We are women

Today is International Women's Day.

There are events going on in 64 countries around the world! Unfortunately, I haven't found any near-by that have not already occurred - way to go Justine, and be late on the discovery.

But I know now, so as we Spring Forward today - let's remember the ladies of the world in prayer and in thought!!! Here are just a few of the amazing women I have had a chance to meet in life:

Kathy Ham (center) in Kenya, and her amazing daughters Karisa and Kelcey

Kim Van Geloof - and her daughters, Sophie and Allie

Jaya (in the center) in South Asia - and my teammates around (who are also wonderful women !!!)

And of course my family. My mom, to the left of me, my aunt to the right. My grandmothers in front of me. They have believed and poured so much of themselves into me.

My doctor, Anne Ford, and Mary Jo - this picture was taken during the medical part of our Kenya trip. 

There are so many more - but as you read this, remember to lift up in prayer the women of the world that do not have the same dignity that we are privileged to have in the United States.

Particularly:

Widows in Iraq

women in afghanistan and saudi arabia

Haha, you said DOOTY!!!

I have heard this phrase far too many a time - but despite the silly jokes -

I love being an R.A. in the cottages :)

This weekend I am on duty with Sam - and tonight we accomplished a lot!

She learned some chords on the guitar, started her own blog AND we figured out how to transfer pictures from the cell to the mac!

When we do rounds, we go around to make sure that everything is in check - no CBU handbook rules being broken and the such.

Sometimes there are crude messages on the whiteboards of certain cottages of the male gender. Not too bad - just lame.

So tonight, Sam did a little updating of one of the messages:

The latest on Darfur

On Monday the International Criminal Court charged the Sudanese President Omar-alBashir with murder and war crimes. The humanitarian crisis in Darfur has been going on since 2003, and is not getting better. After the charges, alBashir ordered the humanitarian organizations to leave Sudan. For a brief history visit the BBC website, which is constantly updated with new information relevant to the situation.

A link on the website led me to comments by Sudanese people to the recent charges. 

Here are two of the responses: 

"The issue is not whether Omar al-Bashir is guilty or not, and by all means any individual that is responsible for genocide should be legally charged; but this is an internal affair in a sovereign country with a judicial system. If the international community is concerned about the situation in Darfur, they should be even more concerned about the safely and the stability of Sudan as a whole once such a warrant has been issued. The safety and stability of the whole country is at stake. 
Mohammad Khartoum

The presidency of any nation, whether that nation is the US or Sudan, is an institution which is over and above any one person. This arrest warrant against President Bashir is an assault on the constitution of Sudan, its presidency, all the institutions that serve to uphold its constitution and more importantly its an assault on its people. For a group of lawyers sitting in Europe to believe that they know better and that they are over and above the sovereignty of a nation is an insult to its people. 
Ali, Khartoum"

There are so many aspects to this conflict that I want to understand, and be able to communicate to others, but the more that I learn, the more that I see there is something else going on. As you are reading this, please lift up the people in Darfur in prayer to a God that is far greater than our understanding. That he would hear the cries of his children in Darfur, and his church would be the response - led in humility by the Holy Spirit. 

For more information on how to be involved visit Save Darfur.

This picture was featured in a collection of drawings of children from Darfur. The quotation underneath the picture read, 

"It is very kind to send us food, but this is Africa and we are used to being hungry. What I ask is that you please take the guns away from the people who are killing us."