If you cannot make it live to our House Concert/Africa Mission event Sunday night May 22 at 6:30pm PST  in Murrieta (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171995142856547) you can watch this embedded video here and see us LIVE online. You will be able to login Facebook or Twitter and chat live and interact with us. To go directly to the link, go to http://www.livestream.com/rkweblog/.

The trip to Ethiopia was both an energizing and disturbing adventure. The disruption of my heart from the poverty and physical needs contrasted sharply with the inspiration from the deep faith and rich souls of the people living in Bora. Bora is a village in southern, rural Ethiopa which is only accessible by walking six miles while climbing on foot from about 8,000 feet to the elevation of 10,000 feet. Within just a few miles from a barely passable road, the already impoverished there have no access to healthcare, let alone a parasite-free source of water.

Chief Meke is the leader of the elders that rule Bora. The people are friendly, and their eyes reflect full souls–especially the eyes of Cheif Meke. Through an amazing network of relationships which began with an Ethiopian musician related to the Chief, hope was born to a people. This nephew, who while being a city-born young man still is culturally connected to his tribe, brought Doma International’s medical director and staff to the chief. Chief Meke already was prepared for this encounter. The prayers of the elders of this village were answered. In his words, Doma was literally an answer to generations of prayers.

From the introductions, the serendipitous formation of relationships with Doma’s leadership began with this young nephew, Israel, taking a lead in the country for a new clinic that will open next year. This facility will serve almost 10,000 rural people, especially mothers. The training of midwives, staffing of professionals and equipping of a birthing facility will prevent orphans and improve the lives of young women. A holistic approach to serve the health of these people is growing. The seeds were planted, however, by the prayers and the heart of a Chief.

The beauty of such a leader was heard in his prayer of thanksgiving to the Doma team. He explained how he heard of these “European and American people” and of “clinics” and what they can do. He shared how he had long prayed for the well being of his people. He found some hope to answer that because of Doma. He was ready for that answer because he is the kind of leader any people needing hope would be blessed to have.

A man nearing his 90s, Meke is a presence. To even sit next to him is to feel a mystical tinge from the weight of what he has seen. With most mothers losing several children, he is a man that has known sorrows. With a nation that has been in violence and turmoil, he witnessed horrors unimaginable with the recent Derg regime. Yet, when hope was ready to find him, he was ready to seize it.

The encounter with such a man leaves me to question myself. Do I humbly pray for hope? Am I ready to keep my hope given the trials and sufferings of life of those around me? Will I be ready to lead when that moment comes to seize hope? My family, community and church all need me to learn from men like Meke. He is a small, old and frail man. But, a giant in my book.

As some of you may have already read or heard, I am traveling to Ethiopia with Doma International. While there, I will tour medical facilities and be a part of the help as needed and journal the story of this incredible ministry. One place we are going is a 12-hour drive plus a 3 hour hike at 10,000 feet above sea level. The reach of Doma is being extended to an area where absolutely no medical care for mothers and children during pregnancy and birth are available. Imagine if prevention could lead to a child not being orphaned!

I would love for you as part of the RKWeblog.com readership to be a part of this trip in prayer and in financial support. I am still in the process of raising funds to cover the expenses of this trip. All donations you give are tax deductible. There are two links you can join in on to keep informed and to help financially.

Donation Link: http://domaconnection.dojiggy.com/richkirkpage

This page allows you to give online. It shows the current giving level for the trip and allow you to share with friends if you so desire. I am literally taking a step of faith with my own means to go on this trip. So, please consider a donation. Even giving up a couple lattes this week can make difference!

Prayer Wall Link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=214172211931352

This page will allow you to keep informed. While on the trip, family members (or if I am directly able) will put up information here. If you desire to pray, you can even leave a prayer or encouraging comment. Your support as friends and family means a lot.

Thanks so much for being a part of RKWeblog.com. Truly, it is this authentic community of blogging and social networks that led me to take this trip in the first place. Thank you for that!

Rich Kirkpatrick

I do respect Oprah and others in popular culture who like the term “random acts of kindness” but they are wrong or at the very least leaving out the process. The act is only part of loving someone. The other part is heart. The saying that hell’s road is paved with good intentions. That leads to another very important and neglected part. Planning.

Our church is doing a campaign called “Got It Covered” and it is a plan that intentionally gives love away to people by simply buying someone’s coffee or meal in line behind you. We made up cards to not say our personal name on them but with a happy smile and our church website and logo.

