Why Travel Matters: Stories from Bangladesh

The thing I love about travel is how it can change people. And not only that, how two people traveling on the same trip can be impacted in different ways by the people that they meet. In 2018, I had the opportunity to travel with World Vision to the slums of Bangladesh. I will never forget the small group of street children {ages 8-14} that spent the bulk of their days working and their afternoons at a special school run by World Vision that was formed to help them keep up in the classes they were missing. I won't forget the eight-year-old child that told me that she gleans for work scraping up the tiny grains of rice that were thrown to the floor at a local market. Gleaning was something I didn't even know was still something being done outside of Bible times but this child was working 6-8 hours daily doing it to help provide food for her family. I also will never forget seeing for myself how very dangerous life in the slums can be and how children are literally slipping through the cracks and drowning.

Paula was with me on that trip. She is a faithful volunteer and is now a World Vision employee in Nashville, TN. I really got to know her on that trip to Bangladesh and have come to love her like a sister. Sometimes when we travel, it takes months or even years to process fully the experience, especially travel with an NGO to a hard place like Bangladesh. I've heard Paula talk about the impact of one of our security details, a man named Delowar, but when she typed up her story, I finally got a chance to really see how that "chance" encounter has changed her life.

Paula has graciously allowed me to share her story here.

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I Was Wrong About Parenting Teenagers

We had only just met, but the first thing this mom of young girls said to me when she found out I had a 17-year-old daughter was "how bad is it?" It took me a second to figure out what she was talking about because it's been about a decade since I expressed my concern over raising teenagers with any of my friends. Once the lightbulb turned on and I realized what she was talking about, I went back to the mantra I repeat often with parents of young children and I said: "I was wrong about parenting teenagers." It's something I wish someone had told me when my three kids were younger, so now I feel like I mention this sentiment on repeat even when people don't ask for my opinion. 

I never was one to have a favorite stage of childhood. I grab infants from their parents at church, I make faces at the toddler in the grocery cart, I talk about books with the elementary-aged kid I see at the library. But if I'm honest, the people I like the most are teenagers. When I went to Ecuador with World Vision recently to watch the launch of their new Chosen campaign, I got on the ground with babies and zoomed cars around with toddlers. I taught school-aged kids how to play Jenga {they'd been playing it all wrong! What would they have ever done without me?} but it was the group of teenage volunteers that had me the most excited.

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Why Giving Kids Choices Matters

"You can choose this one or this one," I explained to my nearly three-year-old daughter, pointing to the two carefully selected {and matching} outfits I picked for her.  "I want these ones," she said, ignoring the two choices I had given her and pulling out her own option from several different drawers in her dresser as if she'd already planned the outfit out the night before. Many of our mornings ended in a power struggle over what my daughter was going to wear that day. On this particular fall day, she selected for herself a turquoise two-piece bathing suit, a navy blue pea coat, and a purple hat.  Welp, guess it's good we don't actually have to get out of the house today I thought, giving in once again. 

I didn't always give in but I knew how important it was to empower kids and let them have a choice. I wanted my kids to be able to make choices in the safety of our home. But what if kids were raised without having a choice? What if their life circumstances had taken away even their most basic choices? How could a child be preparing to make choices for their future if they weren't able to make decisions in the present?

Last week I was given the opportunity to travel with World Vision to Ecuador, where I got to see how one of the largest NGO's working in the world is empowering children and giving kids in extreme poverty the power of choice through a new initiative called Chosen.

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 7: One Child at a Time

You did it! You made it to the end of our 7-day text challenge. We were in this together and I'm so glad that you joined me. In case you are new here, read a little bit more about the Matthew 25 challenge.  Now it's time to celebrate! I can't wait to see how this experience has shaped you and your family.  Several years ago, I read a quote by Shane Claiborne, in his book Irresistible Revolution that says "the problem is not that American Christians do not care about the poor. The problem is that American Christians do not know the poor" How true is this! We care when we know. When we hear about true need and crisis, American people are quick to step up and help when they can.

It's so hard to know how we can know about those needs, but I hope that this week's Matthew 25 challenge helped to open your eyes so that you have a larger world view.

Want your final challenge???

