Look at the photo. His name was Uriah. One week after I held him he was laid to eternal rest. Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence in Africa. If you saw what I saw in Liberia you'd never be the same. You'd wake up every morning and praise God for all the blessings we take for granted every single day of our lives, even a simple, basic human necessity such as clean, safe water.

This season, every season, every day, look in the mirror and realize how fortunate you are. Put aside your lust for material wealth, forget the designer clothing, jewelry, exotic foreign sports cars and estate homes and consider an entire continent where more than one billion people stare death in the face day after day. You don't need any more downloads on your iPod. You can live without another fancy dinner at Nobu. The suit you are wearing will stay in style another year. Innocent children who deserve to spend their days in school and their evenings at play must walk for miles in search of food and water, only to find food scarce and nutritionally deficient and water no cleaner than sewage. For God's sake, the cost of one mocha latte per week would supply an entire family with potable water for up to fifteen years...can you possibly survive without that weekly increment of caffeine in exchange for a gift that saves lives?

Do not turn your head and pretend it is not happening. Join me on a mission whose cost is miniscule but whose rewards are astounding. Do not hide and pretend this does not exist; it is as real as daylight and will not go away until we chase it away. I have seen it, I have felt it, I will not allow it to win. God give me the strength and courage to carry on and I will meet you at the finish line.