Operation Starvation

Its been a while

I hope no one has forgotten…

We are a gift

Brothers and sisters, who cares if your ‘Christ’mas shopping isnt done. The water you wash your dishes in would give life to 1/3 of the world who has no water. Your eyes are able to process the infinite beauty of Gods majesty. Your lungs are taking in air. Why so worried about gifts? YOU ARE A GIFT.

I think what we fail to recognize, is that even in the worst times of our lives, most of us are still promised tomorrow. There is such a sense of entitlement in America. We have so much at our disposal, oh and how we are good at disposing of things. Our culture is one of using what we want when we feel and getting rid of it once were done. When we take a step back, we realize that even some of the greatest governments of this world view their own citizens as expendable. Calculated risk, collateral damage. Its time to re-humanize those that the media does such a good job of dehumanizing.

Its been six days since the first Operation Starvation hunger strike ended, and my mind is racing as much now as it was the 9 days I went without food. Its nearly impossible to just jump back into a life of energy drinks and 3 meals and snacks in between a day. I feel like I have been enlightened in a sense. I cant say that I felt the pain of someone dying of starvation, but it was indeed torture to watch people finish half a plate of food and throw the rest away with no regard. Its time we begin to realize that we are often times the answer to our prayers.

We are the change. We are the answer the world has been waiting for. You may not realize it yet, but you have the means to restore the lives of the broken, if only you take the time to recognize how powerful you were created to be. We may not end world hunger, or find the prescription to end the wars of this world, but we can do what we can (and how that changes things).

The first hunger strike may be over, and for some part forgotten about, but the change that is taking place in our heads and hearts has only begun. Now its up to you. The revolution begins with eager hearts and educated minds. It really does start with education. The change begins NOW. The change begins with YOU.

To educate yourselves and donate, click here

To check out CANT IGNORE THE POOR apparel, click here

DAY 9 (freedom is coming)

Raised $14,260.76 (92%)

Freedom is coming. On a quiet day, I can hear her around the corner. Today this hunger strike could come to an end. I hope the desire to see change never comes to a close.

Just a reminder at how much the little we have can change a life.

The dollar-medication ratio

$1 - 67 children dewormed

$5 - 333 children dewormed

$10 - 667 children dewormed

$15 - 968 children dewormed

$50 - 3,333 children dewormed

$100 - 6,667 children dewormed

and so on and so forth. You can make the difference. We are just $1239 away from the $15,500 goal to deworm 1,000,000 children. Spread the word. Tell everyone! If everyone who heard that was capable of giving at least a dollar, so many lives would be changed. I am more then ready for a huge celebratory feast of vegetable broth, lol. Lets end this today and remember, that even when this campaign is over, its never truly over.

DONATE HERE

Day 7 & 8 

Raised $10,615 (68%)

Tomorrow is 9 days without food. I have lost 6 1/2 pounds in just 8 days. I didnt even know that was possible. Im guessing its my anemia that is causing most of the fatigue.

I want to write more about the last two days, but its just getting harder and harder to concentrate. My friends, Take It Back! have a song, “New Empires” that has been on repeat in my mind during this last week.

“Ive been tossing in my sleep plagued by the things ive seen. I see grown men in the streets begging for food to eat. I see a young mom in the church shunned because her baby has no father. I see a war on the tv that leaves orphans in the streets and I think to myself what a world we live in, Where people use God’s name to expand their empires. They say its just the way it is, that i should just learn to accept it…well I beg to differ man. I wont give in.

This has to end here. This has to end right now. No longer can we wait for things to all work out. Just open up your eyes and look past your front door. Your sisters in the streets and your brothers at war. Compassion has been lost in a nation built by greed but we could be a generation that is truly free. No longer will we answer to a king who wears a crown but a king who ruled through peace then laid his life down.

Rise up true sons of zion

I will be the change i want to see in the world.”

I really wish I could be more eloquent in these blogs as of lately, but I just cant wrap my minds around us coming to the realization of these silent deaths and remaining silent ourselves. I feel like im slowly dying, and the more I sit and wait, the more I feel close to these children. Its a solidarity that I wouldn’t trade, but it definitely feels strange HAVING to rely on those around you for your next meal.

