Matthew Paul Turner's Blog

**Trigger warning: This post discusses rape of a minor, sexual assault against a minor, silencing, and cultural patriarchy.**

Lydia is beautiful. At 7-months old, she’s looking at me from where she sits on her momma’s lap; she appears happy, healthy, content, loved. Her momma, whose face I will not show and who I will only refer to as J to protect her identity, is gently bouncing her sweet baby girl atop of her knees, listening to Rose, J’s grandmother, brag about how smart she is and how much potential she believes her granddaughter possesses. J has lived with her grandmother since she was 6 years old, having moved in with her after the death of her mom.

A few minutes later, after J has handed Lydia to her grandmother and left the front porch of their home in order to protect her from reliving the details of the last 19 months, Rose begins sharing about the day that everything in her granddaughter’s life changed.

J was 15 at the time and walking home from school a bit later than usual. As the sun began setting and dusk fell against the path she walked nearly every day, J noticed a man whom she did not know was following her, a man who brutally attacked and raped her. J told her grandmother what happened and despite Rose believing her story, they did not immediately report the crime to the authorities because 1) they were afraid that the perpetrator might know where they live and try to bring more harm to J, 2) they knew that rape incidences rarely receive the attention they deserve due to the lack of law enforcement, and 3) they were afraid that the repercussions of telling their truth would bring judgment from the community and J’s classmates. Moreover, even if law enforcement did track down the man who raped J, the chances of him going to trial were weak—and even if he did go to trial, conviction of rapists is rare.

Rose poured all of her energy into helping J process what happened; she was mostly concerned for her granddaughter’s health, her emotional well being, and her education.

One month after being raped, J returned to school. Soon after, teachers began expressing concern to Rose about J’s spirit, telling her that J seemed sad, distant, quiet. Eventually, nearly 4 months after the rape, J’s teachers, having been trained at recognizing signs of trauma by World Vision’s Child Protection leaders, contacted Rose again to inform her that they believed J might be pregnant. A few days later, J took a pregnancy test and was told that she was 4 months pregnant.

In addition to working alongside schools to help teachers recognize and assist children who are experiencing trauma or in need of protection, World Vision also educates and empowers volunteers in the community to help assist children and their families navigate difficult circumstances. These volunteers are, in a way, like caseworkers who help to counsel a child/family through health care decisions and legal systems.

After finding out she was pregnant, a World Vision caseworker began helping Rose and J work through a myriad of important details. In addition to securing prenatal care for J, he also helped arrange for her to have an HIV test. Moreover, the caseworker also assisted J in negotiations with her school, advocating for her to be able to take the testing necessary to ensure she would be accepted into a secondary school.

However, negotiating with her school was not easy. Many among the school’s administration questioned J’s story. In fact, after meeting J and her family, I visited her school and met a couple of the men who sat on the school’s administration board. One of those individuals was the school’s headmaster. Upon him opening his mouth, I became acutely aware as to why Rose encouraged J to remain silent about her rape in the beginning. Upon being asked a few questions about J’s story, I listened as the school’s headmaster not only suggested that J was mentally unstable, but he also said that he did not believe that she was raped.

****

In Uganda, victims of rape and sexual violence are silenced with fear. They are silenced by a culture that is dominated by a steep tradition of patriarchy that often gives men the benefit of the doubt and seeks ways in which to undermine a woman’s story. While there are those who are fighting for change in how Uganda addresses rape and sexual violence— including representatives from World Vision—that change is likely to come very slowly. In a culture where communities still exist that require females to kneel when a male enters a room or their proximity, the laws and those who enforce these laws do not encourage women to speak up and tell their stories, they more often inspire silence.

And unfortunately, J’s story is not an anomaly. According to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, nearly 1 in 4 women between the ages of 15 and 49 reported that their first sexual experience was forced against their will. More than half of the women surveyed said that they were sexually violated before the age of 18. Another survey, one called the National Report on Sexual and Gender-based Violence from 2011, found that between 33 percent and 66 percent of sexual assault victims are 15 years old or younger.

With World Vision’s help, Rose did file J’s rape with the local authorities. And while there are a couple of leads in her case, justice in cases of sexual violence are a long uphill battle and convictions are quite rare.

****

J did pass her primary-7 testing and is currently pursuing her secondary education. Two years ago, J had hopes and dreams of being a teacher. While the statistics suggest that her dream is all but null, Rose and J are still holding out hope and doing the best they can amid their circumstances.

With World Vision’s assistance, J is now fully acclimated as a mom. Not only has World Vision helped train her on how to take care of Lydia, they are also providing J with baby formula and other basic needs for a new baby.

