Invisible Children Speaks Out

My intentions are to ensure that everyone is educated on facts, not fads. Not opinions. That is why I call this blog "Aletheia," because we need truth.

What good is it if we take things at face value, such as the criticism of this organization that has done so many great things in Uganda...and bring them down over inaccuracies? What happens then? The people of Uganda get no help at all?

I think this idea is important for all things. How many times do we take things at face value and run with them? Especially people. We ruin lives, reputations, and causes because we see something, feel emotion, and then start spreading it like wild fire without asking questions or getting facts first.

And what do we do when we find out we were wrong? We put our tails between our legs and walk away with a little, "haha...oops...my bad," without even a splash of water on the inferno we just made. It all could've been prevented if you went to the original source first.

That is why it's important to keep checking on the Invisible Children Website to see if any of these issues have been addressed. And yes, indeed they have. Here's pieces of an interview by Good News Magazine tackling some of the controversies on the internet:

GOOD: Out of all the myriad problems facing Africa, why did you choose to focus on Kony?

JENKINS: Firstly, the story was personal to us. We went to Africa intending to document the tragedies in South Sudan, and on our way we stumbled into children running away from Joseph Kony. The outrage that nothing was being done to stop that, and much of the international community was ignorant to it, was a lot of the impetus. But as we got deeper, we found out that Kony was the first man that the International Criminal Court had ever indicted. They said that because of the perversity of his crimes, and because of the feasibility of his arrest, he should be a flagship example of international cooperation to stop a criminal who crosses borders. The ICC chose Kony, and we’ve kind of partnered with them in an unofficial way. We’ve decided to help them disseminate that ideology to a hungry, millennial, global-minded youth.

GOOD: One of the criticisms people have of Invisible Children is that you only donate 31 percent of your money to the people of Uganda. What’s your response to that?

JENKINS: One flaw of the internet is how quickly it can disseminate misinformation. The actual number is 37 percent. Thirty-seven percent of our budget goes directly to central African-related programs, and the remaining 63 percent goes to our awareness programs. Those include things like flying Ugandans to America to go on cross-country awareness tours we pay for. And our staff in America has to go to Uganda, too. We got criticized for spending $1 million on travel expenses, but getting 130 people around the country and around the world is expensive. But aside from that, the truth about Invisible Children is that we are not an aid organization, and we don’t intend to be. I think people think we’re over there delivering shoes or food. But we are an advocacy and awareness organization.

There’s a rabid hunger to criticize the spending of charities because of abuse in the past. But all of our finances are public record. You can go online and see how much we make. I pay $300 a month in rent and don’t even own a bed. I sleep on the floor. We’re in this because we love it, because this is the job of our dreams.

GOOD: What do you do with the funds sent to central Africa?

JENKINS: With that money, we’re focusing on revitalizing the region so they don’t have a reason to hate the government and start future conflicts once Kony is gone. Of the 37 percent of funds that go to central Africa, I’d say about 30 percent goes toward energizing Uganda. We have 12 partner schools we rebuilt from the ground up; we have 1,000 kids whose secondary school we pay for; we have several hundred kids in college and mentors for all of them; we have a program called Mend in which we teach former sex slaves to be seamstresses. There’s also our Village Savings and Loan Association, through which we teach villagers how to become their own bank, because there’s not a lot of trust for banks there. On top of that, we have literacy programs. Sure, we’re after Kony, but we’re also doing a lot of other things to help create sustainable peace. And if our website ever stops crashing, you can read about all of this there.

GOOD: Invisible Children supports the Ugandan army, the UPDF, in their pursuit of Kony. But it’s been shown that the UPDF has committed its own atrocities in the past, including rapes. Why are you supporting them?

JENKINS: That’s a great question. Yes, it’s true that the Ugandan military has committed crimes in the past. We do not deny those crimes. But in terms of the pursuit of the LRA in the last six years, they’ve made a marked change and are attempting to be spotless.

We were involved in five years of peace talks with Kony. We want peace. But the truth is that Kony abused the peace process, used it to regain strength, and then went to wreak havoc. At that point, if someone’s busting into your house with a gun and robbing you, you can only talk for so long before you start using force. Force is an absolute last resort, and our campaign is trying to get him to surrender. We don’t want a bloodbath. A peaceful end to this is the dream.

