Sarah Neufeld Co.

Empowering Women through the Living Word & Living Stories

Humanitarian

The Christian Response to Communism

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Part 1 – Summary

In Part 1 of this episode, we take a look at the problematic elements of this marxist ideology from a Christian perspective; specifically, its atheism.

Which political parties share these views, and does this have an impact on how we vote?

How does the rise of Socialism impact the Christian church?

We unpack the answer to these questions here.

Part 1 – Shownotes

She Is Priceless – Campaign 2020

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(Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

For the last 5 years, Mercy House Global has held the She Is Priceless campaign in May. The objective? To raise funds to rescue pregnant teens from the slums in Kenya.

Have you ever felt forgotten? Has the overwhelm of a crisis left you so depressed and disillusioned that it was hard to breathe?

Do you ever have that longing to have someone scoop you up, broken heart included, and reassure you that you matter – that you are worth it?

I know I have. And I’d guess many of you have, too.

She is forgotten.

she is priceless

But imagine what it would be like to grow up in the largest slum in the world; especially as a girl.

Envision a life that doesn’t extend more than a few miles beyond the little tin hut you call home; the one infested with rats and bugs, with sewage water flowing through every time it rains.

You have several siblings. Your father may be present, but there’s a good chance he’s not. You watch your mother, worn and worried, do everything she can to put food on the table; skipped meals are the norm.

Most Western girls grow up with grand dreams for their life. But in the slums, you know it will be very difficult to secure a dignified job that pays a fair wage.

If there’s barely enough money for food, then there’s nothing leftover for school fees. Besides, you’re just a girl; your education isn’t a priority.

Even if you are bold enough to dream, you know there’s very little hope of them ever coming to be.

From here, any number of tragedies could await you.

One sure way for a female to earn some money is through prostitution. This is no life for a young girl like yourself, but you may find yourself in that place.

Maybe your mother has broken down through desperation and is insisting you sell yourself for sex. But perhaps your own sense of guilt and responsibility has left you with no other option.

A girl might be spared the sentence of being trafficked for sex, but there are other threats than can await her.

The slums are a very dangerous place. Therefore, forcible rape is very common.

Abused, exploited, trafficked, raped – now pregnant.

Do you feel forgotten yet? Do you in anyway feel loved?

She is loved.

she is priceless

This describes the life of too many a girl in Kenya.

13,000 Kenyan girls have been kicked out of school for being pregnant (Centre for Reproductive Rights).

25% of pregnant girls women in Kenya are HIV positive (ObGyn in Kenya).

Every 30 minutes, a woman is raped in Kenya (Nairobi Women’s Hospital)

Mothers often force their daughters into trading sex for food in the slums (CNN)

Where is the hope, the mercy or the justice for these girls?

Even if the culture has marginalized them, or the society has oppressed them, or the rest of us in the free and prosperous world have forgotten them, God has remembered them.

God brought blogger, Kristen Welch, to Kenya on a trip with Compassion. And she faced the harsh realities of life in the slums.

At every turn, I only saw hopelessness. I wanted to shut it all out. I was so angry and silently accused God. Where are You? These are Your people; You created them. How can You allow so much suffering?

For a moment, time stood still. I stopped and closed my eyes. I saw God’s finger pointed at my chest as He asked my spirit the same question: “Kristen, how can you allow this?”

In that exact moment, I knew my life would never be the same.

“Rhinestone Jesus” by Kristen Welch

Mercy House Global, founded by Kristen, is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year.

In the last decade, they have established three maternity homes in Kenya. They have also rescued 54 pregnant girls between the ages of 12-16.

When each teen arrives “home,” she quickly learns that she is loved.

Through the program, the girls also receive proper medical care, healing support, resources to help them embrace motherhood, and a chance to complete their education, and yes, dream big dreams!

She is priceless.

she is pricless

God took one “yes,” and launched a movement to empower marginalized and oppressed women, which has spread around the world.

No one tells this saga of miracles better than Kristen herself. (I highly recommend reading “Rhinestone Jesus” and “Made to Move Mountains“!)

She is not only loved by God, she is priceless to Him.

