I've always had an interest in politics, but, like talking about Jesus, talking about politics is one of those topics that tends to get people upset. Even when discussing political issues with other Christians, it's very easy to offend or begin to judge another's views. Because of this, I usually just keep my thoughts to myself in the interest of peace and not rocking the boat.

I was recently reflecting back on the 8 years since I moved to Ann Arbor and how much my life has changed in that time. It seems like ancient history, but it wasn't very long ago that I was a firmly-rooted atheist with no interest in, and in fact a disdain for, the church and Jesus Christ. These reflections cause me to think past myself and wonder, what will it take to see more people's lives transformed in the same way that mine was? What will cause a person to turn from their old life and live for Jesus?

Aneel Karnani, in a recent article on microfinance published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, writes:

"Overall, governments, businesses, and civil society would be well advised to reallocate their resources and energies away from microfinance and into supporting larger enterprises in labor intensive industries. ...they should provide basic services that improve the employability and productivity of the poor. Otherwise, they will miss the mark of lifting people out of poverty."

If some of you grew up in the 1980s, you probably know about "The Transformers." It was a classic series that depicted a war between robots that would transform into these cool vehicles, animals, and other objects. It was every kid’s dream to have one of those Transformer toy robots. Recently, Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures even came out with a movie called, "Transformers."

I was in the slums of Nairobi in 2002. I remember being completely overwhelmed by the living conditions of the poor: large families cramped into little rooms, putrid refuse scattered throughout, young children left seemingly hopeless. I remember thinking to myself, what can possibly be done?