Got Food?

With the food prices soaring, I know we are all feeling the pinch.  I myself have started hitting Aldi’s to get fruit and snacks.  It’s not in my normal travel pattern but I’m going once a week because of things such as bananas being $0.25/lb cheaper.  Bread is over $1.00 per loaf cheaper.  I spend time on sites like The Grocery Game and Hot Coupon World to find the best deals to keep my bill down.

I read a post on the Compassion blog yesterday that reminded me how lucky we still have it.  It talked about the Global Food Crisis and how much the rising prices and lack of supply are affecting third world countries.   What struck me was a post about a visit to Tanzania, near Arusha, which is where Upendo (the girl I sponsor in Tanzania) lives.  It discusses a mother who was sick and in the hospital, and her children had to choose between bringing her food at the hospital, or buying food for themselves.  What if this was Upendo’s mother?  Even though I know Compassion is doing a lot for her, is it enough?  It’s sobering to be jolted out of your fantasy that you are “doing the right thing” and discover it might not be enough….  When I started sponsoring Upendo in February, it meshed nicely with my personal philosophy of giving a hand up, not hand-outs.   I have reaped the benefits of my $32/month sponsorship in the spiritual growth from the letter writing she and I have done.  On days such as yesterday, God pushes me to grow a little more, as he nudges issues like this into my awareness.

On another note, I have a new goal… to raise $4,000 by November 8^th.  Why you ask?  So I could go visit Upendo in Tanzania.  Compassion regularly offers trips to the countries they serve, and Tanzania is up in February 2009.  ONLY $4,000.  I’m really hoping for a lucky lottery ticket so I could go.  Truthfully, I expect it will be the next trip, or the trip after that for me.  But if anyone has a spare 4K laying around…. I did apply to be considered for the next Compassion Bloggers trip to the Dominican Republic.  It occurs this November.   I don’t expect to be invited to go, but I’m passionate about getting others to reach out and sponsor these kids.  Plus, it makes me work harder to grow my writing skills and my readership.  It’s win-win, whether I get to go or not.  I’ve discovered as I share my journey with my friends that several sponsor children through Compassion and other organizations.  The T. family sponsors a little boy in China.  My friend T.G. sponsors a little girl in Thailand through Compassion.  If you don’t do it to be charitable, do it for yourself.