When discussing J’s future, Rose wipes a tear away from her face. “My heart desires for her to have a good future…”

She sighs and smiles again. “It’s now in God’s hands.”

Child sponsorship through World Vision helps protect children like J and Lydia. When you sponsor a child, you’re not simply helping an individual—you’re giving an entire community hope. Please consider sponsoring a child from Uganda today.

The post This is J’s story, an all too common story in Buikwe, Uganda appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

**Trigger warning: This post discusses rape of a minor, sexual assault against a minor, silencing, and cultural patriarchy.**

Lydia is beautiful. At 7-months old, she’s looking at me from where she sits on her momma’s lap; she appears happy, healthy, content, loved. Her momma, whose face I will not show and who I will only refer to as J to protect her identity, is gently bouncing her sweet baby girl atop of her knees, listening to Rose, J’s grandmother, brag about how smart she is and how much potential she believes her granddaughter possesses. J has lived with her grandmother since she was 6 years old, having moved in with her after the death of her mom.

A few minutes later, after J has handed Lydia to her grandmother and left the front porch of their home in order to protect her from reliving the details of the last 19 months, Rose begins sharing about the day that everything in her granddaughter’s life changed.

J was 15 at the time and walking home from school a bit later than usual. As the sun began setting and dusk fell against the path she walked nearly every day, J noticed a man whom she did not know was following her, a man who brutally attacked and raped her. J told her grandmother what happened and despite Rose believing her story, they did not immediately report the crime to the authorities because 1) they were afraid that the perpetrator might know where they live and try to bring more harm to J, 2) they knew that rape incidences rarely receive the attention they deserve due to the lack of law enforcement, and 3) they were afraid that the repercussions of telling their truth would bring judgment from the community and J’s classmates. Moreover, even if law enforcement did track down the man who raped J, the chances of him going to trial were weak—and even if he did go to trial, conviction of rapists is rare.

Rose poured all of her energy into helping J process what happened; she was mostly concerned for her granddaughter’s health, her emotional well being, and her education.

One month after being raped, J returned to school. Soon after, teachers began expressing concern to Rose about J’s spirit, telling her that J seemed sad, distant, quiet. Eventually, nearly 4 months after the rape, J’s teachers, having been trained at recognizing signs of trauma by World Vision’s Child Protection leaders, contacted Rose again to inform her that they believed J might be pregnant. A few days later, J took a pregnancy test and was told that she was 4 months pregnant.

In addition to working alongside schools to help teachers recognize and assist children who are experiencing trauma or in need of protection, World Vision also educates and empowers volunteers in the community to help assist children and their families navigate difficult circumstances. These volunteers are, in a way, like caseworkers who help to counsel a child/family through health care decisions and legal systems.

After finding out she was pregnant, a World Vision caseworker began helping Rose and J work through a myriad of important details. In addition to securing prenatal care for J, he also helped arrange for her to have an HIV test. Moreover, the caseworker also assisted J in negotiations with her school, advocating for her to be able to take the testing necessary to ensure she would be accepted into a secondary school.

However, negotiating with her school was not easy. Many among the school’s administration questioned J’s story. In fact, after meeting J and her family, I visited her school and met a couple of the men who sat on the school’s administration board. One of those individuals was the school’s headmaster. Upon him opening his mouth, I became acutely aware as to why Rose encouraged J to remain silent about her rape in the beginning. Upon being asked a few questions about J’s story, I listened as the school’s headmaster not only suggested that J was mentally unstable, but he also said that he did not believe that she was raped.

****

In Uganda, victims of rape and sexual violence are silenced with fear. They are silenced by a culture that is dominated by a steep tradition of patriarchy that often gives men the benefit of the doubt and seeks ways in which to undermine a woman’s story. While there are those who are fighting for change in how Uganda addresses rape and sexual violence— including representatives from World Vision—that change is likely to come very slowly. In a culture where communities still exist that require females to kneel when a male enters a room or their proximity, the laws and those who enforce these laws do not encourage women to speak up and tell their stories, they more often inspire silence.

And unfortunately, J’s story is not an anomaly. According to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, nearly 1 in 4 women between the ages of 15 and 49 reported that their first sexual experience was forced against their will. More than half of the women surveyed said that they were sexually violated before the age of 18. Another survey, one called the National Report on Sexual and Gender-based Violence from 2011, found that between 33 percent and 66 percent of sexual assault victims are 15 years old or younger.

With World Vision’s help, Rose did file J’s rape with the local authorities. And while there are a couple of leads in her case, justice in cases of sexual violence are a long uphill battle and convictions are quite rare.

****

J did pass her primary-7 testing and is currently pursuing her secondary education. Two years ago, J had hopes and dreams of being a teacher. While the statistics suggest that her dream is all but null, Rose and J are still holding out hope and doing the best they can amid their circumstances.

