As long as I’ve known my friend, Katie, she’s been serving others. It was never a question of if she was going to serve, only when and where.
For people like Katie, serving isn’t an obligation but a way of life. It hasn’t always easy, but I know if you asked her she would always say it has always been worth it. Some of the ways she’s served could be considered small, like helping friends move or offering advice. Others would be considered larger, like leading mission trips or mentoring teenage girls. But this time she’s really outdone herself–she’s decided to move to Bolivia for a year. I didn’t say Birmingham; I said Bo-liv-ia.
After a lot of prayer, counsel and consideration over the last few months, Katie’s decided to teach in a Christian school in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The decision didn’t come lightly, and it does come with a lot of cost to her. Not only does it mean leaving her friends, family and job in the US, but it means raising her own support. The price tag for one year comes in at around $27,000 to cover wages, insurance, living expenses, travel to/from the US and everything in between. Now before you balk at that figure, know that Katie is confident that God is bigger than that number, and more importantly, is calling her to this cause.
If you asked Katie’s friends, it would only take them a matter of seconds to tell you about a time she’s served them personally or served alongside them. It’s just who she is. And she’s asked for very little in return. Now it’s our turn to reciprocate. It’s our privilege. It’s our opportunity to join her in God’s bigger story for her life, and in that way, expand our own.
I hope you’ll join me in praying for Katie over this next year. She’ll need to know that the folks back home are thinking of her, missing her and sending good thoughts her way. And she needs to know people are rooting for her. The other obvious thing she needs are donations. When you hear $27,000 you may be tempted to sit back and do nothing because you can’t give very much. Don’t let that stop you. If everyone gives a little, it adds up to a lot. It will take all of us to get Katie to Bolivia. It’s a call to faith for us all in that way. And when she hits that mark and gets on that plane, don’t you want to smile knowing that you had a hand in getting her there?
You can give one-time or through a monthly withdrawal. Here are a few examples to make the number a little more bite-sized for the latter:
$5/month = one Grande Skinny Vanilla latte from Starbucks or a Moo Moo Mr. Cow from Moe’s (My favs.)
$10/month = one movie (There are really only a few good ones on deck right now anyway.)
$20/month = one sack of the groceries you don’t need but buy anyway (Stick to the list. Avoid impulse.)
$30/month = renegotiate a bill or other reoccurring charge (Moving the already budgeted money around won’t hurt.)
$40/month = one nice meal out with a friend (Note: start cooking more and invite friend over.)
$50/month = a combination of the above (Guilty as charged.)
See, that’s not so bad? Sure, it’s a sacrifice, but what great things aren’t? Just take a look to see what amount works for you, and make the decision to give. These aren’t the kind of financial decisions we regret, but the ones we can be most proud of. Please consider joining Katie in this new chapter of her life. Help her love on the people there as she’s loved on the people here. Give her the resources she needs to follow God down this unknown and exciting road. Allow a whole other country the opportunity to experience the amazing Katie J.
For Katie, serving was never an if, only a question of when and where. Well, the time is now and the place is Bolivia.
To read more about Katie’s adventure, check out her blog.
I’ve become a little obsessed lately with finding chocolate that is safe to buy…meaning no slave labor was used to create it. If you are new to the chocolate controversy, you can read more about it at the CNN Freedom Project. Luckily, more and more companies are cleaning up their acts. But until you know for sure, it’s good to do your homework.
I know that fair trade items are good options, as are many organic items, but outside of that I wasn’t sure. And I was especially concerned with store brands since they are less expensive and becoming more prevalent. Chocolate bars are easy enough to find, but baking chocolate, chocolate chips and other forms are much more difficult to locate in organic or fair trade form.
So, I decided to check in with the four places I typically buy groceries, including my beloved cocoa-flavored treats. And here’s what they had to say:
PUBLIX
Dear Ms. Porter,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We regret that we have failed to meet your expectations. We would never knowingly disappoint our customers. We appreciate the trust you have placed in us to rectify the situation.
Our current supplier is ADM. However, we will be moving to a new supplier very shortly. The new supplier is Barry Callebaut. No cocoa beans are grown domestically. Cocoa comes from a variety of warm climates including parts of Africa and Mexico. Neither our current or incoming suppliers exploit their workers.
Our chips are not organic and neither are they Fair Trade. Fair Trade is an organization that promote fair treatment for the farm workers in underdeveloped countries. Our supplier promotes their own community with the farmers who supply their beans much like Fair Trade.
Barry Callabaut has a number of programs which they could speak about more fully than we can. They have local representatives who visit the farms personally and check on the welfare of the workers. The Publix bakery also uses Barry Callabaut.
If we may be of further assistance in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact our customer care specialist at 1-800-242-1227. You may also contact us via email at http://www.publix.com/contact or write us at Publix Super Markets, Inc., P.O. Box 407, Lakeland, FL 33802, ATTN: Customer Care. Please be sure to reference your case identification number noted above. We look forward to serving and meeting all your future needs.
Sincerely, Tainia in Customer Care
KROGER
Our stores offer more than two dozen Fair Trade Certified products, including different varieties of coffee, tea and chocolate. These products are usually found in our natural food departments and nutrition centers, depending on the store.
