Orphans & Trafficking

Back in October, I attended the "Together for Adoption Conference" here in Austin. One of the break out sessions I had registered for was on the topic of "Orphans & Trafficking". I assumed the session was going to be an explanation of why the international adoption process is so full of paperwork, red tape, etc... because countries are trying to protect orphans from being "adopted" by people with mal-intent. But once the session got rolling, I realized that it was about orphans who "age-out" of the system and are highly vulnerable to trafficking because of a complete lack of options to survive.

The simple version of a common story with Russian orphans is that...

• * they "graduate" from the orphanage at age 15...
• * they are released from the orphanage in May of that year with papers enrolling them (room & board included) in a technical school in the nearest big town...
• * they are driven to this nearest big town and dropped off at the school...
• school doesn't start until fall, and the facilities are closed for the summer...
• the kids have no where to live, no way to feed themselves...
• the result: many-- within weeks, if not days-- have been tricked into meeting up with "well-intentioned Good Samaritans" who will "help them", but in fact are wolves in sheep's clothing who then forcefully traffic the kids into slave or sex-slave industry...
• the end.

How painful is that? And how frustrating... because it could otherwise have such a simple solution: how bout releasing the children in the fall, instead of May. Geez!

The breakout session was led by Tom Davis, the CEO of Children's Hope Chest. One of the hardest things I heard during that session was, "When you go to your orphanage to pick up your kid, all the other faces you leave behind will likely end up as prostitutes because the transition out of the orphanage leaves them vulnerable." OUCH. According to Davis, in countries like Russia, traffickers target kids coming out of orphanages as their #1 supply chain.

At the conference, I purchased a novel Davis wrote called "PRICELESS". The book is a fictional account of the common story of Russian orphans who age out of the system. It takes a deep look at the dark underworld of the trafficking industry in Russia. It was a page-turner. I could not put the book down. In an interview with the author, published as an appendix to the book, Davis was asked "How much of what you wrote in Priceless is based on true events?" His response: 80%. Wow. This story is painful and frustrating-- a thriller that SHOULD be pure fiction. Instead, it is reality for thousands & thousands of girls in our world today. (I highly recommend reading this book.)

Children's Hope Chest is involved in the prevention, rescue, and restoration of trafficked orphans in places like Russia, Moldova, and India. This is only one branch of what the organization does... the main umbrella being orphan care & intervention... but it is a moving & valuable cause. One that is close to Andy's & my heart.

If you want to get involved in this tragic global issue, you can partner with Children's Hope Chest in the following ways:

• In Russia, Children's Hope Chest provides over 1,000 orphans with protective services through our Ministry Centers, Family Centers, Independent Living Center Programs, and the Young Mothers Program. Girls and boys in these programs are not only safe, but loved and cared for by our dedicated staff.

• In India, you can sponsor a classroom of orphaned & vulnerable children to help educate them to in vocational & life-skills to prepare them for independent living when they grow up.

All Children's Hope Chest programs are designed to help these children beat the odds, to become productive citizens and mature Christian adults with healthy families of their own.

Don't you want to be a part of their story too??

Global Faith Forum

After hearing Carl Medearis speak in Austin this past May, I decided to read his book: "Muslims, Christians, & Jesus." The book was such a breath of fresh air in a sometimes stale conversation (within some Christian circles) on Muslim-Christian relations. I truly appreciated both his insights and shared experiences from a life trying to live out every day not as a Christian... but simply as a follower of Jesus. I learned a lot from the book and hope that his perspective on Truth assimilates itself more and more into my life.

At the end of his book, I read that he had a blog, which I started to follow. Last week, Medearis posted about the GLOBAL FAITH FORUM (of which I'd never heard). Here is his blog post about the event:

Global Faith Forum

November 11-13, 2010

NorthWood Church, Keller, TX

GlobalFaithForum.org

Featuring

HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal, HE Vietnamese Ambassador Le Cong Phung, Os Guinness, Eboo Patel, Ray Bakke, Bob Roberts, Jr., Ed Stetzer and others

Why the Global Faith Forum?

In case you haven’t noticed, the world around us is getting smaller. What used to be “on the other side of the world” is now in our own backyard.

As a result, we are rubbing shoulders with people of different cultures and religions who hold different values and beliefs.

In the midst of this shrinking world, we have three basic choices:

1. Live in fear of what we don’t understand threatening to burn, hate and denigrate.

2. Bury our head in the sand and play like none of this is happening (but you’d better turn off the evening news and try to not act too surprised when the globalized world lands on your front porch.)

3. Seek to engage in conversation, learning to respect and understand others while not compromising our core beliefs.

We believe option #3 is the best choice.
Join us at the Global Faith Forum as we learn how to join the conversation.

I am intrigued and eager to learn from this event. So, tonight I registered and am encouraging all you out there to go and sign up too!!!

Holy Cow! (An Indian Adventure)

In 2005, Andy & I traveled to India 3 months after the tsunami hit. We had already planned the trip to go and work with 2 orphanages in the state of Orissa through Austin non-profit, The Miracle Foundation (TMF) before the big wave. But after the tragedy, we asked to extend our trip to be able to go down to the tsunami affected region and see how TMF was meeting the needs of the devastated community.

