Anne Marie Miller

Category: Compassion

  • the fifty hour challenge…can you do it?

    what if everyone in the city of detriot died?

    that’s the impact malaria has on the world EVERY YEAR. around one million people, including 750,000 children, die from malaria. and what sucks is that it’s completely preventable!! because of poverty, families can’t afford to buy nets or pay for treatment.

    today, 3,000 children died from malaria…while we were all talking about what we’d do with an extra ten bucks.

    but with ten bucks, you can make a change. you can bite back.

    ten dollars provides a mosquito net that will protect a child from mosquitoes for THREE YEARS. it also provides education and treatment for those who have malaria.

    i’d like to present a challenge to you. april 25 is world malaria day. and i want to see at least 50 people from this blog community donate at least $10 to buy a child a net in the next 50 hours (by 7 pm CST on Friday).

    50 nets in the next 50 hours.

    super easy.

    Malaria Prevention

    FIRST…

    click HERE to donate through compassion international’s malaria fund.

    SECOND…

    click HERE to leave a comment and let me know you’ve donated.

    THIRD…
    spread the word. post about this on your blog. steal the graphic!

    here’s the code:

    50 hours. 50 nets. let’s do it!!

  • nashvegas recap

    I had a great time in nashville, getting to hang out with so many truly amazing people, some were old friends, and some were new.

    i met brock face to face at the compassion dinner last night and because he remembers stuff much better than me, i am stealing this from him. the guest speaker at the dinner was tony neeves, (VP of international development for compassion)…a lovely british gentleman with humble and challenging thoughts.

    one that stood out to me was “children in poverty aren’t the problem. children in poverty are the solution.” he went on to say that these children are “bundles of potential” — and if they receive positive support, they have the potential to be world-changers in the best way possible. yet if they aren’t loved, aren’t cared for, they have the potential to be world-changers in the worst possible way.

    wow.

    other things (from brock):

    third world people press their faces against the windows of our lives because of technology, internet, tv etc. and they feel as if they have no hope. it is because they are seeing soap operas and game shows on tv and see how we live. they cant afford a bowl of rice. they realize they have nothing and have no hope.

    also, churches in western world are far more introverted than third world churches. this must change.

    and, third world churches are growing fast in some areas not because of a great pastor or sermons but they are loving people and meeting needs. then the community sees the love and want what they have.”

    a few other highlights from the trip:

    i honestly don’t listen to much christian music. but i did when i was 13. a little bit of me thought it was cool when toby mac walked into starbucks. then i realized how truly cool i was when jenni went to hug him. (julie, i thought you’d get a kick out of that!) :)

    I got to hang out some with mark and stephanie lee. mark plays the guitar in amazing ways for a band called third day. again, it’s probably been a good decade since i really listened to third day, but as I saw them play at a showcase, some of their new material really really touched me in ways only god could know.

    it was just truly amazing to reconnect with some of the uganda bloggers. twice.

    i really wish i could link to everyone I met and hung out with but i am about to have to drive. so to all of you, thank you for making us feel so welcome!!

  • death. here is your sting. why?

    i hadn’t got online yet. my computer has been acting funny so i rebooted. as it started up with the reassuring whirl of a hard drive booting, i turned on my space heater, and returned to my desk.

    opening up firefox [the browser of choice], my eyes skimmed down my news section as i typically do every morning.

    my heart got stuck in my throat, and i couldn’t breathe when i read this headline:

    SCHOOL FIRE KILLS UGANDA CHILDREN

    I clicked, tears already welling up in my eyes.


    An overnight fire in dormitory at a Ugandan junior school near the capital, Kampala, has killed at least 19 girls. 

    The BBC’s Joshua Mmali at the scene says distraught parents are wailing as rescuers work to retrieve bodies.

    “Preliminary investigations indicate that it was homicide,” Police Inspector General Kale Kaihura said, reports AP news agency.

    Our reporter says it has been established that the hostel’s doors were locked from the outside.

    Two adults are also reported to have died in the fire, which police say started at 2200 local time (1900 GMT) on Monday.

