Mick Duncan – pastor, missionary, author, speaker, mentor and prophet – answers Drew’s rambling questions with with humor, depth and insight.

Al Jazeera has a report about the state of water distribution between Israel and the Palestinian Territories: Israel is denying Palestinians adequate access to clean, safe water while allowing almost unlimited supplies to Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, human rights group Amnesty International has said. “Swimming pools, well-watered lawns and large irrigated farms in Israeli settlements… stand in stark contrast next to Palestinian villages whose inhabitants struggle even to meet their domestic water [...]

Came across this powerfully moving prayer on the always excellent Sojourners site… A Prayer for the Earth (Shorter form) Most gracious God, creator of all good things, we thank you for planet earth and all creatures that share it. Have mercy on us, Lord. Through ignorance and carelessness we have poisoned clean air and pure water. For monetary gain we have reduced verdant forests to barren wastes. In our craving for more we have plundered [...]

The second part of Frank’s interview with Grant Norsworthy where he relates his deeply moving experiences in Rwanda…

Arriving in Samoa was like a Déjà vu experience for Kiwi aid worker Ian McInnes, who was involved in relief operations following the Asian Tsunami. “Seeing the devastation and hearing the stories of loss and miraculous escapes brought it all back to me,” he said. Mr McInnes is a TEAR Fund programmes officer and he has just returned from Samoa assessing the organisation’s relief efforts. TEAR Fund has been pledged more than $130,000 and is [...]

Frank interviews singer/artist/speaker/thinker and all round nice guy Grant Norsworthy about attitudes to giving and Child Sponsorship.

As food aid falls to the lowest levels in 20 years and malnourishment rates climb dramatically, Kiwis are being urged to consider the plight of children and the vulnerable in developing nations this World Food Day (October 16). TEAR Fund NZ acting executive director Jon Horne said, “There’s no doubt that Kiwis have been affected by the global credit crunch and individuals and governments alike have tightened spending. However, we need to ask ourselves if [...]

TEAR Fund is urging Kiwis to take a positive step in helping to eradicate poverty, to mark International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17). The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to October 17, 1987, when more than a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme [...]

Frank catches up with Jared, one of our Programme Officers, about his recent trip to Nepal to examine the work we support there.

Humans are mad.  There’s no question about it – as a species we are certifiably insane.  When aliens jump in their UFOs for a joy ride, I’m sure they swing by Earth, just to have a laugh at the crazy antics of the dominant species… or perhaps they discuss our self destruction with horrified bemusement.