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 6: There is Hope

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25 Challenge. To learn more about the challenge, click here.

"...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me..." Today's challenge is to go on a 30-minute prayer walk around your community. You may be tempted to skip this challenge, but don't miss this! I really think this walk can be encouraging to you. 

Family challenge: bake cookies or some banana bread {this is my mom's banana bread recipe!}, and drop them off for a neighbor on your walk. 

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 5: Childhood Lost

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25 Challenge. In case you missed it, you can get the whole explanation here. 
"...I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me..." Today's challenge is to pray for someone you know that is going through a hard time. 
Family challenge: put together a blessing bag you can keep in your car to hand to someone in need. A blessing bag is easy to make! Fill a Ziploc bag with non-perishable food items like granola bars and water bottles as well as personal care items like a toothbrush, shampoo, and wipes. 

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 4: Giving Versus Sacrifice

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25 Challenge. To learn more about the challenge, click here.

"...I needed clothes and you clothed me..." Today's challenge is to wear the same clothes that you wore yesterday.  Family challenge: spend some time going through each member in the family's closet and select a few nice items {clothes, toys, etc...} to give away. 

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 3: Fear Chases Away Compassion

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25  Challenge. To learn more about the challenge check out this post. 
"...I was a stranger and you invited me in." Today's challenge has you sleeping on the floor tonight. Do not skip this one! Most people who take this challenge find that this night is the most impactful challenge from the whole week. It also provides an opportunity for you to have a real discussion with your children about the refugee crisis. 
Family challenge: make a necklace using a key to wear {or you can purchase one here}. Many times a refugee family will leave their home and will carry their house key with them in hopes of returning again. Wear the key around your neck as a reminder of those people who have been forced to leave their homes.

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 2: Water is Life

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25  Challenge. In case you missed it, here's how you can join! It's not too late to opt in. Simply text M25 to 44888 and join me across social media @msrachelteodoro and follow the #m25challenge.

"I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink." Today's challenge is to drink only water. Give up all beverages except water {yep, even coffee, sorry friends}.  Family challenge: take a walk to a local water source {a drainage pond, creek or puddle} and fill a plastic water bottle with the water you find there. Carry that bottle around with you today. This will be a great conversation starter at work or at school. Take the time to engage in conversation about the global water crisis.

photo 2017 World Vision/Jon Warren

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Don't Miss Out on This Matthew 25 Challenge

Last week I came to you with a little challenge. Together, we will be joining in a week-long text challenge through World Vision called The Matthew 25 Challenge. It's easy for me to get comfortable and forget that there are families that struggle to have even the most basic necessities like clean water. I can easily forget that nearly 1600 children under the age of five die every day because of diarrhea from dirty drinking water. I can ignore the headlines about refugees and seek out the gossip in the entertainment section. I can scroll through Instagram and be totally oblivious to anything happening anywhere beyond those squares. 
Let's quit ignoring these things but instead challenge ourselves to get out of our comfort zones and grow as individuals. Let's take the resources available and join in this challenge with our children because when we know better, we can do better. 
Want to know more? Read on!

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Rock Your World With This Matthew 25 Challenge!

I was only seven, but I still remember how I felt in 1985 when I memorized every line of the song "We Are the World." I have very vivid memories sharing a snack with a friend that summer while talking as deeply as any elementary-aged child could about how there were children dying and that we needed to eat our freshly-picked cherry tomatoes with the idea of starvation in mind. This was the first time I remember my heart breaking for those in need. 
I was almost in middle school before I met anyone who had skin that was a different color than my own. I grew up deep in the heartland and I've had to be intentional about opening my eyes to learning more about this world because, to be honest, I was downright ignorant. 
God tends to speak to me through music. Several years ago, before a trip to journalist trip to Zambia that I didn't feel even remotely prepared for, there were some lyrics in a song by Matt Maher that we sang at church. The line says "you shattered my darkness, washed away my blindness, now I'm breathing in and breathing out, I'm alive again!" And I couldn't help but think about how God had been opening my eyes to poverty, sickness and the overwhelming needs of children and families all over the world. 