During the first leg of our travels we were with a team of a dozen Americans who were serving alongside us. And someone brought HOLY COW: An Indian Adventure to read. The book was passed around to multiple readers, read aloud over dinner and break times, and the whole group was constantly finding release in the laughter that this book provoked. I cannot tell you if this book is as funny to someone who has never traveled to India, but to us it was affirmation that our thoughts about how crazy this country was were not, well, crazy.
The author (a native Aussie) recounted her tales of living in India for 2 years (following a fiance who was on work assignment in the country) and her constant confrontation with the diversity and chaos that makes this country so wonderful & terrible all at the same time. When we were there, I cried almost every night in our hotel room talking to Andy about the difficulty of this land. I hated it. Yet it still drew me in. By the time we were on the airplane returning to the States, I turned to Andy and confessed: "I hope God never calls me back to this country, but if He did, I would go." Andy was dumbfounded. And here I am, 5 years later, and I feel the stir to return nudging me.

In the opening pages of Holy Cow, the author shares a similar story. She had traveled around India 10 years prior with a girlfriend, and in the preface she describes her final moments at the airport as she left: "I break into a run, push onto the plane and sink into my seat. As we take off I give smog-swirled New Delhi the finger. 'Good-bye and good-riddance, India. I hate you and I'm never, never ever coming back.'" (p.3) And yet she did.

Some passages I found myself near tears with laughter as she paints the "colorful" picture of locals in the midst of everyday Indian life (including burping, drawn-out calls for chaaaaaaaaai, and the uniquely Indian head-wobble which says yes, no, and maybe all wrapped into one). Some passages I was near tears from the pain and inner conflict I felt at her portrait of the poor, the beggars, the sick that pepper every roadside in every city (including modern day lepers, burying the dead by placing them in the river, and passing never-ending slums in the heart of every city).

She explains it well when she writes, that its pointless to try and "figure out" India. "India is beyond statement, for anything you say, the opposite is also true. It's rich and poor, spiritual and material, cruel and kind, angry but peaceful, ugly and beautiful, and smart but stupid. It's all the extremes. India defies understanding... My confinement here is different-- I'm trapped by heat and by a never-ending series of juxtapositions... What's more, India's extremes are endlessly confronting." (p. 107). This is so true!

If you (a Westerner) have ever been to India, this book will make you feel normal for all the frustrations and love affairs you had in your mind while there. If you've never been to India-- but want to go-- this book will help you capture a glimpse of the wonderful, terrible confusion that lies ahead. No matter how hard I try, India will not leave my heart. And I would whole-heartedly tell anyone to travel there. Go. See it. Experience it. Love it. Hate it. And go back.

Oh ya, and read this book! It's a perfect travelogue to be your companion to a foreign land.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali & "Nomad"

I am usually nervous to post when I am reading a book by Hirsi Ali (I just finished her latest memoir, Nomad). Yet I can see the great irony of my fear to speak out when that is one of the things I admire most about her. Truth be told, she has profoundly influenced my love for Muslim women. When I read her first memoir, Infidel, in 2007, it broke my heart with a heavy compassion for women world-wide, as- to me- she was a snapshot, a single portrait of a reality lived out by millions of women. (Let me clarify, though, that I fully recognize her story is one story and I do not pretend to apply it to every Muslim woman in the world.)

Hirsi Ali is fiercely vilified by many, and she certainly causes much controversy over her stated opinions. But her message is so important to voice, at the very least, because it is not the majority point of view. We live in a land where diverse thought can be debated. Freedom of speech is a treasured gem. Yet that means we have to endure people we fundamentally disagree with just the same as we have the right to passionately agree with others. I am grateful for Hirsi Ali because of some of the things she says. But I am also plain grateful for her because she says them.

My nervousness to post about her usually reflects the greater desire I have within me to demonstrate LOVE for Muslims living in this country. I believe, as a follower of Jesus, that Christ cares for all people. Jesus loved poor people & rich people. He loved women & men. He loved children. He cared about sick people, people in prison, people who were oppressed or outcast. Jesus had a heart for people who were "strangers in a foreign land" or were a persecuted minority. And because I want to imitate Jesus, I want to love all those people too. Within me, Jesus compels me to care about what & who He cares about. And so, I love Muslims living in this country. In the deepest parts of my heart, I literally ache with an affection for them that only Christ could instill within me.

Which I hope explains why I hesitate to tell my readers things like: I read Hirsi Ali's book. But the truth is I did. And it makes me love Muslims even more. She does not make me afraid of them. She does not convince me that all Muslim's have evil motives (in fact, I don't think even she believes that). She does, however, move me. She causes me to think, she spurs me to question, she entices me to evaluate. She paints a vivid picture of real people she has met, real situations they've experienced. Often those stories are painful or feel extreme... but they are real to those involved. And I share in their pain as I read about them.

I haven't been convinced (as she is) to reject God and embrace atheism (which was at one point in my past my "religious" allegiance too). But I have been convinced (and not solely through her arguments) to fight women's oppression both here in the U.S. and abroad. I don't want to live in a world where some of the modern travesties against girls exist. I want to speak up and say "enough!" Even Hirsi Ali doesn't try to argue that the Muslim World has a monopoly on the perpetration of these crimes against women. So I stand in solidarity with her in my opinion that women the world over are neglected, abused, or under-valued.

