Followers

Friday, November 28, 2008

Illegal Immigrant Air Service



Have you ever wondered about what happens to all the illegal immigrants arrested in the US. Do they go to jail  or when they are deported do they have to find their own way back home? Are they taken to the border of Mexico and sent across to make their way back to whatever Central or South American country which is their country of origin? Read this article in the Kansas City Star to find out what happens. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=124B4B1867BCF558&p_docnum=1

Notice that over 350,000 made the trip to places as far away as Indonesia and Pakistan. 

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Zimbabwean travesty

A young child looking at what is left of his house in Porta Farm, west of Harare, after the Zimbabwean government razed it in 2005 as part of "Operation Murambatsvina," a campaign to eliminate "illegal" structures and shantytowns.

Between 1985 and 1988 I made several trips from Kenya into Zimbabwe. If you have never been to Zimbabwe you are unaware of the beautiful fruitful land that it is. The early white settlers in the region came in 1890 under the direction of Cecil Rhodes, hence the name Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)

Britannica tells us: "By 1892 about 1,500 settlers from the south had arrived in Rhodesia. The railway reached Bulawayo in 1896 and Victoria Falls in 1904. By the following year there were 12,500 settlers in the country, and in 1909 gold exports were worth more than £2,500,000. Agricultural development, however, was slower, and it was not until 1907 that steps were taken to facilitate the acquisition of land. By 1911 nearly £35,000 worth of tobacco was being exported annually, and the European population had risen to 23,600."

Mugabe became the first prime minister of the new independent nation of Zimbabwe on April 18, 1980. Mugabe's government was determined to correct the inequality that existed between whites and blacks. The land was to be redistributed. During the 1980s the economy began to seriously decline, first because of drought conditions, and second, because many of the white farmers chose to leave the country.

The economy of Zimbabwe continued to worsen throughout the 1980s and 1990s. At the beginning of this period 4,000 white farmers controlled about one-third of the arable land of Zimbabwe. Most of these farms were either taken over by squatters or forcibly taken by the government to be redistributed. It turned into a very ugly time in Zimbabwe. The end result was that the farming system was effectively destroyed and now millions of Zimbabweans are on the brink of starvation, totally dependent on outside food supplies because essentially very little is being grown in Zimbabwe.

And Mugabe remains in power. The picture included is one of his gentrification projects. Mugabe ordered bulldozers to level the slums around Harare driving thousands of people into the streets. What a solution for food shortages!

Zimbabwe needs to be returned to people who understand how to farm. Sounds racist, I know, but it is reality. What they have now is progressively starving the nation to death. The white farmers could progressive train Africans in the skills they need, but in the meantime provide the needed food for the land.

Unfortunately, Zimbabwe has no oil, so why should we care. After all the dying are just more Africans.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Mitch Morrow Ordination



(Picture--Geoffrey Paddock and Randy Ingmire)
On November 16, 2008, at Valley View Christian Church, near Wichita Kansas, Mitch Morrow was ordained to the Christian ministry. Mitch was a student of mine at MCC and then was involved in several projects around our house and at the Zeandale Community Church. So when Mitch asked my wife and I to attend his ordination we were glad to do so. 

( 2nd Picture: Tom and Judy Morrow with Mitch after the service)
Mitch is a man with a servant's heart. His concern the entire time I have known him is to serve others. I am confident he will go far in the ministry with his servant's spirit. At the moment he is ministering to the community of Vici Oklahoma which just happens to be one of our daughters-in law's home town. A number of her relatives attend the church. Mitch is already doing a good job there. 

Randy Ingmire, Vice President of Academic Affairs, gave the charge to Mitch. His message "Fire in the Belly" reflected on the importance of passion, compassion, and Jesus' passion when it came to being a minister. 

My oldest son, Geoffrey, and myself took part in the "laying on of hands" ceremony. It was a beautiful service and we pray for Mitch that he has a long and successful career. 

A Church Alive

The Zeandale Community Church is a small rural church east of Manhattan Kansas. Attendance runs between 50 and 80. But it is a very active church regardless of the fact that the majority of the congregation is over 50 years of age. 

Pictured here are sixty boxes packed for the Christmas Child project sponsored by Samaritan's Purse. We have been involved in this project for several years. Two years ago one of the missionaries we support in Kenya was involved in the delivery of Christmas Child boxes. We will never know whether or not some of our boxes were involved, but our church was involved on both ends. 

Over a year ago the church got involved in the Angel Food project. Angel Food provides high protein food for people an a minimum cost. At the moment Angel Food provides enough food for one person for a month for $30.00. The same amount will take care of a family for a week. No strings attached, no restrictions on who can buy.  So our people go to Topeka and collect the food we will distribute through Zeandale. Families in the church also buy Angel Food boxes that are designated "gift boxes" and are given to needy people every month, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

The church also supports a food pantry that is maintained at First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Every month a basket of non-perishable food is taken to the pantry to be distributed to people in need.