It is so gradual that we can hardly notice a change. We are in the midst of it. Social norms & idealistic cultural beliefs have us continually summered in a mindset & life style that conforms to the masses. Often it seems that only through devoted personal awareness & consciousness of ones own heart felt beliefs can we turn direction. We begin to walk towards a broader view & understanding of life from the heart not from the head. 

  So what happens when you journey across the world into a country that has been ravished by war? To place a foot on soil that has witnessed first hand the real life effects of a genocide? Well you no longer must fight for your awareness, or fight to see life in the beauty that it was created to be. Your entire world stops and you are slapped in the face. I know at the very least it would make anyone fight to seek the depths and beauty for why we have been created to live this life together. 

In the midsts of this reflection I pray that you passionately pursue what is lying in the depths of your heart, and unveil the fullness of your God given potential.

-Shawn’ard

We had a 7 hour layover in London so we decided to hop on the subway and see some sights. We were able to see Big Ben and the Queens pad, although we were running on zero sleep in nearly 19 hours. 

That was  not the end to say the least.  We ended up making it to Rwanda on nearly 34 hours without sleep. We are staying in the capital of Rwanda, Kigila. It is a very green country with amazing hills everywhere you look. It is also allot more developed then I  thought. Anyway just a quick update that we made it and are safe.

Old Shawn’ard

I fly out from Calgary tomorrow (January 28th) I am not sure if we will have access to the internet in either Rwanda or Congo but I will do my best to keep posting BLOG’s and possibly photos of our travels.

Faith

–noun
1.    confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability.
2.    belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

to trust…

How often to we do things out of security? “I don’t really want to do this but I have to in order to…”             “I have always wanted to do that but I should….”

We go to school because we know where we are going to be for an extended period of time. We get a mortgage and lay out a plan for the future. We feel safe with job security so we know where we are going to be tomorrow.

I am not saying any of these things are bad in any way. They are all part of life, but where has faith gone? Where has faith to believe in something your doing? To have faith for something you believe in but can not see clearly in the future. More and more it seems we grasp for things that are safe and secure. Well what about those plans you have had stored up for years? That dream you have held onto since you were a kid and never told anyone?

We set these things aside becuse they are not “practical” in real life. I mean what if it doenst work? We just dont have money laying around to risk something on an idea that has no garantee.

Risk

1.    exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance: It’s not worth the risk.
2.    Insurance.
a.    the hazard or chance of loss.
b.    the degree of probability of such loss.

to fear…

Maybe risking losing everything is not such a bad thing? Or in other words, maybe having faith in something you belive in is allot more powerful then risking what you do have?

The situation has gotten out of hand in Congo. Urgent times requires urgent measures. Five years after Congo’s catastrophic war officially ended, the rate at which people are dying in the country remains virtually unchanged. The survey, released last tuesday, estimated that 45,000 people continue to die every month, about the same pace as in 2004, when the international push to rebuild the country had scarcely begun. Almost all the deaths come from hunger and disease, signs that the country is still grappling with the aftermath of a war that gutted its infrastructure, forced millions to flee and flattened its economy.

We are planning to take supplies for 800 families at the cost of $30,000. We hope to gather and distribute the supplies february 10 2009. Please come and hear more about what you can do.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7702099.stm

I am traveling to Congo and Rwanda with a team from Bridges of Hope to do some film and photography work on January 29. If you would like to donate money to help with travel costs or help with Congo aid relief please contact me “shawn.t.mehler@gmail.com”  Any donation is much appreciated! 

Old Shawner

The important task rarely must be done today, or even this week. . . The urgent task calls for instant action. . .The momentary appeal of these tasks seems irresistible and important, and they devour our energy. But in the light of time’s perspective, their deceptive prominence fades; with a sense of loss we recall the vital task we pushed aside. We realize we’ve become slaves to the tyranny of the urgent.

- Charles Hummel