need to meet

I’m two days into the new blog. I feel like I didnt do anything today and I didnt start going through emails until I got home. That is not a good day. I had a little freak out moment when a bunch of the guys were in my office. Switching between creative…administrative..managerial…well you get the point. I felt I wasnt doing either of those well.  I just finished writing couple video ideas that I hope my partners will make better and I’m thinking about working on some photos.  I probably won’t ….I’ve been thinking of working out before bed but I think I will leave it for the morning and keep on my routine. As you can tell I’m starting to shut down.  I’m planning on visiting a church this weekend.  More on that later. (That’s what you say when you doing really want to talk about it but you like bringing it up)

So they’ve been saying that people more easily talk about financial problems. I’m not about to start but I was talking to Hannah the other day about a great This American Life that gave us a great break down of how we got to where we are. Dont worry it’s not a partisan thing. I’ll link it here. Giant Pool of Money Then once you listen to that. Here is one on the banking system real cool. I’m actually in the middle of this one. Bad Bank Well I hope this helps. Hey keep you chin up.  I’ll tell you about my dating life in the next post. That’ll cheer you up.

I remember what I was going to write about my friends AAron and BUsh are in Haiti doing something very ultra cause driven for compassion. Well they told us to tell others so here is me telling others.  If you want to follow them

BLOG & TWITTER LINKS:
bush blog: www.stevenbush.org
bush twitter: www.twitter.com/stevenbush
ivey blog: www.aaronivey.com
ivey twitter: www.twitter.com/aaronivey

I just got word that they didnt make it to Haiti today…weather.

So I met this guy

So today was kinda cool. I met the President of Compassion International.   If there are real heroes in the world he would be considered that.  So I got to each lunch with him today and a bunch others. A couple of things that make this guy cool. He loves kids. A bunch of adults walk into the room and who does he talk to the kids in the room.  Then when we choose where to sit he finds the smallest table and heads straight to it.  Then after dinner we sit in a circle in the living room. We all take our soft plush chairs and this guy grabs the folding chair. Now don’t get me wrong he isn’t Jesus.  What he is, is a guy who tries to be as humble as possible.  I asked him what its like when he visits a compassion project. He told me that he sometimes doesn’t tell them he’s coming so they don’t make a big deal about it.  He describe his company as an up side down triangle with him at the bottom. That’s pretty cool.  Also told him we became facebook friends the other day. His look told me he didnt know what I was talking about.  I will continue to think that we are facebook friends.

edit: Wes is my friend. Confirmed that today.

Dr. Wesley K. Stafford, President and CEO

Irene Magelanga Bariki

I want to introduce you to Irene.  Irene lives in Mtwivila Tanzania.  Her project is a student center.  Most people in this area is unemployed. The ones who do work earn around 12 dollars a month.

Her project’s name is PAG MTWIVILA student center. She is in an HIV/AIDS affected area.

Ok so here’s the deal. Some of you I know would never stumble across Compassion’s website which could be understandable.  So I figured I could bring Irene to you.  I’ve had a chance to visit projects in three countries and its the real deal.  I’ve seen them in Peru, Guatemala and Haiti Watching translators go over sponsor letters to get them out children makes it the real deal.  You don’t just help Irene you change a life.

You provide: Bible teaching, training, health screening, hygiene education, education, uniforms

What we have found is that the whole family is changed not just the child in the program. That means you don’t just affect 1 but you affect many.

To sponsor a child its 32 dollars a month. I could go through the “here is what that equates to” but between me and you does that really matter.

Here is what I’ll do.  If you would like to sponsor Irene I will mail you her packet and you can get started. How easy is that?  Send me an email francisdrew@gmail.com and tell me where to send her. If you have questions please ask me.  I’m sure this is not something you do every day and you have questions so please ask.  You can trust Compassion.  They do what they say they are going to do.

My life has been changed by one.

Day one haiti

Ok iPhone blogging. We arrived yesterday afternoon. Airport wasn’t as bad as they made it sound I kinds half thought to expect a mob but it was pretty quiet. I always wonder why we don’t let people carry our bags they sat we have to tip them. Isn’t that ok. Well the hotel we are staying at is pretty cool. The farifax resucue is staying here. U think they are working in the school that collapsed. I’m ready for a good day of shooting. We have a bunch to do and the sun sets pretty early. I’m staying with justin. Ok not going to make this too long since I am on my phone I’m going to try to take a pick for you. Oh and today we are heading to the beach to shoot andone project

Isn’t this what we do?

Sometimes I wish our copy editor worked for us personally but since she does not I’m on my own here. My hope is that I am clear and you read the need between these lines.
On November 11 we will leave for my 4th trip with Compassion.  We are heading to Haiti to shoot another video on Compassions work. About 4 years ago I got the travel bug. I think it was the Amazing Race or something.  Anyway I got into a habit of traveling to different parts of the world each year sometimes with my company sometimes by myself.  The trips that seem to affect me the most were the trips where I’ve been given the opportunity to work with Compassion.  I was introduced to Compassion through my Company.  They had decided to partner with compassion to raise sponsorship in the student world which gave me the chance to find out what its all about.  I had never heard of Compassion before that and couldn’t really tell you about a single child sponsorship program other than having the phrase in my head “Wont you help Manuel?”  I’m getting a little sidetracked or is it sidetrack.  Well I’m a creative director so it meant that it was my job along with my team to develop some type of promotion for Compassion. Oh a little plug the video you see to the right is my company special.  Yeah so the first project in which I left the country for was Guatemala. We were taking a girl named Sarah Drake down there to meet a child she was about to sponsor.  I’ll try and post that video later.
You ever have those moments in your life when you realize that your life has to be more than a day to day routine until you die.  Here is what I see at every Compassion project that I visit. A fight against poverty, Jesus’ name being proclaimed, and an organization that does what they say they are going to do. .  I saw kids that were connected to others around the world. I saw nationals who were in charge. Which for some may not be a big deal but to me it’s a very big deal.  Too many times we in the west become super heroes wielding our super powers and ideals on developing nations without regard to tradition or history. So lets change that.
Trust me.  You can change the life of one single person.  I was watching poverty being fought from a distance and while we haven’t beaten it yet Compassion is beating the crap out of it in Guatemala and it’s giving it a couple bloody noses in Peru.  Because of what I have seen in those countries I decided this past year to become a Child Advocate.  It’s a big deal to me.  One because it causes conviction in me to do something and two it was time for me to stand for something.  I can’t just travel and not do anything about the places I visit.  Oh so if you are looking for a child to sponsor look me up and I can connect you with one.  I can explain to you why poverty and its externalities affect us in the U.S. but I’ll put it this way. Mark 16:15 says Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. This is doing that. Matt 28:19 says to make disciples of all nations. Folks this is what we are suppose to do. Lose your life.
Oh and his name is Elinuru Lazaro Laizer and he was born Sept 20, 1999 and he lives in Tanzania.