With World Vision’s assistance, J is now fully acclimated as a mom. Not only has World Vision helped train her on how to take care of Lydia, they are also providing J with baby formula and other basic needs for a new baby.

When discussing J’s future, Rose wipes a tear away from her face. “My heart desires for her to have a good future…”

She sighs and smiles again. “It’s now in God’s hands.”

Child sponsorship through World Vision helps protect children like J and Lydia. When you sponsor a child, you’re not simply helping an individual—you’re giving an entire community hope. Please consider sponsoring a child from Uganda today.

The post This is J’s story, an all too common story in Buikwe, Uganda appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

So here’s my plan. It’s not an extensive plan, and it’s still in process. But it’s a plan.

1) I’m going to resist fear. Oh, I’m not unafraid. But I’m going to fight fear with hope. And I believe there’s still so much hope, friends. There’s hope in the fact that the majority of Americans–a small majority–but a majority nonetheless made the better, wiser, more hopeful choice. There’s hope in the fact that the youngest generation of voters overwhelmingly made the better, wiser, more hopeful choice. And there’s hope in the fact that our new reality might unite and ignite those of us who feel afraid to be stand together, hand in hand, and use our voices, our influences, our passions to sing together a chorus of freedom, progress, and compassion, and to let our frustrations and anger, in their proper time, evolve into light that we shine into dark places. Hope is not a cliche–that’s what I believe and that’s what I’ll use to fight the fears and despair that I’m feeling now.

2) I’m gonna keep telling my kids the truer American narrative, the one that showcases our strengths and owns our mistakes, a narrative that fights for justice and believes that good things are possible. I’m gonna inspire them with a vision of what America could be, a country where people–all people regardless of race, religion, sexuality, and/or gender–are created by God, loved by God, embraced by God, and are equal in the eyes of God. I will teach them about their privilege, mold that knowledge with humility, and empower them to see and accept the responsibilities that come with being who they are. And I will encourage them to use their privilege wisely and in combination with their talents, to speak up when necessary and remain silent when appropriate. And then I will pray that God will use them in the greater narrative, not only for America’s good but for the world’s good.

3) I’m gonna keep creating. I’m gonna write truth. I’m gonna tell beautiful stories. I’m gonna tell some ugly stories too. I’m gonna capture powerful and light-filled moments with my camera. I’m gonna carve whimsical houses out of cottonwood bark. I’m gonna use my Mammom’s recipes to make apple pie, peach cobbler, and hot milk cakes. I’m gonna use my gifts–all of them–to the best of my ability, to speak my truth, my story as well as other people’s truths and stories, and hope they will affect our culture and society in big and small ways. Nothing fights fear like beauty. Nothing combats evil like truth. Nothing communicates a way forward like a good story. Nothing ignites hope like a photograph. And few things feed our soul better than a good piece of apple pie.

4) I’m gonna stop telling you what to do or how to be or what to feel. I’m gonna encourage you to just be you. Please don’t let my stories or other people’s stories keep you from living your story. Don’t become sidetracked by other people’s ideas and plans. Learn from them perhaps. Take parts of them with you if they fit. Or feel free to ignore them. Did you get that? You don’t have to agree or embrace another person’s truth if it doesn’t fall in line with your own. Don’t let my thoughts or others’ thoughts cause you to feel obligated to be something you’re not or react in a way that isn’t fully how you feel. My way forward may not be your way forward. And that’s ok, as long as we’re both moving forward. Our pace doesn’t matter. Our path rarely matters. Only our direction–the way in which we’re facing–matters. So please, be you. Let me be me. And if I’m not headed in the right direction, please tell me. And I’ll do the same for you. But we must allow room for all of us to process and grieve and make plans in our own time and in our own ways. And occasionally, when necessary, let’s shine some light on the map to help the lost get found and to make sure we’re all together and headed in a good direction.

That’s my plan. It’s not perfect. Not complete. And sure, I’m still sad and feeling uneasy. But despite what I’m feeling, I do know what I’m gonna do after I finish writing this post–and that’s a start.

Viagra is for the treatment of inability to get or keep an erection and similar states when erection is of low quality. When you buy remedies like cialis from canada you should know about cialis online canada. It may have a lot of brands, but only one ATC Code. Erectile dysfunction, defined as the persistent impossibility to maintain a satisfactory erection, affects an estimated 15 to 30 millions men in the America alone. Sexual health is an substantial part of a man’s life, no matter his age etc.

The post How I’m going to move forward (my post-election plan) appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

So here’s my plan. It’s not an extensive plan, and it’s still in process. But it’s a plan.

