Happy Retro Day! This is for anyone who has moved away from friends or watched their friends leave them behind. (I’ve been there, too.) I hope you find this helpful and encouraging. Enjoy! ~Halee

by RTF Staff Writer Catey Yuen

I’m a social person. I’ve always had a lot of friends since I was really young. But when I moved from California to Colorado two summers ago, all of that changed.

When you’ve lived in the same state your whole life, it’s easy to stay in contact with people. After all, most of the people you know, you’ve known for a while. Almost all of my friends came from the church I’d been going to for years. It required very little for me to meet new people and still hang out with the old ones.

Then we moved and it all changed. (more…)

Happy Retro Day! Though this piece maybe retro, the topic is absolutely current. I hope it gets you thinking. Enjoy! ~Halee

by RTF Guest Writer Tim Sweetman

I stood on the Supreme Court steps in downtown Louisville at 12:02 PM shivering in the cold. All around me were people gathered around a huge statue at the foot of the steps. They were all listening to a speaker who stood at a black podium in between the huge columns at the top of the steps. These were people from all backgrounds – little children, businessmen, mothers, fathers, politicians, doctors, teenagers, and college students.

We were all gathered because abortion was legalized 36 years ago.

As I looked around at the faces, I realized that most of us were survivors of a genocide. A genocide that has taken almost 45 million lives away from our nation. A genocide that was taking a life every 20 seconds. A genocide that could have taken me.

But I was not aborted. (more…)

By Guest Writer A.E. Zander

The night sky was dim in the park my brothers and sister and I walked in. Laying abandoned on the ground sat a plastic beach ball, proving to be irresistible to my brother, who instantly whacked it high up in the air- and straight against my eye. I don’t think I’ll ever forget his horrified look at the black ring around my eye. (more…)

by RTF Assistant Editor Halee Matthews

How much could you forgive?

Could you forgive someone for inflicting unspeakable pain on you and someone you loved? Could you forgive someone who tortured you in the name of scientific research?

It’s a sobering thought, but one I wrestled with while watching “Forgiving Dr. Mengele,” a documentary about Eva Kor.

Eva and her whole family were sent to Auschwitz when she was only 10. She and her twin sister, Miriam, were selected for Dr. Mengele’s genetic experiments, along with many other twins. What they endured is unimaginable.

At one point, Eva was injected with something meant to kill her and then left alone in a room to die. But she refused. She knew if she died, Miriam would be killed so Dr. Mengele could perform a comparative autopsy. For two weeks, Eva struggled with death. (more…)

This week’s retro piece is from our editor, back when she was a staff writer here at RTF. It is incredibly appropriate for this week and a great way to prepare ourselves for Thanksgiving. So read and enjoy! (And don’t forget, our video contest ends on Thanksgiving so grab that camera and show us how you text before time runs out!) ~ Halee

by RTF Editor BJ Hamrick

I took a poll today. Kind of anonymous, really. Kind of unintentional.

“Are you ready for Thanksgiving?” I asked the question with an innocent look. I was trying to make small talk. Trying to distract the elderly man from the pain of the needle I’d just inserted into his arm.

The man looked up at me, his eyes sullen with exhaustion. His short answer shocked me:

“Yes.”

My eyes rolled with annoyance. This man gave me a one word answer? Why wasn’t he talking? Why wasn’t he sharing about his plans for Thanksgiving Day?

“Ask him why he’s thankful,” something in the back of my mind suggested. “Ask him why he’s celebrating this Thanksgiving.”

Oh joy.

There was no way I was going to ask this man why he was thankful. There was no way he was going to answer in more than one word.

I could only imagine. I’d say something like, “So — why are you thankful?”

The man would pause momentarily to contemplate deeply the philosophical meaning of my question. After a few moments he’d burst out with a one word revelation like, “food”. (more…)

by RTF Staff Writer Kalli Simmerman

We’ve all seen those heart-wrenching programs where children in third-world countries walk around looking for something to eat. Have you ever noticed that most are barefoot?

Walking is a primary mode of transportation in developing countries and can be harmful unless the feet are protected. Walking over hard-packed roads riddled with stones and sticks can cause cuts and sores which can easily become infected. Sometimes these wounds even lead to amputation or disease caused by soil-transmitted parasites.

How can this be prevented? By simply giving a child a pair of shoes. (more…)

By RTF Staff Writer Jenn Joshua

Jenn Joshua: So, Andrew, when you’re not busy setting yourself on fire, I’ve heard that you also have a passion for missions work.  More specifically, working with orphans in China.  It seems like a lot of teens go through the “I-want-to-be-a-missionary-to-China” stage.  For you, it obviously wasn’t just a stage. You’re studying Chinese in college.  You have plans to move to Beijing after graduation.  Can you tell us a little more about the work that you do with Chinese orphans and the program you work through while you’re there? (more…)