I am drawn to read Hirsi Ali's books because of her experience as a woman, her experience as a refugee, her experience as a thinker, and her experience as a participant in both Eastern & Western worldviews. She has a unique insight into a large portion of the issues facing modern society. To listen to her reason & grapple with reality is fascinating. I stand by that. To read Hirsi Ali's book is to engage in thought-provoking discussion over today's powerful social dichotomies.

To Ayaan, thank you for your bravery, my literary friend. You inspire me, challenge me, and encourage me to engage even further in loving those who are forgotten, overlooked, abused, oppressed, discounted, and unloved...

3 Books, 1 Week

In light of some down time, I've found myself reading lots this last week... and consequently have 3 books to review.

First, In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. This book was just what I was looking for in my (previously blogged about) effort to shake up my food patterns. I learned a lot of undesirable information about the modern food industry. And I am letting all the bad news simmer in my mind and hopefully redirect some of my choices. Things like... the way we commercially grow plants now has even affected the end product by taking out "nutrients" that have things the food industry doesn't want and injecting "nutrients" they want to increase. All in all, it affects the overall product, even of something you think is unchangeable-- like produce. "...You now have to eat three apples to get the same amount of iron as you have gotten from a single 1940 apple." (p. 118) Although really technical and prone to over-informing, this book was super helpful for me to learn how to navigate the modern food industry and the choices we now have in our supermarket.

Next, Under the Overpass, by Mike Yankoski. I randomly stumbled onto this book when looking for resources to learn about homelessness and social support systems affecting the poor. It just popped up in a Barnes & Noble search and caught my eye. What drew my attention was that it was written by a Christian man who set out to live on the streets, (with the homeless as one of their own) in 6 different American cities to see not only what life was like but also what social services (and churches in particular) were doing (or not doing) to impact the homeless community. The author wanted to experience it all while looking through the lens of his faith. It was certainly an interesting perspective and premise. As his journey unfolded, I was both moved by & found myself mourning for the church & its people-- at its triumphs & failings in loving the poor and treating people with compassion.

Finally, Tea with Hezbollah, by Carl Medearis & Ted Dekker. I recently heard Carl speak at a conference in Austin and he mentioned this latest book. His verbal description was so normal-person-thought-process-spoken-out-loud that is just caught my attention. He said something like: you know how the Bible says we are to love our neighbor? and goes further even to say, we should love our enemies? that that's Jesus' commands for his followers? well, I thought- in order to love our enemies we need to go and actually meet them, get to know them. so we set out to do just that. we traveled to the Middle East and sat down with some of the "bad guys" (from America's perspective) and just wanted to see what would happen... wanted to learn about them as people. in hopes that we could tell all you, and that it would help you love them as Christ loves them. That's all he said. And I bought it... and the book... and have really enjoyed just reading their travelogue of what it was like to visit some of my absolute favorite places in the world (the Middle East) and sit down with some of the most intimidating men of power and ask: "when was the last time you cried?" and "what makes you laugh?" The authors humanized these men for their readers. And that goes a long way in softening our hard hearts toward the call to love our enemies.

Book Review: Son of Hamas

Up until a few years ago, I didn't know much at all about the conflict that exists between Israel and Palestine. When I ever heard a news story about the "Middle East Crisis" or "Middle East Peace Process" (and usually in reference to the peace process being unsuccessful), its not that I'd tune out, but I just didn't understand it. In 2007, Andy & I traveled to Israel to tour the Biblical sites in the area and it was at that time that I actually started to grasp it all.

In our hotel there was a map of what I'd always known as "Israel", but it was divided in to sections and color coded. When I asked the front desk what did that all mean, I got my first real understanding of the Palestinian "Occupied Territories". And as I wandered the streets of Jerusalem, I noticed military personnel everywhere-- all carrying giant guns-- but from two distinct groups. A blue uniform for Palestinian military, and the traditional army green for Israeli forces. They coexisted on the streets, with their guns. It was strange to say the least.

One of our travel agendas was to pass into Bethlehem to tour the church built on top of the site where (supposedly) Mary gave birth to Christ. Our tour bus drove through the streets and eventually pulled up to a giant cement wall. We had to get off the bus and load onto another bus, trade in our Israeli tour guide & driver for Palestinian ones, and then drive through some heavy security to get to the other side of the wall. Once inside, the guide announced "Welcome to Palestine!" We has crossed into the Palestinian "West Bank."

Since that time, I have increasingly learned about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from my Arab friends. It is a very important issue to them-- Palestinian or not. And in their minds eye, all Americans and Westerners side with Israel. So, I have tried hard to learn as much as I can-- in an effort to understand my Arab friends, and to grow in compassion for all those affected (on both sides) by the suffering this "conflict" has caused.

So when my friend Angela heard about this new book, Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef, she recommended it to me. I gobbled up this book. It is a fast read, chalk full of information from a unique perspective. Yousef is the son of one of the leaders of Hamas (a Palestinian "party" for lack of a better word) who was, at one point, a revenge-seeking wannabe terrorist who survived Israeli prison and came out the other side to become one of the most valuable spies for Israel into the network of Hamas and other Palestinian parties. His account details his work for both sides of the conflict. It is gripping!

After finishing the book, I feel I have a better understanding of both sides. I have an increased compassion for those caught in the cross-fires of what I think is a impossible-to-win (for either side) war. And I heard a beautiful testimony of learning from the teachings of Jesus-- to love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you. This is a fabulous book that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about one of our generations most heated, and ongoing conflicts.

Click here to buy the book on Amazon.

