In my short life I have had the opportunity to travel to a number of different countries. And in each of the countries I have been able to see how and where people live. I have seen the homes of the rich and famous and have seen the homes of the poorest of poor.
When I was 11 my family and I attended Youth With A Mission. With this missions group we traveled to and around Asia for three months. One of the most memorable places we visited, on this outreach, was the Philippines. To this day I can remember the smells, the smiles and the beauty of the people and the country.
Manila is home to an estimated 19,150,000 people and is the most densely populated city in the Philippines. With all those people crammed into one area there are hundreds of thousands of “homeless,” as 33% of the population of the city live below the poverty line. Everywhere you drive the roads are lined with tin roofed makeshift shacks.
If living on the side of a major highway is not enough, you can drive down said highway to place called Payatas. Payatas is the home of the Metro Manila dump. This place is not only a dump, but it is home to approx. 10,000 people. That’s right there are 10,000 men, women and children living on a dump. Without seeing it, it is hard to believe that people can live like that, but they do. There are whole neighborhoods formed on the dump. These neighborhoods include homes, and believe it or not stores. For the longest time I thought that this was one of the worst places to live, but then I heard of a worst place.
What can be worse than living with your family living on a dump? How about living in hell, literally? Also in Manila, Philippines there is a place called the Manila Northern Cemetery and believe it or not there are approx. 10,000 men, women and children living in the cemetery. If living in a cemetery isn’t bad enough the cemetery is so overcrowded (by dead) that every five years the crypts are broken open and the bones are thrown on the ground. Children live and play amongst the bones and skulls of the dead.
Don’t believe me, watch this video by Bill Wilson of Metro Ministries.
It’s hard for me to believe that there are people that live like this, but I have seen life on the dump first hand. It’s encouraging to know that there are people, like Bill Wilson and others, that are doing what they can to help these marginalized people.
You too, can help, by going to the Metro Ministries website and making a donation, or by sponsoring a child.
If you have seen Minority Report you have seen a computer interface like this, not it’s real life.
Boston.com has some great images of the new President Elect of the United States. These are two of my favorite.
A great glimpse into Obama’s family life.
I got to thinking today about the whole abortion issue. Â There are a couple of different stances on the issue. You have:
Pro-choice describes the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete control over her fertility and the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy. This entails the guarantee of reproductive rights, which includes access to sexual education; access to safe and legal abortion, contraception, and fertility treatments; and legal protection from forced abortion. Individuals and organizations who support these positions make up the pro-choice movement.Â
(from Wikipedia)
and:Â
Pro-life is a term representing a variety of perspectives and activist movements inbioethics. It most commonly (especially in the media and popular discourse) refers to opposition to abortion and support for fetal rights. The term describes the political and ethical view which maintains that fetuses and embryos are human beings, and therefore have a right to live. Less commonly, it can be used to indicate opposition to practices such as euthanasia, the death penalty, human cloning, and research involving human embryonic stem cells.
Now I have grown up in a Christian environment, and the church definitely leans toward the Pro-Life side of the argument.
Today I started to wonder, for wonderings sake, if there could be a middle ground for everyone to meet on?
Here is the question I have and I would like your thoughts on the subject.
Is it possible to be both pro-life and pro-choice? Or do you have to choose a side?
Is it possible that as a Christian I could hold both side of the argument to be true. Ultimately it is the right of the woman to choose, but on the other hand all human life is sacred.
Just my thoughts!
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Here’s a video remembering the troops. Â There are a couple of pics of my father in law in this clip, he is the bald guy in the transport. (Thanks Amy & Paul for making this clip.)
Names of the fallen Canadians (Afghanistan) can be found here and on the National Defense Site.
I must admit that while I was in school I thought that Remembrance Day was boring. I was always annoyed by having to stand in silence for a minute.
As I have grown up and matured, I have realized the importance of this day in our worlds history. A moment of silence is really not enough to remember these soldiers by.
November 11, 1918 was marked in history as the end of World War I. Â During that war more than 64,000 Canadian men and women were killed in battle. These men and women died so that you and I could have the freedom we enjoy today. Â Without the sacrifices of these now faceless heroes, who knows what our world would look like.
More over in 1939 Canada again took its place in World War 2. During WW2 there more that 45,000 Canadian military deaths. Again the men and women of the Canadian Armed forces put their lives on the line so that we could enjoy the freedom that Nazi Germany and their allies were trying to take away.