1) I’m going to resist fear. Oh, I’m not unafraid. But I’m going to fight fear with hope. And I believe there’s still so much hope, friends. There’s hope in the fact that the majority of Americans–a small majority–but a majority nonetheless made the better, wiser, more hopeful choice. There’s hope in the fact that the youngest generation of voters overwhelmingly made the better, wiser, more hopeful choice. And there’s hope in the fact that our new reality might unite and ignite those of us who feel afraid to be stand together, hand in hand, and use our voices, our influences, our passions to sing together a chorus of freedom, progress, and compassion, and to let our frustrations and anger, in their proper time, evolve into light that we shine into dark places. Hope is not a cliche–that’s what I believe and that’s what I’ll use to fight the fears and despair that I’m feeling now.

2) I’m gonna keep telling my kids the truer American narrative, the one that showcases our strengths and owns our mistakes, a narrative that fights for justice and believes that good things are possible. I’m gonna inspire them with a vision of what America could be, a country where people–all people regardless of race, religion, sexuality, and/or gender–are created by God, loved by God, embraced by God, and are equal in the eyes of God. I will teach them about their privilege, mold that knowledge with humility, and empower them to see and accept the responsibilities that come with being who they are. And I will encourage them to use their privilege wisely and in combination with their talents, to speak up when necessary and remain silent when appropriate. And then I will pray that God will use them in the greater narrative, not only for America’s good but for the world’s good.

3) I’m gonna keep creating. I’m gonna write truth. I’m gonna tell beautiful stories. I’m gonna tell some ugly stories too. I’m gonna capture powerful and light-filled moments with my camera. I’m gonna carve whimsical houses out of cottonwood bark. I’m gonna use my Mammom’s recipes to make apple pie, peach cobbler, and hot milk cakes. I’m gonna use my gifts–all of them–to the best of my ability, to speak my truth, my story as well as other people’s truths and stories, and hope they will affect our culture and society in big and small ways. Nothing fights fear like beauty. Nothing combats evil like truth. Nothing communicates a way forward like a good story. Nothing ignites hope like a photograph. And few things feed our soul better than a good piece of apple pie.

4) I’m gonna stop telling you what to do or how to be or what to feel. I’m gonna encourage you to just be you. Please don’t let my stories or other people’s stories keep you from living your story. Don’t become sidetracked by other people’s ideas and plans. Learn from them perhaps. Take parts of them with you if they fit. Or feel free to ignore them. Did you get that? You don’t have to agree or embrace another person’s truth if it doesn’t fall in line with your own. Don’t let my thoughts or others’ thoughts cause you to feel obligated to be something you’re not or react in a way that isn’t fully how you feel. My way forward may not be your way forward. And that’s ok, as long as we’re both moving forward. Our pace doesn’t matter. Our path rarely matters. Only our direction–the way in which we’re facing–matters. So please, be you. Let me be me. And if I’m not headed in the right direction, please tell me. And I’ll do the same for you. But we must allow room for all of us to process and grieve and make plans in our own time and in our own ways. And occasionally, when necessary, let’s shine some light on the map to help the lost get found and to make sure we’re all together and headed in a good direction.

That’s my plan. It’s not perfect. Not complete. And sure, I’m still sad and feeling uneasy. But despite what I’m feeling, I do know what I’m gonna do after I finish writing this post–and that’s a start.

Viagra is for the treatment of inability to get or keep an erection and similar states when erection is of low quality. When you buy remedies like cialis from canada you should know about cialis online canada. It may have a lot of brands, but only one ATC Code. Erectile dysfunction, defined as the persistent impossibility to maintain a satisfactory erection, affects an estimated 15 to 30 millions men in the America alone. Sexual health is an substantial part of a man’s life, no matter his age etc.

The post How I’m going to move forward (my post-election plan) appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

Summer is over. Yes, I realize the arrival of fall is still a couple weeks away and yes, it’s still hot, humid, and semi miserable outside. But still, it’s after Labor Day. By most accounts, summer has ended.

And I’m not the least bit sad about that, either.

Because my summer was amazing.

Not epic.

Not the best ever.

But awesome… real… alive.

This was the kind of summer that allowed me to spend lots of time with my family, especially with my two older kids, Elias and Adeline. But all of us spent lots of time together—quality time, lazy time, silly time, sometimes, too much time. But time… lots of time.

And we did a lot of fun stuff. As you might know, my wife is basically the Alpha & Omega of natural family event and activity planning. For the second year in a row, she and the kids made a summertime bucket list. Now, I’m not usually a fan of list making—I find them mostly to be guilt-inducing recipes disguised as treasure maps—but the summertime bucket list was pretty awesome as it encouraged us to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do. And yes, even though we didn’t accomplish every item on the list—which did cause us to feel a wee bit guilty—we did do most of the activities and for the most part, we had fun and we made some good memories.