He could have solved all of the problems with a wave of His righteous right hand, but instead, He has woven women, like you and me, into this miracle of redemption.

When you look into the darkness other people live in, and you allow it to recalibrate your perspective, it creates fertile ground for God to grow amazing fruit through your life.

I hope reading this has grounded your outlook a bit, and brought some new gratitude into your life. We all need this!

Four years ago, God used the We Are That Family blog to give my head a shake. And through sponsoring one of these moms, God changed my heart.

And so, I leaped at the chance to represent this organization as a Mercy House Ambassador one year ago.

My friend, it is truly our privilege to share what we’ve been given. As the hands and feet of Jesus, the ambassadors of His love and heart, we are called to show mercy and stand up for justice.

Though the 2020 rescues have been postponed due to the coronavirus, Mercy House is looking to raise two months of operation costs for the maternity homes.

Today, I am humbly asking you to join the She Is Priceless campaign and help them raise the $70,000. That way, when the restrictions are lifted, their front-line team will be positioned to bring some precious girls home!

Please visit my support campaign, and donate an amount of any sum.

Love Without Borders – An Honest Book Review

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(Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

It’s the coffee date with Angie that you always wanted! Through her new book “Love Without Borders,” Angela Braniff shares a testimony that will draw you near to God, and empower you to live the story that God has written for you.

Meet the Author of “Love Without Borders”

love without borders
Photo Credit: Angela Braniff

Hundreds of thousands of people have learned to love the Braniff family through their YouTube channel, This Gathered Nest. At the centre of it all is Angie. 

She is the mom of 8 children “through various means of adoption and biological approaches.”

She is also a homeschooler, digital content creator, entrepreneur, makeup fanatic, influencer, advocate for adoption, children with down syndrome and supporting the foster care system. And NOW she is a newly published author!

Behind the high quality videography, the quirky humour, and relatable content, there is a real family navigating highs and lows. Just like everybody else.

In “Love Without Borders,” Angela, who is already fairly transparent with her online community, pulls the curtain back even further. 

My life had always been about making other people happy and trying to maintain the status quo. God was opening my eyes to a life that looked different, perhaps even weird, but something about it all just felt right. Now I was seeing what could be possible, what it could look like to have the kind of life that didn’t allow fear to be in the driver’s seat, the kind of the life that walked the walk rather than just talking the talk. This was my peek into what it might be like to lay down the dreams I’d been sold, for the chance to follow Jesus and perhaps find the life I’d been missing all this time.

A Journey that Goes Beyond Borders

Photo Credit: Angela Braniff

Angela invites us into the hard seasons she and her husband CR have navigated through; high-risk pregnancies, domestic and international adoption, secondary infertility, embryo adoption and a season of depression.

It’s hard to relive these details as I tell this story. I want so badly to be able to tell you that I had complete faith in God, that I trusted He’d protect the baby, or that I handled it all with grace. But I also know I’m a flawed woman. There is no place of darkness so far that He can’t reach us, no place of fear or doubt that He can’t find us, no ugly side of our sinful nature that He can’t redeem.

Her friendly writing style feels like she is reaching across the table at the local Starbucks, speaking life into your own hard and weary days. 

The Purpose of “Love Without Borders”

love without borders

At few months ago, Angela said that “she was going first.”

I was intrigued and my impatience to read this book increased. By the final few chapters, I not only understood what she meant, but why we needed “Love Without Borders.”

Angela Braniff connects with the longing in a woman’s heart. 

What is your longing? Is it for motherhood, a larger family, a worthy legacy, a life of purpose, stronger faith or that “something more”?

Angela shows how giving God your “yes” in the impossible days is the only way to fulfill that yearning.

Her courageous vulnerability is a blessing, because she shows us the beautiful redemptive work God has done in her life. And that is the most precious gift that any author could endow their reader.

I don’t walk away from reading “Love Without Borders” thinking that Angie is some enhanced breed of Superwoman. Nor do I think that she has the perfect marriage or the perfect life. 

I feel unworthy of the good things that have happened to us, but I’ve come to realize that feeling unworthy is actually a good thing. We don’t earn our blessings, and we certainly don’t deserve them; it’s only by His grace that we receive them.

