It is seemingly beautiful when communities collide. When people are connected from various parts of the world to learn, encourage and inspire one another.

Below is a post from Sarah Ulrich a former member of the Cedar Ridge Christian Church youth group.  Sarah and six other students traveled to Nazaret, Ethiopia in the summer of 2009, yet their passion to serve and stay connected to this community and the people they met has only grown with time. Read below to see an inspirational group of youth banding together to serve the world around them in unique ways.

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“Our youth group at Cedar Ridge Christian Church (CRRC) in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma has been supporting a church in Nazaret, Ethiopia through Life In Abundance International (www.liaint.org). We have come up with many ways to partner and advocate for what God is doing there.  One of our most beneficial events that happened recently was our “Impact Africa Luncheon”. There was much hard work that went into organizing this event, but the teamwork and passion behind the cause made it an absolute success. The students of our youth group each had  different tasks for the luncheon; some serving food, some selling t-shirts and even some playing music. Not only was this a great fundraiser but we all had a blast working together and making every situation a fun one.

It would be one thing to say that we just raised money for a church in one community in Ethiopia, but it’s definitely another thing when I say we have incredible students in our youth group who are passionate about helping people half way across the world. When talking with a few members of our youth group, I could see this passion through every word spoken.

“I just feel so joyful and happy when I hear Kyle (our youth minister) say how much money we’ve raised and where it’s going to,” said one of the students that attends the CRCC youth group.

“I’m so eager to get out there and make a difference in another country.” Another student said, “I put so much energy into it because I love that feeling when you know you’re helping someone out. It really puts things into perspective.”

Over the past couple of years, our youth group has raised $37,000 for our church partner in Ethiopia through several different fundraisers. This money has been used to glorify God through LIA. God has given us our money and talents and I speak for the whole youth group when I say we wouldn’t want to spend them on anything other than what we’re doing in Ethiopia.”

Check out our get involved page or email us at info@liaint.org to hear about ways you and your local community can get involved with our ministry!

What inspires you to give?

In our daily lives simple changes and decisions can impact others around the world in great ways.  Read below to see how the youngest member of our recent documentary team, college student Amanda Bates, has chosen to advocate and raise funds for the people she met in the Mathare Valley and Kibera slums in Kenya.  See how God was revealed to Amanda through this trip and how she has sought to respond since her return.

“God took me several weeks ago to the Mathare Slum in Nairobi, Kenya. I was there with Life in Abundance and a team to shoot a documentary film about life in an urban slum. God wanted to show me heartbreak and His heart for His people. He wanted me to experience just an ounce of the heartbreak He feels everyday for the loves of His life. Having your heart broken is the worst pain one can experience. It’s the kind of pain that there isn’t a pain killer for quick relief.

In showing me His heartbreak, He also created an even larger “call to action” requiring something to be done.  More than just giving my time and abilities, I want to give more. Sometimes however, I feel as though I have nothing to give.  As a college student, giving all I have would be the $10 dollars I have in my bank account and my lunch aka: a box of Ramen noodles.

Growing up in the States we believe that the only “helpful” gift is the monetary kind. Where does that leave the people like me who don’t have that to give? Sometimes I feel as though this leaves me in a box entitled, “I don’t care”. I want to correct that mind set. I want to be a part of the empowerment and transformation taking place in the lives of those halfway around the world. Very few can give enough to change the world, but everyone can give a little and collectively that can empower community transformation. Life in Abundance accepts my gift, a little as it is, and counts me in the community transformers.

So my way of contributing is to use the “Goodsearch” tool bar. You can download “Goodsearch” tool bar on to your internet browser. It’s a free download and you can use it as a search engine or to shop online. Every time you use it, it donates money to the organization of your choice. Of course in my case Life in Abundance is the organization of choice. It is only a small thing I can do but I have discovered that when your heart becomes involved with something, everything changes. God changes you.

So, Goodsearch for God and know that you are doing a small thing with a big impact.”

