Reed Mueller

Chelsea Reardon (left) and Chris Spanjer (right) serving meals in Mhlosheni

Just a quick post so you can save the date. Our 2009 Mhlosheni “Go Team” has returned from Africa and will be sharing their experiences with the church on July 12th, 10:30am (here). You won’t want to miss the message they’ll bring to us about God and his work in Mhlosheni, Swaziland.

I really respect the eight individuals who gave of their time and financial resources to go share hope and friendship with the people of Swaziland. Not only that, I respect their families for making the sacrifice of having them so far away for a period of time. And it goes without saying that none of this would have happened without those who supported our team financially and through prayer. So thanks one and all.

Can’t wait to have the team over to our house this Friday. Should be a lot of fun to hear the stories shared as we look through the pictures they’ve all taken. Hope I BBQ well for them!

Today, the power of personal publishing is working full force to educate more than 12.4 million readers (as of this moment) about what they can do to make a dent in poverty. It’s been interesting seeing this pop up on some of the blogs that I follow (like this one). Unfortunately, I’ve yet to see one of the church leadership blogs I read post anything on the subject. This is regrettable as we – the church – should be in the lead on such things (e.g., Matthew 25:32-46; James 1:27; Micah 6:8). But this is beside the point. The real question is “What can we do?” So let’s ask it…

What can you do to make a difference in a world so full of poverty? Let me suggest three things:

1. Educate yourself on what others are doing for just over a dollar a day. Read just one or two of the posts on Michael Thelander’s A Song of Africa blog and you’ll see how much of a difference can be made in a life halfway across the globe through the simple gift of child sponsorship.
2. Then, if you’ve not yet chosen to sponsor a child in Mhlosheni, Swaziland, consider it. About $36.00 per month will sustain them, their household (if they’re fortunate enough to have parents), and their community even in the midst of severe drought and an overwhelming HIV/AIDS infection rate. If on the other hand you’re already sponsoring a child from Mhlosheni, pray for them, write them, and consider a “gift notification” which could supply even more for your child. For help on either of these options, email erin [at] teammueller [dot] com.
3. Finally, get your hands dirty locally. This quarter our community ministries team is hosting a work day at SnowCAP, a local community food pantry, on the morning of November 8th. Email rickberry [at] columbiaridge [dot] org for details and to sign up. If that’s not your idea of fun, there are many other volunteer opportunities in the area – email me and I can help find some for you!

There is no doubt that you can alleviate a little suffering…and that together we can alleviate much suffering! The question is, will we?