So, how have you been holding up against this heat? Unbelievable temperatures so far this spring/summer have already killed my grass. Storms knocked out power for, in some cases, days for many people in the area. I feel so bad for all those that were effected. But let’s be honest…

We are a blessed nation.

Although the power was out, we had libraries, malls and other facilities where we could go to get some relief. The local pools were filled to the brim with people seeking some relief from the heat. Our grocery store shelves are lined with bottled water and other drinks. Our taps run full with clean, clear water even when the power was out. Even when it was 100 degrees.

I received an email from my friends at Samaritans Purse yesterday asking if I would spread the word about an absolutely heartbreaking situation in the South Sudan. The email stated the following:

We’d like to call your attention to an ongoing crisis in South Sudan. June 6 marked one year since the Sudanese government began attacking its own people in the Nuba Mountains. The situation has become dire as hundreds of hungry and weary Nuban people fleeing the fighting arrive in South Sudan on a daily basis. Samaritan’s Purse continues to meet critical needs at two camps that have become home for nearly 200,000 refugees.

These trends are particularly troubling:

The number of malnourished children receiving outpatient therapeutic feeding has increased by 30 percent since May.

The number of severely malnourished children admitted to our inpatient stabilization center increased by 181 percent.

The highest number of inpatient admissions (73) in a single day was Tuesday, July 3.

The rainy season will begin soon, and roads will be cut off. The only way to deliver food and supplies will be by plane, a more expensive method of transport. One food shipment by truck can feed up to 36,000 people for one day, while a shipment by plane can only feed up to 5,400.

Let’s be honest, if you’re reading this, then you have electricity or the means to get it. You’re either reading this on a computer or your mobile phone or tablet device. Somewhere last night you most likely plugged that device in so you could have the power to run it today. You might even be reading this in a coffee shop where you can order something to drink and the farthest walk was from your car to the counter. We’re a blessed nation to have these luxuries. If you’re like me, we often forget that. It’s easier to put it out of our mind when our “problems” are what we’re thinking about.

Friends, please consider doing something to help this devastating situation today. I don’t know your situation, but I know the one in South Sudan. I know my “first world problems” are nothing compared to what is happening there. I know that God called me to care for these people. I know that my heart should (and does) break for what breaks his heart. Here are some ways you can help:

Donate to Samaritan’s Purse South Sudan projects.
(Link: http://spsocial.org/qAh)  Partner with us to drill wells to provide safe, clean water. Join with us to distribute food to fight hunger and malnutrition.

Spread the word.
Readers can connect with us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/samaritanspurse) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/samaritanspurse). You might encourage them to share your post on Twitter and Facebook, RT @SamaritansPurse tweets, or share our Facebook updates.

Pray for the people of Sudan and South Sudan.
Pray that the Lord will sustain and heal them, and for an end to the violence.

I don’t have answers to questions why these things happen in our world. I don’t know why we can’t just fix it. I do know that there are things about other countries I don’t understand. I’m so thankful for ministries like Samaritans Purse who are dedicated to being a conduit for people like me. They make a way for a guy in Ohio to help someone in the South Sudan. Even when it’s hot and my power is out.