Welcome to my our journey, an exploration of sorts.

I recently obtained Not China Made. Before I found this wonderful site I was beginning to feel like we were being taken over by China…I mean they have a HUGE hold on our economy with the goods…or should I say ”bads” that they provide. I went looking for sites like this to stay informed and before I knew it I was ready to jump in and get involved!

First  I was going to create my own site from scratch, then, by the Grace of God…because He knew I did not have the time…ROFL…Not China Made went up for sale! I prayed and talked to my hubby and now here I am!

I have great plans for this site, including; featured NOT China made products and retailers, updates on the latest recalls and relevant information, resources, and more. I am very excited about having this site!

Mommy Zabs began the work and I will keep it going and make it bigger and stronger…I am simply taking to torch. For those of you who were here when Zabs owned it you will notice it has a whole new look. I needed to make it into my vision. I hope you like it and will keep coming back!

Now…on to the VERY beginning of this story…

Before I take you any further on this blog I would like to first explain how I arrived here. One day, while doing my typical blog surfing, I came upon a link that read 61 Christian Women forced to have abortions. Being avidly pro-life, I clicked it curious what I would find. I ended up on the China View Blog. What I read left me completely shocked.

While I had known for quite awhile that China practices population control through their one-child policy, and have always hated it, this time it penetrated much deeper. Reading the stories of my Christian brothers and sisters on the other side of the world having their almost to term, and sometimes at term babies, ripped out of their bodies tore a hole in my heart beat. Having 2 children under the age of 4 it has not been long since I have felt my babies growing inside. The idea of doing your best to keep those babies alive and protect them from a government that wants them dead struck a new chord for me. The government deciding to suck life out of you and killing it with their bare hands if the baby somehow survived the process.

Not much later, I found an article on live human organ harvesting. Having been in a bubble and having never heard of this before, this atrocity seemed too impossible and inhumane to be true. It seemed like something I would find in a science fiction novel that portrayed the decline of human-kind to the point of zero conscience and empathy. The sad part, it was not a piece of fiction.

Curious about this topic, I dug deeper. I read the human organ harvesting report. Despite the length, I trekked through it over several sittings. At times I had to put it down because I had to do something for my children. Other times the information saddened me so much, I had to put it down. It left me with absolute assurance this practice was both continuing and strengthening in China, despite the government’s complete denial. Of course, the deny Tienanmen Square happened and we have video footage of that event.

I spent a month trying to figure out how to articulate what I was learning. The enormity of what my head and heart were trying to grasp caused words to completely fail me. After that month, I did my best. With so much information, the difficulty of choosing which to share with my readers overwhelmed. I knew most would not have the time or desire to read the lengthy report themselves, but somehow more people needed to find out about what was happening a half-world away.

I kept my eye on the China View Blog and kept praying about what God wanted me to do with this gigantic burden I felt. At times I felt crazy. I felt insignificant. I felt far too insignificant to make any sort of difference in this matter. I questioned over and over the ideas I started coming up with. I kept asking God to take the burden from me. After all, I had learned of many atrocious things over my life-time that broke my heart. But none of them stuck with me like this.

I could not stop thinking about the Chinese people. Those who live in religious oppression and are forced to do that which was against every fiber of what they believe. I kept thinking of the manufacturing industry and the vast amount of workers living and breathing horrible conditions for the sake of saving money. I thought of the vast amount of money China makes on the United States alone, when just about everything about their world-view goes against what we value as a country. What do China and the US have in common, our love of money. And that love of money, that the Bible calls, “the root of all evil”, gives the US and China a sick sort of intimacy. An intimacy that could at some point bring us down.

I know that no matter how insignificant and powerless I prove to be, I have to try something. I have to TRY to make a difference. I have to try to continue learning more and more about China and educate others in the process. I hold no claim of being a China expert. I have so very much to learn in every aspect of the matter, but I’m embarking on a journey to learn more. I have to know why this burdens me so much. I have to try.

1. 99% boycott on Made in China products. There are many posts to write on this topic. Boycotting China 100% is virtually impossible. Since my boycott started in May 2007, I have accidentally bought 2 pieces from China. I’m gradually getting used to looking at labels on everything. 2 venues that make it difficult is Internet shopping and catalog shopping. Neither requires labeling. Also at times ‘parts’ of an item (eg. My stroller) are made in China. And still, at other times, it could be impossible to find an acceptable alternative. I will do as much as I can. I will boycott as far as I can. This call is huge for a mother of young children. And I started this before all the lead paint problems were starting to surface. The lead has only strengthened my resolve that this is an issue that HAS to be addressed.

2. Start the Not China Made blog to invite others to join the journey with me and strengthen awareness through the cost efficient accessible (unless you live in censored China,) media, the Internet.

3. Publicize the Not China Made Blog. Through e-cards, business cards, promotional items, wearable items, contests, group projects, and in the future writing articles for print media.

4. Continue to educate myself. I will continue reading books and articles. I will interview every person that I meet who has spent time in China. I will talk to missionaries and teachers who have lived there. I will even take college courses if I’m able to find time. I just want to sponge all the information that I can.

5. Team up with like-minded people to maximize our influence.

6. Most important to me, my faith, I will pray. Prayer often falls to the bottom of our list. “if all else fails, I will pray.” This is not the reason it is last on my list. This last point ranks first for me this time. If God did not give me this burden to carry, I would not be stepping out into the realm of “impossibility”. My faith compels me to step into something beyond that which any human can accomplish. It is my faith that knows this journey is for me.

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