How much have you eaten today. In the last two hours? Consider how most of the food in our fridge will be forgotten about until we smell something that leads to us tossing its remains. 40% of the food produced in America never makes it into our homes and bellies, but rather gets tossed because of laws protecting liabilities. People die every day, and we seemed to be more concerned with our preferences then the lives being lost. Have I gone crazy calling these things into question, or is the rest of the world crazy for not asking these very same things?

My pain has brought me a reality I would never dare exchange. I hope my heart continues to beat for change long after this goal is met. Lets be the change.

DONATE HERE

Day 6 (Tiger Woods & dirtpies)

Raised $8,444.62 (%54)

I dont have the energy to sit here and and write too much. Today is day 7. I would eat dirt at this point, haha. In Haiti, the folks starving there ACTUALLY do eat dirt. They make these pies with a little water and grain, mostly dirt, sun dried. Most of them will settle for the sickness of eating dirt because its a much better sickness then dealing with the pains of starvation.

This has NOTHING to do with overpopulation and starvation. Its greed. We cant deal with the injustice in the world until we deal with the injustice in our hearts. These beautiful starving children are in Gods hands, yes, but lets not forget that we are those same hands. If they continue to die silent deaths, its not because of political indifference, its because we heard the story and remained silent. Intestinal parasites are not fashionable. This is why these childrens stories dont flood our news headlines. The unedited transcripts of Tiger Woods texts to a secret lover seem to be a much better topic of discussion. A kid starving himself to show the world the unjustice we allow just bums us out. Back to Tiger…

DONATE HERE

Day 5 & the 13 yr old angel

Raised $5,980.12 (38%)

This morning I was invited to Washington High School in Washington, Indiana to talk to their 7th grade, 8th grade, and highschoolers about Operation Starvation. It was amazing to see these kids so excited about getting involved. One girl came and gave me 30cents and said she knew it wouldn’t help much but its all she had. I dont know what it is, but there is just something about the faith these children have that we somehow lose as we creep into adulthood.

Speaking of kids, I got an email from a friend in Cincinnati that encouraged me so much.

“Ok I just have to send you this bc it really touched my heart. 

My neighbor came over and I was talking with him a little bit about Operation Starvation and I asked him to give some money blah blah. Well you know, he gave me the run around and then mentioned something about personal goals. Well wouldn’t you know that this little 13 year old says, “Well man, I don’t want to be rude or anything bc I don’t really know you but you’re talking about personal goals and this guy could die from not eating. Think about all those kids man, and put your own goals on hold. Bc later you might regret not doing what you should of done.”

I am not even kidding, this is basically word for word. Then she goes on later to tell me, “Don’t you think that poor people and stuff maybe know God more than all them rich people, maybe a little more, bc they are living simply and stuff and they talk to God more bc they have to ask him for things?”

Wow. She’s 13 man. And she lives in poverty and in a broken home. How the f*ck are people missing this. 

She searched my house for a jar, took a flier we made and told me that she was taking it to school to get some money together. Then after I dropped her off at home tonight she txts me and says, “I asked my family to help and we already raised $3.50! I am so excited!”. Hang in there man. I know that you are really suffering right now. I hope this encourages you a bit.”

Out of EVERYONE I have talked to about Operation Starvation, the most amazing responses have come from the children. They may not be able to completely wrap their minds around the problem, but what they do know is that its wrong and are willing to  give nearly all of what they have to help someone in need.

Tonight was a little hard. I had such a horrible headache all night, and my muscles are extremely sore. My stomach keeps waking me up ANYTIME I fall asleep, and if I do finally fall asleep for what I think is for good, my bladder wakes me up when my stomach doesn’t. I laid on a couch tonight wondering why its taking so long for people to understand the urgency of this movement, and in the midst of all of my pains and doubts, I read this email. I am blessed. We all are. The pain seems so worth it when I see the hearts of these children leap for joy knowing that they can change the world. We are coming close to half of the goal. Lets keep spreading the word. Change is just around the corner.