GOOD: What do you want to tell the film's critics directly?

JENKINS: Our films are made for high school children. We make films that speak the language of kids. We say, "You may live thousands of miles away from these problems in Uganda, but those kids are just like you, and you can do something to help them by getting your government and your self involved." Our films weren’t made to be scrutinized by theGuardian. They were made to get young people involved in some of the world’s worst crimes. We can’t solve every crime, and we don’t intend to. But we can help fight the worst crimes.

I understand the criticism, because I think a healthy dose of skepticism is important when investing time and money into something. But I’d invite anyone to come to our offices and talk to us. I think when people dismiss us as having "white savior complex," they’re missing the main point: We’re just trying to do a little part to help change the world.

Read the full article here.

KONY 2012...Legit or Scam?

You may have seen this video going around.
The Daily What
You may have seen articles like this going around, too.
WARNINGReader discretion advised.What you are about to read may be heart wrenching. It may pull at certain places of your heart that you tend to stay away from. But it's truth and we can't keep ignoring it.

Imagine yourself... 10 years old and sitting in your home in what seems like another normal day...and suddenly your home is invaded by a bunch of children equipped with guns. You witness the murdering of your family and you are kidnapped and taken to a place you've never been to before. You are handed a gun and forced to invade other homes and wreak the same havoc on other innocent families, killing and kidnapping over and over again. If you fail to do so, you are tortured and manipulated. If you fail to do so, you may also be killed.
One day...you find visage to escape. However, you don't know where to run. All your family is gone, and you have nowhere to go. But for the sake of your life, you keep running. Until finally, you hit a small camp that, if you had only blinked, you would have missed. You discover other children your age who are also running. They are sleeping in insanitary abandoned buildings, and as you stay with them, you discover that the protocol is moving from camp to camp every night to ensure safety. There are some nights that the camps are invaded anyway, and you are forced to hide in flooded, cockroach infested basements. You can't go to school. You can't have hobbies. You can't even eat every day. You can't do anything but live in fear for your life and attempt survival.
Until...one day you are discovered by 3 strangers from a distant land. In the matter of hours, you go from being hopeless and invisible to an instrument for a greater cause.
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Let me preface. I have been a supporter of the Invisible Children since 2006. I have been following these guys since they were just some kids from the US traveling to a 3rd world country looking for a story. I have followed them into the depths of Uganda where they discovered hundreds of orphans hiding in flooded, rotting basements fearing for their lives and missing their loved ones that they either watched being murdered...or were forced to murder themselves.
I've had experience with Invisible Children when they came to Evangel. I was even seriously considering becoming a "roadie" for a season. A few months ago, I got to meet up with IC again when they came to Aveda, but this time I got to meet one of the former victims of the guerilla warfare. She talked about how before the IC came into her country, she would walk to school in fear for her life, sometimes witnessing her friends being abducted before her eyes...wondering if she was next. Now, she has hope that she will never have to relive those days again.
So the article. Word has it that Invisible Children has come under fire for using only 31% of their donations toward "helping". Now, assuming the statement provided in the article is true, every expense is laid out for the organization. When I look at it, I would say they're pretty legit. The "31%" seems to be a random number that the author decided to type out to try and shock people into ceasing in posting this video onto their facebook/email. The organization does not only build facilities to help, but forms teams that travel around the United States raising money and awareness for the cause (roadies). You can have Invisible Children come to your school FREE OF CHARGE. How is it free of charge when there are people who are taking months off work and school to travel around and help save these kids? Donations. Just like any other Charitable Organization, there is a lot more that goes into serving a cause. But what really matters is that it gets the job done and lives are saved.
They have a 3 star rating on Charity Navigator, not 2, and the only reason they had points deducted was because they HAVE been audited...only not by an entire committee. That's an automatic 7 points. The other few points were because their Privacy Policy was not deemed easily accessible enough (minor citation). Everything else they have come out of golden. Because I've been following them for so long, I can tell you that only a year ago they were about half a million dollars in the hole while planning their projects such as their schools, medical facilities, and NOW their "911" system to try and stop the guerilla warfare. So if they're swimming in money and this is a scam, and if they're ignoring poverty and diseases, then how come lives ARE being drastically changed and all these systems are being put in place? How come they are ensuring these kids are helped even if they don't know where their next check is coming from?
Invisible Children HAS made a huge difference, I can tell you that from seeing their very first video made when they decided to jump ship and travel to Uganda without a single dime in their pocket to save an entire race. How many people actually do that? Expenses for airfare are completely legit, what good are you going to do building a project in another country by sitting safely in front of your computer? How can you truly understand your cause without putting yourself directly in those peoples' shoes? They are risking their lives every time they go over there. And yes, they need the funding to raise awareness. And yes, they need to be able to support their families while they're off in a third world country risking their lives for a community of people that no one thought existed.
I would also encourage you to watch the original video of when the guys traveled to Uganda and discovered this story.


