A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about how natural disasters contribute to hunger, and how those living at or near poverty are disproportionately vulnerable. Following that line of thought, it’s hard to imagine how things could get much worse in Haiti. First they were hit by Tropical Storm Fay. Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna followed, and Ike now threatens. According to the BBC, 200 people have been killed by these storms so far, tens of thousands have been displaced, and hundreds of thousands need assistance. And it’s not just minor assistance. The same BBC article says 200,000 in the city of Gonaives have not eaten in three days and potable water is hard to find. And as one would expect, homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. But perhaps the biggest problem is that few in Haiti have the resources to really do anything about it.

Such an onslaught of natural disaster would be difficult for the people and government of any country to bear, but in a place like Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, it’s especially devastating. Already struggling with extreme poverty, hunger, and rising food prices, the people of Haiti rioted earlier this year and threw out their prime minister. Now, with the hurricanes, rice crops have been destroyed and fruit trees have been blown down, an especially large problem in a place where two-thirds of the population are involved in agriculture. The loss of crops can only add to the long-term suffering, hunger, and political instability.

The short-term is no better. With thousands displaced and no food to be found, Haiti’s government is ill-equipped to help its people. With such a poor economy, infrastructure like roads and communication systems weren’t great before the storms. Wind and water damage have made them even worse, hampering aid efforts and posing longer-term challenges for rebuilding. What’s more, poverty has led to deforestation in Haiti, exposing soil which is now washing away in mudslides. Besides the immediate danger caused by mudslides, there are future ramifications: loss of topsoil, reduction in vegetation, and long-term degradation of the environment.

In a place where poverty is so widespread and the government so uncertain, it’s hard to imagine how Haiti will recover. Certainly we Western countries have a role to play, both in the immediate, urgent need for food and water, and also in assisting with lasting, sustainable changes.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a case study on the causes of hunger, read up on Haiti. It highlights several factors, including: a history of corrupt, unstable, and ineffective governments; an insufficient and inaccessible education system; lack of employment opportunities; poor infrastructure; a degrading environment; and a susceptibility to natural disasters in the form of hurricanes. It’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s a frighteningly good start.

Tonight I came across this picture of my daughter, Annie, eleven years old at the time, with a poster project for a class. It seems to be a “What do I want to do when I grow up” assignment. Some of the images she included were predictive: a picture of a pastor, a diploma, and the words “Making money while making a difference.”
So why bring this up in the Hunger Rumblings blog? I am struck at the wisdom of a girl knowing that she can grow up to make money and make a difference. AND! It’s not either/or it’s both/and. I am humbled by the people in my life, like Annie, who hear God’s call and answer “Here I am, send me.”
Finally, I’m wondering how I would complete a vocational poster assignment at this age and stage in life. Think about it. What would you include on your poster?
Blessings on your day, Sue-s

Here is part of a cheerful e-mail from Kris L., mission director at Atonement Lutheran Church in St. Cloud, Minn., reporting on the congregation’s recent “Stirring the Waters” event. Sue-s

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that our church did our own version of the”Stirring the Waters” event that you did at last summer’s ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering. We had so much fun and it was so well received. We made the frontpage of the St. Cloud Times [Check out the the front-page article and the great photo of the event that appeared in the St. Cloud Times on August 25, the day after the event.–SES.]

We added a few stations…One of them we called “H2O & Creation Care”. Members of our Creation Care Team at Atonement staffed the table and encouraged people to use reusable bottles instead of bottled water. In addition to the ELCA website, I found some great resources on the Presbyterians for Restoring Creation (PRC) website (http://www.prcweb.org/) including a bottled water quiz. The answer to the last question includes this fact:”The UN estimates that if the world took half of what it now spends onbottled water ($100 billion per year) and invested it in water infrastructure and treatment, everyone in the world could have access to clean drinking water.” Isn’t that amazing?

[Kris and the Creation Care Team made good use of the new ELCA World Hunger water bulletin…”Let justice roll down like waters.” It’s available to order from Augsburg Fortress. Enjoy! Sue]

Nancy M. came in to work with a page of Valentine stickers. Nancy explained that her four-year-old daughter, Anika, gave her the stickers this morning “to give to anyone who is feeling sad or bad or has done really good work.” I gratefully accepted two of the stickers–“Love Bug” and “Bugs and Kisses”–and I will wear them all day. Thank you, Anika.

