​Compassion hurts. 
Hurting with those that hurt. Well, it hurts. As God intended I suppose.
This week was especially hard. Each day with a new hurt. Thursday thinking about the 143 million children with no home, no family, no one to know them and love them. Friday discussing abortion and thinking about the 53 million babies killed in the place that should be the safest for them. Saturday reading about the 10 year old boys who were raped at Penn State. My heart breaks. Then reading about 15 year old Jonathan in Ecuador, abandoned by his parents in the jungle. His dad brings him food once in a while when Jonathan is at church.

My heart breaks. I feel raw, ready to cry at the drop of a hat because of all the crying I've done in the last few days. Compassion hurts, and I am left to cry out for the Lord to intervene. Come Lord Jesus!I long for His appearing, for Jesus' return. Desperately. When He comes on His white horse with a sword, He will destroy evil. End it. He will bring Justice, Truth, Righteousness. Punish evil. Jesus coming with a sword is my Hope, my comfort. I've never realized how much comfort there is in His vengeance. 

I think Asaph and I will be friends in heaven. He also finds comfort in God's wrath poured out on evil.
"Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD--that you alone are the Most High over all the earth"  
Psalm 83:13-18It seems he has the same desire for justice as I do, which I believe is birthed out of compassion. I hurt deeply for these oppressed therefore I long deeply for justice. Could it be that to the degree we have compassion, that is the degree we long for His appearing?

So all the evil and the pain cries out, 
Come Lord Jesus!But that drives to share the gospel with the people groups who have never heard. If I really want the horrific evil to end, that should drive me to hurry it along since Jesus promises He will come after all people groups have heard. 

So even here, in my rawness, compassion that hurts, I see that it's not about me. That brokenness over sin leads to telling people about His great mercy and grace for those who repent.

​​​​Laura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries since 2002 and serve with Master Plan Ministries where she is the Women's Development Coordinator. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, A Devotional Journey through Judges, and Discover God's Calling for Your Life. Most recently her resource for Bible studies, The Connect Cards was released by Cru Press. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram, periscope, blab and her author site.

Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations.  Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios.  Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's, and women’s.  Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family.  You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog, Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda .  Jen is also on facebook.  ​

There is a passage in the Bible that troubles me some nights when my head hits the pillow.  I am laying there cozy in my bed with my fluffy pillow under warm blankets in my air conditioned house in a nice neighborhood, and I hear the Holy Spirit whisper this passage in my ear. 

I hear it because I am too comfortable.  I am not brave enough.  I am judgmental and selfish. 

I hear it because my Jesus never cared about comfort.  He punched fear in the face.  He loved with reckless abandon.

I hear the Holy Spirit whisper the words of my sacrificial Savior in my ear:  “I was hungry, and you gave me food.  I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.  I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.   I was naked, and you clothed me.  I was sick, and you visited me.  I was in prison, and you came to me…Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:35-40). 

If Jesus walked the streets of my city today, He would not end up sitting comfy on the couch watching cable.  He would spend his time in back alleys, in coffee houses, in homeless shelters, and in prisons. 

Jesus loved the overlooked and ignored.  Jesus didn’t care about social mores or people’s opinions. 

I am thinking that today Jesus would be spending a lot of time with

The Homeless

Idea:  Pack “Love Bags” for the homeless. Fill a zip-loc bag with water, a tuna-fish pack, a granola bar, a fruit cup, some crackers, a spoon, and then a note to let them know that Jesus loves them, and you care. Keep it in your car and give it to a homeless person.

The Homosexual

Idea:  Invite your gay neighbor or co-worker over for a cup of coffee. Bake cookies at Christmas. Listen to their story and express genuine care.  Your job is to build a bridge, not a fence. 

The Prostitute and Trafficked

Idea: My friend Kathy is part of a ministry at our church that goes in to dark places to visit women who are strippers and share the love of Christ.  They give hugs, pray for women’s needs, give away free Bibles, share helpful resources, and invite them to church. 

 The Orphan and the Poor

Idea:  Pray about becoming a foster parent or adopting – so many children need a home.  Get involved with a ministry like Compassion International or Samaritan’s Purse that is reaching the Poor with the love of Christ all around the world.  You may not be able to adopt, but you can write a letter each month that could change the life of a child. 

The Prisoner

Idea:  Write a letter to a prisoner or his family.  Join your church’s prison ministry to share the love of Christ behind bars and help set captives free.  Reach out to care for a single parent in your community whose spouse is incarcerated.  You can buy groceries and help a hurting family. 

