7 Days 7 Dollars

December 16, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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az.jpgAz needs a haircut … but more on that later.

It’s estimated that over 600 million children are living on less than a dollar a day. That means they have less than one dollar each day to cover everything from food to housing to clothing and all the other things that most of us take for granted. While we’re promising ourselves not to over eat ‘too much’ this Christmas, millions of children around the world have little or nothing to eat.

Az Hamilton is Compassion Australia’s Youth Communications Specialist and he wanted to do something to highlight the need for something to be done about this terrible situation. He recently decided to try to live on a dollar a day for a week.

The story of his 7 Days 7 Dollars initiative is being told through daily videos on his website, 500DREADS.com.

I talked to Az during my morning programme on 98.5 Sonshine FM today.

Az was on the team I was part of which traveled to Haiti and Dominican Republic with Compassion Australia in April this year. I took the photo at the top of this post at a Compassion project in Haiti. The girls were fascinated by his hair. The trip affected Az so deeply that he is now working with Compassion Australia to see as many children as possible rescued out of poverty. Together we saw first hand the life saving work that Compassion carries out across the world.

As for that haircut, Az is promising to cut off all his dreadlocks once 500 children have been sponsored through Compassion via his site 500DREADS.com. If you think he needs a haircut just head to his site and follow the links.

To hear more from Az you can click play on the audio player at the bottom of this post and listen to the chat we had this morning.



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Ten things I've done you probably haven't

November 17, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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So let’s get the conversation going.

I’ve been so busy recently with moving offices that I haven’t had the opportunity to reply to many of the comments readers have left here or get involved in conversations through this blog. I thought I’d try to spark things by listing a few things I’ve done that you probably haven’t.

While you may find one or two things on the list that you’ve done I sincerely doubt that you’ve done all ten. 🙂

I’m hoping that you’ll come up with a few of your own in the comments section of this post or that you’ll write a similar post on your own blog and link back here. If you’ve done any of the things on my list let me know.

I’ll just list the ten things and leave it to you. If you have questions about any of the items in the list, feel free to ask.

Ten things I’ve done you probably haven’t

1.  Cycled across Australia five times.

2.  Escaped a country when rioting and looting in the capital became widespread. (Haiti)

3.  Hand fed a rhinocerous.

4.  Stood on stage with Mikhail Gorbachev.

5.  Cycled from Agra (home of the Taj Mahal) to Delhi in India.

6.  Met General ‘Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf.

7.  Interviewed at least seven Australian Idol finalists and winners.

8.  Preached at a cathedral in India.

9.  Been mentioned at least twice in Australia’s Federal Parliament.

10. Cycled up and down an aisle at K-Mart in Miami, Florida.

So there you are. Now it’s over to you.



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FAST for FOOD Explained

October 29, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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Fast_for_Food.jpgYesterday in my post Every 7 Seconds … I introduced FAST for FOOD an initiative of Compassion which is happening throughout November.

If you missed yesterday’s post can I encourage you to read through and decide if you’ll be part of this life saving event?

I’m especially passionate about doing something to help after seeing the extreme poverty and desperation of many people facing a very uncertain future in Haiti earlier this year.

Today I want to outline a little bit more of what Fast for Food is trying to accomplish.

The steps are outlined on the website as follows.

PRAY
“Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24

Download the 30 day FAST for FOOD Prayer Calendar for the month of November. (I’ll be posting each day’s entry for the calendar here on my blog so you can simply follow along by reading my daily posts.)

FAST
“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4

Give up food for a day or more and feel the hunger pangs that millions experience for days on end.

GIVE
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice … Is it not to share your food with the hungry …” Isaiah 58:6-7

As you spend time in prayer and fasting, please bless those in desperate need by donating the money you would normally spend on food—or other activities that you choose to fast from—to Compassion’s Global Food Crisis Appeal.

SHARE
“…if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10

Encourage your friends, family, colleagues and church members to join us in FAST for FOOD and see God move.

