Look for West Timor in the Bible

Dear friends, I spoke with our contact today at Kids Against Hunger in New Hope, MN regarding supplies for our Cincinnati operation. Another few tons are on the way for us. He mentioned that the U.S. Navy is arranging for a 40’ sea born container to be picked up from the Detroit satellite of Kids Against Hunger for delivery to Nicaragua in Central America. That is 40 pallets of food – over 280,000 meals. That container will not satisfy the need for Nicaragua. Nor will it for Haiti, Ethiopia, Bukina Faso, Swaziland, Malawi, Honduras, or West Timor. Have you read of West Timor in the Bible?

The situation in West Timor is this:

• West Timor in Indonesia faces a human crisis


• Severe drought brought on by repeated drought has destroyed crops


• Aid groups say they're seeking international help to address the issue


• More than 50 percent of children under 5 in West Timor are suffering from malnutrition. In some areas it's as high as 70 percent -- a higher percentage than areas of Africa.
  (More of the story can be found at

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/06/westtimor.children/ )

One could argue that there is no need for a Kids Against Hunger Cincinnati operation. I asked that of myself over one year ago now. Yet, if you look at the facts, there has to be a Cincinnati operation – there are believers here. Over 4 million people are added each year to the “roster” of those that are starving and malnourished. Despite the giants of the compassion industry being involved, the problem of mass starvation is not going away. Perhaps there is a global solution downstream at some point but for now, hunger hurts. And children suffer the worse as a result.

These verses have been a source of conviction. Wendy showed me the first and I have not forgotten this one:

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

(Proverbs 3:27-28)

If you have any doubt about how to interpret “neighbor”, see Luke 10:25

And this one is often forgotten in favor of the “famous” one of John 3:16 - it is 1 John 3:16

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)

It is my hope that as we continue that others will find West Timor in the Bible and be blessed beyond measure as they respond.