I have never been to Haiti.
But when I was in Uganda with Compassion International I saw the hearts and process of this ministry and can say beyond measure that it is the most amazing ministry for the downtrodden I have been around.
They have a way you can help.
1. Pray for the staff and children.
2. Give.
* $35 helps provide a relief pack filled with enough food and water to sustain a family for one week.
* $70 gift helps care for their needs for two weeks.
* $105 helps provide relief packs filled with enough food and water to sustain two families for two weeks.
* $210 gift helps care for two families’ needs.
* $525 provides relief packs filled with enough food and water to sustain 10 families for two weeks.
* $1,050 gift cares for 10 families’ needs.
* $1,500 helps rebuild a home.
* $2,100 supplies 20 families with the basics for three weeks.

For Haiti
Los

My wife is in El Salvador right now.
She has been blogging about the AMAZING things that Compassion International is doing over there.
YOU MUST go catch up on everything that she is doing.
When you do…catch the vision…sponsor a child…and change a life.
Do you sponsor a child…Tell us your story.

Los

We sponsor our kids.
Try and remember to write.
Smile every once in a while when we walk by.
Try and tell our kids that they are real.
Until today.

It went from this…

To this…

They are as real as you and I.
And my kids now know.

Sponsor a child here and change a life…

HOW COOL WAS THAT!!!!!
Los
[that was the first time a Compasison sponsored child has ever met her extended "family" over the internet. amazing]

This is Carlos.
He has a rad name.
He has also been waiting for a sponsor for over 6 months.
That is way longer than necessary.
Carlos’ world is about to change if someone decides to sponsor him right now.
Will that be you?
In Feb of 2007 I went to Uganda with Compassion International and can say without reservation that this is the most complete and thorough child development program out there.
These kids lives are changed.
Here is a short clip of Shannon meeting her child.

These kids are real.
So.
If Carlos gets sponsored and you don’t get to sponsor him, it’s ok…
There is a whole slew of kids right here that could use your support.

Do you sponsor any children through Compassion International?
Los

LET US KNOW IF YOU SPONSORED CARLOS!!!

All Proceeds Go To Compassion International from freshINK on Vimeo.

You are sad because the limited GREY Ragamuffin Tees are sold out.
Well we are going to give you a chance to sport one.
But.
And it’s a Big BUT.
They are $50.00.
WHAT!!!!!
Here is the catch.
ALL proceeds go to Compassion International Global Food Fund.
Not 5 dollars a shirt.
But 50 bones a shirt.
All of it.
50 dollars a month feeds more than 3 children for an entire month.
A dramatic rise in the cost of food in recent months has created a life-threatening crisis for millions of the world’s poorest families.
Most Compassion-assisted children and their families have been affected and some have been absolutely devastated.

There are only 30 left…
Go get yours and help.

Thanks guys…
Los

A few months ago you guys bought the limited edition Ragamuffin Tees and over 1000 dollars went to the Compassion International Global Food Crisis Fund.
Well I wanted to remind you of the gift that keeps on giving.
Our Ragamuffin Vneck Tees are available and you can get them by Christmas if you order HERE!!!!

W Got The V-Necks from freshINK on Vimeo.

Remember…
If you buy a shirt a child in Africa will get clean water FOR A WHOLE YEAR!!!
Compassion International gets my entire profit. 5 Bucks per shirt.
I see nothing. No money. Zero. Zip.
So help give clean water and make yourself a bit sexier while you do it.

You love blogs.
Be proud.

Los

Brad Ruggles!!!!

Big ups to BLIRTS.COM and their entire team for pulling this thing off.
HUGE UPS to Brad for a killer design.
In all honesty. I would have worn 4 or 5 of those designs. But your vote was heard.
WE ARE ONLY PRINTING 100 FIRST RUN!!! BE THE FIRST TO SPORT RUGGLES DESIGN.
Here are the details on how you can own your very own Ragamuffin Soul shirt and where 100% of my profit goes to…

For every shirt sold…
1. a child will get clean water for a year in Africa.
2. Blirts makes a profit. (5 dollars)
3. All the profit RagamuffinSoul makes (5 dollars) will be donated to Compassion Internationals Global Food Crisis Fund. I won’t see a penny.

So you can order your T-Shirt HERE
So you can order your T-Shirt HERE
So you can order your T-Shirt HERE
So you can order your T-Shirt HERE

We are going to fill you on on ever step in Web 2.0 fashion on Blirts.com and here.
Wear a sweet shirt, feed the needy, and tell your friends what a blog is.
Los

Hey guys and gals. Down in the bottom right of my sidebar you will see a new Compassion International widget.
I am the slow blogger who just got that on there.
If you have ever thought of sponsoring a child.
Stop thinking and do it!!!
Go click the widget and change a life. Quite seriously.
Your sacrifice of 5 Starbucks a month changes a families life FOREVER!!!
Let me know if and when you do!!!
Carlos

So here I sit. In what I would assume to be the most expensive church building in the greater Atlanta area.
I am sitting in my office having finished catching up with half of my employees after my trip.
I just took a walk around the auditorium and felt so small in it. I mean it seats 3000 people.
We project our senior pastor on a life size video screen with a projector that costs more than most small mortgages.
I sat in the balcony and waited.
Waited.
Waited to be repulsed after the poverty that I saw last week in Uganda.
Where was it?
Where was the nausea?
Where was the anger?
It was not there. I must be calloused. I must be a freaking stone wall.
No.
Then I remembered a statement that Spence told me last week.
He said this.

When we go home, we must remember this. You CANNOT romanticize poverty.

And so here I sit. Alone in my office knowing that God has given this place to the people of Buckhead in order to reach more for Christ so that they IN TURN can feed the homeless and care for the widows.
Then I began to imagine the revival in peoples hearts that I have an opportunity to assist the Holy Spirit in ushering here at Buckhead Church.
We literally have an opportunity to change the face of this city and God has His hand on it.

So in my search for bitterness I found hope.
Do not be discouraged by your blessings.
But thank God for them and use them for His name’s sake.

Carlos
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Andy asked me a great question today.
“What one piece or part of Compassion International impacted you the most?”
Was it the projects? The Child Development? The Leadership Development?
I honestly thought it was the projects filled with all the children you and I sponsor.
I mean it was the most tangible piece of imagery I could share. It carried the most weight.
But after a day of mulling I am changing my answer.
I think it is the Compassion International Uganda Staff.
These guys are the heros who carry out the opportunity that our money gives.
They are the most self sacrificing group of human beings I have ever met.
The heros and heroines of the Uganda Program were the glue that held us together while we were there.
And they were represented on a daily basis to our team by Dennis.
And yes. How could Dennis spend 8 days with Technorati speaking bloggers without starting his own.
So Ragamuffins, May I introduce you to our hero…
Dennis.

This is the only picture I could find of him. He was always avoiding the camera but this is what we made him feel like every day.
Go check out his blog and give him a big blog hug welcoming him to the blogosphere and thanking him for organizing our ENTIRE trip.
Yes. he set the whole thing in motion
Not bad for a 22 year old kid.
Los