To love Modern-Day Samaritans, we must

 Listen to their story without judgment.  Remember we are all sinners in need of a Savior. 

 Observe what their needs are and try to help them in practical ways.

 Voice the fact that God loves them.  Share the truth of God’s Word in love.

 Embrace the least of these with the sacrificial love of Jesus.  Encourage the hurting in Christ’s name.

Lord, help me to see people with Your eyes.  Show me how to really take action and love others sacrificially in a way that pleases You.  Amen.  

Living across the globe from most of you, I am so thankful for the Internet.

It connects me people I love deeply and people I’m meeting via hashtags. I can Skype with my parents while Voxing with my friend Amber at the same time I’m paying bills.

It’s all ridiculously convenient…and sometimes pretty entertaining.

Our fingers are addicted to share buttons. Sometimes I wonder how we all got so interested in Buzzfeed quizzes.  

And where Facebook used to be a place to send messages and share photos, it’s become the most used forum to proclaim personal platforms through articles and status updates.

The whole “YES. THIS.” generation is getting pretty good at expressing itself through other peoples’ words. As a blogger, I understand. I try to put words to what other people haven’t yet said. And I believe in the power of a well-written, convincing article.

As I scrolled through my news feed today, though, I became so weary of the Christian-y opinion sharing. {Gracious and I know I am contradicting myself. Hear me out.}

I enjoy the dialogue on my personal blog. But 99% of the interaction there is based around affirmation and encouragement. Not about life-changing Good News that brings people to their knees in awe of my Savior.

So what I need to say is this: It doesn’t seem likely that the Gospel will advance by simply sharing our opinions in a status update.

No, that doesn’t usually come through a two-dimensional screen.

But the Gospel does come alive in flesh and blood.

It seeps into peoples’ souls over cups of coffee and open hearts. It breathes into peoples’ lives through tight hugs and helping hands. It brings joy through open doors and food-covered tables.

One-on-one conversation. Physical touch. Sacrificial hospitality. Community prayer.

These are the things that can lead the unbeliever to question his disbelief. These are the things that give promise of a better life to come.

When we step away from our laptops and smartphones and into the lives of real people, we can’t run away from what we see. It’s our humanity we’re faced with then. We feel real feelings and witness real tragedy and rejoice in real hope.

It’s flesh and blood that stirs our souls to action.

Words are powerful, and I’m thankful so many are at my fingertips every day. By all means, keep posting your favorite Bible studies and your coffee + scripture pictures. I’ll be doing this along with you.

But may we always remember that our jobs don’t stop there.

Our world is absolutely full of brokenness. Sickness, poverty, divorce, hunger, abuse. In every community and on every street.

We can’t see those things in our Christian communities—physical or virtual—where everyone believes like us and no one disagrees with us.

When we stay in our homes, behind our screens, using our fingers to do all of our Gospel sharing, we are taking the easy road.

Because the Gospel exists in flesh and blood.

And loving and caring for flesh and blood takes energy. It takes time and money and space. And these are all things that require more than a keyboard or a touchscreen.

Let me say this again, the internet is such an incredible tool for good and I love writing on this space.

But my legitimate fear is that we are raising a generation of kids that will believe a Christian’s role is to post Biblical articles on Facebook and share encouraging verses on their Instagram feed.

I don’t want this for my children.

I want them to see the kids begging on the streets. I want them to notice their classmates with need and I want them to witness the injustices of life. And then I want them to do something about it.

I want to invite my children along as together we bring the Gospel to people…in flesh and blood.

From the day she flipped through her first National Geographic magazine as a five-year-old, Lauren Pinkston knew she had to see the world. Since then, she's traveled to five continents, read a lot of anthropology, and tried to figure out her place in a global community. Lauren currently works in SE Asia as a community development consultant while juggling language learning, cultural acquisition, and her own research in expat mental health. She's a husband lover, diaper changer, envelope pusher, justice seeker, and adoption advocate. You can visit her blog, Upwardly Dependent, and follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.

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My husband and I were walking down the street of our Southeast Asia city last night. Our bellies were full from a nice dinner out and our spirits were also filled from an hour of engaging conversation.

As we made our way down the busy street, maneuvering through crowded sidewalks and dodging endless motorbikes, I noticed my husband trying to catch my eye.

When I looked up, he led my attention to a side street, where a man was walking up to a huddle of ladies barely emerging into the light of the alley.

I don’t have to describe them to you; you know the M.O.

High heels. Short skirts. Heavy makeup.