Instead, I see a woman, who has experienced heartache. And she has come to the other side knowing exactly who her Father in heaven is.

Through her story, Angela goes first and shows us “how bold faith opens the door to embracing the unexpected.”

So, this is for the sister with the deep-seated longing in her heart. Order “Love Without Borders,” stock up on your favourite hot beverage (and kleenex) and dive into this book!

We don’t need to know what’s on the other side of every door He opens for us, we just need to trust Him.

If you appreciated this post, you may also want to read:

love without borders
Photo Credit: Angela Braniff

Sponsorships Matter, Even During COVID-19

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Part of me regrets not posting this sooner. Fundraising during a global crisis feels a bit, well… uncomfortable. But here’s the thing, sponsorships matter, even during COVID-19.

So today, I make one simple plea: please, hear me out to the end.

I am going to give you important, time-sensitive information. What you do with that information at the end is up to you. 

I used to think that my role as a Mercy House Global Ambassador is to bring in customers, sponsors and donors, but it’s not.

My responsibility begins and ends with sharing the facts and inviting people to be a part of the solution. How people choose to respond is, quite frankly, none of my business.

The Age of COVID-19

sponsorships matter, even during COVID-19

We are living through history.

We are living the story that we will tell our grandchildren someday. 

As unprecedented changes unfold, many of us shift into survival mode. We look to care for our family, and we cast a watchful eye over those at-risk in our community. And in all this scariness, we breathe sighs of relief that the good people are still among us.

But there are other brave souls whom we might not think of right now, and those are the non-profit organizations. 

The sustainability of these essential groups is also at high risk right now, because as we operate in self-preservation mode, we aren’t necessarily thinking of new charities to support. In fact, this is a season where people start withdrawing recurring donations.

All of that is 100% reasonable and understandable.

And yet, here’s the truth. As bad as things are right now, and as much as it could potentially get worse, we still enjoy benefits and privileges that millions of women do not.

In my post International Women’s Day Facts, I shared how hundreds of millions of our sisters need our prayers, our business, our sponsorship and our voice.

As people naturally slow down in purchases and new spending, these non-profit organizations are impeded from providing the services they have promised; and people will suffer even more than they have already.

So as this is an inconvenient time to bring up sponsorships, someone has to.

For these women and children are forgotten at the best of times, how much more at the worst of times?

A Man Showed Up in My Driveway

sponsorships matter, even during COVID-19

But before I tell you about the teen moms in Kenya who are graduating from the maternity home and need support during their transition; or the artisans who need customers so they can put food on their table; or about the passion and burden MHG founder Kristen Welch carries right now, let me share a very personal story with you.

Three years ago, our family was in a financial crisis of our own.

I sold personal belongings to pay off debt and purchase groceries. We were sponsoring two children at the time; one from the Rehema House Graduate Program and the other from different organization.

And one day in May, at an incredibly inconvenient time, a young man named Marco showed up in my driveway asking me to sponsor another child.

I breathed a sigh of relief because I figured I could send him on his way quickly. After all, two active sponsorships is a badge of immunity, right?

Marco, born in a Central American, told me how he himself had been sponsored as a child. He told me how he was living proof that sponsorships truly do change lives.

This seemed like the perfect segue to tell him that we were already sponsoring a couple of kids and that this wasn’t a time when we were ready to take on more.

He smiled, “That’s really great to hear. Let me show you pictures of some of these kids.”

I wasn’t going to get out of this as easily as I thought.

Why Sponsorships Matter

Sponsor 16 year-old Esther & her 1 year-old son, Jayden

Marco fanned out 3-4 pamphlets, each with a photo of a different child.

“These children are our highest priority right now,” he explained. “Because, you see, these girls are at the age where they will begin menstruation. This means that they are at a high-risk for being forced into prostitution.”

I held my breath.

“That’s why I’m out in the heat knocking on doors until I find sponsors for all these children.” 

A few months prior, we began supporting Operation Underground Railroad; an organization that rescues children from sex trafficking.

In that moment, as I looked into these girls’ eyes, I knew there was no way that I was going to say, “no.”