It all makes a difference, the person writing this article needs to do their research, because I have met one of those children and she told me all about it. I have also taken the time to look at the costs (assuming the document itself is fact), and they look entirely legit. However, Invisible Children will be traveling to my school again in the next few weeks and I plan on printing off this document and presenting it to them. I'm going to ask questions and get my facts straight. Which is what we should all do before jumping on bandwagons without being educated as to where they came from or where they're headed.
There are orphans who thought they would have been better off dead who now, finally, feel like they have a purpose. They can go to school, have hobbies, eat every day. As someone who has had personal involvement with this organization for many years, it is upsetting to see people trying to sabotage this cause simply because they don't wish to be spammed with videos from people who have a heart to help the helpless, or they're only taking things at face value.
Do your research.
Save lives.
KONY 2012.

Storing Our Treasures In Heaven

"I can't help it," said Ruby pitifully. "Even if what you say about heaven is true -- and you can't be sure -- it may be only that imagination of yours -- it won't be JUST the same. It CAN'T be. I want to go on living HERE. I'm so young, Anne. I haven't had my life. I've fought so hard to live -- and it isn't any use -- I have to die -- and leave EVERYTHING I care for." Anne sat in a pain that was almost intolerable. She could not tell comforting falsehoods; and all that Ruby said was so horribly true. She WAS leaving everything she cared for. She had laid up her treasures on earth only; she had lived solely for the little things of life -- the things that pass -- forgetting the great things that go onward into eternity, bridging the gulf between the two lives and making of death a mere passing from one dwelling to the other -- from twilight to unclouded day. God would take care of her there -- Anne believed -- she would learn -- but now it was no wonder her soul clung, in blind helplessness, to the only things she knew and loved.

Anne of the Island - Chapter XIV "The Summon"

A few mornings ago, I woke up, shuffled to the kitchen to get my morning coffee, and sat down at the computer. One of the first things I do is check my email for a daily devotional that I receive from Internet Cafe Devotions. Next, like almost any other American, I check my Facebook. One of the leaders from my church back in Michigan had posted in their status the parable of the 5 talents in Matthew 25 ("Talents" refer to Greek money). If you don't know the story, it's about a master who entrusts 3 of his servants each with a certain amount of talents according to their abilities. The first servant, who was given 5 talents, went right away to invest the talents and returned with double the amount. The second servant did the same. However, the third servant buried his one talent and left it there until his master returned.

Their master returned and asked what each servant had done with the talents given to them. The first two came forward and in response the master praised them, saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things! Come and share your master's happiness!"

When the third servant explained what he did (or didn't do) with his talents, the master was furious. He thought that if anything, the servant should have placed the money in the bank so he could at least return it with interest, rather than hiding it out of sight and out of mind. He took the talents from the servant and gave it to the one with 10 talents, saying "Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them."

From these two readings, I feel like God has been trying clarify a few things for me.

1. We need to keep our focus on storing our treasures in heaven. Who wants to be like little Ruby Gillis, afraid to die because everything she ever invested in or cared about was here? That isn't what we were created for, and I think one of Satan's strongest weapons is making us believe that we were created for this world. So we fight through this world, trying to make a name for ourselves, focusing on being successful and famous...for what reason? Money? Prestige?

But...it isn't about us. It never was about us.

2. Use the talents you're given. Do not hide them away to be "practical" or overly cautious. The master called his servant wicked and lazy for doing so! The servant's reasoning made sense. He knew that his master had harvested where he hadn't sown and gathered where he had not scattered seed. But he hid his talent because he was afraid. 