Video Post: Interrupted

Interrupted from Threads on Vimeo.

Found this video online today (part one of a series you can buy from Lifeway). It captures the seed-planting part of a story of change. When you get down to it, this theme is how God has been stirring and continues to stir further my heart since 2007. I have a LONG way to go yet, but I am not giving up on God's work in my heart.

The video series is an accompaniment to the book Interrupted, written by Jen Hatmaker.

Another Perspective on Islam & Women

I was reading my blog-roll today and found an interesting post from my friend Constance, who lives in Thailand. As if the global cause she works & fights for isn't enough to occupy her full attention... she finds time on the side to read about the plight of women in Islam the world over. Her post today catalogs a few books I hadn't heard of before (that I will now read) and points out one very important thing--
"what i don't think we consider enough is that perhaps people in places like iran and yemen fear their own governments. women and children in countries like this are not exactly on board with the fanatical clerical rulings and terrorism."

Go read her post. Its short & thoughtful!

Book Reviews: Summer Reading

I realize its Oct 12th... but I read so much this summer that I wanted to share/recommend but never got around to posting. So, this was my summer reading list (thru Sept actually, but I think fall just officially got under way)... in short review form:

• Crossing Cultures by Patti Lane... I pick this book up our our church's summer Leadership Conference after attending the breakout session Patti taught. She shares from years of insight about how to relate cross-culturally with respect, with humility, with a learner's attitude, and in a way that glorifies Christ. Thumbs up, recommend it!
• Wicked by Gregory Maguire... I "read" this via audio-book this summer during lots of road trips. I decided on it after seeing it on the High School Required Reading List and remembering that I'd always meant to read it. I am not really good at picking up on spiritual metaphors, but I LOVED this book and all the hidden meanings and indirect commentary about the spiritual nature of humanity. In fact, loved it so much that I walked out of the play at intercession because I was so disappointed in how they had left out everything I'd love from the book so far. (don't stone me all you Wicked play lovers!) Thumbs up, recommend it (the BOOK that is)!
  
• What is the What by Dave Eggars... I grabbed this book to prepare for my summer trip to Sudan with Seed Effect. I was educated through reading not only about Sudan, the harsh civil war there, and the aftermath, but I also got to read the story of a refugee's journey in the U.S. Refugees are something new(er) on my radar and I've been trying to learn as much as I can about their lives. So, bonus-- learned about Sudan & refugees. Thumbs up, recommend it!
  
• Dreams of My Father by Barak Obama... I figured since he's our president, I probably should hear his story. I read his other book back in the spring which was a lot more about his goals and aspirations for our country's potential. This book was a portrait of his childhood, his make-up, his history (up until going to Law School). He was asked to write it after becoming the first black man to become the head of Harvard's Law Review. Its tone is pre-political and I enjoyed it! Sure, read it.
  
• Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker (see my previous full post review here.)... glowing reviews from me. Super-thumbs-up, everyone should read it!
  
• Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali... this was a re-read for me. I had first read Infidel in 2007 and was moved by the descriptions she told about the lives of women in the Muslim World. This time, I re-read the book looking at her story as the memoir of a refugee. She lived as a refugee almost her entire life, from one country to the next. Both in African countries, and the West. Her stories about refugee life alone (regardless of religion) are POWERFUL. I was glad I took the time to change lenses and receive a new kind of heartbreak from this book. Thumbs up, recommend it!
  
• Outcasts United by Warren St. John... I picked this book to help my refugee education too. Its the story of a women in a small town outside of Atlanta who started a soccer team for refugee youth. They are discriminated against, persecuted, mistrusted, and mistreated. Its a sad story, but has some hope as they overcome those obstacles. Apparently its being turned into a movie. Sub-par writing, if you ask me, but the story itself makes for your motivation to keep reading. Sure, read it.
  
• Tortured in the Name of Islam by Setaareh Shahbazz... Oh my word, this was a tough book to read. Super short, a complete personal essay about a woman who became a follower of Christ in Iran and who was ultimately imprisoned for it. It is her spoken testimony written on paper. Its rough, detailed, sad, and yet inspiring at the same time. To see how she was able to persevere and to witness Christ to her captors was amazing. Warning, she's not a writer, but her story is powerful. Thumbs up, recommend it!
  
• Christians Evangelistic Pocket Guide to Islam by Malcolm Steer... Andy's band and I read this before our trip to Turkey this September as part of our training. It's about 50 pages. Super basic. But super helpful. Boils the top issues down to a simple explanation and a simple response. Sure, read it.
  
• Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay... This was a great follow up book for me after having read Hatmaker's Interrupted in July. It picked up where she left off with what God was doing in my heart about getting more outside my comfort zone and into community and service (outside the 4 walls of the church). Our church is going through the "Tangible Kingdom Primer" as a whole church this fall, so I wanted to read the "prequel" so to speak. Thumbs up, recommend it!
  
• Muslims Next Door by Shirin Taber... I read this short practical book about how Muslims are just about everywhere in the U.S. and we should treat them with love and respect. Taber gives practical steps to help us be educated about this culture, this religion, and how we can be kind and not offensive. Sure, read it.

Nothing I would say "don't waste your time reading". Which means I guess I chose well this summer.

Book Review: Interrupted

My favorite piece of summer reading so far has been Jen Hatmaker's latest book, "Interrupted." It's Jen's personal account of how God shook up her & her husband's faith and started steering them to interact with & befriend "the lost, the least, and the last" in this broken world.

