Freedom

Giving Children Hope remains an apolitical organization focusing on directly working with individuals and organizations on the ground and not advocating for political ideologies. That means that our office is composed of people from all walks of life with very different political beliefs, but in the office we work together for a common goal: serving Jesus by serving the poor.

Today there are some who are happy with the election results and some who are sad. But one of the things we are united on here in the office is that voter turnout was up and we all had the chance to make our voices heard. This wasn’t always the case in our own country, and it isn’t the case around the world. So when Americans show up at the polls to vote they are honoring the deaths of many who gave their lives for our freedom. We are thankful for the freedom.

I was recently forwarded an email from a friend I met several years ago while I was attending a wedding in Jerusalem. I stayed with Candice and Erich Strehl in Jerusalem but Candice traveled to the West Bank everyday to work in Bethlehem. Candice and Erich started an organization called Paidia International Development that is doing wonderful work in the West Bank. However, recently they had members accosted by the military at a prayer meeting. They are currently mentioned in a Times article, http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1855914,00.html. It’s a reminder that freedom still does not exist in parts of the world.

So today as a country as we try and unite around a new leader, whether we voted for him or not, we also unite around the fact that being an American implies freedom of expression and freedom in voting. And for that, we are truly proud!