Life Sustaining Mochas

Rachel and I went to a Dave Barnes concert back in May and he took a few minutes to talk about this organization that his friend started up called the Mocha Club. It's an organization that helps build teams that raise money so they can take on different projects all over Africa.

The idea is that everyone has something that costs them a few bucks a month that they can give up, like the cost of two mocha's. As a mocha drinker myself, this was an easy thought to link. All they ask is for a commitment of $7 a month. That's it. $7. Seriously think about that, because you probably already spent $7 today on something you didn't need, let alone this past month. And the crazy part is, that tiny amount of money that we don't even blink an eye at can do so much good over in Africa.

I can understand some people having a difficult time committing to $30-35 a month to sponsor a child but I don't believe anyone reading this post right now can say they can't afford to sacrifice $7 a month to change a person's life. So there it is. The gauntlet is thrown. You can be honest with yourself and say, "yes I can give up _____ once/twice a month to help another individual." Or maybe you're already doing a lot and/or have a sponsor child already, that's great! By any chance do you know someone that has the ability to help another person, can you tell them about this?

I don't want to strong arm anyone into this, I just think that some of us need to wake up and get involved! Look around, there are people in this world that are suffering and they don't need to be. We have the ability to help. Or maybe your mission is more local, that's great too! Just do something! Donate time, donate money, keep them in your prayers.

Rachel and I are part of Dave Barnes' team. His primary focus is in Sudan and especially the orphans in Dafur. After we first signed up we received our first email update and this is what it said:

In Sudan, more than two million people (mostly Christians) have been killed by the Muslim militia (Janjaweed), captured by the Slave Raiders, or have died of thirst and starvation in an on-going war lasting five decades. As a result, Southern Sudan is the poorest nation in the world with the highest per capita rate of victims of human trafficking and enslavement. Though Sudan signed a peace treaty in January of 2005, the country is still in a state of much unrest. Prior to January, the Janjaweed had bombed or burned all schools, churches, homes, clinics and crops as well as poisoned their wells and taken up to 2 million women and children as slaves to the North of the country. Thousands of slaves are now being released but have nowhere to go.

Your $7 a month is helping provide food, clothing, education, and medical care for over 300 orphans and Darfur refugees who have lost their parents to persecution, as well as 100 community children. Mocha Club has joined forces with Make Way Partners to provide support through their day school, feeding program, discipleship groups from the local church, and soon a dormitory program for all orphans enrolled in their school. All children are cared for by native workers in their own country and language.

But the part that broke our hearts was when Dave Barnes said that the number one cause of death for these orphans was not hunger, but hyenas. yes, hyenas...I still have problems trying to wrap my head around that. Yes these kids are hungry, but their number one fear is not where their next meal is coming from, but will they make it through the night, or will a pack of dogs find them? That is something that no one deserves. It seems amazing that this stuff is going on today I know, but it's also something that we have the power to fix.

And Africa is a pretty big country, and there are tons of teams focused on a lot of different programs. You don't have to join ours, you can start your own! I don't care, but if you think that you can help, please do so.

At least spend the next 3 minutes on the website, I won't ask you for anything more.

Sometimes we get caught up in asking, "What does God want me to do with my life?" when instead we should be looking around us, finding where He is working and then asking, "How can I be a part of this?" These two questions are similar, but each will take you down completely different paths.