They've been church-going people since they were kids & vocational ministers their entire adult careers... yet in 2007 they couldn't shake the lingering question inside their heads "God, isn't there more?" She prayed and asked "God, raise up in me a holy passion." And God responded.

"Interrupted" puts words to an inner angst that has gnawed at my insides for almost 2 years now. I have been a Christian just long enough to have gotten a good hold of the "routines" of American Christian life-- I go to church weekly, pray & read the Bible almost daily... I have attended plenty of "Bible Studies" and classes on what we think, I've studied theology, I've read a billion Christian books-- I have learned plenty (that is NOT to say I know it all, or even anywhere close to it). But at the end of the day, what was I doing with any of it? Mostly just talking to other church people about it.

I feel sometimes like we are all just "playing church", and that can be a suffocating place at times (just being honest) because... well, here's the way Jen put it: "Why did I spend all my time blessing blessed people who should be on the giving side of the equation by now?" (p. 21) Answer: because its safe and because its comfortable.

Joey Shaw charged a group of us one time with the parable of the shepherd who went in search of the one lost sheep-- he left 99 other sheep behind to go and pursue the 1. Joey reminded us that we like to stay with the 99 because that's easy, its comfortable, its safe.

But if we want to act like Jesus, we go out from the flock, in search of the lost, the least, the last.

I am hungry. Hungry to serve outside the four walls of the church. In Austin. My city is full of poor people, hurting people, hungry people, beaten-down and broken people. Do I know any of them? Do I spend time with them? Do I know their stories? Have I listened and loved well? How much of my life (my time, my energy, my money, my sleep, my home, etc) have I sacrificed in order to love them well?

I am increasingly wondering... not just "have they HEARD about Jesus?" but "have they SEEN & EXPERIENCED Jesus through MY interactions with them?"

This book will challenge you to live beyond Christian comfort and mediocrity. It will tempt you to be crazy enough to actually DO things Jesus talks about in the Bible.

Book Review: There Is No Me Without You

Tonight I finished a rough, but awesome, book: "There Is No Me Without You" by Melissa Fay Greene. It is the story of Ethiopia, as told through the lens of the AIDS epidemic, the sharp increase in the resulting orphan population, and how the country-- and specifically one woman-- responds.

This is not an easy or light book to read, but it was penetrating and thought (and emotion) provoking! At times I was so mad and frustrated, disgusted with the blanket failure our world has settled for in the fight against this horrible disease. Other times, I was so moved and hurting for its victims and those who sacrificed everything to love & care for the abandoned, rejected, outcast segment of the country's population.

The author does a great job of sharing statistics, history, and hard, sad facts in an interesting way. She also tells an amazingly human and painful story of a widow who loses her own daughter to AIDS, and ends up (literally) stumbling into a ministry of care for AIDS orphans in her country. It is not a saintly portrayal, but an honest one, which reminded me that God uses the weak & the sinful to accomplish His great purposes.

Finally, in Parts 3 & 4 of the book, the author tells the "continuation" of the story through the lens of adoption. Which was really touching, even though it's not something we feel called to. The author & book have a website that has info on what's become of the Ethiopian Foster Mother, picture slide shows of the children, and information on adoption. Check out www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com

I definately recommend this book if you are interested in reading about obedience to a call, mercy ministry, AIDS/health related crisis', Ethiopia, Africa, or adoption.

2009 High School Required Reading List

Wandering through Barnes & Noble today, I stumbled across a table labeled "Required School Reading." I asked the employee nearby and he confirmed these were for high school students. Although I recognized some of the same classics from when I was in high school, I was surprised to realize I didn't even recognize a majority of the titles. Fascinating! So I had them print me a copy of the list (all 175 books*) so I could maybe-- someday (HA!)-- catch up on what the educational field is requiring young people to read these days. (You can click on each title to link straight to the description on barnesandnoble.com.)

Books I am surprised and excited to see on the list:

• Infidel
• What is the What?
• Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern Day Slave, and International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
• Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
• The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns
• Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
• Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir
• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
• Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

Modern titles I have heard of, but have no clue what they're about:

• The Poisonwood Bible
• The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
• The Glass Castle
• World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
• Alchemist
• Water for Elephants
• Lovely Bones
• Life of Pi
  

A random 7 of a LONG list of the books I have never even heard of:

• Siddhartha
• Prophet
• The Bean Trees
• Inheritance of Loss
• The House on Mango Street
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Perks of Being a Wallflower
  

Books that I have mixed feelings about being on the list:

• Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia
• Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul
• Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
• The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
• Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War
• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
• The Power of Positive Thinking: 10 Traits for Maximum Results
• Think and Grow Rich
• Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
  

Are THESE BOOKS our MODERN CLASSICS? Wow. If you've read any of them, please comment and let me know what you thought. If you would like me to email you the full reading list, comment and I'll get it to ya!

* The 175 books on the Barnes & Noble "Required School Reading" list are a compilation from high schools (both public & private) from across the nation, and vary by region or town in actuality. The Barnes & Noble I was at was on 360 at Bee Caves Road in the Eanes ISD school district.

"Piper's" New Hip-Hop Video

Desiring God's media team partnered with Reach Records to make a hip-hop video encapsulating the message of John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life. It's reallllly good... check it out below.