We first brought Fair Trade products to our stores in 2000, and we continue to search for certified products that are of interest to our customers. Though there are limited suppliers of these products, our buyers work with both large and small companies to ensure the best selection possible.
Fair Trade is an approach to sustainable development that can help family farmers in developing nations gain better access to international markets. Proponents of Fair Trade believe that farmers who learn how to market their own harvests are in a better position to build their own businesses and earn a fair price for their products. This, in turn, may lead to higher family living standards, stronger communities and more sustainable farming practices in developing countries. A Fair Trade Certified label on a product serves as a guarantee that the item has been grown and produced by farmers and workers who received what is considered by the certifying organization to be a fair price for that product.
Most coffee, tea and chocolate in the U.S. that is Fair Trade Certified also is certified to be organic and shade-grown. This means that the products are grown under conditions designed to support biodiversity, provide shelter for migratory birds and help reduce global warming.
Sincerely, Christie Metropulos Consumer Affairs
TARGET
Dear Kristi Porter,
Thanks for taking the time to ask us about our Archer Farms Chocolates.
Our Archer Farms chocolates are a Target brand. Since the products are owned by Target, you can be sure that they live up to the high-quality standards you expect from us.
Helping to ensure the health and safety of guests and their families is our number one priority at Target. We recognize that Country of Origin labeling is important to our guests. Our buyers purchase food products from a variety of different vendors, who are required to comply with all United States labeling regulations, established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Target also requires its vendors to comply with all U.S. Customs, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements.
While we do appreciate your interest and welcome your additional questions, I’ve let you know all the information that’s available to us. I’ll be sure to make your comments available to our Grocery team for review.
We look forward to showing you what’s new at Target.
Sincerely,
Thelma, Target Guest Relations
TRADER JOE’S
Dear Kristi,
Thank you so much for contacting us – we love hearing from our customers. Unfortunately, we cannot say exactly where a chocolate product is sourced without a product name or SKU #, as we source from so many different suppliers. That said, the majority of the chocolate we sell (and in the world) will ultimately come from either Africa (Tanzania, the Ivory Coast, etc.) or Colombia.
That said, the following are our thoughts related to the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (SB 657) and work done to address risks of human trafficking and slavery:
We have great concern for the rights of all who work to provide products sold in our stores. We address such matters in our agreements with our suppliers; in fact, the code of conduct in our agreements requires that our suppliers:
“…represent and warrant that the goods sold to TJ’s were produced, harvested, manufactured, processed, packaged, labeled, transported, delivered, and sold in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations of the United States of America and all of its subdivisions and, if applicable, the laws of any other country, state, or international governing body… that the goods sold to TJ’s were not produced, harvested, manufactured, processed, packaged, labeled, transported, or delivered using forced or prison labor or forced or illegal child labor.”
We monitor compliance with our agreement through scheduled and unannounced visits and audits of our suppliers’ facilities, using our own crew members and third-party groups. If any of our suppliers are found to be not in compliance with our agreement, we will terminate the relationship.
We hope this helps clarify things!
Best regards, Rachel Customer Relations Trader Joe’s
WHOLE FOODS
Hello Kristi,
Thanks for contacting Whole Foods Market. The cacao for the 365 Organic Chocolate Bars comes from several small cooperatives in Peru. After careful evaluation of several chocolate manufacturers, we decided to switch because we had more transparency in the supply chain. The company we are now working with is one of the few bean to bar manufacturers left in the world. This means that they source their own cacao and make their own liquid chocolate before manufacturing the bars and that our bars are manufactured specifically for us.
About 30 years ago, the owner of the facility realized that he would be pushed out of the business by larger corporations if he did not look for a more secure supply of cacao in some place other than West Africa. He traveled to South America and in Peru found a group of people that were willing to work with him based on organic and fair trade principles. At Whole Foods Market, we are highly selective about what we sell, dedicated to strict product quality standards, and committed to supporting environmentally friendly agricultural and production methods. This includes our commitment to sourcing cocoa from responsible and reputable sources.
The bakery items are produced regionally, so the chocolate used by our bakeries varies from region to region. The Team Members at your local store may be able to provide more information about the chocolate used in the baked goods in that location, or put you in touch with the Regional Bakery Coordinator.
Best regards, Carijane Grigsby-Etter Global Customer Information Specialist | Whole Foods Market
Overall, it was kind of a mixed bag of I received from these customer service teams. Kroger and Target skirted the issue a bit, but at least I got a response. I will not buy their store brand chocolate products. And overall, I feel better and more informed about my purchases in each of these five stores now. I’ll definitely ask my local Whole Foods about their chocolate when I’m there next as well.
Just wanted to make sure you were informed, too! Chocolate is one of the world’s greatest treasures, so let’s make sure everyone can enjoy it from harvest to happy bellies!
My best friend from college, Heather, and I haven’t taken a trip together in years, so this past week we went to NYC to see Newsies and have some girl time. Below is a little about what we did and a few photos. It’s so hard to summarize a great trip, so just trust me–fun was had!
