In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.
There is a great Christian tradition that is often carried out this time of year in the lead up to Easter. [...]

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll notice that the site looks very different. We have just changed the look of the site. This means that there will be some things that need working on over the next little while as we iron out bugs and get the site working seamlessly again.
Thanks for your patience.
Update: Nested comments is now activated so [...]

Farmstock – be there or… not there.
Seriously, this looks like a great gig and it’s blimmin cheap. Having heard of a few of the bands myself I can attest to the fact that the music will be awesome and what better way to spend a summer evening than at Dave’s house, hanging out on a farm with friends enjoying good [...]

Yesterday in our home, we indulged in one of our Christmas traditions – we put up the Christmas tree. For me this has never been a big deal, but throw in my 3 year old daughter whose love language seems to be gifts and the whole game has changed. Putting up the Christmas tree is now a festive occasion of [...]

The following is a great vid with a remake of a Bob Marley Song featuring musicians from various parts of the world. Fabulous!

Beth Harper, our TEAR Fund Church Advocates Manager talks about her interesting past, her current role and what she hopes to achieve in that area.

To read the post that provides the context to the following writing, click here.
This trip that has me in Nairobi, Kenya, is one that I am doing on my own. Here at the Micah Network conference I have been forming some good acquaintances very quickly, some that I hope will turn into good global friendships, but there is no-one that [...]

Project 365 Day 16 – From My Room in Johannesburg, originally uploaded by made2serve.
I arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, last night after leaving Auckland about 20 hours before. The flight between Auckland and Sydney was rough but all credit to the Air New Zealand staff for keeping us informed about the conditions and what was being done – the pilot was excellent.

The following was authored by Sarah Heanaghan – Supporter Relations Co-ordinator at TEAR Fund NZ.
Homeless but not Hopeless
Susan Koch and Jeff Werner’s documentary, ‘Kicking It’ based on the Homeless World Cup, explores how a ball can change the world.
Far from the stereotypical view of homelessness, this documentary seeks to challenge our preconceived ideas. It embraces your heart and views with [...]

There are many stories out there now about the first meeting between Obama and Netanyahu as President and Primie Minister, most are based on the press briefing. You can read all the conjecture from reporters, but it is also good to see the thing they are reporting on for yourself, so here is the press briefing for you to watch.

The issue of torture is extremely hot in the media at the moment with two very different ideals being presented.
The Obama administration has made it very clear that it views torture as a breach of good values whereas the Bush administration viewed it as a necessary political tool. There are also arguments around what constitutes torture.
The most high profile method [...]

For your interest, here is President Obama talking with students in Turkey. It is an interesting dilaogue.

Today is a significant part of Lent, it is Palm Sunday and represents the beginning of Holy Week. For the context of Today, take the time to read Mark 11:1-11 and consider.
Today represents the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a humble donkey and the people received him as a King, laying their cloaks and leafy branches they had cut [...]

The G20 summit is convening in London with some of the world’s most powerful leaders discussing various issues, with the central issue being the current global financial situation.
Traditionally the G20 has also been a focus for various protest groups, some with legitimitate concerns, others simply looking for a fight. The protests themselves have always been a large focus of news stories. [...]

I finally got round to putting together the comment policy for this site. It has been on my “to-do list” for a while. It is adapted from my old personal blog. It is available for viewing in the ”Comment Policy” page at the top of the blog, but for the sake of introduction here it is:

TEAR Fund now has a Podcast. The Podcast is called up:link and is an audio feature you can get each week that includes interviews with guests involved in development and advocacy around the world. It also offers comment on issues around the globe and covers themes such as development amongst poor communities, justice, advocacy, campaigning for the voiceless, spirituality where [...]