Blessed to Relieve Hunger

I'll make you a great nation and bless you.

I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing.

I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. 

All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."

Genesis 12:2 biblegateway.com

            Chatter at my parents’ maple desk where they took care of the farm and tax bookkeeping in the 1980s, centered around money, operating loans, debt, and feed, vet and seed bills. They were discreet; I was nosy. But my parents were honest, too.             

           I knew their concern as they learned about friends and acquaintances losing their farms. Newscasts bleeted about banks closing to a wave of bad debt-to-asset ratios. But I didn’t miss a meal.

            I remember Dad looking out the south window of our story-and-a-half farmhouse, and saying aloud, “The Lord will provide.”

            To this day, my mom insists that she and dad weren’t any better farm managers than anyone else. She credit’s God’s grace in this area, and they never lost their farm. That in absolutely no way says their friends and neighbors who did were loved less, or out of favor with Him.

            I love the grace of God. I love that He provides. For myself, for my siblings and for my parents, I am grateful. I love Him. I would love Him regardless the outcome of the farm crisis for my family of origin. Now, I wonder how He can use me, farmers today, and you to provide for the hungry.

            Growing up on a farm instilled in me a great respect for life, and for those who raise livestock, and grow feed for our animals, and food for our tables. So, the connection, for me, between people dying of hunger and the farmers I respect is pretty obvious.

            In America, each U.S. farmer produces food and fiber for 155 people here and abroad, according to American Farm Bureau Federation. That deserves applause. Go ahead!

            But today, we face a global food crisis. Check out the UN’s food security site for information detailing that at http://www.un-foodsecurity.org/. I’m not a big fan of the UN, but this information matches what I’m hearing in the ag industry.

            But here’s the deal. We can help. In America, only 10 percent of our disposable income goes to purchase food, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service. In Pakistan, it’s 50 percent. The Philippines, 38 percent; Jordan, 43 percent; and China, 32 percent.  Face it; we’re blessed with higher incomes, and lower costs than so many other people.

            Samaritan Purse’s gift catalog choices like providing dairy animals, livestock and stocking fish ponds provide not just one-time food relief, but also sustainable food sources. And the love of Christ.

            I respect how Reformed Church World Service offers practical assistance, like food pantry donations and goats. I love the eternal difference made with the devotion to reaching people for Christ.

            So you want to help? Getting that food to the people who are hungry presents a challenge. But many responsible ministries exist, serving Christ and reaching out to the hungry here in America and worldwide.

           

Won’t you do something today to help?

    1. Go to this site:

        https://www.rca.org/givercws

    2. Type in your donation amount

    3. Under designation, choose Hunger/Food Pantries

    4. Finish the form

    5. Praise God! You’re blessed to be a blessing!

     Or

1.     Go to this site:
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/gift_catalog/

2.   Select what you want to give from categories like Farms and Livestock,
Ministry to Children and Meeting Crisis Needs

3.     Click the Complete your donation button at the bottom of the page

4.     Finish the process

5.     Praise God! You’re blessed to be a blessing!

©2011 Helene Bergren. All rights reserved.

Faith and the Global Food Crisis

Hunger. On a global scale, this problem looms large. For the first time, in 2009, the number of hungry people in the world hit 1 billion. Then in September 2010, the UN reported a decline in that number for the first time in 15 years. But it didn’t go away, not at all.

Now, as we look around the world at food riots and unrest about food security in many regions, the problem may be growing more tangible to us. To me. 

Why do we need so much information before we reach out to help on scales that would astound, that would witness Christ in a practical, compassionate way? (Not that we’re doing nothing.)

It wasn’t always my dream to use my writing and communications talents to work in the agricultural industry. But for 16 years, that’s where my work has been concentrated. I’ve learned a lot along the way. And here I am, perhaps to be a voice in my circle of friends and acquaintances.