    It is not clear how many children were in the room, which had 63 beds.

    A Red Cross worker told the BBC that it is difficult to identify the bodies as sometimes only pieces of bodies are being found.

    all my mind can see right now are the all the girls sophie and i played ball with two afternoons. their smiling faces, their bright eyes, their laughter. their silliness as they would catch and tumble and drop the ball. the sing-song in their voices.

    to clarify, the school in the story is not the school we visited. but i have no doubt the girls are just like the ones we were playing with. hugging. loving. laughing with.

    linet, the i sponsor from uganda is nine. i just cannot imagine it.

    my heart is breaking today, probably in the deepest way since returning from africa. i keep crying. i am really glad i have an office to myself right now.

    i am about to email our team that went to uganda with the story. so i also ask you pray for their hearts.

    but most of all, please pray for the girls in the school, their parents, and the country of uganda. what a horrible tragedy to face.

    if you would like to sponsor a child from uganda, please click here.

    EDIT: Sorry, here is the link the the article.

  • i’m going on a hunger strike

    ok, not really.

    but i am going on a blogging strike.

    ok, not really.

    but i did want to remind you that two beautiful girls, BOTH GIRLS HAVE BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU! agena and richenette are living in the midst of the crisis in haiti right now.

    they’ve also been waiting for sponsors for over six months.

    i keep reading how people are “thinking” about sponsorship. um, now is the time to do something. yup, i’m talking to you.

    that is all. carry on.

  • what you can do now

    thanks again for sponsoring appeson so quickly!

    in addition to releasing agena (below) and richenette (below, below) from poverty by sponsoring them (**THEY STILL NEED SPONSORS**), you can also take another step to make a difference in haiti right now!

    kenyon emailed me and suggested that we contact our state representatives to ask them to provide relief and aid to haiti.

    he wrote:

    I just wanted you to know that I just sent an email to my elected representative urging them to take action on the issue of Haiti. I understand that the church should do something as well and I pray that it will rise up. But I feel at this time the situation is so desperate that the government would be best suited for sending food and troops to help with its distribution.

    you can do that online by clicking here.

    =========
    let’s meet agena!

    Compassion International Haiti Agena lives with her father and her mother. Her duties at home include caring for animals, helping in the kitchen and cleaning. There are 3 children in the family. Her father is sometimes employed as a farmer and her mother is sometimes employed as a farmer.

    Singing, playing with dolls and hide-and-seek are Agena’s favorite activities. In pre-school her performance is average and she also regularly attends church activities.

    Your love and support will help Agena to receive the assistance she needs to develop her potential. Please pray for her.

    This child has been waiting for a sponsor for more than six months. Credit card payment is required to ensure that this child’s wait ends today. Help make a difference in the life of this child, who is anxiously waiting for a sponsor.

    Agena lives in the mountainous community of Macieux, home to approximately 3,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of wood and have corrugated iron roofs. The most commonly spoken languages are Creole and French.

    The regional diet consists of maize, beans, chicken, bread and rice. Common health problems in this area include worms, typhoid, coughs and fever. Most adults in Macieux are unemployed but some work as subsistence farmers and earn the equivalent of $21 per month. The community needs employment opportunities, schools and qualified teachers.

    Your sponsorship allows the staff of the Macieux Child Development Center to provide Agena with Bible teaching, health education, recreational activities, educational classes, scholastic materials and uniforms. The center staff will also provide community service projects, meetings and educational workshops for the parents or guardians of Agena.

    AGENA HAS BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU! CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR AGENA RIGHT NOW!

    **please do not click the ?select this child? button on that page unless you are sure you want to sponsor him (as that will make his page unavailable for at least an hour, and someone else might miss a providential opportunity).**

  • why stop now?

    Compassion International Haiti appeson was sponsored within minutes. so, why stop now? there are now sixteen children from haiti who are waiting for sponsors, and have been waiting over six months.

    meet richenette. she is nine years old and she needs a male figure in her life…could you (if you’re a guy) or your husband (if you’re a gal) help be that for her?

