Issues of modern slavery and human rights in other places.

Hello, all.......

Hopefully, you've been finding creative ways to minister at this time. Zoom, etc. are blessings! 

The topic of human rights is amped up again. Of course, our own Civil Rights Movement rose out of our ugly history w/slavery.  But, did you ever consider how people in the First World still benefit from slavery? If we talk about slavery in our past, we can't ignore slavery in 2020......Speaking of tech luxuries like Zoom, you're quite possibly benefitting from what amounts to Congolese slave labor this very moment. Your cell phone/computer likely has rare earth minerals mined by slaves in the Congo. What should've been a national blessing had a lot to do w/the Congolese civil war, which claimed over 5 million lives. The sin of modern slavery is still deeply entrenched in our world & we're all sullied by it. I really hope you read the article below.....

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/oct/12/phone-misery-children-congo-cobalt-mines-drc

I'm not minimizing America's original sin, but only aim for the big picture.......Slavery has tainted all of history...........Don't forget how America long depended on China for cheap stuff. Pardon my speculation, but might there be resentment for how corporate America has conducted business? Is it payback time for cheap labor's race to the bottom?.....not to mention China's extreme pollution? (Ever heard of the "oxygen bars" in China.....where people pay to breathe a few minutes of fresh air? Our throw-away society contributed to this.)  Could this be one of the reasons they now steal American intellectual property w/no compunctions? And could it be that the lack of communication on the Corona virus was partly fueled by all of this?......We don't think twice about how we benefit every day from those human rights abuses....because that slavery is offshore & out of sight. We have helped create Socialist & Capitalist monsters, alike........Yet another reason we should be giving the lion's share of our gifts/offerings to Christian humanitarian work. ALL AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, REGARDLESS OF COLOR OR FINANCIAL STATUS CAN GIVE TO GOSPEL BASED HUMANITARIAN WORK.....WE ALL HAVE AMERICAN PRIVILEGE THAT WE SHOULD BE USING TO BENEFIT THE 3D WORLD.  Not suggesting vows of poverty, but vows of generosity. We have enough buildings. It's time that Christian America heeds James 5:4. 

​The pic above is of a group of believers from the "I" country in a Greek refugee camp. The de facto pastor is my friend, who hosted me in the "T" country next door last year before their little Church relocated. I got connected w/him via his cousin, who attends the local I Church w/me. Last Sunday, I was encouraged to hear what he's doing now. Most of the camp's 150 I residents are believers now, coming out of "that other Abrahamic religion". W/many residents from so many places, there's constant chaos in the camp as there's little oversight. There have been murders & rapes in the camp....even perpetrated on young boys.  This horror goes unreported in the news. Pray for them. 

They've been pooling their money to rent a small house outside the camp for 250 Euros a month. Such a small amount.....but very affective when strategically used. It's their Church. The details are unclear, but our "I" Church will be paying the rent & supporting him as he can't work due to Covid. I suggested that our next step might be to see if we can't generate industry/economy in that camp w/some interest-free micro-loans. As little as $100 can buy something like basic tools for a refugee. Micro-loaning also preserves dignity, as they already feel so much shame. If we do this, it won't be right away but if anyone knows how to start something like this, pls contact me. 

For the nations, the rights of workers everywhere and more bang for the buck......

......Just another witness to His Glory.