Shaun Groves
A couple of updates for you guys. I know you’re trembling with anticipation, on the edge of your proverbial seat and whatnot: “When’s Shaun going to update us on stuff,” I know you’ve been saying. Daily. I know. So here you go.
1. The next trip I’ll be taking with Compassion International is April 26-May 2 with Compassion Bloggers. We’re heading to India – Calcutta. I’m told it’s the worst poverty I will have seen. And we’re needing some resilient bloggers with the gifts of empathy and story-telling to join us. Interested? Go here and sign up and I’ll check out your blog and choose our bloggers soon. Thanks, in advance for all your prayers for this trip.
2. Thank you for spreading the word about Kingdom Coming, the new free song of mine available at shaungroves.com/freemusic since November 4th. Lots of you have blogged about it, e-mailed it to friends, Twittered it, Facebooked it (is that a valid verb?). Because of YOU the song continues to be downloaded 200 times a day on average. That’s incredible! Thank you! More free music is on its way in 2009.
3. The Christmas tour (Gloria!) was a success. Over 500 kids were sponsored at our few shows in December, thanks largely to the drawing power of the Barry Manilow of Christian music (He really likes being called this about as much as I like being called skinny so do it often, m’kay?) and Cindy Morgan…and many of you who came to those shows and sponsored children. Thank you. I’m booking solo shows for 2009 as I type – well, Ben is booking them as I type. So, if you’re interested in having me come out to your neck of the woods to sing and/or speak, just drop Ben a line. It’s free if I can talk about Compassion…and I’m not coming at all if I can’t. Also, Travis and I are teaming up – sort of – for a special event this month. I’ll let you know about that when it gets closer.
4. My busted rib was feeling a little better until a couple nights ago when I was attacked by terrorists of some sort. I was running from some bad people in a dream who were using a new weapon. It was a black ball. It was shiny so it reflected stuff around it, making it harder to see when thrown at you. If it touched you, it stuck, and then sent out a signal giving your coordinates to the bad guys who then came to get you. And you couldn’t run. The ball would detonate if you moved more than 2 inches. So, I’m running and I think I’ve made it to safety, a long alley with no bad guys in sight and then, out of a doorway steps a guy in all black throwing one of these ball things at me. It was smaller than I thought it would be so I didn’t recognize what it was until the last second. To avoid the thing I became a human “c.” I threw my arms up and out at an angle, curved my abdomen in and the ball whizzed by. Thing is, when I did this in my dream, I did it in my bed, slamming my hands into the wall and doing what pretty much amounted to the mother of all stomach crunches – with a broken rib. Terrorists, in case you weren’t convinced before, are evil, even in dreams. Especially in dreams.
5. We bought a new couch and we have an old one and three chairs to get rid of. Our church doesn’t want them. Goodwill won’t pick them up. Becky wants to leave them at the curb in hopes that someone will just pick them up and use them. MY fear is that, well, this is Tennessee, and I’m not so sure that in these parts a couch and chairs in the front yard really says “Take me, I’m free” as much as it says, “Cousins marry here.” Any advice from the Nashvillians in the crowd about how exactly to give away much large furniture?
dub says:
List the furniture on a craigslist classified ad as free, as long as they are picked up.
Or, you could try a freecycle message board if you are wary of what you’ll run into on craigslist.
I’m sure someone will come get them.
Kevin says:
You could try calling Thriftsmart. They used to have a Franklin location. I think they are only in Nashville now but, they would always do free pickups on items.
Texas in Africa says:
The Salvation Army usually picks up furniture. Or you could try Graceworks in Franklin. Or the Catholic Charities refugee services office – resettled refugees show up in Nashville with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a debt to the U.S. government for the cost of their plane tickets. Refugee resettlement groups help them to move into apartments, and they ALWAYS need furniture.
Adam S says:
I would say freecycle. I am in Atlanta not Nashville, but our freecycle is very active.