It's easy for me to get comfortable in my home and forget the way that families struggle to have even the most basic necessities like clean water. I can easily forget that nearly 1600 children under the age of five die every day because of diarrhea from dirty drinking water. I can ignore the headlines about refugees and seek out the gossip in the entertainment section. Or I can scroll through Instagram and be totally oblivious to anything happening anywhere beyond those squares.  I know I'm not the only one.  It's why I'm joining with World Vision to bring you a little challenge. A challenge we are going to join in together. A challenge you can do with your whole family. 

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Life in the Slums of Bangladesh

In February, I had the opportunity to travel with World Vision to the slums of Dhaka and the rural community of Mymensingh. My heart has always been broken for Africa and the people of that continent, and like a mother expecting her second child, I almost wondered how I'd have room to love people from another country just as much as I loved those I met in Uganda and Zambia. Last week I was able to share with a group of passionate volunteers about the work that World Vision is doing in Bangladesh. I have posted a little about that trip, but I wanted to share with you about what was on my heart that day that I shared. Like all stories, it's a woven tapestry of threads that are interconnected but it ends with the same common theme. 

If you were to ask me about my trip to Bangladesh, this is what I would share.

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The One Essential Item to Pack on an International Trip

There are some faces you will never forget. Some experiences that will always be imprinted on your mind. I'm always amazed at how much travel can take you out of your comfort zone but at the same time it feels just like home. Smiles speak the same language and people are people regardless of their skin tone or life situations. We all have a story to tell. Packing for a trip across the world takes some thought. I usually start a pile of things I don't want to forget to pack {use this list to help} and add to it as I go, but now, I have one more thing that I would always add to a packing list. It doesn't take up much room in your suitcase, but when you bring it, your heart will grow at least two sizes when you see the wonder and joy it brings. 

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Light the Spark in a Child's Eyes

I guess I really didn't know what to expect when we walked out of the airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In my mind I had prepared myself for a smog-filled haze blanketing the crowded city with a constant body odor smell. I was pleasantly surprised. I guess that's why one of the first things I saw was what my brain continued to fixate on during my whole trip and it's the one thing I will continue to remember long after I'm gone. What caught my eye was a young girl standing at a glass window looking excitedly into the arrivals with her big brother. I'm not sure who she was waiting for, but her eyes had this sparkle and I could tell she was anxiously anticipating someone special. That sparkle though. Man. 

That sparkle is what I'm still reflecting on a week after my trip with World Vision into the field to see how they are creating long lasting change in the lives of the most vulnerable children, families and communities.  I started to expect to see that sparkle in every child's eyes, but once a child hit school age, it wasn't always a given. The eyes started to dull and the realities of a life in extreme poverty wore down that light until sometimes you were looking into a dark expressionless void. Poor water and sanitation, the highest rate worldwide for early marriage, children entering the workforce before puberty, those are the realities that plague a child's future in Bangladesh and dull that sparkle.  I sat next to a man on the long flight home who was coming from a wedding of some friends in India. Both of us sat quiet for hours until a conversation was started by my seat mate. We talked for quite some time about the similarities of the extreme poverty we saw in both countries. His trip was quite different though. He left with more questions and I left knowing that there was hope. 

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Comparing Two Holiday Gift Catalogs

Ask most little girls what is on their Christmas wish list and they won't hesitate to tell you an American Girl doll. My daughter was the same way for years. Every Christmas she would flip through the American Girl catalog and earmark the new dolls and accessories she was pining after. As a kid, I loved dolls. As a mom, I love a company that addresses the fact that while our girls are getting older younger, they are striving to save girlhood.

For some reason, I'm still on the catalog's mailing list even though my daughter is old enough to legally drive a vehicle. Every year around this time, I get two catalogs in my mailbox - an American Girl holiday gift guide and the World Vision Gift Catalog - and every year my mind starts churning. 

You see, I've been to some pretty hard places and seen some pretty hard things. I've met girls who wished they could have a childhood but instead they were busy struggling to survive. I met a girl in Zambia who thought she was going blind, but it turns out she was allergic to the dogs that she shared her water source with - so much so that it blurred her vision and made her eyes swell shut. 