Sponsorships are a key way of lifting children out of generational poverty. Because it makes necessities like nutrition, education & medical care possible, the risk of lack and exploitation are diminished.

Here’s the thing. I know that I could have declined. I had all of the justifiable reasons on my side. And, in my opinion, I believe that Marco would have found the needed sponsors. 

As I look back, this isn’t a story about me being inconvenienced having to listen to someone’s spiel looking for money.

In the thick of my mess, my fear, and the crisis that was hitting us, God was blessing me with the opportunity to help stop a girl from being trafficked.

Instead of my mind spinning to conjure up excuses, it was working overtime to determine what I could sell. I knew there was something that I could give up.

Ultimately, if God was asking this of me, I had faith that He would provide the way.

And even now, sponsorships still matter, even during COVID-19.

Choose Obedience and Sacrifice

Sponsor 19 year-old Amisa & her 1 year-old son Adam Ali

We give when times are good, and it makes us feel good!

But when we give when we think we have nothing left to offer, though it stretches us like labour pains, our lives bear the witness of His life-transforming grace!

I sobbed after Marco left our house. There was no doubt in mind that I had done the right thing, but it cost me something. This wasn’t nothing for us.

I am a new Instagram follower of Carlos Whitaker. He said something powerful yesterday that I am putting to memory.

Sometimes obedience isn’t easy…

Sometimes obedience is scary…

But all the time obedience is necessary…

Carlos Whitaker

When we give something that really costs us, God transforms us and launches growth in us that we may not have known we needed.

When we sign up to give, we can tell ourselves that we are the benefactor, but we aren’t. We are unquestionably the beneficiary.

Donations & Sponsorships Matter, Even During COVID-19

There are currently 34 teen moms in Mercy House’s graduate program.

This is a lousy and inconvenient time for me to tell you about the needs of a non-profit organization in Texas, or the needs of teen moms in Kenya, or mothers in Ethiopia, India, Haiti, and beyond.

But Mercy House has a large number of open sponsorships that need to be filled, because there are teen moms who have survived the unthinkable, yet are on the path to healing fuelled with the hope of Jesus. They need financial support as they transition home.

And Mercy House committed to connect artisan women from around the world, women who have been denied the privileges we have, with buyers. They need new customers on their Online Marketplace; and new subscribers for their monthly fair trade boxes.

And Mercy House’s foundational mandate is to rescue pregnant girls out of one of the largest slums in the world. They have made an unprecedented decision to halt their rescue operations because they need new partners to give what they reasonably can.

At the beginning of this post, I told you that all I was asking was for you to hear me out to the end. I plan on keeping that promise.

I have told you my story, explained the circumstance and outlined the need.

What you do from here is none of my business.

But if I may add one more thing…

Should anyone read this and make the decision that there is something that they could give, I would dearly love for them to reach out and tell me, because I genuinely want to thank them directly.

We are living through history right now, my friends. My prayers go out for each and everyone of you.

How Can I Help?

  • Sponsor a teen mom (for less than $30 CDN/month) as she transitions home with her little one.
  • Make a one-time or recurring donation to Join the Solution (a partner campaign for Mercy House Global) to help fund the maternity homes and future teen rescues.
  • Become a customer at Mercy House Global Online Market Place and shop from quality fair trade items. (Artisans have been paid in advance and all proceeds support the maternity homes in Kenya.)
  • Become a Fair Trade Friday subscriber. Choose from many monthly options. (i.e. Earring of the Month Club, Bracelet of the Month Club, Fair Trade Friday Box & the Grace Case)

Favourite Fair Trade Items for Spring

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Grab your hot beverage of choice and get cozy, because I am going to take you around the world to visit beautiful & talented artisans with compelling stories. Here are my favourite fair trade items for Spring that you DEFINITELY will want to buy!

Mercy House Global’s new Spring Collection, Waves of Mercy, is curated of 34 high quality, fair trade items. It provided jobs for artisans in 6 countries (Azerbaijan, Haiti, Ethiopia, Honduras, Kenya, Rwanda), and 3 Houston-based refugees from Bhutan, the Congo & Sudan.  

