ethical chocolate?

randy sent me an email asking if i wanted to go to a viewing of a documentary: the dark side of chocolate...

most people know how much i love chocolate, especially dark chocolate! little did i know that there really is a dark side to it. after viewing the film, we learned how often child labor and inhumane labor practices are used in the production of cocoa from the harvesting of beans to the production of cocoa powder & butter. children are lied to, manipulated away from their families, promised money, and then never given a chance to return home. they are forced to work, being denied privileges of healthcare and education.

of course, both of our hearts dropped when we realized how severe the issues are and how closely we come to the situation by continuing to buy products that come from companies who turn a blind eye to these unethical practices at the bottom of the production chain of events. so we made a decision: through education, we will make changes. small things really do add up and can make a difference! we can seek to learn about the way businesses make their profit and allow our buying power and voices speak!

some practical things we can do:
*stop buying chocolate if it is not a "fair trade" product (or equivalent -- we will post a list of groups that certify fair trade principles globally)
*start buying fair trade products (you can research approved brands to find local stores that sell them)
*check out our local fair trade groups, for example: fairtradela.com (or fairtradepasadena.com for those of us in this area)
*think before you buy and when possible, buy products from reputable companies (that practice fair labor principles)

current thoughts on justice & deuteronomy

It seems that everywhere we turn, Randy and I see themes of justice...

I (Lindsay) am taking an Old Testament Survey class and so it is required to read through the entire Old Testament this semester. In reading Deuteronomy recently, I have begun to see God's heart for justice in an entirely new way. Even in the 10 commandments, I can see God's intentions to set up a society in which there is fairness and equality, the protection of human rights, and an appreciation of the gift of humanity.

My textbook reads:
"Commandment 10: Human Rights and Privileges (Deut. 24:17-26:15)
'You shall not covet... anything that belongs to your neighbor.'
Coveting is desiring to have something that is possessed by another. The legislation surrounding this commandment suggests that the rights of individuals need to be protected... it urges that rights we enjoy ought not be taken for granted."

This is precisely what Randy and I wrestle with so often when we dig into material and research for the class on Justice. Just this week, I was reading in another textbook about prayer, specifically the "prayer of tears." In Scripture and Christian history, we see over and over again instances of God's people seeing the reality of sin in themselves and the world and learning to sit before God broken over it. For some, these "tears" are more of an internal response to the consequences of sin, for me this is often a very full experience of internal and external mourning. This is a healthy posture to seek growth in, to ask the Lord for brokenness over the wrongdoings within our own lives and the world around us.

Within hours of my reading and reflecting on this different kind of prayer, Randy came home touched to the core about issues in Columbia. He joined a student group this week that seeks to learn more about the injustices around the world and look for ways to do something about it. They had invited a Columbian pastor to share about his situation and Randy was cut to the heart. It was all over his face, those internal "prayers of tears" of his heart, when he came home that day. In Columbia, inhumane treatment of workers and corruption in government-type entities prevails often. This was a reminder to Randy and I that we as Americans sometimes benefit from this injustice because, as was the case with this particular pastor's reports, he was sharing about an American company that profits from the poor treatment of workers and then sells their products to us daily in the States.

These things are heavy on our heart this week and we continue to seek God on how to respond.

wedding pix!

website update!

just an fyi to anyone who is wondering what happened to our wedding website...

we've consolidated everything now, so this is the place to get in touch with us! if you were looking for info on the wedding, we'll provide some here and hope to get more pictures up soon, so stay tuned!

we had the perfect wedding in northern California, at the University of California, Santa Cruz. it was a garden wedding and our dear friend, Pastor Eric Treuil performed the ceremony for us. when we think back to that day, it's a huge reminder of God's blessing -- everything turned out well and we enjoyed every moment of it! (hopefully the pictures will do some justice to the beauty of our day and location, as well as the loved ones who were there -- we had an AMAZING photographer, Kelly Kirksey Fisk). :)

and our registry info: bed bath & beyond, crate & barrel, and amazon.com.

grateful

yesterday I (Lindsay) had the opportunity to spend half a day at a retreat, where the purpose was to "breathe, be refreshed, be transformed". what a breath of fresh air! (no pun intended!)

Randy and I have been on the go since long before the wedding -- I tied up loose ends as I finished out my time directing the XA students at Cal Poly Pomona; Randy moved across the country; we got our new apartment (which meant I went through the moving process also!); Randy had seminary classes to finish up by the beginning of August in the midst of this; we finished planning the wedding; got married!; traveled to Cayucos, CA and enjoyed a Mexican Riviera cruise for our honeymoon; traveled to Louisiana to celebrate our marriage with a reception in Lake Charles (where Randy's family lives); and now I have started back to school with four intense seminary classes. (Randy still has a little more than a week before his seminary classes start.)

considering all of this, however, one of the main segments of my day at this retreat was spent reflecting on so many things, big and small, that have been evidence of God's blessing and his grace to Randy and me. throughout the summer and especially when I think about our wedding, the best way to describe how we feel about all of it, our world including so many moving parts, is this: God's grace has been all over it and in everything.

when we think about our wedding, we smile and have a deep, deep gratitude in our hearts for such perfect celebrations (in CA and LA) in which we saw the beauty of God's creation and God's community in our lives. we are blessed to have loved ones like you reading this blog, who have walked with us, prayed for us, and supported us as individuals and now as a married couple; through times of finding our identity and living out our call to ministry.