so you wanna change the world??? What are you waiting for?

Last Monday, March22, 2010, was WORLD WATER DAY and in honor of WWD, my sweet friend Chad Ray and I decided to attend the Water Walk put on by Blood:Water Misson, an organization whose mission is to empower communities to work against the HIV/AIDS and water crisis in Africa!
Over 300 million Africans lack access to clean water. That is more than the population of the US. CRAZZYYY, I know! I mean isn't this the most beautiful girl you have ever seen. Doesn't her smile melt your heart?!
Now you can obviously go to their website and check them out, which you definitely should but here is a brief summary in case you don't want to read a lot =-)

Blood:Water Mission focuses on 2 things: the HIV/AIDS crisis and the Water crisis.

To help the HIV/AIDS and Water crisis, they are funding programs that address the full spectrum of prevention, treatment, and support for the HIV/AIDS crisis

AND

they are funding programs in iWash which stands for Integrated Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. They believe the future of Africa rests in the hands of its people therefore instead of providing hand outs, which usually lead to failed projects, they seek to transform the communities from the inside out by enabling them to be advocates of change. This leads them on a journey of self discovery and a better understanding of their capabilities and their assets.

There are many ways you can get involved with Blood: Water Mission. One way is through the water walk we participated in downtown Nashville. We started out with our buckets in hands at the Symphony Plaza and walked over the Cumberland River, which runs through Nashville, down to the river to "fetch a pail of water" as the old nursery rhyme goes. Everyday thousands of Africans have to walk for miles to gather water and often that water is contaminated.
So in honor of those who walk everyday, most likely several times a day, we wanted to take a walk in the shoes of our friends in Africa.
I do not have a camera anymore, so thank you Chad for letting me use your pictures in my blog to capture the awesome experience of raising awareness and impacting the lives of others! Check out the video blog he did!!

The entire time of walking, I had the Point of Grace song "Shall We Gather At The River" stuck in my head. Either that or "Down to the River to Pray" by the Soggy Bottom Boys.
On our way back, we walked in silence in honor of our friends in Africa. We walked I think it was 1.1 miles carrying buckets of water. My bucket was a 3 gallon bucket. I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty tough. I had to keep switching the bucket back and forth between my hands, so my arms wouldn't get too wore out.
My new friend Daniel, who is too the left of me, carried the entire bucket of water on his head. Impressive? I would say so.

So take action by starting a water walk in your town! It's a great way to raise awareness!

Also $1 can give an African water for an entire year!!

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward"

Matthew 10:42

(this verse is actually the verse I am thinking about getting in a tattoo design of mine)

Tent City

Last Sunday after a wonderful service at Mosaic Nashville, a group of us decided to head out to Tent City to pass out bottles of water. Tent City is the home for many of Nashville's homeless population.

New friend Alan, who I met that morning, felt led to help out the people of Tent City after seeing it one day while running with his track team. His mom owns a Pepsi Distribution Company, so when he went home for Spring break, he brought back a truck load of propel water.

Although it was a yucky and rainy day, a group of about 9 were determined to hang out with the people of Tent City. We handed out the bottles of water and even a quilt that I had in the back of my SUV. We chatted with men who go by the nicknames Cowboy & Tear Drop, and I even met another dog named Nash! We were only able to stay for a short amount of time, but this is somewhere I definitely want to go back to in the near future.

In 2008, I worked a camp called M-FUGE at Belmont University. Every week I would take a different group of teenagers and adults into the city of Nashville to do mission work. One of the places I went was the Nashville Rescue Mission where we served the homeless lunch and helped organize clothes down in their warehouse.

It was my favorite place because I was able to hang out and talk with different men who would come in off the streets for a nice hot lunch and a refreshing drink of water. I would hear stories about their loved ones, their journey through life, and their dreams of what they would like to accomplish one day. It was here that I developed a better understanding and love for the homeless. After camp was over, I started reading a book titled "Under the Overpass. A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America". This became one of my favorite books! It encouraged me to erase the stereotypes of how I see the homeless, to remember that every situation is different, and gave me ideas on how I can meet the needs of the homeless. I HIGHLY recommend reading this book; it's an easy read and you may be able to knock it out in a couple of days.

Here are some ways you can help the homeless in your community:

• Understand who the homeless are. Learn about different reasons for homelessness and remember that every situation IS unique.
• Educate yourself about the homeless. A homeless person could be someone who lost their job, a runaway child, or someone with a mental illness. We need to educate ourselves, so we can meet their needs.
• Show them kindness. Give them a smile, a hug, or a handshake. Look them in the eyes when speaking to them. Notice them.
• Bring food. Buy a bag of groceries for them or even take them into a restaurant and buy them a meal and chat it up with them.
• Give money. If you are uncomfortable giving them money, then donate money to the local mission.
• Volunteer with the homeless at soup kitchens and homeless shelters!
• Pray for ways for God to show you how you can be most effective with your talents and abilities in serving the homeless.

You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”

– Isaiah 25:4

something different

soooooo I created a blog! yep. This is going to be interesting for me considering that I already have so many other things on my plate to keep up with.

BUT the main reason I wanted to do this is to raise awareness of the many things I am passionate about: human trafficking, the homeless, the abused and neglected, the orphans, the oppressed, people who need Jesus......you get the picture.

So my vision for this blog is to write about my many endeavors that I engage in on this journey we call life.

I want to pour my life into others and I want you to come along with me!