There have been many more wars since the two so called “great wars,” including the current War on Terror. All of these wars have taken a significant told on Canadian families. And even today, as our men and women fight for the freedom from the oppression of the Taliban, there are Canadian families that receive the bad news that a family member has passed away. Â These men and women are heroes in the truest sense of the word.
I don’t know any of these men and women personally, but I do know that they did not die in vain. Far to often we forget about the men and women that came home with permanent injuries, they are our heroes as well.
On this November day in 2008 – we say:
Below are a list of Canadians who have lost their lives in Afghanistan (97 at the time of writing).
Age: 36
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group
Deceased: September 7, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan
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Age: 23
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group
Deceased: September 3, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 21
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group
Deceased: September 3, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 21
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group
Deceased: September 3, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)
Deceased: August 20, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)
Deceased: August 20, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 33
Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)
Deceased: August 20, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan
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Age: 32
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton Alberta
Deceased: August 11, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan
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Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: August 9, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey District, Afghanistan.
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Age: 25
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: July 18, 2008
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Panjwayi District, Afghanistan
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Age: 24
Unit: 1 Field Ambulance, Edmonton (Alberta)
Deceased: July 5, 2008
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Panjwayi District, Afghanistan
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Age: 37
Unit: Military Police Detachment in Dundurn, Saskatchewan
Deceased: July 4, 2008
Incident: Non combat related
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Age: 26
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alberta
Deceased: June 7, 2008
Incident: Accident, Zhari District, Afghanistan
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Age: 32
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: June 3, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan.
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Age: 36
Unit: 15 (Edmonton) Field Ambulance, Calgary, Alberta
Deceased: May 6, 2008
Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey District, Afghanistan.
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Age: 24
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: April 4, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan
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Age: 32
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: March 16, 2008
Incident: Explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan
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Age: 22
Unit: 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: March 11, 2008
Incident: Non combat related
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Age: 25
Unit: Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), Edmonton, Alberta
Deceased: March 2, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan
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Age: 21
Unit: 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, Valcartier, Québec
Deceased: January 23, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan
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Age: 26
Unit: 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: January 15, 2008
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Arghandab district, Afghanistan
Â
Age : 41
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: January 6, 2008
Incident: Military vehicle rollover, Nalgham, Zhari District, Afghanistan
Â
Age : 31
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: January 6, 2008
Incident: Military vehicle rollover, Nalgham, Zhari District, Afghanistan
Â
Age: 27
Unit: 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: December 30, 2007
Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey District, Afghanistan
Â
Age: 25
Unit: 3 Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: November 17, 2007
Incident: Improvised explosive device, near Ma’sum Ghar, Afghanistan
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Age: 28
Unit: 5 Field Ambulance, Valcartier, Quebec
Deceased: November 17, 2007
Incident: Improvised explosive device, near Ma’sum Ghar, Afghanistan
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Age: 24
Unit: The King’s Own Calgary Regiment, Alberta
Deceased: September 24, 2007
Incident: Mortar attack, Panjwayi District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
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Age: 42
Unit: Armoured Corps, The Royal Canadian Dragoons
Deceased: August 29, 2007
Incident: Non-combat-related death, Kabul, Afghanistan
Â
Age: 34
Unit: 5th Field Ambulance, 5 Area Support Group, Valcartier, Québec
Deceased: August 22, 2007
Incident: Landmine, Afghanistan
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Age: 43
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Québec
Deceased: August 22, 2007
Incident: Landmine, Afghanistan
Â
Age: 23
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Québec
Deceased: August 19, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
Â
Age: 37
Unit: 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Manitoba
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 27
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 28
Unit: The Royal Westminster Regiment, New Westminster, British Columbia
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 23
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 20
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 4, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 31
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: June 20, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 26
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: June 20, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 22
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: June 20, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: June 11, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb, Afghanistan
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Age: 30
Unit: Army News Team, 3 Area Support Group, Canadian Forces Base Gagetown
Deceased: May 30, 2007
Incident: U.S. Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan
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Age: 25
Unit: 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, Petawawa, Ontario
Deceased: May 25, 2007
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device
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Age: 25
Unit: Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Deceased: April 18, 2007
Incident: Accident, non combat related
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Age: 31
Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: April 11, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 23
Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: April 11, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 31
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 37
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 24
Unit: Princess Louise Fusiliers (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 23
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 20
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 20
Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)