I also carved a lot this summer. For just a little more than two years, I’ve been wood carving. I started out carving mostly basswood. But last summer, I discovered cottonwood bark and I’ve been carving only cottonwood bark ever since. Cottonwood bark is a very soft wood to work with, but it’s also quite temperamental. Sometimes it’s very easy to carve and other times, it’s so soft that it falls apart in your hands. Moreover, there’s only so much you can do with cottonwood bark. And yet, for some odd reason, it’s limitations are what I’m drawn to. There’s something about working within the medium’s boundaries that excites me.

For a long weekend in July, I hung out with like 10 of my closest friends in the mountains of North Carolina. It had been a long time since I’d had the chance to do that and we had an absolute blast. We talked, ate, drank, and laughed the entire time we were together. It was amazing. So energizing. Relaxing. Life giving. I’m hopeful that my friends and I will be able to make that something we try to do annually. Because I think all of us needed that time…

This summer was also the beginning of a new journey for me as I started to focus more on photography as opposed to writing. While I’ll always write in some capacity, photography has, since 2009, been a creative outlet for me, something that I’ve long believed I’d enjoy doing professionally. And I wasn’t wrong. The last three months have been a rollercoaster of photography experiences, scenarios that have fed my creative soul, challenged me professionally, and offered me numerous opportunities to be around people. While there have been a couple of photography jobs that have certainly been less than thrilling, I’ve learned something from every experience. But most of all, I have thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to see and experience and photography people’s most amazing—usually some of their happiest—life moments. (If you’re in the Nashville area and would like to book a session, email me at MatthewPaulTurner@gmail.com).

It’s been a good summer. But I’m not sad that it’s over. I’m excited for what the new seasons will bring…

What did your story entail this summer? What are you looking forward to in the weeks ahead?

Viagra is for the treatment of inability to get or keep an erection and similar states when erection is of low quality. When you buy remedies like cialis from canada you should know about cialis online canada. It may have a lot of brands, but only one ATC Code. Erectile dysfunction, defined as the persistent impossibility to maintain a satisfactory erection, affects an estimated 15 to 30 millions men in the America alone. Sexual health is an substantial part of a man’s life, no question his age etc.

The post Summertime, and the livin’ is easy… appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

Summer is over. Yes, I realize the arrival of fall is still a couple weeks away and yes, it’s still hot, humid, and semi miserable outside. But still, it’s after Labor Day. By most accounts, summer has ended.

And I’m not the least bit sad about that, either.

Because my summer was amazing.

Not epic.

Not the best ever.

But awesome… real… alive.

This was the kind of summer that allowed me to spend lots of time with my family, especially with my two older kids, Elias and Adeline. But all of us spent lots of time together—quality time, lazy time, silly time, sometimes, too much time. But time… lots of time.

And we did a lot of fun stuff. As you might know, my wife is basically the Alpha & Omega of natural family event and activity planning. For the second year in a row, she and the kids made a summertime bucket list. Now, I’m not usually a fan of list making—I find them mostly to be guilt-inducing recipes disguised as treasure maps—but the summertime bucket list was pretty awesome as it encouraged us to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do. And yes, even though we didn’t accomplish every item on the list—which did cause us to feel a wee bit guilty—we did do most of the activities and for the most part, we had fun and we made some good memories.

I also carved a lot this summer. For just a little more than two years, I’ve been wood carving. I started out carving mostly basswood. But last summer, I discovered cottonwood bark and I’ve been carving only cottonwood bark ever since. Cottonwood bark is a very soft wood to work with, but it’s also quite temperamental. Sometimes it’s very easy to carve and other times, it’s so soft that it falls apart in your hands. Moreover, there’s only so much you can do with cottonwood bark. And yet, for some odd reason, it’s limitations are what I’m drawn to. There’s something about working within the medium’s boundaries that excites me.

For a long weekend in July, I hung out with like 10 of my closest friends in the mountains of North Carolina. It had been a long time since I’d had the chance to do that and we had an absolute blast. We talked, ate, drank, and laughed the entire time we were together. It was amazing. So energizing. Relaxing. Life giving. I’m hopeful that my friends and I will be able to make that something we try to do annually. Because I think all of us needed that time…

This summer was also the beginning of a new journey for me as I started to focus more on photography as opposed to writing. While I’ll always write in some capacity, photography has, since 2009, been a creative outlet for me, something that I’ve long believed I’d enjoy doing professionally. And I wasn’t wrong. The last three months have been a rollercoaster of photography experiences, scenarios that have fed my creative soul, challenged me professionally, and offered me numerous opportunities to be around people. While there have been a couple of photography jobs that have certainly been less than thrilling, I’ve learned something from every experience. But most of all, I have thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to see and experience and photography people’s most amazing—usually some of their happiest—life moments. (If you’re in the Nashville area and would like to book a session, email me at MatthewPaulTurner@gmail.com).

