Charity Work

I hold a Master's degree in Social Work, an MSW. I like to drop those initials sometimes, just to feel good about myself and the qualifications I hold for my current position. When I was recently out of school, I used to joke with my other do-gooder friends, people like me who were sacrificing ourselves for the good of others. I remember joking about the easy life, saying

I should just move out to the suburbs and volunteer for my church.

At that point in my life, that was a cop-out. And with all fairness, my friends and I were putting in a lot of hard hours and dedicating ourselves to some amazing and quite difficult causes and people. It certainly made churches in the suburbs seem simple.

Since I quit working, I often struggle with what good I am doing for the world. Sure, raising my kids is fulfilling and a challenging commitment to 3 important individuals. Absolutely. And both churches and the suburbs are worthwhile places to spend ones energy. But I had bigger plans than this, to make a bigger difference in the world. And what have I done to that end? Run a Bible Study in my home, audienced almost entirely by very wealthy people like myself.

In Shenzhen, we're newly getting to know an Australian couple who quit their executive jobs and devoted their working lives to helping a few of the underserved and needy of China. I am itching to ask her how I can get involved, and thinking through what I will offer. Initially, I've bought tickets to their fundraiser this Saturday night. If you're looking for an organization to support, follow the links and learn more. Captivating International, my friends' organization, supports The Seng Girl's Home & Vocational School in a remote part of China. Seventeen of those girls spent 36 hours on a train to arrive in Shenzhen yesterday afternoon. All seventeen are staying with our friends, in their home. I asked how to help.

I spent the day today baking bread and running laundry. I would love to do it again on Wednesday. I would dearly love to follow the girls around as their photographer on Thursday. Funny, because neither task requires an advanced degree or any work experience, but these things feel truly worthwhile. Raising funds and offering prayer lead to dramatic and amazing change, and are very necessary parts of changing the world. But folding someone's laundry, or watching them smell freshly baked bread is much more intimate. Living in China, I have accessibility to the intimate. I hope to find a way to take full advantage of it.

But the postscript is that this day felt like a personal failure. Although the bread and the laundry came out nearly perfect, my family fell apart. Sophia came home sick, and spent most of the day in front of the television in a room apart from me. Annika stayed home with ayi most of the morning. And by the time we picked up Lilly from school, I needed to run all 3 girls to the grocery store to pick up milk and fruit. This is on foot with 3 exhausted children, and arriving home at dinnertime. With 3 exhausted children. I rushed dinner, yelled too much, skipped homework and spent the evening watching sitcoms on StarWorld. I have yet to discover the balance between getting outside of myself and meeting my children's needs.