Congregational event stirs the waters

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]

An "A" for the day

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

Back to School

In my neighborhood, the school buses are back on the roads in full force during my morning commute. School has begun again, and while the girl in the house next to me says she would prefer a bit more summer vacation, she is incredibly lucky to be going to school.

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,

"Worldwide, for every 100 boys out-of-school there are 132 girls. In some countries the gender gap is much wider. For example, for every 100 boys out of school in Yemen there are 270 girls, in Iraq 316 girls, in India 426 girls, and in Benin 257 girls (UNESCO GMR, 2007)."

The good news is that rates of education for all children - boys and girls - have been improving for many years. And ELCA World Hunger has been part of it. ELCA World Hunger dollars support education programs all over the world, including Egypt, India, Kenya, Peru, and Laos.

So as the children in your neighborhood return to school this fall, consider the children in other places that don't have such easy access to education. Consider helping them with a gift to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal or other organization of your choice.

Selecting the Perfect Produce

When you go to the grocery store to buy produce, how do you select precisely which, say, apples or green peppers you're going to buy? I, for one, go for those that I deem have the best appearance. I reject those with too many spots, I try to choose a color and ripeness that seem good, and depending what I want it for, size sometimes also plays a role.

And then I read this, in the book The End of Food by Paul Roberts:

"Because consumers have come to expect their produce to be as uniform and blemish free as packaged foods, retailers insist that fruits and vegetables meet exacting criteria for quality, visual attractiveness, size, and weight. Avocados headed for the United Kingdom, for example, must come within a half ounce of a target weight. Green beans bound for France must be straight and precisely 100 millimeters long." (pg. 65)

Hey! I'm that consumer! Well, ok, I don't require every bean to be exactly the same length. But blemish-free, attractive, size - that's all me.

The passage goes on to explain that because retailers will only accept a portion of what's grown, farmers overplant to ensure they get enough perfect produce to meet their agreements with retailers. One exporter said his retail sales account for about 50% or 60% of the running beans he grows; the rest aren't straight enough. Another 30% of his crop can be processed. But the remaining 10 to 20 percent is thrown away. Though the passage doesn't explain why, from the larger context of the book, I assume it's because the remaining 10% or 20% is irregular to a degree that it can't easily go through the mechanized processing equipment and therefore is not worth the cost of processing.

Think of that. Farmers intentionally grow more than they can sell with the intent of throwing tons of it away! And somehow, I'm wrapped up in this waste, because I'm the one demanding perfect food. I'm not sure what to do with that knowledge. Perhaps the book will help me out; I'm only halfway through it. But there are certainly some opportunities here. Opportunities for me to be more mindful of my food buying criteria, and surely an opportunity for tons of irregular food to be put to better use.

Does anyone know more about this? There's got to be more to this story, and I'd love to hear about it. Please comment if you have something to add!

-Nancy Michaelis

Final Reflections

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.

Olympic-size disaster response needed in China

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 road leading to hope

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.

ELCA Disaster Response/China earthquake #1

This is the first of two postings by the Rev. Franklin Ishida, director for Asia and the Pacific, ELCA Global Mission. Find more information at www.elca.org/disaster and find related pictures at www.imageevent.com/chinaearthquake Thank you, Franklin! Sue

Three months have past since an earthquake devastated villages, towns, and cities in Sichuan Province in China.
Just earlier this week, one more in countless aftershocks killed one person. It measured 6.1 on the Richter scale.
Today, I was in the town of Han Wang, at the foothills of where more devastation occurred. We couldn't go further because the road is cut off at the river (and there are severe security restrictions on access).
I have photos that can tell the tale of devastation in a place that has not really been cleaned up yet. I will post these soon.
But let me say that it's hard to describe, whether in photos or in words, the utter desolateness of the destruction. Sure, some buildings are left standing. But what's left of so much is piles of rubble. And to think of the death that lay under that rubble, the loss of homes, the loss of businesses, the loss of life in all its expressions. One could only walk quietly through the rubble-strewn streets wondering ... with great grief ...
And yet there is hope. Pastor Gu Yumei in neighboring Mianzhu spoke of how the church is providing assistance to countless people, reaching out beyond its members. She spoke of tireless efforts to provide comfort and material support. She spoke of the church needing to be rebuilt bigger and better, because weekly attendance had gone from 200 before the earthquake (including at 21 preaching points) to more than 800 now.
It's going to be a long-term process.
And the ELCA has been there. An initial $40,000 was provided to the church in Sichuan Province for relief effort. And this was not it, assistance from other churches around the world poured in. The Taiwan Lutheran Church, for example, has provided personnel and a van to work relief efforts. Pastoral care teams from Taiwan have been serving in shifts. [At some point very soon, ELCA members wishing to be part of relief teams of the Taiwan Lutheran Church can volunteer.]
A three-phase proposal is being worked on by ELCA Global Mission.
Your help is needed. Your continued contributions to ELCA International Disaster Response and the China earthquake fund will help make this work happen. And beyond disaster response or World Hunger categories, other funds will need to be raised. So please keep posted on all this.
More information to follow on this visit.

Y. Franklin Ishida
Director for Asia and the Pacific
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Global Mission
E-mail: franklin.ishida@elca.org

Our Summer Experience!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hello Everyone!

This is my last week with ELCA World Hunger. The summer has been a huge learning experience with many joys and frustrations that I'm sure will shape my life and the service that is to come! I have put together this slide show of the ELCA World Hunger intern experience from summer 2008. There are pictures of where we work, events we went to, and some are just plain fun! Please, let's stay in touch!

Peace, Mikka :)

Got Milk?

I often debate whether or not I want to have children. Although they are incredibly cute and are great sources of joy, they have constant needs you must fulfill.

Last weekend as my brother, nephew, and I were driving to a restaurant to go to dinner, my nephew began to ask for milk because he was thirsty. I tried to be a patient aunt and explain to my nephew “we have to wait until we get to the restaurant” and “just 10 more minutes”, but he could not understand my reasoning. My nephew kept on repeating “milk?”, “milk?”, “milk?” Rather than stay calm, I found myself frustrated.

Though at the restaurant my brother and I were able to order the milk my nephew wanted, I could not escape the pit in my stomach that had developed during my nephew’s questioning.

I could not believe how emotional I had become in that moment. I felt a mix of emotions. I felt desperate, guilty, horrible, distressed- basically, a mix of everything anxiety ridden. These mixed emotions were not just because of my nephew (I knew he was going to get his milk and have a continuous supply of it), but the stark realization that milk is not 10 minutes away for everyone. In fact, milk, in some cases, is never there.

This experience was a real “ah-a” moment for me.

Though I have been steeped in academic study of hunger, malnutrition, diseases of poverty, environmental justice, human rights, sustainability, occupational hazards, advocacy, community health, and much, much more, I have had a hard time feeling the power of these injustices in my heart.

The statement, the longest journey a person will ever take is from their mind to their heart, is true. When these perils of the world have journey from my mind to my heart, I acquire a new desire for justice.

My new conviction from this experience I received as a gift from my nephew, all of two years old. I need to question what I am hungry for in terms of attaining justice. And I need to question that hunger, again and again, until I feel like I can meet the wants or even the needs of communities I hope to accompany.

Although the verdict is not out to whether or not I want to have children (because, honestly, it seems very scary), the verdict is in that I will spend my future career as a public health worker questioning this hunger. I welcome that, knowing that I might not get a glass of milk at the end.