Another young girl named Nerott walks more than 9 miles each way just to go to school, a walk that takes her nearly three hours. She tries to walk with a friend because she lives in an area that is at high risk for child sacrifice and kidnappings, but because of poor water conditions her friend is often sick, leaving her to make the long walk alone and vulnerable. 

So what do these two girls have to do with the American Girl catalog? I'm glad you asked.

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My Birthday Thoughts, a New Favorite Number, and a Word for the Year

Do you have a lucky number? I always thought mine was seven. My birthday is on September 7 of '78 (today!) and I weighed 7 pounds and 7 ounces at birth. I kind of clung to the number seven and I've used it nearly every time I've needed to pick a number. I can't think of a single time when it's been lucky for me. I always say that when my name or ticket is entered into a drawing that it's really just in there for filler. I never win anything. As they say, some people have all the luck. I'm just not one of those people. 
My youngest son started telling me about his favorite number. Number 64 in case you were wondering. He says he sees it everywhere. I kind of like the idea of throwing away the idea of a lucky number and starting to think of a favorite number. 
Know what number I've been seeing everywhere lately? The number 39. It's kind of fitting because today I turn 39. I'm starting the final year of my 30's and I'm inching closer to a milestone birthday. I'm ready for it. With that in mind, I want to share something I've been thinking about a lot and a word I'm using that will shape my year.

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Fasting for the Famine in East Africa and Resources to Take Action

We read a lot of Dr. Seuss in our house. My husband grew up with the stories and the legacy has lived on as we read them to our children. The large hardcover books have made their home on the book shelves of every one of our three kids and even though the youngest is in middle school, we still find ourselves flipping through our favorites from time to time. 

There is one book called "Horton Hears a Who" that is a family favorite. The elephant named Horton is splashing in a pool when he hears a speck of dust talking to him. Horton vows to take care of the voices he hears on the speck because after all "a person's a person, no matter how small." And while I love that profound statement, that's not why this book came to mind.

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What You Need to Know About the East Africa Hunger Crisis

I was only seven, but I still remember how I felt in 1985 when I memorized every line of the song "We Are the World." I have very vivid memories sharing a snack with a friend that summer while talking as deeply as any elementary-aged child could about how there were children dying and that we needed to eat our freshly-picked cherry tomatoes with the idea of starvation in mind. My heart broke then for Ethiopia and the nearly million people who died because of the famine in those years and it's breaking now. 
Did you know that there is a famine happening in East Africa right now? Millions of people are experiencing unprecedented hunger and famine in Africa and it feels like no one is talking about it. No one. But for these mothers, these children, these families, it is important that you hear their cries. That you see them. That you know. 

Photo: ©2017 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren
This mother and children are trying to suck the marrow from the donkey bones that litter the landscape in their village. There is nothing to eat or drink and their last cow died in the night. Fathers have begun hunting for vulture and hyena-the animals that scavenge the bones from other animals. They dry the stomachs of the hyena to eat. The malnutrition rate has spiked and according to Nanaam Health Center nurse John Cheruiyot, "it's the highest I can remember." He says, "this is a very serious problem."

So today, I'm taking some time to share about the East Africa Hunger Crisis because so many of us don't know. And then, I want to tell you how you can help. I want to give you a chance to respond and share this so that other people can hear, because we need to do something to help these people.
Did you memorize "We Are the World" as a child too? Do you remember the first lines? The ones that say "there comes a time when we heed a certain call. When the world must come together as one. There are people dying, and it's time to lend a hand to life. The greatest gift of all." The time is now. 

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Open Your Child's Eyes to Poverty- 5 Ways You Can Get Started

I'm raising three white children in a middle-class home in a suburb of Seattle, WA. We live in a gated neighborhood where there is nary a sign of any real want. Sure, we see tents along the highway in the city where homeless camps have been set up and we pass by, make eye contact and smile at those men and women holding signs at the intersection, but how do we really help our kids grasp the reality of poverty when we are so far removed from it.
Several years ago, I read a quote by Shane Claiborne, in his book Irresistible Revolution that says "the problem is not that American Christians do not care about the poor. The problem is that American Christians do not know the poor"
How true is this! We care when we know. When we hear about true need and crisis, American people are quick to step up and help when they can. But how do we get to know the poor and the needs of those in poverty?
Poverty in America looks very different than poverty in developing and third world countries. My hope is that our children will have a larger worldview that includes people to the ends of the earth. So how do we open our children's eyes to poverty? I'm sharing five ways today that I hope will help you know where to start.