There was no questioning the hunger in the man’s eyes or the desperation on the girls’ faces. It was quite obvious how the events of the evening would unfold.

The justice seeker in me wanted to march into that alley and break up the party.

The woman in me wanted to give that man a swift punch in the face.

The sister in me wanted to grab the hands of those girls and take them out for coffee.

My mind floated back to the videos I’ve watched, the blog posts I’ve read, and the pictures I’ve seen. Thanks to the Internet, there’s a swarm of anti-slavery initiatives and human trafficking propaganda readily available at our fingertips.

Non-profit organizations and rescue ministries cut you deep with dirty details of a woman’s life of work on the streets. The images used to convict you will be much the same as what I saw last night.

High heels. Short skirts. Heavy makeup.

But what do human trafficking victims really look like? Most often they look like you and me.

They look like teenage girls on their way to school.

They look like lay farmers in gloves and work boots.

They look like waitresses trying to catch a break with a decent tip.

Many times victims of forced labor and forced sex are interacting with us in our everyday lives, but all we see is poverty and poor circumstances.

If we want to fight human trafficking, we’re going to have to quit expecting victims to knock on our doors wearing handcuffs.

We’re going to have to actually get to know the people in our communities.

For me in Southeast Asia, this looks like volunteering at the safe house for girls who have walked out of prostitution and sex slavery. It means getting to know their stories and learning about where their friends are still working. It means understanding the cultural undertones of this modern-day justice battle.

For me in the United States, it meant opening my eyes to the dark parts of my city. It meant driving through project housing developments, mentoring recovering addicts, and picking up the stranded on the side of the street. It meant exposing myself to an entirely different culture within my own passport nation.

I don’t write this article to sound righteous. I don’t write this article to push an agenda.

What I would like to do with this article is share my experience with you.

Because if you’re like me, maybe you feel like the most exploited people across the globe are the most difficult to really get to know.

And I want to tell you, We don’t have to make it so hard.

We can see the people in front of us. We can ask them to tell us their story. And we can follow up with the social support that bridges the gap between difficult circumstances the road to healing.

Not as ministry leaders. Not as personal saviors.

We can break through into the lives of trafficking victims by simply being human.

And in hearing their stories and walking through life with them, we may even find our own humanity in the process.

From the day she flipped through her first National Geographic magazine as a five-year-old, Lauren Pinkston knew she had to see the world. Since then, she's traveled to five continents, read a lot of anthropology, and tried to figure out her place in a global community. Lauren cur_rently works in SE Asia as a community development consultant while juggling language learning, cultural acquisition, and her own research in expat mental health. She's a husband lover, diaper changer, envelope pusher, justice seeker, and adoption advocate. You can visit her blog, Upwardly Dependent, and follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

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Another popular item from our Freedom Line is our variety of birdcage necklaces! These beautiful necklaces symbolize freedom in a unique and fashionable way as the charm shows a bird breaking free of its cage with its wings spread wide. It is a clear representation of the very moments when we break through the bondage we often have in our lives. These necklaces are a perfect fit for our Freedom Line. We hope that many people will considering purchasing from our Freedom line this holiday season as we aim to bring hope to both women and orphans.

Since Project Hazina was formed, we have been able to provide hundreds of pillows, blankets and mattresses, but we have also begun a new venture! This Thanksgiving, we will be releasing our Hope Line with a new line of jewelry, scarves, purses and journals that are handmade in India. Not only are we going to be providing increased work for this group of artisans in India who desperately need it, but we are also teaming up with an orphanage in Uganda. The Gem Foundation is a rapidly-growing special needs orphanage in Uganda that needs custom-designed beds for the children's specific needs. Project Hazina will be providing them with these much needed beds as well as pillows, blankets, mattresses, and sheets from products in our Hope Line.

We are very excited for everything the Lord is doing through Project Hazina and we have great anticipation for what will be happening in the future! If you would like to read more about what we do, contact us or do some Christmas shopping, simply visit the Project Hazina website!

With Love,
Jessica Gunn

John 1:12-13,”Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

We are adopted in the family of God through Christ. Such an honor is bestowed upon us. Many questions weigh in as I read this scripture verse. Does this mean, we should all start adopting orphans, neglected and homeless children in the need of family? Wouldn’t that be beautiful? But what if we do not feel called to adopt a child? Do we still have any role to play in adoption?

1 Corinthians 12:7: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

As Christ follower, each one of us has Holy Spirit dwelling within us. While some may have been called to the specific role of adoptive parent, each one of us has a role to play.

