Save the Vocabulary, Save the World

I'll be short so that you can spend more time saving the world... and building brain power. Check out this site:

http://www.freerice.com

Enjoy!

One Week of Impact

So my church is helping to sponsor a City of Lights Workcamp over in East Aurora this week. Students from all over the country are coming together to repair houses - fixing porches, building wheelchair ramps, painting - of residents in need. It's a pretty amazing event! There's an article all about it in The Beacon News and you can also read more about the project on Kirsten's blog. The whole thing reminds me a lot of a service experience that Tony and I helped out with in college when we took a trip to Memphis and did repairs on inner city houses there. Not only did we get to do some great work (bet ya'll didn't know I had drywall installation and roofing skills?) but I really liked how we got to know the homeowner (Mary) and how she would pray with us and talk to us while we worked. I hope this week is an equally fun time of growth for the students working in Aurora. What's really exciting too is that even though most of us working stiffs are stuck in jobs while all this great stuff is going on, this Saturday our leadership teams have put together a work day with two elementary schools in the community. We'll be paining, mulching, gardening, power washing and repairing fences. It should be an awesome day!

Defining Moment

I need to take a moment to define something. What does the word Christian really mean? In a recent series at my church two brothers from our creative arts team put together a series of videos parodying the Mac/PC comercials. The first went like this:



Yeah, we're a weird church. Some people have taken the whole thing to be rather offensive and it's raised a bit of controversy but if you watch the whole series (and the video in the previous link) you get the point that people oftentimes have a negative association with the word Chrisitan. For further evidence, think about people's views of the late Jerry Fallwell. Here's a man who supposedly wanted to represent the kingdom of God in the politcal arena and yet few would aver that he had God's love at the forefront of his actions. Somehow a word which used to mean good, honest, loving people has become tainted into describing a hypocritical political party. When most people hear the word "Christian" they don't think about Jesus. They don't think about people who give their lives to missions in impoverished countries and they don't think about people who daily sacrifice for their neighbors. They don't picture the family that prays for each other through any type of crisis and draws strength from each other and God's love. But those are the Christ followers that I know, love, admire and emulate. And "Christian" just doesn't describe them accurately.

The Handshake

Okay so there's a really great article that you have to read. Yes, you. In fact, everyone. It was recommended to me by a friend from my college church.

It's called An Honest Handshake.

That's the link. I'll even refrain from talking about it so you can go read it. Yes, now. Come read my drivel later or pop back over here to comment. But I'm serious, go read it. Here's the link again. And again. Get the hint?

Recent Reading Regarding Racial Reconciliation

I haven't said much recently about what I've been reading lately, but earlier this week I finished a lesser known blog-worthy book. Edward Gilbreath's Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical's Inside View of White Christianity isn't the type of book I'd normally tear off the shelf and breeze through in a day and a half but I found myself riveted by the no-nonsense semi-biographical analysis of race relations in the modern Christian church. Gilbreath, a writer for the magazine Christianity Today, takes historical, political and even skeptical approaches to the subject of racial reconciliation. He finds a great strength in including Latino, Asian and Native American voices in his book and avoids the problem of limiting his discussion to - quite literally - black and white issues. I checked this book out of the New Release section at my local library but I find myself hunting for it at nearby bookstores so that I can have my own copy to highlight, underline and (as soon as possible) share with others. I can't say I'd recommend this book to everyone simply because I don't know that it's the kind of topic many people are truly ready for but it should be a must read for anyone attempting to answer the questions of "Do we need multicultural churches?"; "Are multicultural churches possible?" and "How do you make multicultural churches work?".

End of an Era

So the University of Illinois (my esteemed alma mater!) has officially retired Chief Illiniwek. You can read all about it in the Tribune or at U of I's official statement website. Personally I think the whole thing fizzling out seems like something of a joke. [Not that any part of the issue can be more of a joke than 2002's infamous Plummer report stating "the Board of Trustees has but two alternatives – retain the Chief or retire him." Uhhh... no shit, Sherlock!] However in light of the upcoming last dance, those that support the Chief get no type of honorable retirement for their "beloved tradition" and those that see him as nothing more than a point of contention lack the apology and denunciation of labelling him a "racist mascot". Perhaps this is the only way to achieve a compromise in which case I will concede that it is, in all ways, for the best. But when I look at the efforts of those that have argued the dilemma for the past decade or more, it seems quite the anticlimactic end to things. What has long been painted as a war between alumni dollars and Native American interests has come down to no more than the simple matter of hosting post season sports.