Working for a farm marketing organization, I see and hear a lot of information about crops, supply and demand for commodities and food situations globally. But you need to understand, I am not a broker or trader. I have no agricultural or ag business degrees. I’m no expert. Much of what I read, I honestly don’t fully understand.

Commodity Issues

But here’s some information. First, the world faced a rice shortage in 2008, now wheat is following. Russia has experienced drought, a big part of the problem for wheat supplies. The Brazilian soybean crop is not expected to be great, either. 

The game begins of countries replacing one crop with another for feed and food uses. Food grade is a higher quality than feed grade, because standards for human consumption are higher, of course. So, not everything is swappable, ultimately.

Also, in the U.S., cattle production is dropping, but it seems poultry production is replacing that protein source, though Americans, especially, generally still want their beef. Me, too! To some extent, these things cycle. Still, can you see that a lot is happening?

Organic or conventional production?
Then there’s the natural food equation. Organic food is great for people who need it, and who need special food sources, because of allergies and sensitivities, and just a desire to support that type of production.

But, conventional farmers take excellent care of their livestock and land as well, with a deep sense of responsibility to respect the land and livestock. Besides, if they mess up their animals or land, they won’t make any money or have decent land or healthy livestock, anyway. Conventional grain production results in higher yields, better to meet worldwide demand.

Not everyone agrees on the depth of the problem, and many factors feed into hunger. Corrupt governments (huge issue), transportation difficulties, and overconsumption by wealthy countries, to name a few.

Even the demand for corn and soybeans for bio-energy sources adds into the equation. My dad always said he was a farmer to feed people, not to provide energy, but I sure don’t blame farmers for trying to earn a living, and help provide for our fuel needs. He doesn’t, either.

Photo Title: Starved Girl. Public domain photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Global Concerns
So, this hunger situation hasn’t gone away. Logically, these crop and livestock situations around the world matter for hungry children in Algeria, where food riots have happened this year, and they happened in places like Haiti and Mozambique back in 2008, too. 

Demonstrations happened in Oman in mid-January and have occurred in Yemen and Tunisia, and an Iowa grain analyst said after Egypt (The autocracy is not the only issue there.), Saudi Arabia could be next. China is a problem, with a per capita income of $7,400 per year. Poverty causes hunger, too. 

What is up with our world and the food crisis?

Is it hard for most of us in the U.S. to understand, because all we’re feeling is a pinch in the pocketbook? Not to downplay the problems for those of us who are truly needy here in the States.

Only God knows the future when it comes to this food crisis. And what role is judgment playing in this? I’ll leave that discussion for another day.

It is frightening, if we allow ourselves to forget Who is in control. The Bible says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Tim. 1:7 NLT

My dear family of Christ-followers, let's put the power, love and self-discipline we're given to work for good. Hopefully, our love and compassion are provoked. Jesus modeled such tenderness and mercy. We can follow His example with those same qualities, and add to them the good stewardship and generosity we’re called to live.

Q. So, what are we to do?

A. Help.

Here are a few ways to help:

https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/global-food-crisis.htm

https://www.rca.org/giveprojects (My denomination.)

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/food_crisis_in_niger/

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/a_harvest_of_blessings/

The best part of helping through a church or Christian ministry is the possibility that people will so respect our help, that they will want to know our motivation for helping.

Q. What’s our motivation?

A. Jesus

Here’s another blog about earning a hearing of the gospel of Christ. http://mychangedmind.com/?p=1267)

We can help, too, by praying. Specifically about issues detailed here, and about what we see in the news about hunger, food riots and related issues.  We can pray Scripture. We can pray for salvation. And certainly we help by praying for godly leadership worldwide, so that we can “lead peaceful and quiet lives.”

By helping the ministries mentioned in their efforts, we can help nursing mothers, young children and babies, teenagers, the elderly, young couples. Real people who are just trying to live. Each person we help, is a person who matters to God.



©Helene Bergren. All Rights Reserved.