Blog Action Day- WATER

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Recently I found about this website, http://blogactionday.change.org/ and how each year on October 15, bloggers around the world unite together and blog about the same topic. So, today this blog is about water.
Water-this 5 letter word is known to us to replenish us. So why the big fuss about water when we know what it is?

Believe it or not, 1 child in the world dies from a water borne illness or disease every 20 seconds. The majority of these children are in third world countries where poverty is real and many are in deep crisis. Water is crucial for all so when a person dies from drinking water, it can be hard to imagine living in the western world.

Another fact, 1 in 8 people around the world do not have access to clean, safe drinking water (Charitywater,2010)
Organisations around the world like Samaritan’s Purse, (http://samaritanspurse.dms-au.com/2009/05/11/see-our-water-filters-in-action/) have specific projects in places like Cambodia to help with providing clean and accessible water to all.
We can all make a difference in the world we live in, whether by praying for people who don’t have clean drinking water,educating and informing people about what life is like for people in third world countries and by taking action to advocate for those who don’t have their basic needs met.

So, the next time you have a drink of water,think about the children, men and women of the world who are in desperate need of clean water and give a thought to what it might be like if you were in their position.

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Mental Health Month

This month is mental health month looking at raising awareness of mental health and how to assist people who may need help.
This website http://www.mentalhealth.asn.au/wellbeing/mental-health-week-nsw.html
provides some wonderful information on how to look after our minds and keep them healthy.
With Mental health affecting a lot of the population, it is important for people to recognise what it is.The theme of this months mental health awareness, "Good friends help us bounce back"
Further information can be found at
http://beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?

Hi all, i haven't neglected by blog posts.
I have 4 in my drafts and should be all online by15th Sept.
Thanks for your patience.

Homeless week

Homeless week was August 1-8 this year in Australia.

It is easy to think that homelessness is not our problem, but the motto for this year was “Will you be homeless in 2020?”

Around 105 000 Australians each year are classified as homeless where no place to sleep. Some people may be sleeping rough or couch surfing at mates places.
I know it is very easy for me to forget about the needs of Aussies in our own backyard and think that poverty is only in the third world. Yes, we should be advocating for people overseas who are in desperate need, but there is also a place to think about people here in Australia who don’t know when their next meal will be. As Christians God tells us to love people and there are many examples in the gospels of Jesus caring for the sick and hurt.

There are practical things we can do to support people in our own backyard doing it tough-maybe helping out at soup kitchen once a month or donating second hand clothes to other worthy organisations.

For further information on homelessness in Australia feel free to check out the below links:
http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/

13:3 Race 4 the persecuted-A race with a difference

On July 3rd 2010, our team 'Awesome Foursome' along with 14 other teams met on a cold winters morning at the front of the Town Hall in the Sydney CBD to participate in an ‘amazing race’. The aim was not to be the first team to cross the finish line to win $1 million dollars (like the real USA Amazing Race)but to raise funds to support persecuted Christians doing it tough in Iraq.

Teams were made up of between 3-8 people. All teams started at Town Hall and were given their first clue. The clues were mixed around so no more than 2 teams were going for the same clue at once, but rather, teams going in a ‘circle’ around the CBD to find various landmarks.


All the clues were in an envelope with the envelopes having different symbols on them to distinguish one team from another. Many of the clues involved imagery that needed to be decoded. At each ‘checkpoint’, a photo was taken of the team along with the ‘number’ of the checkpoint. (SEE PHOTOS) The teams only knew that they were at the correct checkpoint if they saw a person wearing green clothes or green shoe laces. (The checkpoints included the Sydney Harbour bridge, Circular Quey and Hyde Park to name a few)




There were frustrations that our team encountered with finding our clue in Chinatown! Our team just could not find our checkpoint and had to go round and round in circles looking for an obvious clue (just like the real Amazing Race!)
3/1/2 hours later, we reached our final destination, right smack bang in Pitt St, Sydney. It was a relief to rest and refresh ourselves from our running/walking.

A short video clip and presentation followed the race with stories of what Iraqi Christians go through as a result of loving and serving Jesus. It was a great testimony and encouragement to me that they persevere so much despite their awful situation. It made me reflect back on our difficulty in finding our clue in Chinatown and the tiredness we felt after the race…….. Our slight ‘tiredness’ or ‘frustrations’ on this race is NOTHING compared to what the man, woman or child of Iraq who loves Jesus endures. It made me think,“what can I learn from Iraqi Christians about their faith? ”



So why was the race called 13:3? It comes from Hebrews 13v3.
"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. "

Something to ponder and pray about…..

World Cup

The world cup of soccer or 'Football' as many people may refer to it is here. For a month, sports fans will be dedicated to watching the round ball game. There will be lots hype with supporters from all across the world descending on South Africa hoping their team will be holding that prize come July 12th. With all the positive talk of the world cup, I wonder what it is like for the man, woman or child living in poverty in this country ? Yes, jobs will be created as a result of the influx of tourists and will help with a better income, but how about the long term future for the citizens of South Africa?
Maybe something to ponder about and research more about in the future.....

Child labour..........and the impact of chocolate?

Image ref: http://missionmission.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/divine.jpg

There are a lot of kids in happy, healthy and thriving families where they have an opportunity to grow and experience many things. Sadly , however, this is not the case for a lot of kids around the world.

It is estimated that 158 million children aged 5-14 years are engaged in child labour (UNICEF, 2008)

As a result of poverty,family violence and for a means of families to survive(even if it is such a small income), child labour is real and affects many kids around the world. It can have long term impacts and affects the most vulnerable of boys and girls.

Child labour can include children being involved in excessive amounts of work, slavery at its worst and sadly child prostitution.

How can you and I do something to help end child labour? Here are some tips I have suggested:

Firstly as a Christian praying is important. God hears all our prays and is concerned for the poor and destitute of this world.
See how you can advocate for people in third world countries. Maybe you can petition, lobby, visit helpful websites informing you better on how you and I can help bring an end to child labour.

There is one thing though which many people love to eat..chocolate that can make a difference in ending child labour. Fair trade is involved in making a better deal for people in the developing world so that purchases made in western countries benefit and not hinder children.

Below is a website for Fairtrade Australia.
http://www.fta.org.au/


So maybe next time you buy your chocolate, why not check if it is fair trade chocolate?