THURSDAY:
–Arrival at Newark: I recommend flying in here for the ease of using all trains to get to the City
–Anything Goes (with Joel Gray!): Plans changed for this evening because Heather’s plane was cancelled. Unfortunately, par for the course since she always seems to have some sort of travel disaster. So I killed time at the theatre! Anything Goes is old school Broadway, so it was fun getting to see a classic.
FRIDAY:
–Chelsea Market for lunch: too many great shops and restaurants to describe! I even saw the market where Rachel Ray shops.
–The High Line Park: Our friend, April, who lives there took us to this really cool park/greenspace which has been converted from an old elevated railroad track.
–Shopping and Walking: The weather was beautiful so we continued outside with a couple of stores, mostly window shopping and enjoying being in NYC.
–Coffee Bean Pitstop: My favorite West Coast coffee chain now has three NYC locations, so I dragged Heather there a couple of times.
–Dinner at Bocca di Bacco: Delicious Italian cuisine and great decor. Too bad we weren’t super hungry!
–Peter and the Starcatchers: Brilliant, inventive staging! Really fun show.
SATURDAY:
–Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market: Found a couple of great jewelry buys and had a blast just looking at everything.
–Hester Street Fair: Lunch was hard to choose amongst all the great vendors, but we settled on a Mexican grilled cheese sandwich with cabbage slaw from Little Muenster. Yum!
–Walk Brooklyn Bridge: Heather’s never taken this walk, so we made it over there. Beautiful day for it!
–Dinner at Pier 9: Delicious seafood! We had more of an appetite this night, and I was sooooo glad.
–Newsies: The culmination of the trip, and so worth the wait! It was awesome, and we were giddy as schoolgirls!
As we come to the end of another TV season, the networks begin to announce returns and cancellations. I found this great rundown by the Huffington Posthere. Sadly, there are always a few good ones that leave us too early. But it got me to thinking about my favorite shows that were shut down in their prime. Below is my own personal Top 10 List, in no particular order.
Alias – Probably my favorite show of all time. I watch annually. Sydney made me want to be a spy…and take up kickboxing. But I’d have gone with Will Tippin.
Arrested Development – The funniest show every to grace the small screen. It reintroduced us to Jason Bateman, and introduced us to some of the greatest characters ever created.
Veronica Mars – I needed to see this girl complete college and go to the FBI! Smart mouth and sleuthing can’t be beat.
Firefly– A mere 13 episodes created quite a following. Super original–space cowboys with wit.
Chuck – The fun-filled spy adventures and Zac Levi. Everyone knows a Morgan and Lester.
Eli Stone – Funny and musically-inclined, we barely got into Eli’s life before he was gone. They ended really well for it being so short.
Missing – How could we refuse Ashley Judd on TV!?!? A mom who really knew how to kick butt.
Prison Break – A feature film every week! Glad they were able to release the two-hour special to complete it. But I could’ve really learned a few more things from Michael Scoffield.
Pushing Daisies – Completely original and quirky, we’ve never seen anything like it but hopefully we will again in the future. We need more clever writing.
If you haven’t seen any of these, do yourself a favor and go watch immediately. Let me know what you think. If you have, there’s nothing wrong with a refresher! They are sooooo worth it.
By the way, this list was just off the top of my head, so I probably missed a few. What do you think?
I use the title not only as an homage to the similar sounding Spanish phrase, but because this stupid virus lasts FOREVER! I’m currently ending week three of dealing with this virus. It’s brutal.
First of all, I feel like I should’ve showed more sympathy to my friend, Joel, in college when he had mono and missed several weeks of classes. (He’s the only friend I can remember ever having mono.) I was supportive in takeout and helping him watch movies, though, so that’s something.
Second, I’ve learned a lot about mono, and don’t like what I’ve learned. It will be in my system forever, and could occasionally flair up. Luckily, these weeks should be the worst of it. Mostly it’s felt like the flu without the congestion. Feeling exhausted, achy, headaches, fever…blah. It’s a good thing I can still work from home, when I’ve felt up to it, because I haven’t been able to go into work very much at all.
However, there has been a bit of an upside. One is that it’s post-Orange Conference. I’d be freaking out if that hadn’t been the case. This time is actually one of the best for me to be sick, if that’s possible. I’m not too behind. Also I have a tendency to be a workaholic, so this time has enabled me to slow down. Well, I’ve been forced to slow down–to a halt. That’s good for me, though. I need to do more slowing down. It’s like a mini Sabbatical…where I feel terrible and don’t get to do anything fun. Thank goodness for Netflix and Hulu. And I’m very thankful for my friends that have been been really sweet about wanting to help in any way possible.
So, I guess there are couple tiny silver linings to it. Now, I just need to be well by the 31st for my vacay with Heather in NYC! Goal: set.
Still got some healing to do, but I’m on the mend.
If you ever have mono, let me know. I’ll be there to sympathize with you. You’ll need it.
As we come to the end of another TV season, the networks begin to announce returns and cancellations. I found this great rundown by the Huffington Post 
Mental Post-Its 