It’s been a good summer. But I’m not sad that it’s over. I’m excited for what the new seasons will bring…

What did your story entail this summer? What are you looking forward to in the weeks ahead?

Viagra is for the treatment of inability to get or keep an erection and similar states when erection is of low quality. When you buy remedies like cialis from canada you should know about cialis online canada. It may have a lot of brands, but only one ATC Code. Erectile dysfunction, defined as the persistent impossibility to maintain a satisfactory erection, affects an estimated 15 to 30 millions men in the America alone. Sexual health is an substantial part of a man’s life, no question his age etc.

The post Summertime, and the livin’ is easy… appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

Many years ago, an American family made a decision to sponsor a child named Jose Nicolas Ramirez.

At the time, all that family knew about Jose (nicknamed Jacobo) was what World Vision had printed on his sponsorship folder, a picture, a name and age, and a country in which he lived, the Dominican Republic.

Choosing to sponsor a child from the DR probably didn’t change that family’s life all that much. Sure, it may have been a sacrifice. And yes, it may have even sparked dinner time conversations about poverty or helping other people. But chances are, it likely didn’t change the course of their lives, not like it affected Jacobo.

Though Jacobo was, at the time, much too young to fully grasp the impact of becoming a sponsor child with World Vision, he does remember feeling happy mostly because members of his family were happy.

As sponsor child, Jacobo became fully engaged in all that his local World Vision program offered—from anti-bullying campaigns and education workshops to sex-education programs and community-wide holiday celebrations—Jacobo’s journey began to change, his life path began filling up bigger and more exciting opportunities.

As a teenager, Jacobo started volunteering as a youth promoter for a community health and wellness program, a World Vision-sponsored initiative in his community. Over time, while advocating healthy life choices to his peers, Jacobo’s interest in health care, medicine, and helping people. His experiences as a youth wellness promoter led him to begin volunteering at a World Vision-sponsored wellness clinic, a health program that treated and cared for orphans who were HIV positive. Jacobo’s love, concern, and desire to help people flourished here. Rather than settling down after high school, Jacobo decided that he wanted to be a medical doctor.

World Vision helped Jacobo pay for tuition. Moreover, World Vision not only helped pay for his education and provided him with extra money for living expenses, World Vision also purchased the med student a motorbike so he could commute back and forth to school.

Last month, I visited Jacobo’s hometown, Batey Altagracia, Dominican Republic. Fifteen minutes after we arrived, I was photographing a father and his beautiful baby when the familiar roar of a motorbike approaching sends both of their heads turning toward the noise. Through my lens, I saw the father’s face showcase faint but very real relief upon realizing who it was riding that bike.

It was 3:15 p.m., and Jose Nicolas Ramirez, the birth name of that onetime World Vision sponsor child, had just finished a full-day’s work at one of the government’s hospitals.

As he gets off his bike, I hear several people holler his name—“Dr. Jacobo!”

Jacobo is 29 now. And yes, he’s a physician—Doctor Jacobo. He was offered some residency assignments at the major hospitals in Santo Domingo, where he studied. But he turned them all down so he could help people who couldn’t afford to come to the big city hospitals for treatment.

Though he’s wildly smiling and generously greeting members of his community, it’s also obvious that he’s warn out, exhausted by the day’s work, by the stories he encounters, the stories of people who came to him in hopes of finding healing.

Rather than going home to sleep, Dr. Jacobo has driven 45 minutes to his hometown, where’s he’s met by more people, more stories, more seekers of healing. A small crowd gathers around the doctor as he walks a quarter mile toward a small pink and green building. He unlocks its doors and windows. People form a line at the door. And soon, one by one, Dr. Jacobo examines each person. He listens to every story. And to the best of his ability, he tries to offer the people of his town some hope, some healing.

And he doesn’t charge a dime. Three days a week, every single week, Dr. Jacobo donates several hours of his time.

And that’s not all—Dr. Jacobo is also a community leader, a vocal advocate for the people of his town, a voice who speaks up on behalf of the needs and demands of the people living in Batey Altagracia.

That’s the power of child sponsorship through World Vision. Jose is one child who’s story was forever changed, and now, because of his story, hundreds of people’s stories are being changed.

Change a kid’s life. Change a community’s life. Sponsor a child from the Dominican Republic.

