Into the abyss

Africa, a land that suffers from war, and starvation which in the end leads to death. West Africa suffers greatly due to the weather conditions. In Somalia, they are going on the seventh consecutive bad harvest due to a lack of rain. More than a million people are facing food shortages here and over 400,000 are actually at risk of starvation.

Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are suffering from a serious drought forcing farmers to move to other places in search for water. Not only do they need water to keep themselves alive, but for there livestock as well. Malaria runs rapid causing several deaths.

The rebels in Sub-Saharan, have continued there fight to drive all the rual population into government run cities and towns. They isolate these cities by placing land mines and ambushes along the road.

I spent Christmas in Texas…yes it was very cold there…probably not as cold as some of you are. It was cold for me, coming from southern California! Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Baby Cora! She has so much life!

Cora and I laughing….

My sister and I….(she weaved my hair for free! Yes!!!!! although you can’t see it in this picture!)

Giovonni, we call him Gboy!

This is Becca (a.k.a. Tiny) and Gboy

Isabella! She has true, genuine love for people!

THE END!

“I wish I could do something to help.” How many times have you heard those words? How many times have we said them ourselves? How about, when you hear that there are children being born in places that we would not even expect our animals to be born in. Children being born in the sewer, born into a world of drug infested atmospheres. Thier first breath is one of desperation, reaching out, longing for someone to save them. Would you say, “my heart goes out to them?”

Imagine with me……

11pm on a Friday night, the city is hopping with life. People are everywhere, driving, walking to and from parties, stopping in at a club. The night is just getting started, the lights are bright, the horns are honking and the people are filling thier souls with alcohol, drugs and sex. What a night! Right? Your feeling great… It is what everyone wants, the night of no worries. I just want to leave my cares behind and go out for a night….

Three to Five blocks away from the pump’n city, the card board boxes come out, tents, cans, rubber, trash bags anything that they can gather to make a home like structure. Climb in, trying to keep warm as several bodies begin fade into the sleepless night. This is home to many, a world of devastation, malnutrition, hunger, murder, crime, death and birth on a nightly basis. This is Skid Row in Los Angeles, California.

Yes, the city is full of life, people that are actually fighting for something, and that something just so happens to be thier very life.

In a place she didn’t belong, Among people she never knew, She found a way to make a difference.
This movie gives a glimpse into the lives of the impoverished people in many third world countries. The fight for humanity, to save those who desperately need it. It shows the war that many countries deal with on a daily basis. You see the heart of one man, a doctor, who leads a team to some of the darkest places to live and fight for the lives of thousands. He watches as many die daily and burials are apart of the daily life at these camps.

The struggle for money, to get help from people who have the money is common.

One person, One day decided to sacrafice it all…
“He dedicated his life to helping others, be proud of him, miss him, but be proud of him.” - Angelina Jolie

Angelina doing all she knows to help save this babies life

The trip from the Cambodia border to another camp in attempt to save the refugee’s lives…

This movie was made in 2003, I have been wanting to see it for a long time and finally got a chance this afternoon….I highly recommend it to those that care…it was inspiring to me, to get off my ass and get going. There is a world of hurting people, How the heck do we spend our time?

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. — Winston Churchill

“I’m a pilgrim on the edge, on the edge of my perception. We are travelers at the edge, we are always at the edge of our perception.”

This is a quote hanging on my wall…I look at it everyday….any thoughts….

Is freedom free? Or does it come at cost?

So when I think of  being free, I picture a rough, deep, blue ocean with the waves crashing onto the rocks of a steep, sharp cliff. Then on the very top there are winds blowing about 15 mph and I am standing there with my arms wide open…ready to face the world!

Freedom is power….

Walking down the street, driving in your car, swinging on a swing, going to the movies, shopping at the mall, at the pool or beach, a concert, the train station or airport, starbucks, eating out, the gym, the salon, getting your nails done, going to the bank, filling your car up with gas, spending forty hours at work. These are all places that you are seeing faces, with faces are people and with people are stories. We say that a picture is worth a thousand words, what are those thousand words? Man, lately as I have been traveling and going to various places here in texas, I find myself connecting with people much deeper than ever before.