    In her home, Richenette helps by carrying water and helping in the kitchen. She lives with her mother. Her mother is sometimes employed as a farmer. There are 2 children in the family.

    Playing with dolls, jumping rope and playing group games are Richenette’s favorite activities. In primary school her performance is average and she also regularly attends church activities and youth group.

    Richenette lives in the mountainous community of Damas, home to approximately 1,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of wood and have corrugated tin roofs. The primary ethnic group and language is Creole.

    The regional diet consists of maize, beans, chicken, bread, rice and yams. Common health problems in this area include fever and coughs. Most adults in Damas are unemployed but some work as subsistence farmers and earn the equivalent of $22 per month. This community needs qualified teachers, scholastic materials and employment opportunities.

    Your sponsorship allows the staff of Damas Child Development Center to provide Richenette with Bible teaching, health education, medical care, recreational activities, academic support and scholastic materials. The center staff will also provide educational workshops for the parents or guardians of Richenette.

    RICHENETTE HAS BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU! click here to go to richenette’s sponsorship page.

    **please do not click the ?select this child? button on that page unless you are sure you want to sponsor him (as that will make his page unavailable for at least an hour, and someone else might miss a providential opportunity).**

  • compassion international and the local church

    one of the FAQs i have gotten about compassion international is “how does it work?”

    the answer is actually one of the biggest reasons i heart compassion. they ONLY work through local churches. you will not see compassion’s logo on projects or americans running the show. only nationals and only the local church.

    i stole this from shaun to help explain.

    Compassion ALWAYS works through the local church. All care provided to children and their families comes through the local church in that family?s community. Compassion believes it is the responsibility of the Church to care for the poor and caring for the poor through the local church allows children and their families to not only have their physical needs met but also puts them in close proximity to people who can help meet their spiritual needs as well.

  • “would you rather your children grow up in uganda or america?”

    that was one of the questions david kuo asked at our dinner with leadership development students while we were in uganda. a man who is ugandan, a father, a pastor, and leader answered without hesitation,

    “uganda.”

    some of us seemed a little shocked. america. it’s the land of opportunity. it’s safe. you can get medical attention. at least three meals a day.

    “exactly,” the man said. “you know where your next meal is coming from. you have jobs. paychecks. in uganda, you may not know where your next meal comes from. you have no money. you have nothing to depend upon but God. and i would rather have my children rely on God more than i would want them to be distracted by everything else.”

    i have been contemplating the things upon which i have dependence. my job? absolutely. my paycheck? yes. my car. what’s in my fridge. other people.

    when one of those things gets murky or muddy or falls apart, it’s easy for me to fall apart, too. i am distracted by them, sometimes (and probably more frequently than i’d care to admit) more often than not.

    where does my help come from?

    True Help and Hope

    i am distracted from dependence on god.

    in a culture of over-abundance and luxury, how can we remedy this?

    (ps – if you want to look at some of the most beautiful children in uganda, click here.)

  • growing up without a dad

    i want you to meet roland. since there are no children in uganda that have been waiting longer than six months, i decided to branch out into other countries.

    ROLAND HAS BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU! click here to go directly to roland’s sponsorship page.

    roland lives in brazil with his uncle and his mom. i wonder what happened to his dad? is he alive? did he abandon them?

    roland’s uncle is sometimes employed as a laborer, but his mother is like many of you – a stay at home mom. roland has two siblings. and he likes playing with marbles. one of chris’ and my sponsor children, abdukerim, who lives in ethiopia, likes playing with marbles too.

    anyway, roland has been waiting over six months for a sponsor. i trust that today will be his last day waiting. you can sponsor him now. ROLAND HAS BEEN SPONSORED, THANK YOU click here to go directly to roland’s sponsorship page.

    **unless you are sure you want to sponsor him, please do not hit the “select this child” button on his page. that will make his page unavailable for an hour or more, and someone else that truly does want to sponsor him might miss the chance.**

    every child i’ve ever posted on flowerdust.net has been sponsored within a few hours. that’s remarkable. i hope today is no different.