Viagra is for the treatment of inability to get or keep an erection and similar states when erection is of low quality. When you buy remedies like cialis from canada you should know about cialis online canada. It may have a lot of brands, but only one ATC Code. Erectile dysfunction, defined as the persistent impossibility to maintain a satisfactory erection, affects an estimated 15 to 30 millions men in the America alone. Sexual heartiness is an substantial part of a man’s life, no matter his age etc.

The post Domino effects of hope-you never know what you might start appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

Many years ago, an American family made a decision to sponsor a child named Jose Nicolas Ramirez.

At the time, all that family knew about Jose (nicknamed Jacobo) was what World Vision had printed on his sponsorship folder, a picture, a name and age, and a country in which he lived, the Dominican Republic.

Choosing to sponsor a child from the DR probably didn’t change that family’s life all that much. Sure, it may have been a sacrifice. And yes, it may have even sparked dinner time conversations about poverty or helping other people. But chances are, it likely didn’t change the course of their lives, not like it affected Jacobo.

Though Jacobo was, at the time, much too young to fully grasp the impact of becoming a sponsor child with World Vision, he does remember feeling happy mostly because members of his family were happy.

As sponsor child, Jacobo became fully engaged in all that his local World Vision program offered—from anti-bullying campaigns and education workshops to sex-education programs and community-wide holiday celebrations—Jacobo’s journey began to change, his life path began filling up bigger and more exciting opportunities.

As a teenager, Jacobo started volunteering as a youth promoter for a community health and wellness program, a World Vision-sponsored initiative in his community. Over time, while advocating healthy life choices to his peers, Jacobo’s interest in health care, medicine, and helping people. His experiences as a youth wellness promoter led him to begin volunteering at a World Vision-sponsored wellness clinic, a health program that treated and cared for orphans who were HIV positive. Jacobo’s love, concern, and desire to help people flourished here. Rather than settling down after high school, Jacobo decided that he wanted to be a medical doctor.

World Vision helped Jacobo pay for tuition. Moreover, World Vision not only helped pay for his education and provided him with extra money for living expenses, World Vision also purchased the med student a motorbike so he could commute back and forth to school.

Last month, I visited Jacobo’s hometown, Batey Altagracia, Dominican Republic. Fifteen minutes after we arrived, I was photographing a father and his beautiful baby when the familiar roar of a motorbike approaching sends both of their heads turning toward the noise. Through my lens, I saw the father’s face showcase faint but very real relief upon realizing who it was riding that bike.

It was 3:15 p.m., and Jose Nicolas Ramirez, the birth name of that onetime World Vision sponsor child, had just finished a full-day’s work at one of the government’s hospitals.

As he gets off his bike, I hear several people holler his name—“Dr. Jacobo!”

Jacobo is 29 now. And yes, he’s a physician—Doctor Jacobo. He was offered some residency assignments at the major hospitals in Santo Domingo, where he studied. But he turned them all down so he could help people who couldn’t afford to come to the big city hospitals for treatment.

Though he’s wildly smiling and generously greeting members of his community, it’s also obvious that he’s warn out, exhausted by the day’s work, by the stories he encounters, the stories of people who came to him in hopes of finding healing.

Rather than going home to sleep, Dr. Jacobo has driven 45 minutes to his hometown, where’s he’s met by more people, more stories, more seekers of healing. A small crowd gathers around the doctor as he walks a quarter mile toward a small pink and green building. He unlocks its doors and windows. People form a line at the door. And soon, one by one, Dr. Jacobo examines each person. He listens to every story. And to the best of his ability, he tries to offer the people of his town some hope, some healing.

And he doesn’t charge a dime. Three days a week, every single week, Dr. Jacobo donates several hours of his time.

And that’s not all—Dr. Jacobo is also a community leader, a vocal advocate for the people of his town, a voice who speaks up on behalf of the needs and demands of the people living in Batey Altagracia.

That’s the power of child sponsorship through World Vision. Jose is one child who’s story was forever changed, and now, because of his story, hundreds of people’s stories are being changed.

Change a kid’s life. Change a community’s life. Sponsor a child from the Dominican Republic.

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The post Domino effects of hope-you never know what you might start appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

This week, I’m in the Dominican Republic with World Vision.

Since 2010, I’ve traveled with World Vision to places all over the world—Uganda, the Philippines, Bolivia, Armenia, and many other places…

On every trip, I’ve witnessed firsthand the vivid and unique aspects of poverty.

I’ve learned from experience that poverty is never black and white. Solutions are rarely simple or perfect. To say the least, poverty is complicated, and fighting poverty is messy and sometimes it feels a bit hopeless.

Because no matter where you go in the world, poverty and the longstanding effects of poverty are shaped and colored by a country’s culture, climate, politics, and economy.

And oftentimes, hope—even the best kind of hope—will work beautifully in one community and fall flat in another community only a few miles down the road.