Concluding our “How Are You” series, documentary team member Bob Davidson shares about the lasting impact from his time spent in the Nairobi slums.  Below are some of Bob’s last reflections on the culture, community, people and overall experience from this life-changing trip.

Photo by Justin Ahrens

(Un) Final Reflections by Bob Davidson

As I sit on the plane to Chicago reflecting on my time in Kenya, a variety of emotions and thoughts that have surfaced.  Some are obvious.  Some are trivial.  Some are unfinished. Here are a few words/phrases that I leave with…

Obamaland.  Finding out your from America gets you added props these days in Kenya.  Finding out your from Chicago goes even further.

How are you? As mentioned earlier, the most frequented phrase to Westerners is… “How are you?” Like crickets chirping in unison, every time we pulled into the slums, the children would chant the greeting with an anticipated handshake in return.

Nairobi Traffic. Chicago has nothing on Nairobi traffic.  It is seriously the worst I have experienced.  Multiple times, it took us 2 hours to travel 15-20 miles.  Two words: mass transit.

How to Think. The common (hopeful) theme that reared its head throughout our trip was grounded not so much teaching people how to do (though appropriate and necessary), but how to think. 

Mazungu! The origin of the word comes from the notion of “the traveler.”  But these days, it simply means the (crazy) white man.  “Mazungu!  Mazungu!” never got old.

Poverty is complex. Where is the problem?  Better yet, where isn’t the problem?  Poverty isn’t perpetual because it’s simple.  It’s a government problem.  It’s a knowledge problem.  It’s an opportunity problem.  It’s a (global) community problem.  It’s a health problem. It’s a minimum wage problem.  Speaking of…

Read the rest of this entry »

Some of you may remember Kelsey from the “Held Hostage by Apathy” campaign promoted to raise funds for the production of our second documentary.  Based on the results from this campaign, author and world traveler Kelsey Timmerman spent one of his nights in the slums of Nairobi.  Below is a glimpse into Kelsey’s experience with the documentary team.  Kelsey offers a personal insight into the idea of faith, and the lessons learned from the beautiful people met in the slum communities.

Faith In the Poor by Kelsey Timmerman

I covet your faith. I’m not sure if that breaks any of the commandments or not. It probably breaks several. Still, I do.

My time with Life in Abudance was awesome for several reasons. One of them is that I had a chance to be around people with such strong faith.

I’m surely surrounded by others with such faith, but there is a separation of church and day-to-day life. I appreciate the separation. I don’t want others telling me what I should believe and I don’t want others telling others what they should believe. Religion and politics are in the “don’t go there” category for me. Unless I know someone is up for an honest and open discussion, I avoid them at all costs.

The last time I prayed, I think I was praying for a puppy dog. It’s been awhile.

Going into this trip with a Christian NGO, I knew that faith would be front and center. And at some point mine would be called into question. I wasn’t sure what to do. Do I stay in the closet and hope that I’m not called on to bless the food or share some spiritual insight? Or do I step off the plane, drop my bags and say, “The heathen has arrived” while making little devil horns with my fingers and flicking my tongue? Of course, I’m joking about the latter one, but honestly was I supposed to walk in and say, “I don’t have faith in Jesus like you do?” To me that’s like walking in to a room full of strangers and declaring who I voted for, or where I stand on abortion and gun rights.

Each night the group sat down and talked about the day’s events. These were deeply personal conversations. We talked about the children in the slums and when we thought of our own children it broke our hearts. Grown men were brought to tears.

Read the rest of this entry »

Documentary Team Leader Justin Ahrens provides 11 observations made from his time spent filming in the Kibera and Mathare Valley slums in Kenya.

*  Approx 80% of the citizens of Nairobi live in some sort of slum dwelling.

*  Everyone likes to be called by name, no matter where you live.

*  A local health worker visited a house to check in on a sick child. When entering the house she found the 6 year old making a meal for his siblings, because their mother was dead in the next room.