Why Do We Notice the "Guilt/Righteousness" Paradigm More?

(an excerpt from pg. 152-153 of this book.)

"The Bible is loaded with all four paradigms (that I wrote about in yesterday's blog-post), but for various reasons, we Christians, especially in the West, have been trained to take notice only of the "guilt/righteousness" paradigm. Here are some reasons:

1. Paul's letters are loaded with legal terminology such as guilt, penalty of sin, judgment, and justification.
2. Some of the early church fathers were not only theologians but also lawyers, such as Quintus Tertullian (ca. 160-225) and Aurelius Prudentius (ca. 348-405). Not only that, but some of the Reformers, such as Calvin, were also lawyers in addition to being theologians. So our commentaries are loaded with legal terminology.
3. The famous tools for evangelism that were created in America and spread all over the world through organizations and mission agencies all use legal terminology. The "Four Spiritual Laws" is just one example.
4. The famous evangelists whom God used in the twentieth century in the lives of many people used the "guilt/righteousness" paradigm. Billy Graham is the prime example.
5. Perhaps most of us reading this book, as we remember the message we believed that transformed our lives, woudl come to the conclusion that the message was based on the legal or "guilt/righteousness" paradigm.
6. Christian commentaries around the world are colored by the Western culture. English is the international language, the church in the West tends to be wealthy, and there is an abundance of well-known Bible scholars in the West. Therefore, it is more likely that a commentary written in English by an American Bible scholar using the "guilt/righteousness" paradigm would be translated into other languages than a commentary written in Arabic by an Egyptian Bible scholar using the "shame/honor" paradigm.

For these reasons and others, we have developed some blind spots when we read our Bibles. This blindness influences not only how we understand and present the GOOD NEWS of the GOSPEL but also how we interpret many texts in Scriptures."

Just thought this mapping of our influences was interesting to think about in light of yesterday's blog post.

How We View The World Affects How We Share the Gospel

Did you know that we (Americans) most often present the gospel to people on the basis of "guilt and righteousness"? And did you know that this paradigm* is only one of many lenses through which people in the world view life and need?

The "guilt/righteousness" paradigm exists in the Christian West, but the paradigms of "honor/shame" and "defilement/clean" exist mostly in Muslim countries. It is simply the more natural way that they look at the world. Worldviews like these exist not just in Muslim countries but spreads all the way from North Africa in the West to Korea and Japan in the East.

A fourth paradigm- "fear/power"- exists in the minds of folk Muslims all over the Muslim world and in some African (and Caribbean) countries where some people are occupied with the demonic and magic.

Now, did you know that although most of the way we read our Bible relates to the "guilt/righteousness" paradigm, the Bible actually addresses ALL FOUR of these paradigms. So, the challenge we face is learning to present the gospel with all four paradigms in mind, starting with the paradigm appropriate to the person we are connecting with.

For example, if I begin to share with a Muslim friend about humanity's sin problem and its resulting guilt, and how righteousness through Christ is the only way out of that condemning guilt... am I saying anything wrong? No. That is all true and of course is necessary to understand. But it just might not be the primary way in which my Muslim friend views the world, so it doesn't strike her as the most important issue she wants resolved in her life.

For her, maybe, she is more interested in knowing how Jesus can remove the shame she feels in her life and restore her to honor. Or maybe she is aching inside to feel clean and needs to know that Jesus removes her stains and makes her white as snow. Or maybe she lives in fear and would like to know how Jesus has overcome all the things in this world (and the next) that plague her with fear.

Tomorrow, I am starting a new study of the Gospel of John and I am going to pray that God helps me recognize in His Word the ways He teaches, heals, and gives hope to ALL people, addressing the key issues in all worldviews. I want to try and read the Bible like someone from another culture would so I can learn what stands out to them and what brings them peace.

(I learned about this subject and paraphrased the concept from this book.)

* Paradigm means: A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them.

Book Review: True Grit

On my recent trip to Turkey, I took this book for my down-time reading pleasure. True Grit: Women Taking on the World, for God's Sake by Deborah Meroff was a great read while spending time abroad. The book weaves together so many different stories, essentially just testimonies, of ordinary women that God is using around the globe. Each woman has a different call, a different focus, and yet each story is touching and inspiring for readers to ponder their God-given purpose.

The women Meroff writes about share a common theme in the midst of their diversity: obedience, courage, and surrender to fulfilling their tiny role in the big world.

Chapters include stories about:

• an American woman working with deaf Jews in Israel
• a woman from Singapore working in Nepal
• a European couple serving on a sea-ship sharing the gospel in ports around the globe
• an American family serving in Tajikistan
• a Vietnamese refugee working in Canada and then back home in Vietnam
• a German couple living among the poor in Egypt
• a Canadian woman working with Jews in India
• a Canadian nurse adopting a handicapped child from Lebanon
• a Brazilian woman serving Turks in Germany & Turkey

I heard about this book from my friend Melanie who said there's a guy online who is offering to send a free copy to 1 million readers in 2009. Click here and scroll to the bottom of his webpage to read his offer and send him an email... one week later, you'll have the book in hand at no cost to you! What a deal, huh?!

Bonus material in the book includes sections on "Vital Statistics" for women's related issues like child brides, trafficking, widows, female infanticide, honor killings, domestic violence, etc. I found these sections (although randomly placed throughout the book) very interesting and helpful to understanding key issues for women around the world today.