I’m a big fan of affirmation, and I’m not alone, so I make an effort to be affirming. I’ve been known to tell colleagues that they’ve earned an “A” for the day. In addition to a good tip, I like to write “Thanks for the great service!” on top of the restaurant’s copy of my credit-card charge. It tickles me to ask to speak to a phone representative’s supervisor to acknowledge a job well done. I try to always give credit where credit is due. I pat myself on the back by placing a sticker on the calendar when I work out in the morning.

Once, in a staff meeting, the question was asked, “How do you like to be affirmed?” The varied answers were surprising. For me, the best affirmation is personal vs. generic, at-the-time vs. when it’s expected, and is often secondhand (as in “I heard so-and-so say such-n-such about your work on the this-n-that.”). Please comment below and share how you like to be affirmed/encouraged/thanked.

In the coming days, consider seizing opportunities to offer thanks/affirmation/encouragement, especially to those in your realm who are engaged in anti-hunger and anti-poverty efforts. Please comment below and share one of your “seize the affirmation opportunity” stories.

Who knows? Maybe someone will offer you an “A” for the day, a gold star, or a Valentine sticker.

Affirming blessings,
Sue-s

Education is a key factor in preventing poverty and hunger, and yet so many children in the world – especially girls – are not able to attend school. In fact, The World Bank’s Web site goes so far as to say, “The World Bank has recognized that there is no investment more effective for achieving development goals than educating girls.”

There are many reasons. Perhaps one of the most important is that an eduated woman applies her knowledge to caring for her family, so the whole family benefits. Educated women tend to have fewer children with better spacing between them, allowing more time to recover between pregnancies, and less stress on resources like food and household income. What’s more, the whole family tends to stay healthier, as educated women apply their knowledge about hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention and treatment. Educated woman are also more likely to demand education for their children, improving the possibilities for their futures.

But the health of the family is not the only benefit. Obviously, a good education has potential for improving household income. Educated women are more likely to qualify for higher paying jobs, which opens the door for higher levels of food security, healthcare, education, community participation, and fulfillment. Similarly, educated women are more likely to participate in community politics, thereby affecting policy and societal structures.

Yet for all the benefits, many girls are unable to attend school. According to the same World Bank Web site,

As I rode the “El” train into work this morning, it finally hit me- today is your last day at the ELCA. All I could then think was- where did the time go?

Although I knew from the beginning this time spent at the ELCA churchwide offices would come to an end, I just didn’t expect the time to go by so…FAST!

I can tell you how my time was spent while I was interning for ELCA World Hunger- writing memos and letters, going to the Global Mission Event in Wisconsin and the Hunger Leaders Gathering in Colorado, figuring out Facebook and other social networking sites, learning about ELCA World Hunger and all of its good work in the world, getting to know the ELCA World Hunger staff, and becoming great friends with the two other World Hunger Interns- but this, is just what I did professionally.

I can also tell you how I spent my time outside of the ELCA. I had a glorious time exploring Chicago and its various neighborhoods, I loved living in the suburbs and in Oak Park, I read a lot of books (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Siddhartha, Health Economics: Theories, Insights, and Industry Studies, the Bible (not completely), Our Day to End Poverty, and the Coming Plague), my boyfriend came to visit, I saw two friends from the past, and fell in love with all of the wonderful museums and public art Chicago has to offer. But this is just what I did in my personal time.

Then time also passed outside of my realm and will forever be marked in history books as the summer that Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps’ took home eight gold medals (the most gold medals won in the history of the Olympics), the presumptive presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain petitioned their way into the hearts of the American people, and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt received $14 million for selling the pictures of their newborn twins. I am glad I will always have the Jolie-Pitt twins to remind me of my summer at the ELCA (just kidding).

But what cannot be captured in time is the individual and spiritual growth I experienced this summer. It is this growth that I cannot put into the framework of time; it is even hard to encapsulate using words. The funny thing is, I consider myself a woman of many words and talking for hours on end comes naturally, yet, I cannot articulate all that I have seen, experienced, and felt this summer. Perhaps it is because it still too new and I am not sure how this experience will propel my life. Though I do know change occurred.