*  A child’s smile and joyous laugh is a beautiful thing.

*  Many African families in the slums try to have more than one child due to the likelihood of one dying.

*  Taking time to hold, hug or touch a child’s hand can change their day…and yours.

*  1 meal a day is a good day, but the meal is typically the same thing over and over and over and over…

*  A life without dreams is not a life but an existence.

*  During the rainy season people, mainly children, run the risk of being swept away due to inadequate infrastructure between the river and homes.

*  Without money for health care, parents often give their children local or herbal painkillers in order to help their child cope with the pain instead of getting adequate care. Usually the kids just get used to or live with whatever health issue they have, which in turn can be something that kills them.

*  The poor are worth our time, prayers, and resources, and we need to SEE them.

As we continue our “How Are You” series throughout the week, we will be sharing the reflections of author Kelsey Timmerman and Bob Davidson giving their observations from these communities.

If you missed the full reflection from Justin Ahrens we would encourage you to check out his blog post here, regarding his Changed Mind having spent time learning from the people in the Nairobi slums.

Graphic designer and illustrator Von Glitschka provides a great overview of life in the Nairobi slums.  As a member of our recent documentary team Von gives both factual and observational insight into his experience.

Von has set up his reflections as a visual journey seeing the conditions and meeting the people, we invite you to come along.

Slum Life by Von Glitschka

I’m struggling with knowing how to write about this experience? I want to share it with everyone, but I feel wholly inadequate to do so. I’m not even sure where to begin?

The last week and a half I spent in the Mathare Valley Slums in Nairobi, Kenya was an experience that has touched me deeply. And writing about it now brings me to tears as I think about the various interactions I had with the people there.

So I hope what I’m about to share will give you a new perspective on life in the slums.

Mathare Valley Slums Nairobi, Kenya.

The population of Nairobi, Kenya is around 3 million. And the slums which the city encircles both in the Mathare Valley and Kibera makes up 80% of that population. So the majority of the Nairobi work force comes from the slums.

I was part of a team of around 12 people filming a documentary about the work that Life in Abundance is doing in the slums in Nairobi. My roll was mostly related to grip and gaffer duties but I was able to work with the kids from the slums too which I’ll share more about later this week.

Our days shooting were spent in the heart of the slums interacting with the people and traversing their daily environment.

Descending into a labyrinth of slum corridors.

The slums are a labyrinth of interconnected corridors between the haphazard constructed homes that align them.

We spent most of our time in the Mathare Valley Slums but someone has managed to map the Kibera Slums which we shot in as well.

A river runs through the Mathare Valley slums.

A river slits the Mathare slums into two sides and crossing the water can be somewhat dangerous at times depending on the weather, bridge construction and of course motor skills. I almost fell in once while crossing.

Most of the Mathare slums are on a grade, so when it rains water can literally cascade down the valley through the poorly built slum homes and drain into the river. This of course makes life a lot harder and dangerous for it’s residents.

There are only a handful of paved roads in the slums and most areas are just hardened dirt. When it rains many areas become a muddy mess.

Daily life in the slums consists mostly around the essentials. Food, Clothing, and Shelter. The main street entering the slums is a vibrant marketplace of small shops such as Salons, Butchers, Repair Shops, Groceries, Food Markets, Cell Phone Carriers, and I even noticed a slum movie theatre playing boot legged Bollywood videos.

The slums have no formal grid of electricity, although some have managed to tap it both legally and illegally. I was told that the local power company in collaboration with the police do raids into the slums every six months arresting people for illegally tapping the power lines in the area.

The irony is the power company charges too much for most slum people to afford, so because they need electricity they steal it by hiring off hour power company employees to hook them up, but than they risk being arrested and fined more than what they can make in a year.

Politicians in Nairobi give lip service to the slums in order to get their votes, (somethings never change) but in many cases these same politicians make money from the slum lords that demand monthly rent from slum dwellers. To say the least this whole situation is a very vicious cycle.

