Y’all. I’m really pumped about today. REALLY. QUITE. PUMPED.

Because if you’ll recall, last week I told you why I need Africa. And all these people told you, too.

And today, I want you to read what my friend Barrett, el capitan de Mocha Club, wrote about why he needs Africa. Yeah, he lives there. Here’s the start of it….

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day.

You can totally should read the rest of it HERE.

And this video. It rules.

So. Do you feel that yet? That little place in your knower that is moved by this video and this campaign and this idea? Yeah, me too. Sounds like we all could use…. a new tshirt? What? Huh?

Oh yes! And you KNOW how I feel about tshirts [love.them.]

Head over to MOCHA CLUB and check out how you can get a shirt, help this cause, and most importantly, continue the conversation.

Because it’s true. I need Africa more than Africa needs me.

And I bet you do too.

This is only the beginning……

We’ve been over this before, but Nashville?  It’s been a good decision.  Not painless, not without loss, but good.

And probably one of the highlights has been the folks at Mocha Club letting me volunteer.  I had heard of Mocha Club at Barnes and Wertz shows before, so I kinda knew what was up.  But if you are new to the ways of MC, here’s how it works-

Mocha Club is a community-based website where members [like me!] can start a team [AnnieBlogs!] and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas – to support a project in Africa.  Mocha Club’s vision is to provide a way for people who don’t have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

[And I don't know if you have heard, but I actually have thousands of pennies, so that's why me and Mocha Club are kinda BFFs.]

So one day, a few months ago at the MC office, Marisa started telling me about this new campaign called “I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME”.

I looked up from my computer and said, “Is that true, Marisa?”  And she kinda looked at me with a blank stare.  Because sometimes a completely selfish question stuns good people into dead silence.

“Uh, yeah, it is, Annie.”  [Which was a polite reply when I probably more deserved a swift kick in the A...frica.]

And since I’ve been working on this project and really asking God to show me truth in my own life, I know it’s true.  I do need Africa.

I need Africa to remind me that my life [sadly] is not quite the center of the universe.

I need Africa to remind me that beauty has many faces and that giving has many hands.

I need Africa to show me how to love selflessly and give without concern for myself.

I need Africa to teach me how to prioritize- because in Africa, I’m pretty sure they don’t struggle to decide between GAP jeans and Old Navy jeans.  Because that is trivial when you don’t have a roof over your head.

I need Africa because I want to see beauty in it’s purest form, see people love simply but deeply, and because loving Jesus means loving this world.

I went to Africa one time and I liked it far more than I thought I would.  But now that I’ve been gone two years, I think it may be time to return.  Africa may not be as rich as us, and yes- we do need to help the people in those nations.  But when our economy is like this, and yet our culture is materialistic for realz, I need perspective.  I need simplicity.

I need Africa.

Do you?

Talk about it.  On your blog.  In the comment section.  In the car with your kids or your friends. At dinner. In your time with the Lord.

Bring it- what are your thoughts?

And then head back here on December 1st.  Cause not only do we get to talk about, we get to do something about it.

Ok, y’all. This is gonna be so fun.

I’ve told you this before, but I volunteer with an amazing non-profit called MOCHA CLUB.

Mocha Club is launching a new campaign next week.  I can’t put a lot of details out there yet, BUT!  The coolest part is- Barrett, the director of MC, wants BLOGGERS to be the way to get this campaign out there.

So yeah.  That means YOU. [If you have a blog, that is.]

And you get to post about something that is way big and something that is literally changing the face of Africa. And maybe you get a little summin’-summin’ too.

How RAD is that?!?!

Does it matter how many readers you have?  NOPE. Does it cost you anything? NOPE.

All you have to have is a blog and heart for Africa.

That’s it.

Want more details?  Interested in taking part?

Leave a comment below and I’ll get your info to the Mocha Club director Barrett.  Or, you can just email him yourself at barrett [at] mochaclub [dot] org.  Whichever makes you happy.

But jump on in.  Why not?