So what other roles God may have for us to play in adoption?

Prayer Warrior
Adopting family has their faith, conviction and discernment tested many times as they travel the long uncertain road to bring the child to forever home. By being a fervent prayer warrior, you can support and uplift these families.

Foster care
May be you are not called to adopt a child to be forever yours but you are called to provide a temporary home for a child. You can open your home to ‘fostering only’.

Babysitter
Adopting parents need to attend long training, welcome frequent house visitor such as case worker, lawyers etc. and run the household like everyone else. Many of my adopting friends have children of their own who need to be watched for. By babysitting their children, you can ease out some of their stress.

Respite provider
Babysitters for foster children need to meet strict guidelines. You can be trained to become a respite provider for foster child. It is helpful when the parents have to attend court dates or finish other adopting formalities.

Meal provider 
Just like if you give birth to baby, you may be overwhelmed for couple of weeks adjusting with a new baby. Same is true with adoption. When a child arrives to new home of adopting parents, it is time of transition for child as well as for foster parent. By providing a meal in those adjustment days, you can be big help to the family.

Errand runner
Can you run errands on short notice? I have heard many locally adopting friends say that they get 1-2 hour to pick up a child once the call is made to place the child in foster care. It is hard to plan and prepare for a child, you know nothing about. You can help out the adopting parent by running quick errands for them when such call is made.

Adoption fundraiser
Adoption process is expensive and time consuming.You may have a God given talent which can potentially be utilized to help the adopting family. May be you are a gifted artist and craftsman. May be you are good at creating things or organizing events (e.g 3k/5k/10k race) which others may benefit from. You can play role in adoption fundraisers.

James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Are you willing to seek and lead the role that God may have planned specifically for you in adoption?

Nive was born and raised in India.  She has a degree in Civil engineering but she decided that developing software is much more fun, so she taught herself programming.  Nive has been married for about a decade to her husband, Randy, a software architect.  They are very blessed to live in the beautiful Texas hill country with their two kids.  Born and raised as Hindu and redeemed by love of Christ a few years ago, Nive has a heart for culture and desire to make her redeemer known.  She loves to cook, has a penchant for handmade crafty things and teaches her kids to serve in the community.  You can find her food blogging at handfulofjoy  and serving at playdate with a purpose.

If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top
right.

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A white man sits a bench down from me at the park. It should have been a glorious day; sun shining, children laughing, playing; life balancing on the edge of spring.

But a child giggles loudly; heart sinks, history comes dancing back; his face; dark, round, smiling bright with white teeth like the one I keep missing, deeply. Regret strikes as I see him, a reflection plunging me back into the depths I keep swimming from.

My eighteen-year-old next to me shifts on our bench.  I know that stance well, one of sorrow, regret. "We must forgive, and move on," I whisper robotically through my lips, wishing formulas really could heal heart wounds, and time really was the cure for this suffocating loss I feel.

"Is she yours?" The man next to me nods towards my own dark skinned, adopted daughter playing freely on the playground.  

"Yep. Those yours?"  I point to the two African-looking boys playing with her.

And God knows we need help in our bumpy roads to healing, some kind of angel to speak life into us when this seemingly eternal wrestling of Jacob, just won’t fix us.

As foster parents, the biggest question I hear is, "How do you let them go?" Whenever I hear it, I want to laugh; as if I have some secret to not getting ground up, each time I look on an
orphan.

I mean, if love truly has no ending, isn't it a question of, "How do you separate from 
them?"  Because in reality; true, deep, eternal, God-love....never let's go.

I found out my bench neighbor is, Matt; him and his wife, foster parents, adoptive parents. He is also a pastor.

And in my own internal struggle, I had missed seeing what he was reading…a Bible, opened to the book of Matthew.  

Matt has no “secret formula”.  He doesn’t even “get” the weight of resemblance my foster child has with his son.  

Or maybe he does?

 We talk forward, about faith and the future; finding more commonality than just our children. He too is a speaker about adoption. He is passionate about the orphan, and tells me
how nearly half his church has a role in actively caring for foster/adopted children.

And just when we might think we’ll be swallowed by sorrow, God in his grace brings people to tell us, “You are not alone in your heartache, in your grieving.”

And could it be our broken pieces are the bridges to other people? Our passions what lead us to our God-given purpose?  Our heart ache the fuel propelling us to lean in perseverance, to lay lower, dig deeper into His call and purposes for us?

“You’ll do great!  I’ll be praying for you!”  Matt calls, tucking his head back in Matthew, as I take my littlest to the bathroom.