Borrowing ...Sort of.

Sometimes I just can't use my own words to describe really awesome things. Case in point, last Friday my church hosted a World Bazaar. Now if you're asking what a World Bazaar is, here's what I would say: (aka the event from my point of view)

It was all about educating people on global poverty and issues affecting impoverished countries. There were four main topics - Hunger/Thirst, Education, War/Refugees, and Disease - each area had items for sale to assist with the issue for different parts of the world ( i.e. Digging a well in Darfur, Hot meals in Haiti, Aids prevention in Cambodia, School Supplies in Sudan, etc. etc.) - and then various ministries (Global Family Rescue, World Relief, Compassion International, etc.) were represented as well. Our small group presented the disease portion and it went really well but it was loads of work. By last Thursday I was really overwhelmed and majorly stressed out - somehow I ended up doing the brunt of the planning and coordinating for all our activities and when we had two key volunteers switch to other jobs at the last minute I was ready to sit down and cry. I hit the point where I really had to give up my need to control things and just trust that God would bless our efforts and that we could only pull it off by relying on Him. Thankfully, everything went great. Our group really pulled together to fill in wherever needed and we had some impromptu volunteers join our area, all of whom did a great job. There's been lots of good feedback as a whole from people saying they learned something new and we raised over $12,000* as well. It was a headache at first but definitely worth all the effort in the long run!

But like I said, that's only my side of the story. And if you read only that you wouldn't get the scope of the whole event like the fact that GFR set up their own petting zoo. And the work that CCC's Kid's City did to raise money for a house in Rwanda. Or maybe you just want to hear about it from someone who saw a grander overview of it all.

It was an amazing evening and I can't say thank you enough to all the people who helped make it happen. All my gratitude to those who came out and supported this mission for a life-changing and life-saving event.

*As of 11/21/06 the new total is over $16,000 raised!

Heart at Work

If you've been reading my blog for a while there's something I hope you've noticed. I try never to get too personal or sappy on here but sometimes issues weigh heavily in my soul and I feel the need to talk about them. It's that time again. For those that have really been reading my blog you probably expect some crazy remark to come out of left field right now that will turn this into a comedic post, but for those that really really follow my writing, you know I'm unpredictable and this time, I'm keeping things serious. As it has in the past ( Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C, Exhibt D ) Africa is on my heart again. I've never been to Africa. I don't even know that it's somehwere I desire to go. But I know that my heart breaks for lots of people there. AIDS, famine, malaria, polio, genocide, war, malnutrition, and perhaps worst of all, the ongoing feeling of being forgotten by the rest of the world. How can a heart not break? But despite all these hardships, hope remains and prospers.

I want to spotlight two blogs of people doing some amazing work in Africa right now. Both have been added to my links section but here's a few little details. First is a group from my church and an organization called Global Family Rescue. Working in Rwanda, GFR provides sponsorships to families - pairing Rwandan families with Chicago suburbanites - and helps provide food, clothing, and education to children and job and life skills to adults with the goal of helping the families to become self-sufficient. Secondly is my friend and former coworker Colleen and an organization she cofounded called Brick by Brick dedicated to building a school for autistic children in Tanzania. What's unique and awesome about both of these organizations and their subsequent blogs is that you will not see Americans coming in as the saviors of Africa. Rather you see Americans and Africans working together, fostering real relationships, drawing upon skills of local people, developing resident leaders, and working together for positive solutions in which people can be empowered to help themselves. In a CCDA book I read recently (And You Call Yourself a Christian) and again in End of the Spear, the point is made that doing for others what they can do for themselves is charity at its worst. Developing others to become self-sufficient is charity at its best and extreme kudos to Global Family Rescue and Brick by Brick for recognizing that and putting it into practice.

