29,000. That is the number of children who die every day from malnutrition and other preventable illnesses. 153 million children under 5 (mostly in developing nations) are malnourished. In the US, 13 million children live in households that experience hunger, or are at risk for being malnourished. These stats are from the 30 hour famine website. Tomorrow night our youth group will begin a 30 hour famine- a fast that raises money for these malnourished and at risk children (the youth have been raising funds for about a month, and as this is a national event in churches across the country, the government will match the money we raise to donate to the cause), as well as learn about the reality of hunger and poverty world wide, and how we can do something- locally and globally. There is so much need in this world- and so many ways to help. Check out World Vision’s website for ways to donate money in crisis areas or to sponsor a child. Another website with good info and ways to do something- World Hunger Notes. Bono is a well known advocate for the poor world wide, and I love this quote from his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in February of 2006…

“God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house… God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives… God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war… God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them. “If you remove the yolk from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom with become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places”
It’s not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. It’s not an accident. That’s a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. [You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor.] ‘As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.’ (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor.”