to tell me you haven't been around for that uncomfortable experience!). Almost immediately I felt my heart stop racing and my eyes open to realize I hadn't even mailed the letters and already God had provided me with a summer job, people who had already started giving towards our fund-raising goal, and friends with amazing hospitality who have been our rock this summer. Man, I felt dumb. I quickly got back to work as we zoomed all of those letters to the post office and waved good-bye sending them with a quick prayer thanking God for his faithfulness and asking for eyes to see his work more clearly.
I'd love to say that since then that our goal has been accomplished and we are good to go, but at the moment that is not the case yet. Still, the encouragement and love that has been all around us and the presence of a holy dream seems very tangible at important times. I am looking forward to looking back on these times and pointing back down the road saying "see.. God was and is faithful. He did it again and worked a miracle."
Thank you dear friends, for being the vehicles for God's faithfulness.
B
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Project Update
RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!!..... er.... LETTERS!
We released a huge load of support letters into the wild of the USPS this week asking for God's providence and thanking him for his amazing faithfulness to us.
What a feeling! It's good to have those out in circulation, but it is also difficult to let those finally go after the work it takes to get them out the door! Many thanks to the people who helped make that happen and those who have already begun to support us through various means as we step forward to serve abroad. I wish I had gotten a picture of all those letters grouped and ready to go... but sadly i spaced. So.. just in case you have yet to get your letter... here's the front of our postcard for your browsing pleasure :)
hearts!
B
We released a huge load of support letters into the wild of the USPS this week asking for God's providence and thanking him for his amazing faithfulness to us.
What a feeling! It's good to have those out in circulation, but it is also difficult to let those finally go after the work it takes to get them out the door! Many thanks to the people who helped make that happen and those who have already begun to support us through various means as we step forward to serve abroad. I wish I had gotten a picture of all those letters grouped and ready to go... but sadly i spaced. So.. just in case you have yet to get your letter... here's the front of our postcard for your browsing pleasure :)
hearts!B
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Welcome to our blog
Welcome! We'll be posting shortly. We're excited for you to join us on our journey!
I&B
I&B
Sunday, January 11, 2009
London!
(Copied from Bekah's blog)
They say first impressions are important. With that in mind I have put off posting for a few days for the sake of giving a positive first impression of our stay in London. :)
We got here at 7am local time Wednesday morning and Ian immediately left for school and I began my 3-day stint of full-time Nanny to a friend's child who was a ball full of energy. I felt bad for the poor kid because I was so completely bushed after being awake for 24 hours that first day, i was probably no fun at all! Still... cameras are a big hit.. especially when you can take pictures of the other person taking a picture of you... she though this was just grand!
If I had not yet won favor, I think that my ability to draw pictures that looked like her Disney princess dolls may have done the trick. Ah... my college education at work.
SO... If I had in fact blogged before today that is pretty much all you would have seen. Myself and my new preschool friend and Ariel in her post-mermaid dress. THAT is what London is all about. NOOoooooo. Moving on...
Trafalgar Square! Finally today Ian and I got out for a touch of sight seeing. After morning service at Holy Trinity Brompton (which we enjoyed) we headed out to the center of vacation snapshots....
This so far has to be my favorite picture... maybe ever. I love this guy and this picture makes me so happy! He's amazing and I am thrilled we get to finally globe-trot more together.
And me! Those cars whirring past in the background were actually going quite quickly... maybe. That is one thing I am unsure of here.. are the cars really going faster? Or am I just ridiculously close to the road at all times?
Big Ben! Since we are mere mortals we saw Ben (which happens to only refer to the clock and not the tower.. did you know that?) from behind a rather tall gate.
We have been reading up on London, and we figured it was no time to stop. Ian was reading me from our tour book as we went along. He read, I took pictures. Pretty keen deal.
Just one more for fun... with the London Eye in the background!
We took a quick turn around the grounds of Westminster Abbey...
And then back past Parliament on our way back to the tube to go back home to our teeny flat.
Hooray! The rumors are true! We really are in London!!!!
Needless to say, I plan to revisit all of these sights again, but it was good to finally get to take a little look around at some of the iconic sights of this city. If it crosses our mind please pray for our health. We are still recovering from some jet-lag and just generally no sleeping as well on our 'dorm bed'.
Cheers!
B
They say first impressions are important. With that in mind I have put off posting for a few days for the sake of giving a positive first impression of our stay in London. :)
We got here at 7am local time Wednesday morning and Ian immediately left for school and I began my 3-day stint of full-time Nanny to a friend's child who was a ball full of energy. I felt bad for the poor kid because I was so completely bushed after being awake for 24 hours that first day, i was probably no fun at all! Still... cameras are a big hit.. especially when you can take pictures of the other person taking a picture of you... she though this was just grand!
If I had not yet won favor, I think that my ability to draw pictures that looked like her Disney princess dolls may have done the trick. Ah... my college education at work.
SO... If I had in fact blogged before today that is pretty much all you would have seen. Myself and my new preschool friend and Ariel in her post-mermaid dress. THAT is what London is all about. NOOoooooo. Moving on...Trafalgar Square! Finally today Ian and I got out for a touch of sight seeing. After morning service at Holy Trinity Brompton (which we enjoyed) we headed out to the center of vacation snapshots....
This so far has to be my favorite picture... maybe ever. I love this guy and this picture makes me so happy! He's amazing and I am thrilled we get to finally globe-trot more together.
And me! Those cars whirring past in the background were actually going quite quickly... maybe. That is one thing I am unsure of here.. are the cars really going faster? Or am I just ridiculously close to the road at all times?
Big Ben! Since we are mere mortals we saw Ben (which happens to only refer to the clock and not the tower.. did you know that?) from behind a rather tall gate.
We have been reading up on London, and we figured it was no time to stop. Ian was reading me from our tour book as we went along. He read, I took pictures. Pretty keen deal.
Just one more for fun... with the London Eye in the background!
We took a quick turn around the grounds of Westminster Abbey...
And then back past Parliament on our way back to the tube to go back home to our teeny flat.
Hooray! The rumors are true! We really are in London!!!!
Needless to say, I plan to revisit all of these sights again, but it was good to finally get to take a little look around at some of the iconic sights of this city. If it crosses our mind please pray for our health. We are still recovering from some jet-lag and just generally no sleeping as well on our 'dorm bed'.
Cheers!
B
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