The Great Debate

Bienvenidos a mis amigos! Como estan Ustedes? Estoy bien y esta semana es muy interestante. Lunes, en la ciudad de Chicago, habia mucha gente que.....

...What's that? You want me to speak English? Oh. Okay. Mind if I ask why?

Where'd you hear that? There's no official language of the US. If we were in Europe something like nine out of ten people would be fluent in multiple languages. But I digress, I really wanted to talk about a simple little word with a huge impact on society.

We'll make this a guessing game but I'll be nice and give a few hints....

It's more than two syllables...
Ends in "-ion" (pronounced like "shun")...
Greatly impacts people not born in the United States.....

Did you guess "Immigration????

Sound the bells and whistles 'cause you're absolutely WRONG!
But I do have a lovely parting gift for you....

See, the word I want to talk about is Compassion. Funny how it doesn't come to mind immediately when we think of all that's been in the news lately... But before we even consider being for or against guest worker programs or paths to citizenship, perhaps the wisest thing would be to have something of a heart check. I don't mean a stress test or an EKG, rather I mean we need to see where our hearts are at in looking at the situations others find themselves in. It's walking the proverbial mile in someone else's shoes that can lead us not only to the best laws for our land, but to the best relationships with our neighbors.

Walking to work yesterday I overheard a conversation between two women about the protests in the city and I found that their words shocked and angered me. "All those Mexicans are just stealing jobs from US citizens," one remarked and the other one responded "Yeah and then they send all their money back to their families so it completely drains the economy." My jaw hit the floor and only a lack of comprehension in their belief system (as well as the fact that my temper wanted to follow my intended words with fists) prevented me from jumping into their argument. So I shook my head - wanting to shake off their opinions - and walked a little faster. But their words stayed with me and bothered me more as I pondered them.

First of all when did "they" become a "them"? I understand that immigration is a hot button topic right now but who made this an us versus them issue? We're all living and working in this country. We all want safety in our jobs and communities, good education for our children, and for the government to protect our rights. Aren't all of us in the same boat? Is it too much to ask to seek common - which is usually higher - ground?

Secondly - and perhaps this was the part of the comment that most incensed me - why in the world is anyone allowed to refer to this particular group of people as "those Mexicans"??!? Comments like this remind me of three awesome Latinas that I am friends with from college. One has grandparents from Bolivia, one is Colombian and the third has her roots in Puerto Rico. Not one of them is "Mexicana" yet all three have testimonies of being incorrectly labeled as such. Sure the march in Chicago had a large supply of Mexican flags waving but there were plenty of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian and Venezuelan flags also - just to name a few.

Thirdly, and back to my main point, what about compassion? Where did the attitude arise that Latino immigrants have it easy? Most of the so-called stolen jobs immigrants work in are not the types of things that many of us would classify as highly desirable employment. Forgive the possible stereotype but it is true that a majority of immigrants are working in basic labor jobs - housekeeping, manufacturing, janitorial service and other necessary positions that many of us take for granted. And many non-immigrants are quick to gripe that life would be easier for all of us if "they" would just learn English. And - really - is it too much to ask to expect "them" to work sixty hours a week at three minimum wage jobs to feed a family of eight and take time and money out of "their" pockets to learn a new and totally un-phoenetic language? After all there are LOADS of night and weekend ESL classes being offered to "them"......

It's about compassion folks. No one said the life of an immigrant is easy. Let's quit assuming it is. I'm not saying it should be a cakewalk, laws and legislations can be good for all of us, but lets at least quit making it harder than it needs to be. The best wisdom I've heard on this topic was someone who said the following:

"If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you."

Who said that? Who was this wise individual imagining a society of peace and harmony between neighbors - a place where compassion is lived out in tangible ways? Who could this brilliant speaker be??

Oh yeah, it was God. (Leviticus 25:35)

"God is not a Republican... Or a Democrat"

I finished an awesome book yesterday.