Book Review: The Middle of Everywhere

Austin, Texas is a refugee resettlement community. So my friend Angela gave me a great book to learn more about how I could “get involved” with refugees here in my hometown. The book, “The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community” by Mary Pipher, was so helpful! It was fascinating because it was chalk full of story after story from refugees who’ve fled their homeland, lived in refugee camps, and then been placed here in our country. The book was also full of tips, guides, advice, and inspiration. I highly recommend it.

Garrison Keillor wrote that, “If we knew the stories of refugees, they would break our hearts.” Refugee stories are powerful and moving. They HAVE broken my heart. And they inspire me to love, serve, and befriend the refugees who now call Austin home.

In her own words, Pipher describes her book this way: “This book is not an academic tome or an in-depth analysis of our policies toward refugees. It doesn’t tackle many systematic issues, such as root causes of the worldwide displacement of people or the political, economic, and social issues that come with this displacement. Rather, I attempt to show, by telling the stories of real people, the effects of our current policies (towards refugees). My goal is to increase the interest of ordinary Americans in refugee issues with the hopes that they will then dig deeper...

“The United Nations defines a refugee as a person who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country because of a well-founded fear of persecution. These claims of persecution must be based on race, religion, nationality, or membership in a particular social group or political party. Refugees are resettled in a third country when they are unable to return home and cannot stay in the camp or country in which they were granted asylum.

“My hope is this presentation will give readers a glimpse of worlds they didn’t even know existed in their hometowns (as many American towns are refugee resettlement locations) and motivate them to discover more about these worlds themselves (by getting to know refugees first hand).” (excerpts from pg. 18-20)

'I Am From' Poems

One tool that Mary Pipher recommends using with refugees being resettled in America to help them heal, process, and express is “I am from” poems, an identity exercise. So what are you supposed to write? You write a poem that includes something about place, religion, and food that trace back to where/how you are “from.”

In her book, The Middle of Everywhere, Pipher records some poems from some of her refugee friends over the years… just one or two sentences from the poems of many different refugees with deep and wide stories of pain, of fear, of trial. Below is an excerpt from pgs. 194-195:

Senada had written, ‘I am from parents that always had pain inside them and from the big beautiful oceans that I flew above.’

Sara had written, ‘I am from Shiraz, the city of flowers, the city of poems. I am from teachers that beat children with thick sticks.’

Boa had written, ‘I am from a house made of leaves, and when it rained, water dropped into my bed.’

Pablo had written, ‘I am from people who work really hard to get minimum wage. I am from a family who is always missing the ones in Mexico.’

Vu had written, ‘I live in a world of peace, freedom, loneliness.’

Koa had written, ‘My heart is breaking. I’m going for a long walk to forget the past.’

Manuel had written, ‘I dream I have a ton of gold so I can help my family. And I help other people so no one would be homeless.’

Ivan had written, ‘The war begins when two or more politicians decide to get more land power and money. But they do not care about the people. The people suffer and do not want war.’

Khairi had written, ‘I am from the country of sadness and dying people because of too many wars. I am the one who got lost in this world and I do not know what my real nation is.’

Zohra had written, ‘I am from Afghanistan, in the heart of Asia, with high mountains that hold emeralds and rubies. I am from a country that has rushing rivers that wash the blood of people who lost their bodies.’

Lana had written, ‘I am from a country where the sun stopped shining, where the butterflies stopped flying and where mothers’ hearts started crying.’

Tavan had written, ‘I am from where the waterfalls drop like a bird I the sky. From a place where the land is green and beautiful all summer long and in the fall the leaves fall like diamonds from the sky.’

What would YOUR “I am from” poem say?

Pipher opens her book with her own (full version) “I am from” poem. Which having been written by an born-and-bred American is starkly different from the poems of refugees. From pg. 1:

‘I am from Avis and Frank, Agnes and Fred, Glessie May and Mark.
From the Ozark Mountains and the high plains of Eastern Colorado,
From mountain snowmelt and lazy southern creeks filled with water moccasins.
I am from oatmeal eaters, gizzard eaters, haggis and raccoon eaters.
I’m from craziness, darkness, sensuality, and humor.
From intense do-gooders struggling through ranch winters in the 1920s.
I’m from “If you can’t say anything nice about someone don’t say anything” and “Pretty is as pretty does” and “Shit-mucklety brown” and “Damn it all to hell.”
I’m from no-dancing-or-drinking Methodists, but cards were okay except on Sunday, and from tent-meeting Holy Rollers,
From farmers, soldiers, bootleggers, and teachers.
I’m from Schwinn girl’s bike, 1950 Mercury two-door, and West Side Story.
I’m from coyotes, baby field mice, chlorinous swimming pools,
Milky Way and harvest moon over Nebraska cornfields.
I’m from muddy Platte and Republican,
From cottonwood and mulberry, tumbleweed and switchgrass
From Willa Cather, Walt Whitman, and Janis Joplin,
My own sweet dance unfolding against a cast of women in aprons and barefoot men in overalls.’