Often we seem to have two sides to a ministry’s outward focus. We either just tell people stuff–like bullhorn on the corner. Or, we just do stuff for people and tell them nothing–like social activists with no moral compass. Both are wrong. Give me one passage where Jesus himself healed someone and did not do it in person and told of his father? You can’t. Now, he did not let people brag about it. However, he intentionally drew people into his world. This is what Sunridge is attempting to do.

Its not a perfect plan. But, it is a plan. It may not be romantic to put your wife on your calendar but by planning you are putting intent to action. Your heart may feel love, but acting on it with a plan is necessary. In this way, the Got It Covered card helps some of us–albeit imperfectly–to accomplish inviting people to follow Jesus with us at Sunridge.

Now, people can follow Jesus anywhere. Sometimes our own church is not the best place or fit for some.  But, that does not mean we cannot invite people to come be a part of something that is life-changing to us–a community that has a name, place and history! A local church!

I had chance to buy a stranger a coffee. There were no strings attached. I did not have to embarrass him. I just gave him a card and said we wanted to make some people smile. I cannot wait to try it again!

For some of you this seems juvenile perhaps. But, be gracious to the masses of us who need something remedial to jump start a habit of doing something for others. Who knows how this can grow our people to bigger ways of giving love away in the name of Jesus.  Intention. Plan. Love.

As a bonus, you can get a discount of $25 off by using “BLOG” in the “registration code” box while registering.

There is a meeting tonight about the Summerhouse transitional housing development. Here is a Facebook page giving info on that. I am wondering if the initially support Temecula City Council will cave in to those who are misinformed.  Some think this is a magnet for neighborhood blight rather than an amazing tool to help local families who lose there homes have a place to restart.

One note:  The Press Enterprise is LIVE STREAMING the event tonight.

To show your support, please email the following Temecula officials.

**UPDATE: Last night (8/27) I learned the Temecula-Murrieta Rescue Mission withdrew their application due to lack of support. It seems likely the city would not have approved. Its a SHAME our community is indeed a place that allows the misinformed to block forward thinking, community building projects like this one!

***UPDATE: (8/29) For more on this, read Summerhouse Aborted by my friend Alex.

The Press-Enterprise reports:

A partnership of the city, BRIDGE, the Temecula Murrieta Rescue Mission and Riverside County wants to build 90 apartments — 18 one-bedroom, 42 two-bedroom and 30 three-bedroom — at the site.

Thankfully our local representatives in Temecula voted 4-0 to approve a transitional housing complex. Our cry in the suburbs is always tainted with “NOT in my backyard” and misinformation.

I support this, although I will disclose that do not live in walking distance to this development. If I did, would I feel differently? How about you?

HT: InlandSocal.com & MyValleyNews.com

#CoastalRace09 – iPhone Giveaway!

It’s less than a month before I leave for my ride.
Just over 2 weeks til the money needs to be raised.
Here’s where we’re at so far…

CONTINUE READING….

The cross was the greatest social injustice in history, but no greater act of mercy has been recorded for mankind and the world.

Most of us, when confronted with the injustice of the world want to act. This is a very Christian thing to do and one could say “un-Christian” to not do. But, what about the words we use? I thought I would open up a conversation that might be a bit controversial to some, but I think words and our use of them matters. Semantics, I know, but does not “social mercy” sound more Christian than “social justice”? Let’s discuss a bit.

Let me explain. Social justice assumes our role is to dispense justice as if it is something we can on our own arbitrate. Social mercy means we are to give mercy, which we clearly see modeled in Jesus. God is the arbiter, and we work under His divine design to provide mercy to a world in need of forgiveness and redemption.

Micah 6:8 says to “do justice and love mercy” so justice is surely part of the equation. But, does it make sense that when we say justice we are not pronouncing a love for mercy? I know, just semantics.

No where are the words of Jesus filled with telling us to be dispensers justice, but Christ does say “blessed are the merciful” and lived a life that gave hope to the poor and forgiveness to sinners who brought injustice on those poor, including the tax collector in his gang. Jesus, lived mercy. He is justice.

I am just trying to dialog a bit about how we come across or approach evil in our world. Fighting injustice or giving mercy–one is militant the other is grace-oriented. We need to fight, but who is our real enemy? My solution would be to say “justice and mercy” ministries rather than leaving it just as “justice.”  Or, “compassion” ministries.

Your thoughts?