I can see this change in the way I: read the newspaper, consume products, view structural policies, question business interests and motives, get angry about world situations, view myself, understand my vocation, want to live out my call, and see how I can help change the world. I feel as though I see the world in a new lens, one that is a bit more attuned to reality and wanting to uncover “the mess”.

I owe my gratitude for this change to my time spent here in ELCA World Hunger. For without this internship opportunity, I could not have had the experiences I had or met the incredible people I had the chance to get to know.

Though the words to explain this summer experience have not been formulated, I do have clarity to what the next steps in my life I must take and the fact hat I must keep living my life with my eyes open with optimism and hope in my heart.

Here is a second post by the Rev. Franklin Ishida updating us on ELCA’s International Disaster Response efforts in China. S.

It has been exactly three months since the massive earthquake rocked parts of Sichuan Province in China.
Despite the fact the Olympic torch was relayed through the area hit by the earthquake, lifting people’s spirits, the actual Olympic games
have certainly overshadowed what is happening to the lives of the tens of thousands of earthquake survivors.
In and around Hanwang, one of the most hard-hit towns, identical blue tents are now making way to rows of identical prefabricated homes set up by the government. Electricity has been restored to most areas. And there is some sense of life in the streets. But behind this are memories of more than 87,000 dead or missing throughout the region, a reality that hits home when one looks at the intense destruction that is still visible everywhere.
For those storefront buildings still standing but too dangerous to occupy, tents are up on the street as makeshift shops. Meanwhile, for most survivors, there is nothing left. The government provides a daily allowance of about $1.50 per person. Beyond this many social services are still missing.
Several years ago, ELCA World Hunger funds helped extend the social ministry work of Luzhou Christian Church. Part of this was to extend the services of the clinic that served the marginalized. Reaching out to the community with love excited many members of the church, including health care workers. Doctors, nurses, and medical students regularly volunteer
their time with the clinic. So when the disaster hit, the church clinic was ready to send medical
teams.
The earthquake area was some 5 hours to the north, but for members of Luzhou Christian Church, these were brothers and sisters in need. And their expertise in grassroots-level health care and enthusiasm of volunteers continues to shine a light into the lives of earthquake
survivors.
No one is certain when rebuilding will start. Some sections of town will have to be totally cleared before anything can be built. In the meantime, the church in China is reaching out with love and care; with its own funds and with donations from around the world.
Your support for ELCA World Hunger gave encouragement for Luzhou Christian Church to reach out way beyond its area of ministry to serve survivors of the Sichuan earthquake. Your contributions to ELCA International Disaster Response helped provide for the special needs of
disaster relief. And your continued support for ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Response will provide the necessary tools for ongoing relief and rebuilding of communities struck by the earthquake.
Visit www.imageevent.com/elcahunger/chinaearthquake to find related photos and visit www.elca.org/disaster for further information.
Y. Franklin Ishida
Director for Asia and the Pacific
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Global Mission
E-mail: franklin.ishida@elca.org

A story from the Rev. Franklin Ishida, director for Asia and the Pacific, ELCA Global Mission. Find related pictures at http://imageevent.com/elcahunger/chinaluzhou Find other ELCA World Hunger Appeal stories at www.elca.org/hunger/stories Thanks, Franklin!
S.

ELCA World Hunger funds have been provided to Luzhou Church, Luzhou (Sichuan Province), China, to meet the needs of those living in poverty in the area. One of these, the village of Tudiba, had an asset: Lechee fruit that were the favorite of the Tang dynasty imperial court. However, the road leading to the village was not paved. Moreover, many villagers did not have clean water, forcing them to spend many hours hauling water that wasn’t even clean. ELCA World Hunger funds were used to help pave a road (70% of which the government funded). And wells were dug for 100 families (the government boring the holes and ELCA World Hunger funds used for the pumps and infrastructure). Now, most of the villagers have access to clean drinking water, improving their health and giving them time for other jobs. And the lechee trade has brought renewed economic rewards. This is all happened as an outreach ministry of Luzhou Church, a companion in the ELCA’s global mission.