God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It
by Jim Wallis

I'm still processing a lot of what's in it but regardless of your political/religious views (or lack thereof) consider it highly recommended. It's a really interesting critique of government in America today - both the Left and Right get a lot of heat, maybe even more on the latter - while urging people of faith (any and all faiths) to act for common good. I picked the book up from the library after watching a DVD of a speech Wallis gave at a CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) conference. Some of you may recognize his name as a head honcho with Sojourners or from Call to Renewal or just as one of Bono's friends, but even if you've never heard of him you'd probably think that his views make a lot of sense. One of his most quoted points is that there are over 2,100 verses in the Bible about helping the poor, yet social justice and helping the underprivileged is rarely on the hearts and minds of American "Christians". I don't want to make this entry too lengthy but if you've read the book feel free to mention your favorite part or point (or your least favorite part and biggest critique) in the comment section and we'll let dialogue ensue from there. And if you haven't read the book, you should.

I'm gonna puke.

Seriously, folks, I read things like this and it honestly makes me want to hurl.

People out there are actually going to pay thirty six bucks for a 24 pack of chicken flavored vitamin enriched bottled water... for their dogs. I don't know what's worse, the creeps getting rich off of it or the jerks that will actually buy it. Did you not get the memo that over 1,000,000,000 people in this world lack safe drinking water??? Do you not care that 4,500 children die EVERY DAY because they have no access to water that you're gonna take and beef up with goodies for your canines??!?

I'm all about dogs as awesome companion animals, but don't you think there's a point where the human race should get a higher priority? Don't fault me for asking - literally - where's the humanity?

World Water Day - March 22!

Not sure if this is a "holiday" on most people's radar but it's definitely one to take notice of. Please use it as a day to think twice about how much we take clean water for granted. From your morning coffee to your nightly shower and every trip to the water fountain in between, be thankful for safe water. According to UNICEF/WHO, the lack of clean, safe drinking water is estimated to kill almost 4,500 children per day and yet it's rarely talked about and never seen on the news. The first step in changing the world has to be awareness so hopefully this will open some eyes. Click on this link or the picture above to access www.worldwaterday2006.org to learn more.

Faith in Humanity

There's something about graduating from college that alters brain chemistry in such a way that you actually don't mind going to lectures anymore. In fact, you kind of like going to lectures. So much so that you might spend your own free time, say a Saturday night, listening attentively - even on the edge of your seat - to a keynote speaker.

I had the amazing privilege to attend a lecture with my husband tonight. The speaker of note was a man I've come to greatly admire since hearing (seeing, actually) his story on the big screen in 2004. If you don't know it, learn his name now: Paul Rusesabagina, the real life hotel manager whose story is told in the movie Hotel Rwanda. If you haven't seen the movie, please go rent it. I can no more tell his story in my own words than I can build the Eiffel Tower with my own hands. To give a nutshell summary though, Mr. Rusesabagina transformed his hotel into a refugee camp and saved over 1,000 lives during the horrific genocide in Rwanda in 1994.

Paul Rusesabagina with President Bush

As I said, I can't tell his story myself. He had far to much to say and my brain scrambled to swallow every word of it. I do want to tell you what stood out most to me, though. Was it his history lessons of the events leading up to 100 days of violence? Was it his tear jerking story of driving through streets lined with the bodies of his murdered neighbors? Was it his recounting the tale of being reunited with his nieces at a refugee camp once the horrors subsided? Yes, these things will remain in my heart and mind for a long time, but something he said outweighs even these.

He said that no person is completely evil. He said that every heart has a soft spot in it somewhere and we must learn to touch it. This from a man who has seen and lived through what others easily describe as hell. These words from a man who witnessed murder and brutality and countless random acts of violence. This from a man who was the only thing standing between his family and certain death. No person is completely evil? Every heart has a soft spot?

That's what I call faith in humanity. Here's someone who has all the evidence of the contrary but chooses to believe that people are basically good. It is the choices they make that are evil but somewhere in everyone there is good. No one would dare say that Mr. Rusesabagina "looks at the world through rose colored glasses" or pooh pooh his statements away saying "he's just an optimist". No. This is someone who has seen the real world as it really is - all the good and way too much bad - and has come to know that there is the capacity for good in all people, no matter what.