If you’re prepared to take part and make a difference for those in desperate need please let me know in the comments section of this post.



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Every 7 Seconds …

October 28, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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Fast_for_Food.jpg … a child is dying from hunger related causes.

An almost equal tragedy is that we’ve become so desensitised to the suffering of others that we often let statistics like that float past us without a second thought.

Can I beg you not to just click past this post? Please take the time to read it through and let it touch your heart.

I’ve seen the desperation in the eyes of those who can’t afford to feed their families. My visit to Haiti in April this year with Compassion Australia was cut short due to rioting and looting brought about by the global food crisis. People in developing countries do not have enough food and even when food is available the cost is beyond the reach of the majority of the population.

The effects of the global food crisis have been further exacerbated by the global financial crisis.

Throughout November, Compassion staff and supporters are joining together in a practical and focused way to support families who are hungry and in desperate need of food because of the global food crisis. FAST for FOOD will help us focus on the need and provide practical ways to make a difference. Will you join us in making life more livable for those who are desperately in need?

I’ll be highlighting the need and sharing something from the FAST for FOOD Prayer Calendar every day through November. Will you commit to praying each day for those who need your help? The need is urgent.

Around the world, people are feeling the effects of the economic and food crises—none more so than the 300 million children who will go to bed tonight hungry. We know that when the well-off suffer, the poor die. The world needs light now more than ever.

As men and women of a steadfast and generous God, this is our opportunity to demonstrate our unshakeable trust in Him by reaching out and generously assisting those who are in desperate need. Although we are not immune to world events, we can rest assured that God is faithful, loves the poor and continues to call Compassion to challenge, partner and equip the church to release millions more children from poverty in Jesus’ name. In God’s economy there is always more than enough and He is always faithful when we pray, fast, give and share with generous and joyful hearts.

I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Ephesians 3:20 (CEV)

Are you prepared to commit yourself to the cause for the month of November? If you are please let me know in the comments section of this post. You can also help to spread the message by pointing others towards this post.

Together we can see change happening in our own lives and in the lives of those who are waiting to see God’s love displayed through his people.



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Dan's shoes helping Haiti

October 17, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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Dan.JPGDan Widdowson is part of the breakfast radio team on Sydney’s 103.2 but he’s probably best known around the rest of the country as being one of the hosts of Channel Seven’s Saturday Disney from 2000 until the beginning of last year.

Dan and I were part of the team that traveled with Compassion Australia to Haiti and the Dominican Republic in April this year.

Dan’s smelly old Converse shoes weren’t looking too good back in April and they’ve completely fallen apart now – but that won’t stop Dan from finding a new use for them.

He joined me on the phone from Sydney this morning on 98.5 Sonshine FM.

Dan tells the story of his old favourites.

So here’s how it began. My wife announced that I was no longer to wear my favorite pair of shoes. Just like that, my most loved item of clothing I have ever owned was to be thrown out! After begging and pleading for a good ten minutes, I convinced her to let me have a “Good-bye shoe day.”

It was on this “Good-bye shoe day”, October 9th, that I realized I did not have the courage or will power to throw the shoes out… so whilst on air I tore them to pieces in a loving farewell moment. It was at that very moment that the smell hit, to call it, “heaps bad” would be an understatement. It was truly rotten.

The next obvious step was to place the stinky broken shoes in Rays office. Ray didn’t find this very funny. Fair enough. However, once he got past that angry outburst and the vein in his forehead died down, he suggested I auction off the shoes to raise funds for a cause that is close to all our hearts here at the station… children in Haiti.

So now my shoes are on ebay and you are welcome to bid. They’d make a great… umm… you could use them for… er… ok, they’re useless, but you can help the beautiful children in Haiti by bidding!

So, if you want to help some children in Haiti and grab yourself some old smelly shoes, just head to Dan’s eBay listing for the shoes and get bidding. At the time of posting the bid was $516.

If you want to hear us reminiscing about our trip to Haiti as well as talking about the shoes, just click play on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR171008_1108.mp3]

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