2 BOCNEWS.com MARCH 2018 "And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day." — Isaiah 58:10 Perhaps you may not be aware of this, but at the present time we are in the midst of a global food crisis. The evidence of this is that multimillions of this planet's population are facing significant food shortages and hunger with potential famine with all of the attendant suffering. Another portion of the global population is afflicted with obesity with accompanying chronic diseases such as diabetes, strokes, and heart disease, along with other ailments. So one group suffers from not enough nutritious food and the other from too much food and often the wrong type of food. It is a worrisome situation and is what we can expect living on this sin-cursed world. We will look at the problems both groups are subject to, but it will take two articles: for this month and next month! I would like to look at the problems first of the food-deprived portion of the world population. This includes coun- tries such as Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, portions of Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and southeastern Ethiopia, and per- haps others. I have to be careful to say that I have a high degree of sympathy with those who are hungry, and fac- ing food shortages. This is because I served as a missionary to Ethiopia for the Seventh-day Adventist Church at the time of a famine during 1984- 1987. I felt compelled to go due to news reports of the severe suffering going on there. I went to Ethiopia to do famine relief in my view. I went there with my wife and two young children: a daughter, age 10, and a son, age 5. I did not know it when I went over to Ethiopia, that I would be separated from my wife and children for six months. A very painful experience indeed, and that this would include a near death experience with hepatitis. The separation was because it was too hazardous for my wife and children to go with me to the severe famine affected city of Makale. Now prior to our going to Ethiopia, we had had an orientation in Michigan to prepare us for the challenges we would face. One thing I was not informed about was the fact that I would develop what I consider as PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder! I was left with memo- ries that never seem to fade away, despite the intervening years. I can still remember the faces of the mostly children I took care of. I even dream about them and their parents at times! Believe me, it is a painful thing to see a horde of people facing starvation. However, it is also very rewarding to see that children, and even some of the adults survived food deprivation and even pneumonia and diarrhea. It was also rewarding to collaborate with people from other aid organizations such as the Catholic Relief Services, the International Red Cross, Oxfam, Africare, and others. We were able to feed the hungry, give them clothing, medicine, blankets, and just some human kindness. I do thank God for the experience now, despite the PTSD! I shudder to think what would have happened to those we ministered to if we had not been there. I would just like to challenge your thinking now. Just remember the peo- ple in the countries I listed above who are facing food shortages. Just think about the multitudes who are fac- ing war, hunger, sickness, and being homeless. Just remember that we have hungry and homeless people right here in America! Who is going to help these people? One thing I can tell you is the Lord is not going to send down a legion of angels to help them! He wants us to help them. The pictures we see now on television and in various publications do not begin to portray the pain and suffering that is going on. Just imagine yourself living in a refugee camp with a sick child to worry over and take care of ,or a sick spouse or grandparent. We may have our own challenges, but believe it or not, by helping someone else we can help ourselves. There is no reward or emotional payoff that can compare with relieving someone's suf- fering. We are going to have to do it, remember, there is a crisis going on. I think if we decided to help others we would have less violence in the world. We are going to look at both sides of the coin. On one side is the have's and the other side is the have-not's! Everyone needs help, so there is plenty for us to do. So think about those fac- ing starvation and the fury of war and deprivation. Next month I would like to present those who need help even though they seem to have too much. You might be surprised to see that all need help. May God show all of us His mercy. The Global Food Crisis Dr. Conner By Byron E. Conner, M.D. HEALTH