The Bible Society of Egypt

On my recent trip to Egypt, I had the chance to work with (and shop at) The Bible Society of Egypt. In Egypt, it is illegal to give Christian materials away for free because that is considered "evangelizing" non-Christians, but it is legal to sell the Bible and other materials... for realllly cheap. Enter The Bible Society~

The Bible Society of Egypt has three main goals: to make the Bible affordable (so that anyone who wanted a copy could get one without money being an issue), available (they are creative in making it accessible to the people who want it... including services like free home delivery, a hotline number, and 12 bookstores), and understandable (making the Bible available in the language of the people and in simpler forms, like audio and video, that can be understood by less-literate and illiterate customers).
These are the Arabic Christian materials I came home with to be able to have on hand for friends in Austin who might want one: 6 different children's books about Jesus; 3 mini-books about the parables of, teachings of, and encounters with Jesus; the Jesus film; an Arabic New Testament; and an English-Arabic parallel Bible. I will pray over these materials until God shows me who to give them to.
Our team stopped to visit the Bible Society headquarters and took a tour. We were truly kids in a candystore.
Earlier in the day, we volunteered for the Bible Society at the Annual Cairo Bookfair. They had three different booths where they were selling their matierals. One booth was in the educational books section, one booth was in a Christian-only section, and the third booth was in the used books section of the fair. The Bookfair is a huge event that runs for two weeks out of every year and attracts people from all across the Middle East. It takes place at a giant convention facility that spans several acres and includes many large event halls (It reminded me of Fair Park in Dallas).

I was stationed at the booth in the used book area and we saw lots of traffic (I'm thinking because of the economy, everyone was looking for the deals). Some of our team would stand out front and smile and wave at the women passing by, inviting them to come in, and some of our team would stand in the booth itself to help customers and make them feel comfortable asking questions and shopping. Mostly, we served as pray-ers for all those faces we saw come in looking for a Bible. We had many veiled and skull-capped customers that were nervously buying their (I'm assuming) first Bibles, and plenty that were bold and confident as they made their purchases too. To be sure, God's Word is a gift to be treasured and you could tell that many of the shoppers were so excited and grateful to be able to buy their own copy of the Bible!

At our booth, you could buy a copy of a New Testament AND a Jesus Film together for 2.50 Egyptian pounds (the equivalent of 50 CENTS U.S.)! Generally, the Bible Society sells their materials for less than half of what it costs to produce them. So they are always losing money, but they fundraise from non-profits to make up the difference (see last paragraph for details).
Above is a picture of the indoor hall where they had an "all-Christian" floor (the second floor)... so that if you knew that's what you were looking for, you could easily find it. The part of our team that worked this booth said they had just as many non-Christian shoppers as they did Christian... and you knew those people were aware of what section they were in. It was no mistake, they were choosing to seek out Bibles. Awesome!

The Bible Society has been in Egypt for 125 years and they are expanding their methods to try and get a Bible in the hand of every Egyptian! Join them by praying for this goal to be reached. You can also help support the Bible Society by "buying" 10 Bibles a month... by donating $35/month, you can help support the costs to sell 10 Bibles to seeking customers. Or if you want to give even more, for $350/month you can Adopt-a-Bookshop, just like you would support a missionary overseas. You get monthly updates on the store and its staff and all the latest projects they're involved in. It's a great way for you and your small group to invest in an overseas project together! To read more about all their programs, check out their annual report online.

Book Review: The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross

Last weekend, an Egyptian friend of mine was visiting Austin and he brought me a gift... the latest book from his mentor, Dr. Nabeel T. Jabbour called "The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross". Dr. Jabbour is an Arab Christian who was born in the Middle East and, as an adult, lived in Egypt (for 25 years) which is close to my heart, before he was kicked out and blacklisted by their government. After this, he moved to Colorado and took a job at The Navigators home office, overseeing all Middle Eastern programs.

My friend said that of all the books he's read on Christianity and its philosophy towards, strategy for, and relationship with Islam & Muslims, this was by far his favorite. He'd already read it three times since its recent release and was oozing with glowing remarks. So, after returning from our lunch, I sat down to read my new book... and I read... and read... and read... until I finished the last page with heavy eyes in the wee hours of the morning, 8 hours later. A first for me.

He was right. I couldn't put it down. What was different about this book, from others I've read on Islam & Christianity's response, was that it primarily sought to address WHY it is so difficult for Muslims to convert & get integrated into Christianity. Jabbour breaks it down into 3 main reasons (each with loads of detail in their arguement): 1) the message itself, 2) us, the messengers, and 3) the Muslim receiver of the message. I know that sounds broad, and it is, but then he goes on through the rest of the book to explain from a Muslim's point of view why each of these three things is a stumbling block for them to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. He uses real conversations and real dialogues he's had with hundreds of Muslims over the long years of his life.

But of course, as a follower of Jesus, I want to share the hope and love I have in Christ with all my friends, Muslims included... so does this book just tell me why that will never happen? No. In fact, what it served to do in my head was give me a portal into Muslim worldview and how they see things completely differently. If I can seek to understand Muslims and how they view the world, then my methods of loving, serving, and sharing with them will ultimately change.

I plan to blog about some of the points that really hit home for me in a different post, so I can ellaborate and include excerpts from the book. So, for now, let me just say, this book will definately turn into one of my "top recommended resources" on the subject to all those who share my desire to know and love Muslims more.

The one thing I hated about this book was the title... why is it that every book about Christian-Muslim relations or study have to use the same 2 words: Crescent & Cross. I get it... they are the "symbols" for each religion, but each book has way more unique insights and points to make other than the broad statement (or really the totally non-defining statement) of the title. That, however, is my only beef with this book.