Sisal Teardrop Hoop Earrings

favourite fair trade items for spring
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

I love everything about these earrings! Their light weaved texture, the neutral colour, and the simple teardrop shape makes this is one of my favourite jewelry pieces for spring and summer.

Azizi Life hand-make these earrings from natural, tea-dyed sisal fibers, using artisan weaving techniques. This faith-based organization is based in Rwanda. “Founded in 2008 under the international NGO Food for the Hungry, Azizi Life has become a bridge to connect hardworking artisans to the global market.”

Cost: $16.00 USD

Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

Waffle Weave Hand Towel + Seaside Handmade Soap Bar

favourite fair trade items for spring
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global
Waffle Weave Hand Towel

This hand towel is stylish and practical. It’s useful for hand-drying dishes or as a dish-drying mat, because this absorbent material dries quickly.

This is a handcrafted product from the artisan group Karama in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Karama means dignity in Arabic.

One of the founding principles of fair trade is based on giving oppressed and marginalized women the very thing that they lack: a self-sustaining opportunity that maintains dignity. 

This changes lives. Just read Yeshi’s story.

Yeshi is the mother of two, and for the last 10 years she has worked with Karama’s Ethiopian textiles partner as a finisher responsible for quality control. Her favorite part of the job is packing the perfect product. With her current income, she is able to provide for her family, save for her children’s education, and plan for her own future. Yeshi is dedicated to preparing a bright future for her children by being an example of hard work and self-improvement.

Mercy House Global Online Marketplace
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global
Seaside Handmade Soap Bar

Not only do you get the towel, but you also receive a seaside soap bar handmade by Ombeni.

Ombeni, a refugee from the Congo was resettled to Houston in 2019 with her husband and four young children. She exudes joy, gratitude, and Jesus as she softly sings while making soap in her tiny apartment kitchen. She has a heartbreaking story of escaping war and spending much of her life in a refugee camp, where her parents still live. But when Ombeni shares her story, she shines Jesus, and she gives Him glory for her rescue. Her dream is to be reunited with her family one day

Mercy House Global Online Marketplace

Each bar is 100% handmade with rosemary, eucalyptus and peppermint essentials oils with alkanet root and topped with Himalayan sea salt.

Cost: $28 USD

Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

Three-in-One Canvas Nesting Baskets with Leather Handles

favourite fair trade items for spring
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

As an Ambassador for Mercy House Global, I received a few sneak peeks prior to the launch of the Waves of Mercy collection. And I can’t tell you how many times, I gasped and mouthed the words, “that’s so cute, I love it!”

This set of three canvas nesting baskets were one of the big jaw-droppers.

Seriously, though! How much do you love these?!

The canvas fabric and leather handles are a symbiotic blend of minimalism and boho-chic.

This is the workmanship of Friends of Mercy; a very special artisan group.

If you’ve been following my Mercy House Global posts, you might know Maureen. If not, meet her now.

A former sponsored-child with Compassion International, Maureen connected with Kristen Welch a decade ago, and together they founded the very first maternity home in Kenya. Maureen is the on-the-ground leader who rescues girls and fiercely advocates for them. 

Moved to provide work for the ones she loves, Maureen started Friends of Mercy, which “has grown into a skilled group of seamstresses who create bags, banners, and more for Mercy House Global.” 

Provide dignified jobs while organizing your home or office with these cute and functional fair trade nesting baskets!

Cost: $39 USD

Blue + Cream Circle Beach Bag

Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

I grew up by the sea. Summer days and nights spent at the Larvotto, bathing in the brilliant azure Mediterranean, with my hair being tussled by sea-salt gusts, make some of my most precious childhood memories.

When I saw this blue and white beach bag, it immediately took me back to those summer days!

Haiti Design Co. made the bag from cotton with leather accents.

This artisan group provides “consistent employment in-house in order to give job training and stability to those in vulnerable situations”. Their employees receive a daily nutritious lunch, access to health care, savings accounts, emergency loans, counselling and education resources.

All these things are vital in a country that is still in recovery because of the earthquake; not to mention poverty and high-level corruption.

I have my beach bag, and I cannot wait to test it out on the shores of Lake Huron this summer!

