by Jake Morgan | Apr 15, 2010 | Opinion
In 2008, The World Health Organization (WHO) reported “half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria, and an estimated 243 million cases led to an estimated 863,000 deaths.” Hundreds of thousands of people died at the hands of a completely preventable disease! Shocking, isn’t it? The carrier you may ask? A simple, small, stealthy female anopheles mosquito. Recently, filmmaker Bobby Bailey, founder of Invisible Children, led a team to the African country of Uganda to learn the truth about malaria. Here in the U.S., we typically don’t give malaria a second thought, because our country eradicated this plague 50 years ago through the The National Malaria Eradication Program. However, when night falls over the continent of Africa, this nightmare lives on. Every night our brothers and sisters in Uganda fall asleep in fear that they may very well awaken as the newest victim of the malaria pandemic. During Bobby’s time in Africa, he used the art of film to create “When The Night Comes“, a documentary that exposes the alarming reality of malaria while offering a solution to the world’s greatest killer. In comes The Brave. This trendy, new grassroots organization founded by Bobby Bailey, “embodies an idea that transcends borders, allowing powerful individuals to step into the story and affect those in need.” The Brave has taken the lead, along with the United Nations Foundation and Nothing But Nets, to Unite Against Malaria. The goal – to let people around the world know that the threat of malaria is real, and that we can bring this beast to an end. Through the United Against Malaria campaign,...
by Jake Morgan | Apr 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
Lipscomb University students shed their footwear to join forces with more than 125,000 students from around the nation Thursday for TOMS One Day Without Shoes 2010. The purpose was to raise awareness for the problems of children throughout the world who have no shoes and the problems this can cause. Imagine what it would be like to go shoeless and walk miles to get to school, to find medical help or even to secure water. In addition to facing the daily risks of cuts, infection, and parasites, such children may not even be allowed to attend school based simply on the fact that you can’t afford footwear. This is a reality for children living all around our planet. TOMS takes an interesting approach to their business. Through their One for One policy, they take the purchasing power of consumers to give one free pair of shoes to a child somewhere in the world for every pair of TOMS shoes purchased. If you missed out on One Day Without Shoes, there are still ways you can get involved. You can start by spreading the word. Share the facts with your friends: Fact No. 1: In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to food, clean water and to seek medical help. Fact No. 2: Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection. Fact No. 3: Often, children cannot attend school barefoot. Fact No. 4: In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil. Fact No. 5: Podoconiosis is 100% preventable by wearing shoes. The solution to each of these problems is...
by Jake Morgan | Apr 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” In case you’ve lived under a rock this year, IJM is the newest social justice club to hit the Lipscomb scene. International Justice Mission (IJM) is an international nonprofit that battles injustices like slavery, sexual exploitation, and violent oppression around the globe. As Lipscomb University’s Campus Chapter, we are called to be the hands of feet of IJM right here in Nashville. Our goal is to increase awareness, raise funds, and lift prayer for our brothers and sisters suffering from injustice. Since launching in fall of 2009, LU’s IJM Campus Chapter has taken on a variety of projects to give a voice to the voiceless. You may have noticed events like The Silent Movement, a BYOiPod silent dance party right outside of the Gathering one fine Tuesday morning, or the Human Wrong Benefit Show just before Spring Break. Thanks to the collaborative works of IJM, SGA, and Campus Ministry, students were able to send advocacy emails to their congressmen, snag some free food, and earn chapel credit while taking in some of Nashville’s finest live music. 100 students also designed their own tie-dye IJM advocacy t-shirts. So the next time you see someone walking around with the word “enslaved” or “sold” across their brightly colored shirt, don’t hesitate to start up a conversation! Then there was the triumphant finale of IJM’s first year at Lipscomb. On Saturday, March 27, LU’s IJM Campus Chapter joined forces with chapters from Belmont and Trevecca to host the first...
by Jake Morgan | Mar 25, 2010 | Uncategorized
3/20/10 Captain’s log: Currently cruising at 30,000 feet above the vast cerulean waters of the great Atlantic. As I make my way home, I can’t help but reflect on my last night in Cozumel. After saying adios to the older kids of Ciudad De Angeles, my group went to house church with the Chiquitos (the youngest angels). At this house church we has a lesson on personal sacrifice and sang a few songs in Spanish, then a few in English. This was followed by a nice Mexican dinner that consisted of chicken, tortillas, black beans, and a delicious rice based dessert. After our meal, we had free time to play our final games with the angels. Sadly, the time to leave came upon us very quickly and we had to say our final farewells… We were not prepared. By this point, there were a lot of tears falling on both sides. This only got worse as we exchanged “adios amigos.” It was all I could do not to break down right there in that 3rd story apartment. The kids tried to follow us out the door and down the steps, but the house parents had to keep them inside. Walking down those stairs was one of the most touching moments of my life as I listened to the children trying to follow us. Then, out of nowhere, these children who hadn’t spoken a word of English all week began shouting, “We love you” at the top of their lungs. It’s impossible to express in words what this moment felt like for our team. In complete silence, our group hopped...
by Jake Morgan | Mar 22, 2010 | Opinion
On February 5th, 2010 I hopped off a plane in Guatemala City. As our team of eight loaded into our rental trucks only a few things were certain – The air was warm, I was hungry, and we were definitely not in Nashville anymore. After grabbing our first traditional Guatemalan meal at Burger King (“Rey de Hamburguesa” for our Spanish speaking readers), we began our four-hour trek northbound across the country to reach the mountain city of Coban. From what little I understood we would be spending the next two days working with the Kechi Mayans in the heart of Guatemala’s Ulpan Valley. As our caravan pushed further north, the landscape quickly changed from rolling hills to dry desert to the towering mountains of the Baja Vera Pas. If you’ve never driven in Guatemala, it’s hard to comprehend this ride is like. Basically, picture the worst mountain road you’ve ever experienced. Then, cut it down to a two-lane highway loaded with semis and logging trucks. Oh, and from my understanding, it takes at least seven policemen to issue a speeding ticket in Guatemala. This translates to all rationality of a speed limit going right out the window. So, here we are, driving at breakneck speeds down this winding two-lane highway, passing semi trucks while praying no one comes darting around the next corner. Consider it a religious experience. After somehow arriving safely in Coban, we took advantage of our quick journey and got a good night’s rest. The next day we would make the journey into the Ulpan Valley, also known as “The Corridor of Death.” When I had...