Deceased: April 8, 2007
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 25
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North) (Truro, Nova Scotia)
Deceased: March 6, 2007
Incident: Non combat related
Â
Age: 46
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: November 27, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 36
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: November 27, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 32
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 14, 2006
Incident: Insurgent attack
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Age: 23
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 14, 2006
Incident: Insurgent attack
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Age: 39
Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 7, 2006
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
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Age: 40
Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 3, 2006
Incident: Insurgent attack
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Age: 32
Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 3, 2006
Incident: Insurgent attack
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Age: 23
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 29, 2006
Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
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Age: 32
Unit: 2 Field Ambulance (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 18, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 22
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: September 18, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 30
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: September 18, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 30
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: September 18, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 33
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 4, 2006
Incident: Friendly fire incident
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Age: 21
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 38
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 39
Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 3rd, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 30
Unit: 2 Combat Engineer Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: September 3rd, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 27
Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: August 22, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 23
Unit: 1st Field Ambulance (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 11, 2006
Incident: Suicide bomber attack
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Age: 33
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: August 9, 2006
Incident: Shooting accident
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Age: 31
Unit: The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 5, 2006
Incident: Traffic accident
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Age: 22
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 35
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 27
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: August 3, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 34
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta
Deceased: August 3, 2006
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 44
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: July 22, 2006
Incident: Suicide attack
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Age: 29
Unit: The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada (Montréal, Québec)
Deceased: July 22, 2006
Incident: Suicide attack
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Age: 21
Unit: Lake Superior Scottish Regiment (Thunder Bay, Ontario)
Deceased: July 9, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 26
Unit: 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: May 17, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 23
Unit: 2 Military Police Platoon, Petawawa, Ontario
Deceased: April 22, 2006
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 25
Unit: 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment (Victoria, British Columbia)
Deceased: April 22, 2006
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 32
Unit: 1 Garrison Military Police Company, Detachment Wainwright, Alberta
Deceased: April 22, 200
Incident: Roadside bomb
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Age: 45
Unit: Land Force Western Area Headquarters, Edmonton, Alberta (20th Field Artillery Regiment)
Deceased: April 22, 2006
Incident: Roadside bomb
Age: 22
Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: March 29, 2006
Incident: Ground offensive
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Age: 30
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: March 5, 2006
Incident: LAV III traffic accident
Â
Age: 28
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)
Deceased: March 2, 2006
Incident: LAV III traffic accident
Â
Age: 59
Unit: Director, Foreign Affairs Canada
Deceased: January 15, 2006
Incident: Suicide attack
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Age: 24
Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Oromocto, New Brunswick)
Deceased: November 24, 2005
Incident: LAV III traffic accident
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Age: 26
Unit: 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: January 27, 2004
Incident: Suicide attack
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Age: 29
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 2, 2003
Incident: Landmine explosion
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Age: 42
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)
Deceased: October 2, 2003
Incident: Landmine explosion
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Age: 24
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: April 18, 2002
Incident: “Friendly fire” incident
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Age: 21
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: April 18, 2002
Incident: “Friendly fire” incident
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Age: 29
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: April 18, 2002
Incident: “Friendly fire” incident
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Age: 26
Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)
Deceased: April 18, 2002
Incident: “Friendly fire” incident
This is an interesting widget that show what’s going on in the world now. Â See the full sized widget at now.sprint.com. IN the bottom right corner you can click shuffle to see more stats. Â It’s pretty cool.
I used to be the outreach director at The Warehouse. Â The Warehouse is a community center in the heart of East Vancouver and was dedicated to helping people in the community in whatever way we could. Â That could involve any matter of things such as tutoring, ESL, helping people move, and other means of support.
One year we decided that we were going to help out a inner city school in Vancouver and an at risk neighborhood in our area. Â After meeting with the teachers and administration of the school we were able to assess that there was a need for students in the school to have backpacks and school supplies. Â
So we began on our new mission to procure 300 backpacks and fill them full of school supplies. We reached our goal and were able to bless 300 hundred elementary students with new backpacks and school supplies.  We went to a housing complex in our neighborhood and setup some BBQ’s and bouncy castles, had a block party and handed out the backpacks.  It was an amazing day.
Here are a few of the Thank You letters we got from the students who received the backpacks.
As many of you may not know, my Father-in-Law was a soldier in the “War on Terror“. He was part of one of the first teams that went into Afghanistan. I can’t even imagine what really went on over there.
We’ve all seen the pictures on the news, of what goes on in a war, but here is a video that shows life on the ground, from the eye of a soldier. These are pictures from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. These guys were on the front lines.
Thanks POPS and the rest of the Brave Canadians that risked and are risking their lives in Afghanistan.