I never see Matt again. But as I write this, I am prompted to look up the name “Matthew”. It 
means, “Gift of Yahweh”.

And no, people aren’t our salvation. Children or ministry are not our sole hope for living. Matt in himself was no saint worth exonerating.  He was just a vessel God used that day. 

But just when we think the road is narrow, the way too dark, God in His grace shows us a bruised reed will not break, giving us water when we are most thirsty; calling us forward; offering crooked beams of light for our healing.

It is then those gifts of grace are a “Gift of Yahweh”.  Will we choose to see them?  

Yet, Yahweh promises to never leave us, and sits on the bench beside us today friend…even if we fail to see Him.

Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations.  Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios.  Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a
world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's,
and women’s.  Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A
New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family.  You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog, Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda .  Jen is also on facebook.  

We started our series last month on Living Fairly.  We started by looking at what fair trade means and why it should matter to us as Christians who are living missionally.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'.
Matthew 22:37-39

Love does no harm to its neighbor.
Romans 13:10

In the Bible, Jesus clearly states that loving our neighbors is key to serving Him. As we explore this topic of Living Fairly, I hope you will understand that shopping responsibly is key to serving Him as well, because our wallets speak loudly and companies will take notice when we stand up for those who are being taken advantage of.

This month we are going to talk about Living Fairly in the context of your bathroom.  We are going to be exploring beauty products and the price we pay to look beautiful and how much it really costs in terms of the "harm" that may be done against our neighbor.

Cocoa butter and shea butter are two products that are widely used in cosmetic products.  You can find them in lotions and soaps.  Cocoa butter is extracted from the cocoa bean and is actually an ingredient in chocolate (which we'll talk more about when we talk about Living Fairly- In Your Kitchen).  Shea butter is extracted from the bean of the shea tree.

Both of these products have very shady beginnings, though, before they ever reach the shelf of your local beauty product store or medicine cabinet.  It is estimated that over 800,000 children work in the cocoa supply chain.  And the average cocoa farmer makes 10% of the average poverty standard for their country.  This means that if you increased his income by ten times, he would still be impoverished. 

Why are children working on the cocoa plantations?  Why are farmers making so little off of their crop, which forces them to employ children?

It all goes back to the price of cocoa.  It's gone down in recent years and since the farmer is such a small part in the supply chain, they are paid the least. The situation is similar with shea. Shea butter is actually called "women's gold" since women does most of the harvesting in this industry but since the rest of the industry is controlled by men,  women make the least. Women are paid an average of $0.60 per kilo of shea that they pick, whereas the same shea sells on the international market for 2-3 times that.

There is a movement among companies that use cocoa and shea butters to encourage farmers to become certified.  If they become certified, which basically means they follow certain rules in how they raise their crops and who they employ, then they are paid more for their crop which then could possibly break the chain of poverty and also set children free from their employment. The money from the certified cocoa and shea sales then goes to education and programs for children living in the affected communities.

So, what's the point of all of this as it relates to you and me?

We, as the consumers, can make choices that demand sustainable cocoa and shea production.  We can shop for products that have the Fair Trade symbol and by buying these products we are casting a vote for more sustainable production of these items.  We can also just be more careful when we are shopping for beauty products by researching brands to see what their production practices are.  A particular brand may not sport the Fair Trade symbol but may still be fair trade.  Just look them up on the internet and read more about them. 

By shopping fair trade, we are voting for a child's right to go to school, instead of working 12+ hours a day in the cocoa fields, and we are casting a vote for a farmer to earn a fair wage, enough to lift his family out of poverty.  We are speaking up for our neighbor and we are living Romans 13:10 by doing no harm.

If you are interested in learning more about Living Fairly, here are some online and retail shops that sell Fair Trade Bath and Body items.  
The Body Shop
Dr. Bronner
Lush
Pure Citizen
Shea Moisture

Fair Trade USA- lists other ingredients such as olive oil, honey, sugar, and plant extracts which can be purchased Fair Trade

**A big thank you to Jessica from For the Love of Justice who helped me to understand more about fair trade for this article.  Please visit her blog to learn more.  

Kerry Todd is married to her best friend, Denny, and has one daughter, Alivea. She is passionate about missions and about orphans and she loves watching the church be the church.  She and her husband have adopted one daughter and are in the process of adopting another child. She writes at my life (his mission) all about how God has wrecked her heart for the orphan and how she has found new life in the midst of infertility.  You can keep up with all of her craziness on her blog, facebook, and twitter.

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