"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12

SIDE NOTES: The picture above is from the Global Family Rescue (GFR) website. They're the sponsorship organization for families in Rwanda that brought Paul Rusesabagina to speak. Although he's internationally famous, he waived his speaker's fee and let all the money raised go to GFR. After the program guests were given the opportunity to donate money or sponsor families through GFR and Tony and I helped collect these donations. There were over a dozen volunteers like us in the auditorium (1000+ people packed the house) but he and I alone collected forms for 5 family sponsorships and over $1300 in one time donations. The generosity of the people there - so willing to open their hearts and wallets to the people of Rwanda - was yet further evidence of Mr. Rusesabagina's faith in humanity. Check out the link above to GFR's website to find out more about saving lives worldwide!!

The Twelve Blogs of Christmas (3)

This is the third of what will hopefully be a twelve part series of blogs between now and Christmas based on lyrics to holiday songs. See also: Part One and Part Two.

Part Three: Do They Know It's Christmastime At All?

This song was released in 84 and I think when it was getting extreme radio play (84-86) I was too young to really realize what it was about. It wasn't until recent years when I began to seek out Christmas songs I didn't know that I heard and memorized the lyrics to this one. I'll include them here for anyone else who wants to know the whole song.

It's Christmastime there's no need to be afraid, at Christmastime, we let in light and we banish shade. And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy, throw your arms around the world at Christmastime.

But say a prayer - pray for the other ones. At Christmastime it's hard, but when you're having fun, there's a world outside your window and it's a world of dread and fear, where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears, and the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom. Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you.

And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime, the greatest gift they'll get this year is life. Where nothing ever grows, no rain nor rivers flow, do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Here's to you - raise a glass for everyone. Here's to them - underneath that burning sun, do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Feed the world. Feed the world. Feed the world. Let them know it's Christmastime again. Feed the world - Let them know it's Christmastime again.

It's a pretty sad song and it was written to raise money and awareness for the famines plaguing Africa in the mid 80s. As a radio tune it's easy to get carried away in the catchy tune and lost in trying to identify the 80's rockers (Was that Bono? Yes!) but when really searching the lyrics, it sends a pretty powerful message about a forgotten continent and an ignored people.

As I mentioned in Part 2, I've been home sick from work this week. I was in on Monday and made it back today but it's interesting that on Monday morning the top story in the news was a massive earthquake between Congo and Tanzania and there was no mention of it anywhere in the news today. No reports of casualties? No rallies for relief efforts? How is this tragedy any different from the quake that hit Pakistan in October?? For several weeks the media kept us informed and up to date on the situation there and pointed us toward organizations we could support. And yet three days after African children die buried in rubble there's no words to report, no places to offer aid.

It's been suggested that since the quake in Pakistan hit a more densely populated area there was more damage to the infrastructure where as in Africa, not as much aid is needed because the areas hit were mostly small farms and refugee camps and there was not much infrastructure to damage. I don't mean to - in any way - say that the quake in Pakistan was not a situation that deserves our help but I am left with one question: Wouldn't farmers and refugees need help EVEN MORE than city businesses and suburban families?

If anyone knows of any organizations that are providing help to survivors of the quake in Congo give me the heads up. I still don't know why this story disappeared so quickly from the headlines. I'm optimistic to think that it's because the damages weren't that bad rather than to think that it's in a place America isn't concerned about. If there's a way to help, I'll be the first to want to share love in that manner and "let them know it's Christmastime again".

Shoutout for the Ticos!

Went out to dinner with Tony's family last night then we all watched Amazing Race together. (Side Note: I've given up Reality TV except for this one vice - Tony's family loves it and it's basically the show I married into watching but as far as reality shows go, it's pretty cool.) Anyhoo, they went to Costa Rica last night and it made me think of cool people like Greg and Kate who got to go on a mission trip there last summer!! Three quick thoughts: (1) phenomenally Gorgeous Country - Holy Rainforests Batman! ; (2) You guys (and the rest of your team that may never read this but can get the message from you) rock! (3) I wonder if I can find a picture online of Phil, the Amazing Race host, posing in a Costa Rican Rainforest next to a "Beware Snakes" sign with a goofy look on his face.... (hmmm... guess wishes DO come true!)