Tammie Gitt says:
Exciting to see another Compassion Bloggers trip – esp. one to a country in which I sponsor a child! I signed up my regular blog, but I also have a photoblog that you can click to by clicking my name above. It’s kind of new, but I am working on posting more this year. I would have just mentioned it on the form at Compassion, but didn’t see a spot.
thecachinnator says:
I’ve never seen Craigslist fail in a situation like this. Especially if you offer to trade the couch for booze. A friend in NYC followed this advice and not only got someone to take away his duck sauce-stained futon, but got a bottle of red wine in the deal. Can’t beat that with a stick.
Jordan Like the River says:
Freecycle! Or Craigslist, it’s a little bit easier.
On a different note, have you heard about Ethiopia’s new restrictions on NGOs? How is that going to affect Compassion’s work there?
Heather says:
Man, that title sure is a mouthful! To quote Locke from LOST “Should I be writing this down?”
. j/k
boomama says:
I only got as far as #1.
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE?
(I know.)
(I know.)
Travis says:
I hate you.
Grovesfan says:
BooMama,
I’d love to go too, but alas, my blog is pretty non-existent of late so I don’t think Shaun will have much to check out before turning me down.
Travis,
This is a family site so let’s keep the hate mail to a minimum please. Wait, it’s addressed to Shaun and he did call you “Barry Manilow” so I guess that’s OK then.
Judith Tremblay says:
Jordan (or anyone else),
Please help me out. I just got back from a church dinner and all would-be brain power is down digesting…what’s an NGO?
I’ve been poring over a map I just received from Voice of the Martyrs, and several Compassion countries (Ethiopia, Indonesia, maybe Columbia) are listed as “hostile nations”, so I was wondering how that affected Compassion’s work in these countries.
Shaun Groves says:
Non-Governmental Organization.
I don’t know anything about any changes in laws regarding NGOs in Ethiopia. I’ll ask around.
Happy Geek says:
If Free-cycle doesn’t pan out, if there is a seminary in your area post it there. International students often come with the clothes on their backs and will take anything. We’ve even been known to raid the trash a time or two. Americans throw out a lot of good stuff
.
Texas in Africa says:
Here’s some information on the changes to the law governing the work of international NGO’s in Ethiopia:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7814145.stm
Sadly, it’s not terribly surprising; Ethiopia’s government has become increasingly authoritarian in the past five years or so, and they want to control the huge amount aid money that flows into the country. International donors, recognizing the corruption of the government there, have been channeling their resources into the non-governmental sector in order that those resources will be better used.
As I understand it, the new law shouldn’t affect day-to-day work by international or local groups that help to release children from poverty, but if an NGO (or local organization that receives more than 10% of its funding from international donors) is engaged in advocacy for children’s rights (that is, arguing to the government that more needs to be done), that activity will be severely restricted. The Ethiopian government wants to suppress all political dissent, and I have no doubt that they would remove groups from the country that challenge their policies.
(I should note that I’m not a lawyer; this is just my opinion as a political scientist specializing in African politics.
Shaun Groves says:
Oh, is that all you are? Just a political scientist specializing in African politics. Geesh. Could we get someone with some actual expertise to post on this thread please?
Thanks, TinA. Very helpful.
Texas in Africa says:
Anytime.
Danielle says:
My friend works for the Refugee Resettlement Program of Catholic Charities and I know for a fact that they pick up furniture for the refuges. Its one of her jobs.
Heidi says:
HAHAHAHA. Barry Manilow of Christian music. Thanks for the ammo.
Donna says:
You could call Habitat for Humanity about the furniture. Here there is a resale store and they pick up your furniture then sell it or gift it to needy families.
Cory Reese says:
I’ve got a spousal thumbs-up for India.
Enough vacation time to choke a camel (only a figure of speech – no animals were harmed during this posting).
And the energy to work hard, serve, and blog my guts out in the depths of Calcutta.
Sign me up!
Jordan Like the River says:
Indeed, TexasInAfrica, that was the BBC article that sparked the question.
Interesting that releasing children from poverty is considered disparate enough from children’s advocacy to protect Compassion… but, I’ll take it, if it keeps them operating.