The Irresponsible American Dream

Guatemala 2011 (Students International photo)

I often am worried that people will think my decisions in life are irresponsible. I am afraid that people will think that I am just frivolously trotting off to Halifax and to Mozambique for the sake of adventure. Is it irresponsible to spend time and resources that I don't have to help in these places? 

Although I did not want to admit it, I think I have been listening too much of this Western "wisdom" that says financial security is what we aim for. We want to go to school so that we can get a good job so that we can be financially secure, and comfortable in the luxury that is North American life. That is what a "responsible" adult does. 

According to this worldview, I am not a responsible adult. 

But this past week, I have realized that the American Dream may not  be as responsible as I think it is. In fact, I would call it rather irresponsible.

This weekend, a group of students from Acadia went to a missions conference called Jesus to the Nations in Halifax. While I only caught the last bit of the conference, I and many of the students were deeply affected by the stories we heard of the lostness all over the world. 

In particular, we were moved to tears and to action by the stories of children in Cambodia who are sex slaves. Thinking of these many, many children whose know nothing other than rape and such horrors, and thinking of sex slaves who are even transported within our own country's borders, we knew we have to do something. 

I study economics. I know that human trafficking and slavery will not stop until there ceases to be a demand to use our brothers and sisters as objects. And I know that the human heart is capable of such evil that this will never stop without the intervention of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, I know that the church is the only institution in the world who wants to share this goodness. We are part of the church. Therefore, it is up to us to bring light to the world's darkest places. 

There are billions of people living in poverty and without clean water. 

There are millions of people who have never ever heard Jesus' name. There are millions who don't have the Scriptures in their own language. Millions of people die from AIDS and other preventable diseases. There are an estimated 27 million people who are in slavery today: more than any other time in history. 

We know these things.

We have skills, resources, education,  and a relationship with God. We could help.

But we go to school, get a job, and complain about traffic and slow internet.

This is Easter weekend, and I can be pretty sure that this is not why Jesus lived and died and rose again. 

In fact, Jesus told us why he came:

.

 Luke 4:16-18 (NLT)

When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. ¹⁷ The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
    that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
¹⁹     and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

²⁰ He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. ²¹ Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

There is hope for this world, and it is in Jesus. Not even death could stop him. He is the only One who can end slavery, poverty, war, and despair. 

But it is us who he uses.

So I ask you: what is more responsible? Our own American (or Canadian) Dream? Or being part of restoring the world to what it should be?

I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light.

-Ion Keith Falconer.

Why I think giving to missions is awesome and other things on my heart

I realized I have not written about what's going on in my life for a while, so today, that is what I will do.
 Here's the thing. I wrote a thesis. Or I should say, I am in the process of writing a thesis. Now, it is off with a marker and I get to forget about it for ten days or so. Until yesterday, my life was a blur of classes, midterms, and spending a lot of time in the library. But now, there is a lull, and I enjoy it immensely. I can feel the end of my undergrad coming closer and that's really too bad because I feel like I am just getting the hang of this!
But life is really beautiful, if I do say so myself.  Last weekend some dear friends from my home church visited and that was lovely. This morning I got to host a worship team Bible Study at our house, and I think it was a microcosm of the Kingdom of God. I guess it was just eight or ten people eating breakfast together, then studying the Bible, then playing some music to praise and worship our Saviour, but it just reminded me how worship is not only through music. All the people who came over were musically gifted, whether they played a djembe, a ukulele, or sang. But I think perhaps they worshiped God in other ways. Folks came early to help me make breakfast. Is frying bacon a form of worship? That's up for debate, but I think it is when you wake up early on a Saturday morning to do it in order to serve others. People studied a Bible passage together. I would say that's worship; taking time out of your day to meditate on and learn the Scriptures shows that you value the Author. And then, of course, there was the music. I love sitting in the kitchen doing dishes or schoolwork and listening to the sweet sweet sounds being produced in our living room.
So yeah, life is beautiful. That photo, that's a photo I took with my phone on my way to/back from the library one evening. I like this school. I like this world actually.

OK. Now to the point of this post. I think another form of worship is giving. For me, I am giving my time. One whole summer devoted to spending time with the poor and also with helping with literacy projects in Mozambique.
The exciting thing is, I am not alone in this giving of my time. You see, this is what God has called me to do, so I am doing it. I think there are few things in life more exciting than doing God's will. But here's the thing. Even though I am spending one month in Halifax and three months in Mozambique, this is not only my trip. I truly believe this is part of God's story. Somehow. The craziness of how I (like really, me?) fit into God's plan to save the world is a story for another day, but the thing is, when you give to me, you get to be part of this story too! And not just when you give to me: there are so many opportunities to pray for, support, and give money to missions worldwide. I think God calls us all to give to something. It may not be me, but I know He will call some people to give to me, and I thank Him for that. Sure, we can invest in mutual funds and RRSPs, but we can also invest in something that has an eternal impact. That way, when I, or other people, do missions, we're not alone. We are completely dependent on God and on you, this community. I like the way God has created that. 
I think giving to missions is awesome because it shows God's goodness to those of us who are going when we see how He provides, and also because when you give you get to be a part of God's story, which happens to be the best story ever.

How to give

So, I know I am doing a lot this summer. But I know that God is blessing and will continue to bless these things.
Please consider helping me out.
I need $1600 for the Halifax Urban Partnership (HUP) and approx. $4000 for the Wycliffe internship in Mozambique.
When you give, it allows me to give my time, talents and energy to the people God cares about.

This May I am doing something called the Halifax Urban Partnership. I will be spending one month in Halifax among the urban poor, volunteering with a number of initiatives and learning about God's heart for poverty and social justice.

Since I am volunteering, this is going to cost about $1600. So I need 20 of my friends to donate a day's wage (Nova Scotia minimum wage is $10.15; an 8-hour day is $81.20).

I know many of you have full-time jobs, or will have one this summer. Please consider placing aside one day's wage to help me come alongside the marginalized in Halifax.

How to donate:
1. Go to www.ivcf.ca
2. Donate--> Donation Options
3. Support a Global and Urban Partnership Participant--> Make a special gift by credit card
4. Giving search--> Fund description--> Search for Hannah Main-->Select "Halifax UP- Hannah Main
5. Fill out all fields and submit

Please prayerfully consider giving :)

AND. ANOTHER THING .

So, as you know, I am headed to Nampula, Mozambique this summer for three months to be a linguistics assistant intern with Wycliffe, doing some literacy work. Before I can go to Mozambique, I need to raise 100% of my funds. I am volunteering my time there and need to raise money for flights and living expenses. It is estimated that it will cost just over $4000. It is my hope that 40 people will each contribute $100 to this cause. Please consider making an investment in something that is worthwhile. 

Here is some info on how to give to this project:

Online:

Go to Wycliffe’s online donation page:
https://www.helpforcharities.com/wycliffe/donation/

You’ll see a pull-down menu that says, "Please direct my giving to..." Select <Wycliffe Canada Missionary>

 In the "Details and Comments" box write:
For the internship work project of Hannah Main

By Cheque:

Cheque should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators. Enclose a SEPARATE NOTE with your name, address & phone number, indicating how you want your gift to be used:
For the internship work project of  Hannah Main

 Send or deliver to:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Donating By Phone:

Call 1-800-463-1143 and ask for the Receipts Department. Please be ready to provide your credit card information, address, and how you want your gift to be used.