Bread for the World

The conference for BFW was held in Washington DC, specifically American University. We spent a day and a half in workshops, discussing how we can invision a world without poverty and hunger. The last day was devoted to lobbying in front of our senators and representatives/foreign aid staff, also known as Lobby Day.

Washington DC is one of my favorite cities I have visited. It has an energy that is a mix between the underlying history of our nation and also the diversity of a city at the brink of what seems to be the blood, sweat and tears of working individuals. It is also full of power and aggressive tactics of people who do not know the meaning of a 9-5 work day. This type of environment was also reflected in the people I encountered at Bread for the World. A woman heading to Africa to use her love for writing to advocate for women who have a life expectancy of 38, a young woman headed to Northwestern whose parents came here from Haiti and who loves Michelle Obama more than myself, which is a hard task. Also, many powerful people involved in the push for the service God is calling us for related to the homeless and the poverty stricken. A man, who Newsweek deemed one of the top 8 people to watch for in 2009 and a speaker at BFW, called our generation the "anoited generation". Not the generation of facebook and twitter but a generation capable of leading us out of poverty and economic disparity.

I took two workshops, one concerning how we tell our stories and the power in our stories. The other one focused on photography and how we use these photos to tell a story. All the photographers used their art to convey messages about other cultures or growing social injustices.

The most invigorating part of the trip was definitely Lobby Day. We had set interviews with Senator Ben Nelson and Senator Mike Johanns. We were lobbying not for money but for reform to a bill entitled H.R. 2139 "The Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act". Asking senators to support this piece of legislation that is soon to be introduced. The Reform Act is initiating more sustainable ways we can interact with countries in order to reduce poverty. I thought I would be more nervous but we got a lot of training and information regarding the bill itself. Then everyone at the conference split into their different regional groups and then into seperate states. We were lucky to have an experienced lobbyist who had been doing work in foreign policy reform, who was originally from Egypt. He gave us many pointers on how to most effectively communicate. It was very comforting to know that Senator Johanns took the time to hear what we had to say and that he was willing to hear what we had to say regarding the bill. It was also exciting to be so passionate about a very bi-partisan issue such as fighting for the eradication of poverty and hunger.

Overall what I took away was that hunger does not know a race, a culture or type of person. You can set out to accomplish many things in life but sometimes the razor's edge of a world of unknowns can tornado you into an unexpected journey. I can see the effect that Bread for the World, as well as, my continued understanding of the ministries in Omaha is having on me. A person asks me for change and I am slow to say no. I am even quicker to provide dignity above all else, even if I am not comfortable in providing money. For now the feeling of hunger comes and goes but as it passes through me I can't help but remember those with constant hunger and how paralyzing that is. I think I finally understand what Johnny Cash was singing about in Folsom Prison Blues, that if God meant all, the prisoners, the homeless should be reached just as much as and just as devotly, as a mega church pursues its message of Jesus Christ as our Savior. All means All.