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Comparing Two Catalogs

This time of year I get a ton of catalogs.  Well, not really a ton because to be honest I rarely buy anything from them so I usually get taken off lists rather quickly, but I do get some catalogs.  I picked up a few of them and started flipping through while I was eating breakfast one morning.  

These are the two I picked up. The World Vision gift catalog and the American Girl catalog. I must say, that was an interesting start to the morning that really got me thinking about a few things.

Let me start with the American Girl catalog.  I have a 13 year old daughter who has a few American Girl dolls thanks to garage sales. I have never purchased anything from the actual American Girl store other than lunch one afternoon a few years ago when my mom and I took my daughter on a girls day and enjoyed a little after Christmas shopping.  My daughter realized that the $50 gift card that she had received for Christmas could purchase her barely one outfit for her 18" doll. 

Don't get me wrong. I love American Girl. I remember wanting one when they came out when I was a kid and I picked one up as quickly as I could when I found one for $5 at a garage sale. I tucked that garage sale find away one year and it appeared under the Christmas tree for my daughter. I love that the American Girl dolls encourage girls to be girls and provide an opportunity for them to maintain their childhood in the most wholesome way.

However, I don't love their price tag and like I said, I've been lucky enough to score a fair amount of American Girl dolls and their accessories used and at a fraction of the price over the years. While we could afford to buy American Girl doll at retail prices {the average doll will set you back around $120}, we have chosen not to because we would rather use that money so that we can be more generous in other areas of our life. More on that later. 

While perusing the American Girl catalog, the last page has the American Girl promise which says:

We promise to never stop believing in the unlimited potential in all girls.  We're dedicated to creating products, services and experiences that help boost confidence, ignite creativity, and fuel connections. It's our job to remind the world--and girls--how strong, brilliant, and brave they can be.

I couldn't agree more! Especially with that last line.  Let's take a second to break down that promise and see how it is that American Girl is fulfilling that promise with their products.

You can purchase accessories for your American Girl doll that will help normalize life events that an everyday girl has that will hopefully boost her confidence. If your daughter wears orthodontic head gear, you can buy a healthy smile set for $14. If your child is in a wheelchair, your doll can be too for $38. A hearing aid can be added to any doll for $14 and if your child has food allergies, you can buy an allergy-free lunch with safe {plastic} foods and a faux allergy shot for $28. Boosting confidence? Check.

I used to play pretend school all the time when I was a kid. One summer, my best friend and I charged the neighborhood kids $5 a day to go to our school. We even had a field trip to the fire station on our block.

If your daughter loves school like I did, you can buy Mary Ellen's classroom set for $40. It includes a two sided map, chalkboard, stand, pointer and a set of flashcards. You can even get a school supply set with a backpack filled with paper, pencils and a book for only $30.

I'm a big fan of encouraging music and the arts. You can purchase a music and entertainment set for $85. Or purchase a painting set just for your doll for $36! Ignite creativity? Check.

Does your daughter have an entrepreneurial spirit? Maybe she loves to bake and dreams of one day owning a cupcake shop.  You can get a complete pastry set and cart for $150. The pastry set has a cart with pretend treats and business supplies. If a gourmet kitchen set is something she dreams of, you can buy one for $225. Fuel connections? Check.

There are so many fun creative products available in the American Girl catalog and on their website that every girl is sure to find something that she will love. 

But I couldn't help but notice that while I could buy doll sized accessories that will help "boost confidence, ignite creativity and fuel connections," I could also do the same thing for real actual people purchasing real actual items that would create a lasting impact. 

You know that last line in the American Girl promise statement about reminding the world--and girls, how strong, brilliant and brave they are?  Well friends, I want to remind the world that there are real girls facing real issues that are strong and brilliant and brave. Whose lives could be changed if you swapped out buying a dolls bike with faux leather seat for a real bike for a girl in need so that she can attend school. 

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