legacy.

If I ever have children, I want poverty to be just a bedtime story that I tell them.

I recently volunteered at the TEAR National Conference. It was a refreshing and inspiring time for me as it renewed my hopes for the future.

As I sat with my sister for lunch one day she introduced me to Marty ~ it turns out this wasn't the first time I had met him, but it had been more than 20 years. My family lived in community for the first few years of my life ~ with another young family, and Marty. I remember sitting with him on the driveway eating a smartie cake!

As we caught up on each others lives, he talked proudly of his daughter and her passion to make a difference in the lives of the poor. She's 13 and doing incredible advocacy and fundraising with her friends. She's eager to take a InDeep trip with TEAR or a similar exposure trip.

Shortly after I spoke with Marty, his daughter Tahlia and her friends presented TEAR with a massive cheque. They had raised $10, 000 for TEAR through baking, sewing, even weeding! It was so inspirational I have to admit, I teared up!

Yesterday my dear friend Ruth Lesmana posted this quote:

 “We are the next generation. It’s up to us to speak out about what is right. To learn lots about what is going on. I am still learning. Get involved. Get in there and start talking about what you feel strongly and passionately about. We can make a difference. They think ‘It’s just little me and I can’t do anything’. But with a few friends, you can make a big difference"

This is a quote from Marty's daughter Tahlia.
Just beautiful.
Thankyou girls, for your deep passions and aspirations to make poverty history.

The entire article can be found here.

At our youth group, we've been encouraging our young people that they have the power to make a difference and pass on a great legacy for the future. Talk about legacy!!! This bunch of people are trail-blazing a legacy of passionate, knowledgable change-makers. And its also thanks to their families, friends and community that inspire their visions and support their ventures.

It takes a village to raise a child.
~Ancient African Proverb