Thinking about my traveling friends also got me pondering mission trips in general and the work that my church is currently doing to serve the impoverished around the globe. We're doing an event called Market of Hope next weekend and our whole church will be set up like a third-world market with different booths representing different countries. People can then come and learn facts about these countries, sample their food, and make purchases for people living there (items for "sale" include education for children, occupational training for single mothers, livestock for hungry families, medications, housing, etc. - it's an amazing event, e-mail me if you want more info!). Our small group is sponsoring Rwanda and we're excited about the opportunity but at the same time it's a hard thing to grasp that however much we do, there's always more to be done. I think a lot of people are discouraged by feeling that the little bit they offer doesn't make a difference - but on the individual level, every contribution counts. Instead of feeling like we can't change the world, perhaps we need to just work on shining a light into some little part of it. After all, at the end of the day all we can do is ask - did I do my best to become more like Jesus?

"I wanna be Your hands, I wanna be Your feet:
I'll go where You send me, go where You send me.
And I'll try, yeah I'll try,
To touch the world like You've touched my life,
And I'll find my way to be Your hands."
~Audio Adrenaline, "Hands and Feet"

Standing Up by Sitting Down

Rosa Parks died yesterday at age 92. She is probably much more an icon of my parent's generation, yet I still remember with wide-eyed excitement first learning of her in a childhood social studies class. I remember the shock of learning that not giving up her bus seat to a white man led to her arrest and it opened my eyes to the tumultuous history of the civil rights struggle. As a child I held the naive view that "All men are created equal" was something our country had always believed and followed. Growing up meant surrendering that ideal to the truth that freedom isn't free and that for many, equality was earned through years of hardship and the blood of many great citizens. Reading today about the life of Rosa Parks, I'm awed most by her humility. She never believed that her actions were going to spark a movement as pivotal as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Although history books cast her as the hero of that cause, she would probably be the first to agree that the only reason it was a "success" was not her actions alone but rather the unity of those affected.

It got me reflecting on how often in life we try to implement change with 10% of the people doing 90% of the work. I can't even count how many service organizations operate within this paradigm. It's a model for getting things done, yes, but it's also a model for breeding exhaustion and feelings of futility of a cause. How much more effective could we be if - as in the bus boycotts, sit ins and other protests of the civil rights era - 100% of the people gave their 1% (walking instead of bus riding) and those able could give even more (their very lives for the cause)? Suddenly with this model 100% is the bare minimum of what can be accomplished.

Unfortunately in today's culture we have too many excuses for not serving others. Sure there are times and places to give. My church had an amazing response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Over three giant truck loads of supplies were donated by our community and shipped to a church in Baton Rouge for New Orleans evacuees. I don't want to in any way put down the generosity of those who contributed to the cause, but what would it be like if every week people bought a case of Dasani for strangers without drinkable water? Would we no longer have to hear about yellow fever in Malawi? Or if every month people would clean out their closets and donate unused clothing - could January's news not include a death toll from exposure on Chicago's cold streets?

Again, my heart congratulates and soars for those who gave to relief efforts for Tsunami victims and Hurricane Relief funds. I applaud and thank you but I also implore you: PLEASE keep up the good work.

"Anyone can be great because anyone can serve:

you only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love."

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

All pictures from MSN article linked above.

Here's another cool article about Rosa Parks if anyone's looking to go a little deeper into her life and faith.

Crop Walk for World Hunger

This past Sunday Tony and I participated in the Naperville Crop Walk! There were over 600 participants from churches throughout the community. Here's the picture of us with the other volunteers from our church. (We're in the middle of the back row - the flags all say Community Christian Church and our shirts say CROPWALK). Our church alone raised $2365, $210 was from Team Guerrero. :) 25% of the money goes to local food banks like Loaves and Fishes and the Northern Illinois Food Bank and the rest goes to an organization called Church World Services which helps with hunger relief around the world. Most of our group did the 5K walk but Tony and I, along with our friend Jeanene from our small group and another woman we met named Char from the Romeoville campus, went the full 10K route (it's just under 7 miles and we finished in about two hours). Throughout the walk they had signs posted with notes about world hunger and global poverty issues. Some of the most striking facts were that every 30 seconds a child dies of Malaria and that the US spends 33 billion a year on weight loss and diet products but only 10 billion a year on foreign aid. It was a very eye-opening walk and here's a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored us!