advent conspiracy

Attention all friends and family. I will not be accepting any gifts this Christmas season. Instead, I am asking you all to give to either one of your favorite charities or one of mine (conveniently listed below).

I would love to remind you all to be more intentional with your money and the Christmas season. This is rough for me because I LOVEEE buying people gifts. There is nothing quite like buying the perfect gift for someone. I am not someone who holds onto money, but I probably spend too much too frequently. This year, I am asking you to partner with me in spending our money to give to others in far greater need than I will ever be in. Yes, I would love new perfume, new shoes, starbucks for life, and new books... BUT I never have to worry about starving. or having somewhere warm to sleep. or dying from poor medical care. or drinking bad water.

My life is easy. For some reason, God blessed me in the family I was born into. In the city I live. With the opportunities that I have.

That reason can't be selfish. Jesus was the most selfless person to ever walk this earth. Why do I continue to be selfish in my money? with my time? with holidays?

This year, I want to be more intentional about worship-- through money, time, service, and love.

Here are some of my favorite organizations:

food for the hungry.[[international... who I traveled with to uganda]]
world vision. [[international]]
come let's dance.[[grassroots, holistic organization in uganda]]
charity: water. [[safe-drinking water to developing nations]]
(red). [[fighting aids]]
twloha. [[suicide awareness and prevention]]
love 146. [[ending sex-trafficking]]
amazima ministries. [[my hero's organization-- a 20 year-old, mom to 14 kids in uganda]]
gospel for asia. [[pretty self-explanatory]]
elias fund.  [[works in zimbabwe]]
one. [[grassroots to end poverty in africa]]
kiva. [[micro-loans]]
1010 project. [[works in kenya]]
end fistulas. [[google "fistula", you'll understand why we need to prevent them]]

Obviously, my heart is in Africa, but there are hundreds of thousands of organizations that exist. Choose your favorites. Invest in those.

Have you considered sponsoring a child yet? Do it. I am sponsoring two little girls from Barakalo, Uganda. I had the extraordinary privilege of holding and loving on these two beautiful girls. I miss them more than words can say.

May this Christmas not be about us. But about HIM.


James 1:27 says, "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."

I am going back to Africa during the month of May. Zimbabwe to be exact. It is going to cost $2,800.00 approx. I am really going to try and pay for this as much as I possibly can by myself, but if you feel called to give to that as my "Christmas" gift, I would be so thankful. Email me and I'll give you the instructions on how to give and make it a tax deduction. :)

*****
"It makes our mouths drop and our stomachs turn when we realize that the amount of money we spend on Christmas in America is close to 45 times the amount of money it would take to supply the entire world with clean water." (pg. 13, Advent Conspiracy)