Catch-Up

I've spent most "free" time the last several months working on details regarding our upcoming Honduras mission trip. Our team leaves on 7/10 and will return on 7/20. This will be the first mission trip out church has taken in many years. I've looking forward to actually sitting on the plane come early Friday morning. I think out team is as prepared as they could be.

I continue to struggle with how my life can continually be redefined and reshaped in order to free up additional resources for various projects around the globe. In some of my research for a talk on Honduras I continue to reflect on the fact that the average per capita income in Honduras is $1,030 vs $41,400 in the USA. That equates to about $20 per week. Roughly the same amount our family currently spends eating out as a family once a week. The other fact I have reflected on is that only 3.6% of the Honduras population is over the age of 65. In Kentucky alone those over age 65 make up 13% of our population. There is a significant amount of news media focused on the Baby Booomer population and the various impact this group will have on on the USA resources (economic, government, medical, retail, etc). What a stark contrast to that same age group on Honduras.

Benjamin celebrated his 3rd birthday this week. It took him most of the day to accept that it was actually his birthday. We're having a party tomorrow and hope the weather holds so we can have it outside. It amazing to see how he is grown up over the last several months. Sometimes I hardly believe that he is only 3.

I've also updated pictures of our family under the link for "Skip's Photos". This is current through June.

Thanks for continue to check this blog. Hopefully updates will come more frequent in the future and I plan to have several photos from the Honduras trip.

Newer Photos

I've finally up-loaded a few photos from the last couple of months. Check them out under the link to Skip's photos to the right.

More to come soon...

The Poor

The last few weeks I've been reading a biography of Mother Teresa by Navin Chawla. Between reading this and concurently doing some significant renovations on our house the last few weeks ... I've really struggled with coming to grips with my views on the poor, poverty, and what I currently find acceptable in my life. I still have half the book to read so I'm sure I'll reflect even more. In the midst of us replacing a few windows and considering upgrading some of the flooring in our house ... I read a blog post from our friends working in Nepal who are experiencing food, water, and fuel shortages ... which they may deal with more over the coming months. I also recieved an email from another organization with stats about children around the world. (see below). I continue to examine my attitidues about assets, about income, and about my level of contentness (and simplicity).

Over half a billion children are struggling to survive on under $1 per day
(Poverty Reduction Begins with Children, UNICEF, 2000)

It is estimated that 25 million children will have lost one or both parents to AIDS by 2010
(Children on the Brink 2002; USAID, UNICEF, UNAIDS)

130 million children lack access to education
(State of the World's Children, UNICEF, 1999)

246 million children are child laborers
(Facts on Child Labour, International Labour Organization, 2003)

8.4 million children are trapped in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities
(Facts on Child Labour, International Labour Organization, 2003)

300,000 young people under 18 are exploited as child soldiers
(UN Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, 2003)

30,000 children die each day from preventable diseases
(www.worldhungeryear.org)