Have you been given a talent that you're not using? Perhaps you've buried it away because you were afraid. It didn't seem practical. But do you remember what it was like when you were using it? Perhaps it made you come alive. Perhaps that is when you felt closest to God.

There is a reason.

Now, I'm not saying to impulsively dive into things with nothing but feelings to back you up. For instance, I am about to be licensed in Cosmetology. I like cosmetology, I am good at cosmetology. But is it my passion? ...No, not really. But now I feel confident that I will always have a job to help support my family, and that is something I am very happy about. However, I have put my real talents in a little hole I dug and buried them hardly with an afterthought. I felt it was needed as a sacrifice...but now that I'm nearing graduation, I will have more time to dedicate to my true passions. By day I can work in a salon (which has its own perks for creativity and meeting new people), but in my free time I can turn back to my writing and music. If God wants more to come of it, then wonderful. I would love nothing more. It's no secret that making a living from anything that has involvement in the arts is a difficult thing.


Fear.

We need to remember to keep our treasures stored in heaven.

So with that realization I sat down to pray. It sounded a bit like this: "God, I know you have blessed me with many talents. Many talents that are my true passions. Many talents that seem to be the best way in which I've communicated with you and vise versa. More than anything, I want your will to be done in mine and my husband's lives. I have buried some of the talents you have given me and stored my treasures on Earth instead of Heaven. God, I just want to do the right thing in the first place. I don't want to make any movements unless I know for sure that it's what you want, and if you have to wave it in front of my face so that I may figure it out, then please do so!"


Would you believe, God has used my work in Cosmetology to connect me to people that have led me to avenues for the other passions in my life? As long as we are storing our treasures in Heaven, we cannot fail. Sometimes it may seem as though as we are failing, but that's all part of the adventure. Sometimes...things need to be broken down to create something bigger and better. It's in those times when God reminds us that we need Him, and everything does not end here.

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity pp. 136-7


I challenge you today to evaluate your talents. I'm not saying "hey, you probably chose the wrong path in life so you should drop all that right now and start all over again!" What I'm saying is that perhaps you have some talents and passions you were given that you haven't pursued in a long time. Maybe you could dedicate some time to that thing this weekend. Pray about it.

If we invest in our talents, they will multiply and we will have an abundance. So when we get to Heaven, God can say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come and share your master's happiness!"

Homemade Butterfingers and Cran-Apple Cocktail

So for Game Day I decided I really wanted to try some new recipes. I found this recipe for Homemade Butterfingers that only require 3 ingredients. Yes, I said that correctly. 3 ingredients! And they honestly taste JUST like Butterfingers! They aren't as crunchy and flakey, but they're extremely delicious! This is what they contain:

1 lb Candy Corn

16oz Jar Peter Pan Honey Roasted Peanut Butter

16oz Package Chocolate Candy Coating

First, empty the candy corn into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt it on high for 1 minute. Stir and continue heating in 15 minute increments. Stir every time.

Next, stir the peanut butter in until evenly distributed. Make sure you get all the candy corn in the bottom of the bowl mixed in, because it really likes to stick! After everything is mixed together, pour it into an 8x8 pan and let it cool COMPLETELY. I put ours in the refrigerator because it was taking a really long time to cool (and the delicious smell was too tempting!).

After the mix has completely cooled, cut it into squares or rectangles. Then melt the chocolate and dip the pieces in it. Unfortunately, I couldn't have the chocolate, so I pulled a pic off the internet for you to see how they look with chocolate coating. It's easier to keep the chocolate on the top and sides so the bottoms don't get too messy. Let cool, then enjoy!

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Cran-Apple Cocktail

This was a drink recipe that just sounded so delicious I had to try it! I changed some of it to taste. The original recipe only called for 1 cup Ginger Ale and 50mL of Vodka, but we added more Ginger Ale and replaced the Vodka with Silver Tequila. This is what I came up with:

1 Cup Cloudy Apple Juice or Apple Cider

1 Cup Cranberry Juice

1 1/2-2 Cup Ginger Ale (To Taste)

50mL Silver Tequila

Ice

Whisk apple juice, cranberry juice, and tequila in a blender until light pink and frothy. Top with Ginger Ale and ice. Pour and enjoy! Serves 4.

