Thursday, November 1, 2007

My Background

In 2004, I saw a picture that changed my life forever. The picture was taken by Bob Raber on a previous trip to Africa. It was 2 little dirty children probably about 1-2 years old and a little girl about three years old sitting on a dirty old step, just a shirt on, but tattered and torn. The instant that I saw that photo, the child on the step looked familiar because at that time, our daughter Miranda was 3 years old. I saw the same curiosity, vibrancy, and endless possibility in that as I did in my own daughter. But, what ripped my heart was when I thought of Miranda's life--enjoying preschool, her own room full of too many books and toys, realistically endless possibilities, and then I considered that little childs life. I knew in that instant that I HAD to go to Africa, not that I would save anyone or even see that little , but I knew that I HAD to go.

So, in May of 2004, off we went to Uganda, East Africa to visit the school that we had been helping to fund and build there (sponsoring kids, helping with construction costs for classrooms, etc) for several years. The trip was wonderful and life changing at the same time. Seeing the reality of the way that people have to live in poverty, so far beyond anything I'd seen here in the US was mind-wrenching. When you see these new things and experiences, it's almost as if your whole paradigm or structure of thought, is torn apart to be able to adjust to these new realities, and then it has to be put back together again in such a way that you can hold all of what you've seen and experienced inside your heart and head. It's quite a difficult process.

For several months after our return, I struggled with this question....why me? Why did I get to be born in America, the land of plenty, when others are born to places where most babies die? Why did my 3 year old get to have a room full of books, toys, clothes and was learning to read, while some of the 3 year olds that we saw there had no clothes, were lethargic and had tummies distended because of having no food in them, and their toys consist of stacking shards of glass onto an old rusty can or drawing with a stick in the dirt. Why?

I felt as if my struggle was resolved in this one moment of revelation--I realized that I have been put here in America because I have been presented with the unique opportunity of gathering the wealth of those who would like to give to a charitable cause and distributing it among the impoverished children of the world. I don't know what form that will take, whether it be grants, private donors, or a combination, but I do strongly feel that this is my purpose, the reason that I was lucky enough to be born into the land of opportunity, but to visit other nations: to see the need and help fill it!

I hope this gives you more information about that age old question: why?

Why are we starting this project? To fill the need.

Why should you give? Because you can fill the need in a way that is different from anyone else.

With great hope for a brighter future for many,
Sincerely,
Julie

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