two cents worth, March 1 '11

Hi everyone, and sorry for the long layoff between newsletters.  We've been very active in other respects however, and here are a few highlights from early 2011 ...

new prayer group...  A long time in the making, we launched a much needed not one sparrow prayer group on Facebook last week.  So often we're confronted by instances of animal suffering, personal or massive in scale, both of which can be overwhelming and deflating.  We hope the prayer group will encourage us all to share these burdens with each other, and to pray individually and collectively for the needs of God's creatures and those who care for them.  So far, it's off to a wonderful and enheartening start.  Please read our introduction to the group, and consider joining with us!

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oil spill prayer journey: a shelter for pets

The night before Scott and I set out on the first full day of our prayer trip along the Gulf of Mexico, I happened to catch a couple of blog posts from Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society and Stephanie Feldstein of Change.org about the Plaquemines and St. Bernard parish shelters of the Louisiana Gulf.  Having not yet fully recovered from hurricane Katrina, they were already feeling the economic effects of the oil spill, and just beginning to experience a greater number of pet relinquishments as a result. 

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oil spill prayer journey: dorsal fins & beach gatherings

I wanted to pass along Scott Williams' final posts on our trip to the Gulf of Mexico, and thank him once again for the time and care he put into recounting each stage of our journey ...

Although Friday wore me out, I got up early Saturday morning to go back to Orange Beach before setting out on the next steps of our prayer journey.  The picture that I saw was no better than the afternoon before. The rain the night before had failed to wash away either the oil or its stench from the beach.  Wave after wave of oil still washed ashore.

Furthermore, there was now dead wildlife to be found on the shore.  First, a blue-clawed crab, dead with oil on its body.

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oil spill prayer journey: tears and shock

Scott and I left New Orleans yesterday afternoon, completing our week-long oil spill prayer trip.  It was a humid and draining week with much to take in, even discouraging at times, but with many meaningful moments as well.  Following is Scott's recap on the middle two days of our trip, the second of which marked our greatest exposure to the oil itself ...

On Thursday, our gulf coast prayer journey began appropriately.  We had a chance to pray on the beach of Grand Isle one last time before moving along.  We worked our way from Grand Isle, Louisiana all the way to Gulfport, Mississippi.  The road included much beautiful scenery.  The way was scattered with rivers, marshes, bayous, forests, and some great trees.

Upon arrival at Gulfport, we headed straight to the beach.  There we found a pier and walked to the end to see the condition of the water (which was totally clear of oil).

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oil spill prayer journey: decontamination, frustration & oration

Scott Williams and I are a day or two behind updating on our prayer trip along the Gulf of Mexico, as full as each day has been, but please know we intend to get caught up.  Following is Scott's recap of an eventful day 2, and thank you for following along and praying with us ...

Wednesday our gulf coast prayer journey took us down to Grand Isle, LA.  This is located to the southeast of New Orleans and has been a place of much activity these last 59 days.

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oil spill prayer journey: choppers, marinas & shelters

The first full day of my Oil Spill Prayer journey along the Gulf of Mexico with Scott Williams of Creation Hope (and a not one sparrow advisory board member) is just about under our belts.  I'm grateful to Scott for writing the following recap at the end of a long but meaningful day ... 

Yesterday – day 1 of our oil spill prayer journey through the gulf coast – was just the beginning.  With the arrival of day 2 things really kicked into gear.

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oil spill prayer journey

Maybe you caught our posts on the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill, "The Oil Spill and Animals, Kyrie Eleison" and "Prayer for the Oil Spill."  The latter mentioned Oil Spill Prayer, an effort to rally Christians around the country in prayer for the spill, launched by our board member Scott Williams who heads up Creation Hope.  Scott is embarking on a prayer journey along the Gulf as part of this ministry, and graciously invited me along on behalf of not one sparrow.  Here's Scott's introduction to our trip, with a few more comments from me:

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All God's Creatures interview

Last month I was interviewed on behalf of not one sparrow by The Source of Maryland (AM 1450/1520, formerly WTHU).  Sarah Transeau interviewed me for their weekend show All God's Creatures, and I really appreciated the experience.  The station graciously gave me permission to share the audio here:

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Wake Up Weekend '10 recap

Just like last year, Wake Up Weekend in Grand Rapids was a heck of a weekend.  It was an honor to be invited back by Calvin College's Matt Halteman, Adam Wolpa and Students for Compassionate Living, who put on perhaps the most succesful and well-attended WuW yet, with the help of other sponsors including exgtraVEGANza! and Animals & Society Institute.  The always eclectic and stimulating events included presentations and panels from a diverse group of animal and food advocates, an activist art gallery, a lecture on Old Testament animal sacrifice and an unbelievably tasty array of vegan food (you'd be surprised).

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Wake Up Weekend 2010

Updated on January 29, 2010 by Ben DeVries

I'm honored to be involved again in this year's Wake Up Weekend on animals, awareness and advocacy in Grand Rapids, January 22-23.  I'll be presenting not one sparrow's mission and work on Friday at Calvin College between 2:30 and 5:00, participating in a panel discussion on encouraging compassionate eating in our communities on Saturday from 3:30-5:00 at Calvin's downtown art gallery, and generally representin' NOS throughout the weekend.  If you're in the area, I very much hope to bump into you!  I really appreciated the entire weekend last year, and the friendships made.  

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