My letter to Richard Stearns, President and CEO of World Vision, and author of "The Hole in Our Gospel" (the book I am currently reading).
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Friday, August 12, 2011
Dear Mr. Stearns:
You ruined my lunch today.
I was enjoying a delicious BBQ chicken salad at a cute street side café in Santa Barbara. I decided to bring your book, “The Hole in Our Gospel,” as my lunchtime companion. I chomped on my salad as I read chapter 12, “The Horseman of the Apocalypse.” But I couldn’t even make it past the first three pages of this chapter without completely losing my appetite. “How on earth can I continue to eat this meal when there are children dying every five seconds from starvation?”
I was disgusted (not with the salad of course—frankly, it was quite delectable). I was disgusted with the fact that the world can and does produce enough food to feed everyone on earth, yet 850 million people go hungry every day. I was disgusted and horrified by the statistics I read in your book (which I’ve read many times in newspapers, magazines, and my own research—but for some reason it bothered me more this afternoon). I was disgusted that I wasn’t doing more in that moment to be a part of the solution.
As a mother of two young children (ages 5 and 1 ½), your book hits a soft spot in my heart. As a follower of Christ, your book challenges me to live the kind of faith I have always sought out (but sometimes have not had the courage to put into action). As a journalist, your book reminds me to continue to be a voice for those who don’t have one.
I traveled on an assignment to Lusaka, Zambia during the summer of 2007. I was part of a small team (myself, a filmmaker, a producer, two photographers, and one teacher) sent there to cover the AIDS crisis and its devastating effect on the country’s 1.5 million children. We spent two weeks meeting and interviewing church and community leaders, teachers, and families. But the most profound experience was spending time with some of the 75,000 homeless children that live on the streets of Lusaka.
Reading about your travels to Africa reminds me of the scenes we witnessed in Zambia that summer: hungry and naked children aimlessly wandering about their villages, children rummaging through trash ravines searching for food, mass graves everywhere.
But I also saw great hope and strength amidst the darkness of poverty and disease. There are many people we met (including Rev. Aaron Chilunjika, founder of Full Proof Mission and Chisomo Drop-in Centre in Lusaka) who are changing history every single day.
I came back from Africa a changed person. “How can I return to my life here in the States and not do anything?” When you see that much poverty and despair, it leaves a mark on you. Permanently.
So I founded a non-profit called Knowledge Empowers (sounds fancy, but it was started on a shoestring budget in my living room). Our goal is to raise $832 annually for a young man we met in Lusaka (his name is Twambo "Chips" Matembo) to attend secondary school. My dream is to someday send many more Zambian children to school. You can check it out, if you’re curious (www.knowledgeempowers.org).
Well, back to the story about my salad. I didn’t finish it (my waitress even asked me if there was something wrong with it). I packed up, left the café, and went straight to my computer to do some research. I visited World Vision’s website and found two children from Zambia, both the ages of my children (the baby girl has the EXACT same birthday as my daughter, Isobel!). My husband and I are now sponsors of Lidiya, 1, and Alan, 5.
I must say, Mr. Stearns, thank you for ruining my lunch today. May God continue to use you powerfully for His Kingdom!
Sincerely yours,
Jennifer Cho Salaff