Beach Cookout

Lots of posts today! We've been so busy I haven't gotten a moment's time to work on any writing or reading or photo-editing. I'm very pleased, at least, that taxes and FAFSA are done and all that New Year nitty gritty is at rest.

As I've stated before, mom and Roger have flown south for the winter, so they're staying about an hour away from us. Actually, my mother just finally blogged about some of the renovations they've been doing to their vacation home. You can see it here.

Anyway, Derrick and I decided to collaborate our families and have a nice cookout on the beach. Derrick prepared kabobs, artichoke, veggies, a super special secret family marinade, and of course, I brought the S'mores! I was very shocked to find out that my mother-in-law had NEVER had S'mores! Must be a northern thing. ;) It was funny to see two worlds collide. My family are very country meat-and-potatoes cooks, but Derrick's family practically has culinary running through their veins, naturally. We had never eaten artichoke like that before, so I guess everyone got to experience something new. It was a lot of fun, we exchanged gifts (which is when we received our awesome CROCK POT) and gave everyone a tour of our cozy little apartment. Here are some photos from our day:

The squirrels come right up to you!!

The chef himself.

First S'mores!

DIY Heating Pad

So I got the idea from Pinterest on how to make a homemade heating pad. Actually, it doesn't just need to be used for heating, you may also stick it in the freezer to break fevers. I have some fabric that I can't seem to recall why I purchased it in the first place, so I thought I'd put it to use! I tried to take the best pictures possible, but it's times like this I dearly miss my DSLR!

First, I cut two 6"x18" strips of fabric.

Next, place them together so the fabric's backside is facing out. Pin the edges together and sew all except the end so you can fill it up:

Flip the fabric inside-out (which is actually the correct way so the pattern is on the outside). I filled ours with lentils, but you may also use rice or any other filler that can withstand temperature change. To add fragrance, I emptied a few tea bags into the pouch and added some lavender oil. Aveda's Active Composition is also a great choice, as it has healing qualities that are specifically geared toward relaxing muscles, not to mention a calming aroma!

Mix it all up and sew the end together. Put it in the microwave for 1:30-2 minutes and voila! You've got yourself a nice little heating pad for your relaxation needs!

Update

I apologize for not posting much lately, I've been extremely sick with what started as an allergic reaction and turned into the flu, but it seems we're on the upside now!

Well I officially have less than 3 months until I graduate. Hallelujah!

Had a lovely chat with my best friend, who was my roommate in college. It was so nice to catch up and encourage each other. Actually, it was David who first prophesied that her and her now-husband would get married. hahaha I remember the three of us sitting in the Joust freshman year, and he just blurted it out. Tristen and I just stared at him wide-eyed as if to say, "Where on earth did that come from?" Sure enough, Tristen and Brandon were wed the end of their Junior year. :)

Speaking of David, I'm proud to announce that the US Army has approved David's burial in Arlington National Cemetery. I got chills when I read that! Although the circumstances aren't quite what we would choose, I'm proud that he is being so highly honored as he should be.

To all of you who signed the petition to keep licensure for Cosmetologists/Barbers in the state of Indiana, THANK YOU! Our voices were heard and we did it! This is what was reported on the bill:

Rep. David Wolkins killed HB1006 Wednesday, January 25th. He cited the outcry against the bill by the cosmetology industry. For all who signed, wrote their representatives, attended the hearing and the rally: THANK YOU. We all had a hand in making this happen.

This also makes it less likely that any other state will attempt to pass such a bill. Thanks again for helping to make a difference! :)

So I've had many-a-request to supply a reading list of recommended books. I believe that will be my next post. In case you were unaware, next to writing, I LOVE reading. It's an addiction, really. If I have any dream room some day, it would look a little something like this:

Or this:

So to ensure I leave you with something, I have Slow Cooker recipes! My in-laws were so gracious to give us a Crock-pot (well, two, actually. It came with a little mini one!) for Christmas so I found some recipes for us to try out. Here are a few websites for all your Crock-pot needs!

The Crockin' Girls

A Year of Slow Cooking

Healthy Crock-Pot Recipes

PunchFork Slow Cooker Recipes

Enjoy!