Brett Brooks

They Say No One Will Help

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 22:04:01 -0700

(Originally published at www.UzbekJustice.com) “My son was not beaten too badly,” said Azam Sattarov. “But when four members of the militia were dragging my wife outside the house, my 12-year-old son jumped in to fight them off his mother. The men kicked him...

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Peace, Justice and French Fries

Sat, 28 May 2011 16:30:00 -0700

(Originally published at www.UzbekJustice.com) It’s like they always say, there’s nothing like a large order of McDonald’s french fries to remind you of Uzbekistan. Those long and crispy wedges might taste a little different here in the U.S., but for many, they still...

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Jido Playground Project

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:24:22 -0700

A year ago I was a part of a team that traveled to Ethiopia to serve the poor alongside Food for the Hungry. We were there for a short time, experiencing the long term work they are engaged in to transform people and their communities. By partnering with Food for the Hungry when we returned...

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A Kool & The Gang Birthday

Sat, 08 May 2010 10:17:02 -0700

I’ve written about Dagim in some previous posts. He is the child I sponsor through Food for the Hungry. Dagim lives in Adami Tulu, a small village in Ethiopia. Last week Dagim turned 13 years old. I just finished writing him a letter on a card that plays “Celebration” (click the link – you remember...

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Seedlings that Plant Relationships

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:34:32 -0700

My wife Kristin and I recently had a dear friend of ours named Dawit Kassaye stay at our house. We had such a great time with him. Dawit was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and works for Food for the Hungry in Zeway – the area where we served in last summer. It’s easy to...

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Respond to the Haiti Earthquake

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:01:32 -0800

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Haiti experienced an incredibly destructive earthquake on January 12. Food for the Hungry is already on the ground providing food, water and medical supplies. If you are considering a donation to relief in Haiti and are looking for a trusted organization, I...

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Adami Tulu Library Project (Part 2)

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 09:42:00 -0800

Here's another video about the Adami Tulu Library Project featuring footage of the school as well as Dagim (my sponsor child in Ethiopia) and Aselefech (Megan's sponsor child). Dagim and Aselefech both live in Adami Tulu and will benefit from the library that we are raising funds to build....

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This Past Decade I...

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:18:00 -0800

Today marks the end of a decade – hard to believe, isn’t it? Here’s something you might do today for fun. Grab a notebook and a pen. Write at the top “This Past Decade I…” And then start writing down whatever comes to mind as you reflect on the last 10...

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Adami Tulu Library Project

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:35:00 -0800

I mentioned in an earlier post “A School without Books” about the effort to raise funds for a need in Adami Tulu – a community that Dagim (my sponsor child) lives in. Here’s a little more information from Megan who is spearheading the Adami Tulu Library Project in...

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(Video Post) Zeway Ethiopia - A Team Member's Account

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:01:42 -0800

Here's a short video interview of Megan Kuefler, one of my team members who traveled to Ethiopia with Food for the Hungry. In this clip, she shares about what she experienced during our two weeks there. My next post will feature Megan telling us about how she is continuing to make a difference in...

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Meet Kasim, he is 2 in 1

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:39:57 -0800

I thought I’d share this video that was shot during a traditional coffee ceremony outside of Food for the Hungry’s office in Zeway, Ethiopia. It features Kasim, one of the social workers in FH’s child development program, sharing about his life and how he came to know Jesus as his...

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A School without Books

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:53:00 -0800

When considering the issue of global poverty, it is clear that there is a tremendous amount of need out there. The thought can become overwhelming for us when we’re bombarded by seemingly hopeless situations and requests for personal involvement. Hearing repetitive messages about millions of...

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Life without a Playground

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:20:00 -0700

When I was in Ethiopia, I met a little girl named Howa. She couldn’t have been more than five years old. Each day I saw her, she was barefoot and wore the same red dusty dress and tattered blue sweatshirt. She lived in Jido, a small rural village plagued by continual drought and home to many...

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Child Headed Households - finding hope in a tragic situation

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:46:00 -0700

I mentioned in a previous post that one of the most difficult things I experienced in Ethiopia was visiting Child Headed Households. In these situations, the family’s oldest sibling (sometimes no more than 12 years old) has become the care-taker for their younger brothers and sisters. These...

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My own poverty

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:30:00 -0700

While I was in Africa I began asking myself, would I be faithful to God if I were living a more difficult life? What if I wasn’t born in America? What if I never had a school bus; would I have risked being trampled by elephants to get to school? Or, if I lost both of my parents to HIV Aids...

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Walking with the Poor

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:10:00 -0700

I think this delivers a great message about "walking" with the poor and thought I'd share it here. It poses a couple great questions: what can be done to truly end poverty instead of just "kicking it down the road" and how do we create change that will last? - this video sheds some...

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Is God great in Africa?

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:20:00 -0700

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16 My time in Rwanda and Ethiopia showed me that God’s greatness toward his people is not measured by how much he has...

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Continued.Zeway Ethiopia: Overview (5 of 5)

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:19:00 -0700

One of the most enjoyable times I had was during the “play day” at the FH office. Every Saturday the staff opens the grounds for children to come play in the field. The pouring rain didn’t stop the kids from coming. We all got soaked but it was a blast playing with the kids...

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Continued.Zeway Ethiopia: Overview (4 of 5)

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:33:26 -0700

For two days we taught English and held Vacation Bible School. VBS gave us a platform to share God’s love to the children in Zeway. We preformed a skit that taught how being a Christian means more than just going to church and praying; it means accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior...

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Continued...Zeway Ethiopia: Overview (3 of 5)

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:46:00 -0700

One of my favorite activities was the time we spent in Jido, a very rural Muslim community outside of Zeway. Some of our team funds went towards cementing three classroom floors in the area. Before, the floors were just dirt, which made the classrooms unusable because they were too dusty. Now...

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