tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85041590706166983552024-03-19T07:28:03.487-05:00Wellspring InternationalWellspring International was established in February 2004 by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). A humanitarian arm of the organization, Wellspring International is an extension of the central focus of RZIM, where we live out what we preach and defend. The vision of Wellspring is to identify and fund individuals in need as well as existing organizations that are helping those at risk in their communities, specifically women and children.administratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15400562294903287109noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-33770805961636791742010-10-27T12:20:00.001-05:002010-10-27T12:23:46.216-05:00New BlogThe Wellspring Blog has moved. Click here to see the new blog.Cameron McAllisterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16824251834966137563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-63403330124973711422010-05-03T14:17:00.006-05:002010-05-03T15:05:02.228-05:00Wellspring--Delhi, India<!--StartFragment--> by Sarah SnodgrassGreetings from Delhi, India! The day has been an eventful one...full of rickshaws, delicious food, and wonderful conversations with amazing people.Around 10 o’clock, Thomas Skaria, who is on the staff of RZIM India met us and we took the hour and a half drive to East Delhi. There, we had the opportunity to spend many hours at The Leprosy Mission, a place Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-28959672929134771532010-03-19T08:55:00.002-05:002010-03-19T12:48:44.467-05:00Fresh Manna - The Opening of a Dream!<!--StartFragment--> March has been a very fruitful and encouraging month as Naomi had the opportunity to travel to South Africa for the grand opening of Fresh Manna, the restaurant concept created by Noleen Glasgow, the recipient of one of Wellspring’s first individual grants. Noleen is the perfect example of why Wellspring exists. She is a woman who found herself in the midst of some very Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-46978268254540277702010-01-20T11:32:00.002-05:002010-01-20T11:35:47.722-05:00Zamar Academy Christmas Dinnerby Naomi ZachariasFor Christmas, Wellspring hosted a Christmas dinner for the children of Zamar Academy in Chennai, India. This is a Christian school that serves underprivileged children from the slum areas of Chennai. 137 students and their families attended the event. Each student was given a school bag with a pencil set and toy inside.Click here to see the video of their celebration...the Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-37289915214928432822009-11-11T14:20:00.003-05:002009-11-11T14:24:28.012-05:00From South Africa to Disneylandby Naomi ZachariasWe have often spoken of Noleen and her story of courage and strength. She successfully changed the course of her life when she received a scholarship from Wellspring. Graduating at the top of her class from culinary school, Noleen has since been a chef at a four star hotel in Cape Town.She and her son, Jomei, traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, in October to share her story with Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-90581804846186280032009-10-05T09:25:00.002-05:002009-10-05T09:28:19.945-05:00Fair Trade MonthFall is here. And October is now about more than costumes and candy. October is Fair Trade Month.Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that seeks to engage small producers in developing countries in the global retail market. The movement serves many purposes: as an advocate for the local producer, to promote environmentally responsible standards in the productionKatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-34871155820888807832009-09-24T08:43:00.003-05:002009-09-24T08:47:47.045-05:00Slice of Infinity: "You Have Done It Unto Me"Some food for thought. Check out this Slice of Infinity by RZIM apologist Margaret Manning:http://ls.egen.net/MessageView.aspx?sid=167786636&cid=167772742&textonly=0Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-62836724850813451442009-09-21T07:36:00.001-05:002009-09-21T07:38:10.645-05:00ABC Nightline LinkAttached is a link to a portion of the transcript for the ABC Nightline program on sexual exploitation that aired last week:Tracking Suspected American Pedophiles in Cambodiahttp://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/inside-investigation-alleged-sex-predators-cambodia/Story?id=8579591&page=4How to help end sexual exploitationhttp://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/end-sexual-exploitation-cambodia/story?id=Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-62008944469889193802009-09-16T12:49:00.001-05:002009-09-16T12:52:52.229-05:00Nightline on ABCABC’s Nightline will feature a story on sex trafficking in Cambodia that is expected to air on September 16th, 2009, with two follow-up pieces for the evening news in the days thereafter. One of the follow-up stories will feature a girl called 'Bella' from the NEWSONG CENTRE which is run by one of the organizations we work with, AIM4ASIA in Cambodia. Nightline usually airs late in the evening so Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-46730382948050533522009-08-07T13:11:00.000-05:002009-08-07T13:12:38.884-05:00Gulu, Ugandaby Emily SernakerAfter a brief intermission, I am continuing my travels with Wellspring International; moving from the crowded streets of Mumbai, India, to dirt road villages of Gulu, Uganda. Having seen so much in two months, I sometimes wonder what will stay with me about my summer of mangos and malaria pills. My summer of ‘if it feels like something is crawling on you, that's because it is.’Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-15211043081736481872009-07-24T08:35:00.001-05:002009-07-24T08:36:51.644-05:00Mumbai, India June 2009Part 5by Emily SernakerMTV Cribs should do a special on Gandhi's house. I'm serious, instead of watching how Tommy Lee got a Starbucks built in his kitchen, we could be looking at Gandhi's spinning wheel and learning about how this delicate man would spin and spin for all of India. It would be great, we could look at Gandhi's jail bowl and read his correspondences with Tolstoy and Churchill; Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-1046196189306784702009-07-22T08:28:00.001-05:002009-07-22T08:29:30.228-05:00Mumbai, India June 2009Part 4by Emily SernakerI think that if you were to ask, India would tell you I'm getting the hang of things. I say go on India, lean on your walking stick, wash your clothes in the river, pierce your nose, burn your trash. Honk your horn before you turn the corner, let them know you are coming. India, I see you gliding down the road with all that spiky firewood, silver jugs of water up on yourKatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-29227348404632004452009-07-20T09:06:00.000-05:002009-07-20T09:08:00.286-05:00Mumbai, India June 2009Part 3by Emily SernakerI asked some of the women at the rehab center what the best part of their day was. Without hesitation, they all told me the same thing: the rain. It really is something to see everyone look at the water falling from the sky as if it is direct proof that God has heard and answered each of their prayers. I was excited for the rain too, until I realized that the water Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-35966779624048435132009-07-17T14:08:00.001-05:002009-07-17T14:09:39.699-05:00Mumbai, India June 2009Part 2by Emily SernakerThis weekend I had the opportunity to visit all of the programs I will be evaluating for Wellspring International in the coming weeks. Medical clinics in the red light district, children’s homes and rehabilitation centers both in the district and an hour outside it, vocational training centers, and a home for children with HIV/AIDS were among the places I visited. In 48 Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-34065909194351085782009-07-15T12:43:00.001-05:002009-07-15T12:45:01.592-05:00Mumbai, India June 2009By Emily SernakerAs I prepared to graduate from the University of Redlands this last year, I was faced with the certain and inevitable question: "What are you going to do with your life?" With a degree in Creative Writing and Social Justice, I answered that in the immediate future, I was interested in going into Humanitarian Aid work and Development. "What is it about all this?" people would Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-61846185052165644812009-07-01T08:38:00.001-05:002009-07-01T08:39:37.096-05:00Mumbai, IndiaMonday, June 22, 2009by Naomi ZachariasWe wake up early and sip on chai tea while eating an omelet and a few chapatis for breakfast. We meet Ena, the director of the vocational training program for women. She is stylish and chic, and as I shake her hand I comment that I like her earrings. “You like them?” she remarks. “Here, you must have them,” she says as she angles her head to each side to Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-1541993109155703612009-06-29T13:53:00.007-05:002009-06-29T14:30:18.288-05:00Mumbai, IndiaSunday, June 21, 2009by Naomi ZachariasAfter just a few hours, it felt like we were in a different part of the country much further away. There were mountains, and winding dirt roads, and an open stretch of blue sky. We started the day by visiting a home for girls. We instantly had friends, who giggled and slipped their hands into ours and began to show us their home. We entered rooms with Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-76693620540805801212009-06-22T13:23:00.002-05:002009-06-29T14:21:30.288-05:00Mumbai, IndiaSaturday, June 20, 2009by Naomi ZachariasWe arrived in Mumbai at 1:00 am this morning. Our flight was delayed and then our luggage the last to appear on the belt. That's always a nervous moment, when the passengers next to you retrieve their bags and disappear one by one. And then you start to slowly become less hopeful, reprimand yourself for putting faith in the baggage system and checking in Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-12342685190208439832009-06-02T12:17:00.003-05:002009-06-08T14:02:22.340-05:00AmsterdamThursday, May 14, 2009by Laurie GrotelueschenThe day started with a cup of strong Dutch coffee and a croissant. After the breakfast of champions we were picked up by Elizabeth from Scarlet Cord and headed to a high school outside of Amsterdam for a prostitution prevention class. Scarlet Cord has been invited to area high schools to conduct a prevention seminar on “lover boys” (pimps) and Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-14945345216216538122009-06-02T12:16:00.005-05:002009-06-22T08:40:01.674-05:00AmsterdamWednesday, May 13, 2009by Naomi ZachariasWe arrive in Amsterdam in time to meet the morning sun. Unable to check into our hotel, we stop in the lobby for a few minutes to check email as we have been out of contact with home since leaving. After checking in and reassuring all we were alive and well, we wander around outside, a little tired, ready for a shower, and in clothes we are ready to retireKatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-1524638657829180452009-06-02T12:14:00.005-05:002009-06-22T08:40:40.250-05:00Cape TownTuesday, May 12, 2009by Naomi ZachariasWe woke up to our last day in Cape Town. Laurie took on another hike in the early morning hours and I tried to catch up on a few hours of sleep after my third night of wide-eyed, jet-lag-induced insomnia. When she returned we ate a hurried breakfast and then began a short day in Cape Town before heading to the airport for our evening flight.We went to see a Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-43777473262746363052009-05-21T11:52:00.014-05:002009-06-22T08:41:52.690-05:00Cape TownMonday, May 11, 2009by Naomi ZachariasWe seemed to be the only ones staying at the small Guest House, so we picked a small table outside and consumed a full breakfast to energize for the long day ahead. Pippa, the Co-Director of Home from Home, picked us up minutes later and we were on our way.Home from Home was started in 2005 and provides permanent foster care for children orphaned and Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-68233871061259733842009-05-14T11:42:00.001-05:002009-05-14T11:45:05.030-05:00Blogging AgainThe Wellspring blog is now back online. Check back for updates on Naomi's current trip to Cape Town and Amsterdam.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-37558700635792379722009-05-14T11:29:00.006-05:002009-06-22T08:42:26.411-05:00Cape Town, South AfricaSunday, May 10, 2009by Naomi ZachariasWe arrived in Cape Town late Saturday night and woke up early Sunday morning to hike Table Mountain. The weather was perfect, the sky a remarkable shade of blue, and I really think this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It has breathtaking mountains and blue and turquoise water beaches. Standing at the very top of the mountain with the warm Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741685876231711736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8504159070616698355.post-64989612271001881952007-06-11T13:50:00.000-05:002007-06-17T20:41:49.208-05:00Kuala LumpurI left Penang while it was still dark and night had not quite given way to morning. Arriving in KL, I was picked up by two of Hama's cousins. I think perhaps this initial meeting was the one that was most difficult, as we could sort of read in each other's eyes the awareness of all that had transpired since our last meeting. We asked the polite questions inquiring about family and pets and jobs, Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03856820292585377212noreply@blogger.com5