Sometimes, despite being a well-traveled progressive thinker who has long advocated on behalf of the poor, I can quickly turn into that Americanized social justice tourist who gets caught up in observing a country and a country’s poverty from a macro level, a perspective from which I miss both the detailed effects of poverty as well as the vivid hopes that many people experience because of organizations like World Vision.

Like poverty, World Vision isn’t black and white, either. It’s not a one-trick organization that copies and pastes a certain idea or one kind of hope in community after community. For one family, the aid that World Vision provides and/or strategizes is often different and/or unique from the aid it provides to another family. Through its child sponsorship program here in the Dominican Republic, World Vision is able to offer communities and the families of these communities a kind of hope that caters to the specific needs of individual children as well as their families.

One of the things I love most about World Vision are the beautiful people who work for them on the ground in each individual country. Nearly every person who works for World Vision is locally hired and university trained in their whatever line of work they do for the organization. They aren’t simply people who are passionate about helping others, they are people who are educated, trained, and empowered to help people who live and suffer in their own communities.

My wife and I sponsor 5 kids through World Vision, one of which—an 11-year-old named Juan—lives right here in the DR. And while it’s not always perfect and doesn’t fix every individual need, child sponsorship through World Vision works.

I’ve seen it working all over the world.

I saw it working today in the Dominican Republic.

Will you please consider sponsoring a child? It will change not only a child’s life, but also a family’s life and help to shape and better the community in which that child and family live.

Click here to sponsor a child today. Help me get 20 children sponsored!

Viagra is for the treatment of inability to get or keep an erection and similar states when erection is of low quality. When you buy remedies like cialis from canada you should know about cialis online canada. It may have a lot of brands, but only one ATC Code. Erectile disfunction, defined as the persistent impossibility to maintain a satisfactory erection, affects an estimated 15 to 30 millions men in the America alone. Sexual soundness is an substantial part of a man’s life, no matter his age etc.

The post Poverty isn’t black and white; and neither is World Vision… appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.

This week, I’m in the Dominican Republic with World Vision.

Since 2010, I’ve traveled with World Vision to places all over the world—Uganda, the Philippines, Bolivia, Armenia, and many other places…

On every trip, I’ve witnessed firsthand the vivid and unique aspects of poverty.

I’ve learned from experience that poverty is never black and white. Solutions are rarely simple or perfect. To say the least, poverty is complicated, and fighting poverty is messy and sometimes it feels a bit hopeless.

Because no matter where you go in the world, poverty and the longstanding effects of poverty are shaped and colored by a country’s culture, climate, politics, and economy.

And oftentimes, hope—even the best kind of hope—will work beautifully in one community and fall flat in another community only a few miles down the road.

Sometimes, despite being a well-traveled progressive thinker who has long advocated on behalf of the poor, I can quickly turn into that Americanized social justice tourist who gets caught up in observing a country and a country’s poverty from a macro level, a perspective from which I miss both the detailed effects of poverty as well as the vivid hopes that many people experience because of organizations like World Vision.

Like poverty, World Vision isn’t black and white, either. It’s not a one-trick organization that copies and pastes a certain idea or one kind of hope in community after community. For one family, the aid that World Vision provides and/or strategizes is often different and/or unique from the aid it provides to another family. Through its child sponsorship program here in the Dominican Republic, World Vision is able to offer communities and the families of these communities a kind of hope that caters to the specific needs of individual children as well as their families.

One of the things I love most about World Vision are the beautiful people who work for them on the ground in each individual country. Nearly every person who works for World Vision is locally hired and university trained in their whatever line of work they do for the organization. They aren’t simply people who are passionate about helping others, they are people who are educated, trained, and empowered to help people who live and suffer in their own communities.

My wife and I sponsor 5 kids through World Vision, one of which—an 11-year-old named Juan—lives right here in the DR. And while it’s not always perfect and doesn’t fix every individual need, child sponsorship through World Vision works.

I’ve seen it working all over the world.

I saw it working today in the Dominican Republic.

Will you please consider sponsoring a child? It will change not only a child’s life, but also a family’s life and help to shape and better the community in which that child and family live.

Click here to sponsor a child today. Help me get 20 children sponsored!

Viagra is for the treatment of inability to get or keep an erection and similar states when erection is of low quality. When you buy remedies like cialis from canada you should know about cialis online canada. It may have a lot of brands, but only one ATC Code. Erectile disfunction, defined as the persistent impossibility to maintain a satisfactory erection, affects an estimated 15 to 30 millions men in the America alone. Sexual soundness is an substantial part of a man’s life, no matter his age etc.

The post Poverty isn’t black and white; and neither is World Vision… appeared first on Matthew Paul Turner.