Sisters of Conscience w/ Dr.Foster

This is the sidewalk that lead me to an incredible breakfast this morning. You might already recognize it. For those who can't quite make the tiles out, it's Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz. While walking this street I noticed that the spring blossoms were falling to the ground and made an awesome texture contrast to that of the cement. Lil pink blossom decorated the whole street. The shops hadn't quite opened but there were quite a few people walking briskly about to the coffee houses for that last sip of java before the work day soon begins. Right after I took this picture, an amazing person walked my direction. Ms. Heidi. She was the first of five that I would encounter for a great breakfast.


So please permit me to introduce to you THE SISTERS OF CONSCIENCE. Not sure how we came about this title but sisters we've become. We are all equally passionate about the world God has put us in. We are equally disgusted by the social injustices of this world. This table of women email, blog, IM, one another all the time and discuss the battles and hopes we all have. In this group the world has been changed for the better. These women can sleep at night because of the efforts their prayers, hands, hearts, finances, tears, sweat, education, and passion have done. But because they are so amazing they press on to the next journey, the next social injustice, the next move of compassion for fellow man.
So as we hugged one another, and realized it had been months since we all sat together face to face and talked. There wasn't a computer between us and we could see the smiles on one another and the room grew electric. We did the normal catch up of love, life, work, education, Spirit, etc. And a wonderful man. Dr. Geoff Foster of Africa was so kind to sit at our table and hear our stories. To share with us a window to the needs of Africa. One of the sisters mentioned, that he is asked by Universities all over to speak, but he kindly agreed to meet with us on such a personal level. Lucky us.

Immediately, as we often do, we jumped right into the issues that are so important to us. We began to ask questions of policies and systems that exist today. And we questioned what was the modern days church best role for the modern day issues we face today.

A lot of key words were used but I'm looking at my notes and will try to share with you the ideas that were floating through my head.

Church to Abroad:
We looked at what was really a functional need for the church to send people abroad. The traditional needs almost seem obsolete. With epidemics of AIDS and poverty the church is being pushed to do out of the norm missions based routines. Basically, the church now has a vast group of individual that are exceptionally smart, can think for themselves, and can effectively change their local which now with www global world. We're not the generation of because the bible says so. We're the generation of because He first loved us, and made us creative beings, we can now by His grace do _______ !!!

Community Based:
This was in context of the need for MORE orphanages in Africa. Immediately the doctor said. We're closing down orphanages in the west because we NOW realize they don't work, so why are we opening them up in the east? We all immediately awwwwed in agreement. There are so many underlying issues about this that we could write novels about. But I've learned that building an orphanage isn't what the community wants or even needs. Community based organizations have needs...are we as christians asking?

Child Family Orphanages:
Someone brought this up. Basically the orphanage takes in children from families that are to poor to take care of them. They agree to feed, educate, clothe them for a certain amount of time...so that they still have the psycho-social needs met. There are tons of stats that say a kid growing up in the system stays in the system. Which this flow might be a great compromise. Because if a kid is raised until they are 18 in an orphanage what happens to them afterwards? Most often this system runs like a cradles to grave process and that community may loose powerful youth that could modify all of their lives forever for the better.

Girls not Wanted:
They aren't wanted in India. How do you change that? How do you break that stigma? As a journalist. As a photographer. I think...does India see a doctor, teacher, lawyer, artist in those beautiful female faces? How do I tell the story? How do I let the world see that individual face? One may say no to the millions but how can one refuse that one face...that one story?

What's the untold story:
As I heard the Doc speak, I kept asking myself. What does the world (US) not know yet? What is slipping through the cracks? What can I photograph as proof that need is still needed? That what's being done does work? What stuff has been going on that needs to cease now, since it makes no profit for anyone? What's missing to the story?

Stigma:
How do we heal stigmas that have lasted longer than my current life span? That have lasted for generations? Has the church fully admitted it's nasty stigma towards the sick, diseased, prostitutes, abused, homeless, jobless, gay, single mom, world? I think some have, but have we all?

I heard a story at the table of one preacher telling the congregation...don't practice safe sex, just show up to church on Sunday and God will take care of the rest...soon the spouses were infected with HIV. Then the church members. Then soon the deacons. How could he (preacher) ignore it then? Could there have been other preventable processes?

So how do we break the stigma? By first admitting that one exists. Second, by apologizing. Third, to fan the flame to seek solution and to spread the one on one personal word.

What's the dream:
As I sat at the table. Looked around the table. Looked at the faces. I could see into our hearts. I could see just a lil flicker to all of our dreams. That glow that makes us wake up in the morning when we don't really feel like it. That extra tearful prayer for an incredible injustice served. And I wondered...what's the dream? If we had a million dollars dream? What we'd do when we all grow up dream? If work wasn't a problem dream? If only the gov't/leaders would hear our petition dream? Suddenly I heard silence. Soon followed by a lull lion like roar of joy.

Med costs:
To keep these individuals safe. Strong. To give them the medication necessary to LIVE with AIDS
$60 per year for a child
$120 per year for an adult

AMAZING NO?

Breakdown for an adult...
$10 a month
or
$2.50 a week
or
.35 a day
or
.17 a pill

Got .17 cents in your pocket?

Church Acceptance:
The question raised by so many. Will the church accept me as I am? No matter what? Even if I've done this? Or done that? I don't have time to clean up for church...can I just show up the way I am? Will I be accepted? We've heard these questions so many times. We've even brought up these very same questions about ourselves. Perhaps even today. So what's the answer? Can we accept anyone that walks in our doors?