Do you remember that very peculiar section in Luke’s Gospel, just after Jesus began his public ministry? Luke 4 reports that Jesus preached from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming that the Spirit of God was upon him to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoner, recovery of sight for the blind, and … Continue reading
This post is from Cindy Ruble, CBF field personnel serving in Malaysia and Indonesia. In the last month, I have handled seven trafficking cases and consulted on one migrant worker rape case. It has been a heavy load, both in terms of the intensity of the workload and the depth of emotion in the life stories I … Continue reading
Just over a week remains for the month of Ramadan. I have had several opportunities to join with friends at area mosques to share in the iftar, i.e. breaking of the fast. I have had the joy of bringing along with me a few friends who are interested in understanding more about Islam and about … Continue reading
Recently I attended an Anatolian ceramic art exhibit sponsored by the Turkish Consulate. Three works captivated my attention….a part of ceramic shoes, pieces of ceramic bread, and a group of ceramic hands. I was drawn to the red ceramic shoes with gold veneer. My daughter loves shoes and thinks of them as art, so of … Continue reading
It was a different kind of mission trip. We hosted a group of 25 college students and their leaders for a week here in Houston, TX. No houses were built. No vacation Bible schools took place. No sports camps with inner city youth filled city parks. Those are all valid ways to engage. This experience … Continue reading
Eddy Ruble, one of CBF’s field personnel, was in a Malaysian mountain market when a young woman asked if he could help her friend return home. For nearly three years, her young friend had worked and never been paid. Her employer had falsified and taken her passport, and she didn’t know how she’d ever get … Continue reading
While visiting with some young friends from Iran, I mentioned the American custom of recognizing mother’s on a particular day in May. The young woman told me that though the government in Iran sets a day to recognize mothers according to the Islamic calendar, she prefers to celebrate on March 8th, International Women’s Day. I … Continue reading
Each year a theme seems to emerge for me during the Christmas season. This year the theme has been the words the angels sang after announcing Jesus’ birth, “Peace on earth.” I confess I often wonder if it is possible. Between our work with various groups of immigrants and refugees not to mention the media’s … Continue reading
“Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.” (Amos 5:24, The Message) Anyone who is a parent, a teacher, a youth minister, anyone who works with children has had the experience of a child loudly protesting, “That’s not fair!” … Continue reading
Did you know? – Human trafficking is the fastest growing form of international crime. – Approximately 27 million people around the world are enslaved. – In the U.S., it is estimated that 300,000 are victims of human trafficking. – Top states for human trafficking: California, New York, Texas, Florida and North Carolina. – Atlanta is … Continue reading
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