Read the rest of this entry »

Justin Ahrens, Principle and Creative Director for Rule29 Creative, as well as an LIA board member, shares about his experience from his time spent in the slums working on our latest documentary project.  Read below as Justin Ahrens answers the question, How Are You?

A Changed Mind by Justin Ahrens

I’m on my way home from the slums of Nairobi, Kenya after working on our second documentary film. I’m exhausted, and my head is continually spinning. To put it simply, as with every Africa trip so far, I will not be the same.

I was hoping to post every day while there, but with limited web access and two great writers, Bob Davidson and author Kelsey Timmerman on the trip, I decided to simply photo blog (via Facebook) and spend the majority of my time trying to run the crew as best as possible and fully soak in the experience.

It’s hard to explain or express what an experience this trip to Africa has been. Filming a documentary in the slums is bound to change you, but I was not expecting this. I had been to Kibera (Africa’s 2nd largest slum) and Mathare (Nairobi’s oldest) before, but not up close and personal.

We spent seven straight days trying to get to know the slum residents, seeing what they see, walking, touching and smelling their environment. The location was different than our last documentary project (This is My Home), but sadly many of the same issues exist, all of which are simply not right. Dangerous living structures, no roads, unhealthy water, no sanitation, no waste removal, lack of education, no health care, crime, fear, HIV/AIDS, loss of hope, and the vulnerability of children to simply name a few. It was a rare day when you didn’t turn your face to cry for a few minutes.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our guest blogger is none other than THE Pete Newlove, who is both a friend of LIA and an excellent writer. Pete is a high school English teacher, currently residing in Pasadena, CA with his amazing wife and three young children.

I read somewhere not too long ago that when it comes to us Americans thinking about those who are far less fortunate, there is something very important for us to remember: “those who are less fortunate” have, in reality, much to give us.  A strange irony?  Not really.  It’s all a matter of perspective.

When it comes to material needs such as food and clothing, or money to provide these things, Americans are certainly at an advantage.  We are wealthy beyond comprehension to much of the developing world, and should certainly give of what we have in this category.  But take a step back, look at our society from an outsider’s perspective, and you may see what I mean, regarding the aforementioned contradiction to our usual way of thinking.

I recently watched a film called God Grew Tired of Us.  If you’re in the mood for perspective, I highly recommend it.  It is a documentary that follows three “Lost Boys of Sudan”- the Lost Boys being a group of more than 27,000 boys who fled, were displaced, or were orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War.  In the case of the three particular Lost Boys followed in this film, they had been living in refugee camps for more than a decade of their lives.

The documentary picks up at the beginning of a new chapter in the Lost Boys’ lives, as they receive word they will be flown to America and given asylum.  It is literally the opportunity of a lifetime.  These men are going from a refugee camp in which the arrival of food is so sporadic that Starvation is a real Enemy, to America- which, at least in the food category, has more to offer than these men had ever hoped or dreamed for.

Watching the Lost Boys’ trip to (and arrival in) America is actually hilarious.  For three men who have lived in poverty all their lives- and I mean extreme poverty- to suddenly be in America, almost everything is new, mysterious and wondrous.  For example, on the airplane ride, there are mixed feelings from the Three about the food that was served- although the cameras inform us that what they described as “that thing in the wrapper that tasted soapy” was really a stick of butter.  Such are the learning experiences, the things we take for granted, but are completely foreign to- well, foreigners. Read the rest of this entry »

Confined to a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. took it upon himself to construct both a compelling and revolutionary message as a response to a statement given by 8 clergymen in Alabama denouncing Dr. King’s non-violent protest.  The response was highlighted by the quote “Justice denied anywhere, diminishes justice everywhere.”

