Blood Diamond

[failegaidin]

I watch these movies set in Africa, about the civil war and death and unrest and refuges and pain. And I cry. And I cry. And I want to help them. But I feel at such a loss. I find myself unwilling and afraid to make any real sacrifice in order to go over there and try to do something. I am afraid of getting hurt. I am afraid of the culture shock. But most of all, I'm afraid of being useless. I'm afraid of being alone. And then I find myself wondering how we can really do any good...it's like we're just putting bandaids on a gaping chest wound. Because, in the end, it comes down to this: How do we get people to stop killing each other? And I have no answer. I have no solution. I don't even have any ideas, good or bad.

I just feel useless and at a loss

Comments

[loungelemming.livejournal.com]

Hey hun,
As one who has been in Africa for month, I feel your pain. It's so hard to see a continent that is being torn apart by HIV/AIDS and strife. I would like to let you know that living there is more than doable -- the people there are some of the most compassionate people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The majority of people over there have so little but they are so joyful and happy with what they have been given. Going over there changed my life for the better! When I went over there we built churches for a Maasai village and helped to add on a part of a church for a youth prison. Guess what -- I wasn't able to do that much hard labor! But you know what? I made a difference by just being there and caring about the people I met and spent time with! Seriously, if you get a chance to go -- GO! I can hook you up with a place that will teach you how to be fluent in Swahili if you want. I gots connections. :-) If you don't want to go over there, you can do a lot here as well! An evangelist over there needs to have surgery done, but can't afford to pay for it. You could help raise funds for his medical needs! One of the schools that my college helped build for a village of Maasai has recently been condemned -- the contracter (probably American) swindled them and made it out of crappy supplies. You could help raise money and supplies for the people of Twa Twa Twa to have a new school! If that seems like too much to do, funding schooling for an evangelist costs about $500 a year. You could raise money and sponsor an evangelist. Evangelists are the ones that lead services for the Maasai because there just aren't enough clergy to go around. An evangelist can ride their bike an average of 10 miles between each village each Sunday so that these people can have their worship service.

There is so much you can do, and with God the possibilities are limitless. Seriously consider if you are being called to this type of ministry. I think you'd rock at it! It's worth everything and you CAN make a difference. No one in a useless instrument when they are God's instrument!

[failegaidin.livejournal.com]

I want to help. I just don't know how to do any of this stuff. I don't know how to raise money. I don't know how to ask people to give. I am just too afraid to go anywhere out of my comfort zone. The very thought of just picking up and going somewhere scares me to pieces. Do you have any links for any of these places?

Am now regretting never going on a missions trip during college when it would have been MUCH easier.

Thank you for the quick reply and the loving words and the encouragement.

[loungelemming.livejournal.com]

For a first hand account of the work that the last May Term class did in Tanzania, go to this link: http://www.wartburgtanzania.blogspot.com/
That may help you figure out ideas and whatnot.
Here is another link that explains what we are trying to accomplish in Tanzania: http://www.helpingtanzania.org/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=8
The guy that wrote it is Pastor Herb Haferman, and he is one person that you can contact for more info.
For the Lutheran Junior Seminary Language school in Morogoro:
Lutheran Junior Seminary Morogoro
(and Language & Orientation School) Director: Mr. Raphael Mwambashi
P.O. Box 303, Morogoro
Telephone: +255 (23) 260-4464
FAX: +255 (23) 260 3173
LJS: ljsmorogoro.net
Language & Orientation School: infostudyswahili.com
Language & Orientation School: http://www.studyswahili.com

As for how you can get involved, well, there are a lot of church affiliated organizations that use young people like us for mission work. One that I am quite familiar with if Youth in Global Missions. Of course, I am more familiar with Lutheran stuff. You could probably find a lot of mission work for youth in your own denomination as well if you don't want to pursue the Lutheran organizations. As for raising money, we could work together on that. We could use Facebook and our churches to work it all out. There's always raising awareness by going to local newspapers and news channels. There is so much we could do if we put our heads together!