Cost: $42 USD

Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

Wrapped Paper Bead Bracelet

Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

This wrap around bracelet beautifully captures the colours of the sea. Every single paper bead was wrapped and sealed by hand. The gold and white seed beads create a stunning, delicate accent.

The wrapped paper bead bracelet is crafted by the artisans of Have Hope in Kenya. I featured their beautiful work before. Learn more about this amazing group of 20 women here.

When you purchase fair trade goods from Have Hope, you are providing hope and opportunity for women, because they come from one of the worst slums in the world.

Cost: $18 USD 

Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

Scrunchie + Tie

favourite fair trade items for spring
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

Who loves that scrunchies have come back?

Mercy House started carrying handmade scrunchies last year. It proved difficult to keep them stocked, because they are so popular!

These scrunchies are unique because they can be worn 3 different ways; a scrunchie, a scrunchie with a tie, or just a tie. 

If you are raising your daughters to be conscious of humanitarian needs around the world, a Mercy House scrunchie provides a great object lesson.

These accessories “are hand sewn by rescued teen moms in Kenya. Each scrunchie provides a skill, a dignified job, and hope for the future for generations of women.”

Educate a young woman with a hair accessory that tells a story of how fair trade empowers women and changes lives.

Cost: $8 USD

Flat Sisal Basket

favourite fair trade items for spring
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

I’ve never thought of using decorative baskets on the wall, but Pinterest has wisened me! The flat sisal basket is perfect for decoration, staging or organization.

This flat basket can accent a wall or serve as an organization tray, and it was woven by hand by Fentanesh from Korah.

Korah is a community that sits next to the largest garbage dump in Ethiopia. You can learn more about them in a previous post here.

Fentanesh has two daughters and a 4-year-old son who is deaf. Every order of these flat sisal baskets will allow Fentanesh to enroll her son in a school for the deaf at a local church for the very first time. This mother is thankful for a dignified job that allows her to provide food, education, and a home for her children.

Mercy House Global Online Marketplace

Cost: $28 USD

Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

Sisal Pendant + Lava Bead Necklace

favourite fair trade items for spring
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

I am such a fan of the pendant necklace! And as someone who uses essential oils every day, the lava beads make this necklace extra special!

The combination sea green paper beads, gold seed beads and the sisal pendant creates such interesting detail and texture.

If you are an oil lover like me, the porous lava beads diffuse your favourite blend of essential oils as you go about your day. But, please make sure that you use Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade.

And as you breathe in your chosen aroma, let it serve as a reminder of the amazing women whose hands fashioned your necklace, and whose lives are changed through your purchase. 

The talented jewelry makers of Have Hope assembled these beautiful items, and the artisan from Azizi Life crafted the sisal pendant. 

Cost: $42 USD

Waterfall Fringe Earrings 

favourite fair trade items for spring
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

I have always been an earring lover.

Hoops, dangles, gold, silver, feathers, I love it all! And, I have to highlight one more pair of earrings before I end this list. (FYI, I love almost every single one in this collection!)

The waterfall fringe earrings add a statement piece to your jewelry collection, because it’s bright, amusing and whimsical. 

The artisans of SoloHope handmade these accessories from pine needles and thread. 

SoloHope is Spanglish for “only hope.” This organization empowers individuals in Honduras. Their model is based on economic development, education and discipleship.

When you purchase these beautiful fringe earrings, you’re supporting a mother to provide her children’s education and healthcare.

Cost: $24 USD

Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

Fair Trade Changes Lives

Thank you for viewing this highlight reel my favourite fair trade items for spring!

As I said in my last post, International Women’s Day Facts, because of all the abundance that we enjoy in first world nations, we have a responsibility to stand by our sisters who face extreme poverty, oppression and marginalization.

Three impactful ways include, but are not limited to, giving them our business, committing to sponsorships, and financially supporting non-profit organizations that are providing humanitarian aid.

In John 1:16, the beloved apostle wrote, “for from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

Like rolling waves of mercy, we have received from blessing upon untold blessing.

Let’s share this abundance with women around the world!

Visit Mercy House Global Online Marketplace today and shop from this beautiful Waves of Grace collection!