Imprisoned for these non-violent public demonstrations, executed throughout this severely segregated city, Martin Luther King Jr. sought to question the nature of laws that allowed this injustice to be permitted.  The Church’s participation and condoning of oppression to the black community was called out by Martin Luther King Jr. as complete opposition to the way in which Jesus calls his followers to live.

Though we would like to believe we have progressed from this dark period in our world’s history and that justice has both been served and achieved, the powerful quote from Dr. King stating “justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere” still rings true today.  The act of seeking justice is not limited to a certain region, country, or issue; it is a quest that will continue until the wrongs of the world are righted - until humans beings are valued and protected from the atrocities of inequality and the evils of the world.

Though Dr. King’s words delivered in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” were written as a reaction to the unfair treatment and discrimination of African Americans in the United States at this time, the power and lasting truth behind the concept and strive for justice cannot be overlooked.

Living in the United States one may be tempted to remain content in its structured court systems, believing the line “equal justice under law” is a reality that everyone truly experiences.  However, without a worldwide force to combat and end injustices for all humankind we cannot bask in the facade of our own seemingly secure surroundings.  As Christians we are called to share in the burdens of our brothers and sisters and seek to stand up, speak out, and act against the injustices in the world no matter the location or proximity. In this sense, the Church is perfectly positioned to be the worldwide force for biblical and restorative justice, should we choose to pursue such ends.

Today, July 17th, has been named International Justice Day, a day celebrated around the world as an effort to recognize the rising system of international criminal justice.  This day offers a great chance for organization and activists around the world to focus attention on pressing acts of injustices currently taking place, raising awareness to the situation and issues.

Life in Abundance wishes to encourage and empower you to think outside your localized community and join the fight, taking on a more global approach when dealing with injustice in the world today.  Realizing that as followers of Christ the poorest and most exploited people of the world matter greatly and deserve to be protected.

We are all the body of Christ and must recognize that “justice denied anywhere, diminishes justice everywhere.”

For more information on equipping your church community to engage in local, national and international issues of justice, check out Advocacy for Social Justice.

In the words of the prophet Isaiah, may we “learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17

Awareness and education is key.  In order to fully combat serious issues and atrocities in the world today, we must speak out and actively seek to create positive and lasting change through our words and actions.

In an article from The Economist entitled; “Imans, Tea ladies, and Condoms” the country of Sudan is used to explain the prevalence and seriousness of the HIV epidemic.  Statistics showed that in 2007 of the 31,600 people that died of  AIDS in the Arab region; 80% died within Sudan.  Even though more recently there has been a lower rate of infection, there is still a great fear that due to the faltering situation within this country this number will rise again and can in turn spread out of control.

The cause of such an up rise to this disease? The Economist states, “sheer ignorance” is a main reason for much of the spread of HIV.  With a mere 1.9% of those interviewed in 2005 in Khartoum state knowing that a condom could aid in the protection against HIV, is it apparent that the need for education regarding this devastating killer is essential.

Education on this matter begins in the form of first raising awareness of the actual disease while also educating on the cause and methods of how the disease is spread.  Many times those that are infected with the disease are ostracized from their community seeing how many believe sexual immorality to be a major cause to this disease.

This article describes the efforts of the state health ministry and their recruitment of 13 daias to educate woman of this area more about the nature of HIV and AIDS.  Though efforts have been made to promote an anti-AIDS campaign the level of ignorance is still very high. Fear of sexual promiscuity has caused the imams in Kassala to refuse the use and distribution of condoms.

The article leaves the reader with this statement; “It might take a generation, and a lot more government money, to shift such perceptions. But without a more concerted effort, HIV and AIDS could end up threatening more lives than the country’s calamitous wars.”

Where is your part? Though you may not be one to travel to Africa helping to teach the local people about safe sexual practices or how to protect against HIV, you still have a voice that must be used.  Educating your family and friends pertaining to such serious issues around the world is the first step in instilling passion amongst others for immediate action and the process and means for positive change.

Check out LIA’s information about the HIV Care an Support prorgam that is used within the partnered African communities.