alright, i know im usually the one givin advice on my advice column, but i feel like i can do more to help the world than just that! like in teen people magizine, how they're all these kids who are doing so much--like giving toys to poor children and started organizations and food drives! and helping with cancer and stuff! believe me i know this will take work, but i really want to start something with sending bibles or supplies over to africa or anywhere poor around the world. there are so many people who dont even know who jesus is! i just want to lend them a helping hand, maybe even get some way to put a table of contents in there to show them where certain stories are! PLEASE HELP!! ;-) i give good ratings & feedbak! -mandi-
BeautifulMadness answered Wednesday March 30 2005, 8:59 am: Hey,
It's brilliant that you want to help but trust me, shoving Jesus on to these people is going to do more harm than good. Try and find and read the story 'Dead Men's Path' (it's only like four pages long) and you will understand. Africans have their own faiths and traditions and they will not appreciate you coming along and saying they should believe in Jesus instead. You cannot force someone to believe in God - if they are ready and want to they will, but do you really want to add people to your faith at the expense of them not really believing and/or being unhappy in it?
A great way to help these people, and perhaps guide them to becoming Christian, or letting them know that Christianity is an option for them, is becoming a part of the Red Cross. It's a British Christian organisation that helps out people in the poorer places of the world by giving them food, and shelter, etc. I'm sure that whatever country you live in has an equivalent - Google it. You could hold fundraising days at your school for it, or give them old toys and clothes for their shops or for them to send to Africa. You might also like to look up Christian Aid and 'Operation Christmas Child', where you fill a shoe box with toys and clothes and it is sent of to a child in the poorest part of the world for Christmas. You may like to send a Bible here but remember that they probably don't know how to read, let alone read English. I think the best thing you can do, as a Christian, for now, is look for some Christian organisations that help these people and pray for them. When you are older you could join an organisation such as the Mercy Ships (google it) and even go out there and help them first hand!
I hope this helped a bit, and I'm sorry if I sound like I was putting your ideas down. I'm honestly not - you are a true Christian for wanting to help like that. You're a credit to your faith. You just have to realise that not everybody wants to be a part of it. You can let them know who Jesus is, but you can't force or expect them to believe in him.
Blessed Be,
Rach xxx [ BeautifulMadness's advice column | Ask BeautifulMadness A Question ]
xOtWiXi answered Tuesday March 29 2005, 11:34 pm: Hey- you should get with a group of friends and decide what you guys want to do. With having a group, you can get to alot of people for help, like big businesses, etc etc. There's foundations- like the Red Cross I suppose- that will probably accept donations, if you'd like to help like that! [ xOtWiXi's advice column | Ask xOtWiXi A Question ]
twstandshout32 answered Tuesday March 29 2005, 8:19 pm: i think maybe you should start a giving/charity type drive were you go around after you have collected items then give them to the homeless..like nice shoes or clothes or something good to eat..or maybe even gift certificates to like a gym or restraunt...depends wat you wanna do...or you could raise money to try and establish a stop suicide campaign like u make something that teens could use when they think about killing themselves...like a pin that says a really deep and well thought qoute then you could hand them out throught the country..hope i helped..tell me what you think of and wat happens! Good Luck!
hey this is the only way i thought of being able to write back....i think you can call like a charity place or write to chicken soup for the soul books im not sure...but when i find out i will tell you! [ twstandshout32's advice column | Ask twstandshout32 A Question ]
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