It is like when you see those people on TV that can see into others peoples lives whether it be past, present or future. When I look at someone and really take them in; which can happen with a glance! This is what happens: It is like I go deep into the heart of person. Like everything in time has stopped and it is just me and that person.

………………………….

Well my travels started at 5 am on the 31st to lax. Enjoying the car ride with Staci, joking an laughing commenting on various songs! Now it is time for me to exit the truck and exit the crazy mess of the LAX airport. The people running around are like a swarm of bees that were angered. As I entered the Continental building I glance at the two hour check in line, (atleast that is what it seemed to me!) I begin to stress a little bit when I look at my watch and see that it is six and flight 194 is scheduled to leave (with me on it I hope) at 7am. It is now about 6:30 and I probably have moved a whole two feet, it is at this time I am pulled out of line with several others to the buisness line so that we can get checked in quicker. Five minutes later we asked to wait because our plane is delayed an hour so they need to get other people through the line. Ok, so in my mind I am thinking geez now I have time, but it is gonna put me into Texas an hour later…I was disappointed but nearly as stressed as those who had to catch connecting flights.

I am all checked it, heading up to security…as I am in line I am taking in all the people around me and thinking if my plane was to crash (like on Lost) I would be living with several of these people. I had a much deeper appreciation for them even though I didn’t know them. As I watched people getting angry with each other, my only thought was something could happen, take a moment and care about someone else. Then all of sudden, “Stop moving, this is a serious matter!!!) was yelled from a big security man. Just to the right something was happening with a passenger, not exactly sure what it was but several police came and we were stuck in motion for about 20 minutes. If anybody moved during that time, they were yelled at and told to stop moving!

After all that I make it to the terminal and find out that I am not going to be leaving untill about 9 because there was a part broken on the plane and it took about two hours to fix. At this point I am just praying I make it to texas!

I finally get seated….I am on the way….

I have been listening to this song alot while I am working out at the gym. It has just been hitting me! This song is not just talking about surviving but thriving!

Now that you’re out of my life
I’m so much better
You thought that I’d be weak without you
But I’m stronger
You thought that I’d be broke without you
But I’m richer
You thought that I’d be sad without you
I laugh harder
You thought I wouldn’t grow without you
Now I’m wiser
Though that I’d be helpless without you
But I’m smarter
You thought that I’d be stressed without you
But I’m chillin’
You thought I wouldn’t sell without you
Sold 9 million

I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m not gon give up (What?)
I’m not gon stop (What?)
I’m gon work harder (What?)
I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin’ (What?)

I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m not gon give up (What?)
I’m not gon stop (What?)
I’m gon work harder (What?)
I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin’ (What?)

Thought I couldn’t breathe without
I’m inhaling
You thought I couldn’t see without you
Perfect vision
You thought I couldn’t last without you
But I’m lastin’
You thought that I would die without you
But I’m livin’
Thought that I would fail without you
But I’m on top
Thought it would be over by now
But it won’t stop
Thought that I would self destruct
But I’m still here
Even in my years to come
I’m still gon be here

I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m not gon give up (What?)
I’m not gon stop (What?)
I’m gon work harder (What?)
I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin’ (What?)

I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m not gon give up (What?)
I’m not gon stop (What?)
I’m gon work harder (What?)
I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin’ (What?)

I’m wishin’ you the best
Pray that you are blessed
Bring much success, no stress, and lots of happiness
(I’m better than that)
I’m not gon blast you on the radio
(I’m better than that)
I’m not gon lie on you and your family
(I’m better than that)
I’m not gon hate on you in the magazines
(’m better than that)
I’m not gon compromise my Christianity
(I’m better than that)
You know I’m not gon diss you on the internet
Cause my mama taught me better than that

I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m not gon give up (What?)
I’m not gon stop (What?)
I’m gon work harder (What?)
I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin’ (What?)

I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m not gon give up (What?)
I’m not gon stop (What?)
I’m gon work harder (What?)
I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin’ (What?)

(Beyonce)
Oh (oh) oh (oh)…

After of all of the darkness and sadness
Soon comes happiness
If I surround my self with positive things
I’ll gain prosperity

I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m not gon give up (What?)
I’m not gon stop (What?)
I’m gon work harder (What?)
I’m a survivor (What?)
I’m gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin’ (What?)