(All artisans have been paid in advance, and proceeds support the maternity homes in Kenya.)
favourite fair trade items for spring
Photo Credit: Mercy House Global

International Women’s Day Facts: Our Responsibility

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On International Women’s Day, facts juxtapose a worldview onto our daily perspective. As I sit down to write this post, I ask God, “What do you want us to know? What is our responsibility?” I thought of the words that Mordecai said to Queen Esther:

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?“

Christine Caine frequently says, “The same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you!”

Your power of influence in your home, your workplace, your community, even the world, should never be underestimated. Not because you are so righteous and worthy, but because the One who lives inside of you is both those things and more.

Yet there are believers who bristle at the suggestion that they have a responsibility to those outside their sphere. I know because I was a part of that crowd for a season.

Do We Have a Responsibility?

K.P. Yohannan asks this question in his book “Revolution in World Missions”:

“Why do you think God has allowed you to be born in North America or Europe rather than among the poor of Africa and Asia and to be blessed with such material and spiritual abundance?“

It’s worth noting that Europe and the Americas are home to a majority of the world’s Christians.

Also, according to the site Global Rich List, if your annual household income is in excess of $32,400 USD, you rank among the top 1% income earners in the world. 

I entered our annual income from 2019 into their calculator, and it showed that our little family earns more than 99.6% of the world. Yeah. 

(You can get your results here.)

How does that impact your perspective?

My husband and I are now at a place where we recognize the daily luxuries in the simple way we live. Even during financially hard seasons, I choose to be rooted in gratitude.

Not because I am altruistic; not at all. 

Only after years of exposing myself to these International Women’s Day facts, did I come to this place. 

Facts Ground Our Perspective

international women's day facts

A few years ago, I was a pregnant mother feverishly trying to stay afloat while my husband was driving a truck in another country, but on those heavy-laden days of stress, I remembered the things I knew to be true:

  • Yes, the week after I found out I was pregnant with our third child, I was collecting groceries from a local food bank. But I was blessed to have such a resource available to me, because millions of mothers have to beg for money in the street.
  • Yes, I had to sell clothes, toys, gifts and furniture to get by. But I was blessed to have possessions of value to sell, because too many mothers have handed their children over to slavery, so their family won’t starve.
  • Yes, it was humiliating when the City came to shut our water off. But I was blessed to have clean running water in my house to lose, because over 600 million people in the world do not have access to clean water.
  • Yes, as a mother, I have not given my children all the first world luxuries. But they truly lack nothing, and food is always on the table, because 1 billion children live in poverty; that’s 1 out 2 children!

International Women’s Day is a Reminder

Today, we celebrate women around the world, but do we dare ask if we have a responsibility?

Copyright of Mercy House Global, “this piece of art was created by a 22 year old girl from Baghdad, Iraq, resettled in Houston, TX with her family. This woman represents all oppressed women in the world. Out of fear, she hides and hesitates her true feelings. Nonetheless, she is beautiful, elegant, and maintains her external appearance.”

We live in a nation and time where women can vote, own property, pursue an education and career of their choice. We can live independently with the freedom to express our views and protest against the ones we oppose. 

Even the women who experience oppression receive access to resources that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers never knew.

In Canada, we have “the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof.” 

And yet, we are sharing a planet with… 

We must not forget about these women, because they need us! They need our prayers, they need our business and they need our voice!

We Are Here for Such a Time as This.

international women's day facts

What if all the Christian women of the West became deeply devoted to growing in the Spirit and in faith?

The scriptures are there not only for our personal edification, but to empower and embolden us to share the Gospel through love, service and sacrifice.

What if all these women did everything they could with what they had?

When we make room in our heart for a suffering sister, we discover how much we have to share, because when we give in Jesus’ name, on the other side of that transaction, there are women who get a sense of God’s love for them.

Jesus said that it is through Him that we know the Father. Jesus revealed the heart of the Father through His acts of love and sacrifice.

Therefore, as we are His hands and feet in the world, when we act justly and love mercy, we are revealing the heart of God to those in need.

 In the next post I publish, I share some of the practical things we can do; things proven to change lives.

But for today, ponder these International Women’s Day facts, and ask God if you have a responsibility. Then through prayer and the Word, seek His answer for what you should do.

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