chanchanchepon

Good Idea, Now What?

2012-02-14T05:25:00.000-08:00

Today, I am pleased to share a review of a book recently published by my good friend Charles Lee. It’s called Good Idea, Now What? and it is one of the best books I have read on the subject of bringing ideas to implementation and execution. The first time I met Charles, he was sharing with individuals at West Virginia University and in the city of Morgantown, WV as part of a week of events called “Another World Is Possible.” Charles spent an afternoon talking about how to take an idea from the starting block to implementation, and gave some fantastic examples. The same evening, he gave a presentation on the subject of slavery and human trafficking and gave people tangible steps to take toward eradicating modern day slavery and the trafficking of human beings. The next morning, while I was taking him to the Pittsburgh airport, he told me about a small conference he was hosting two weeks later for idea makers that was called Idea Camp. After talking it over with other members of our team at Nuru, I made it a point to go. Everything I’ve seen Charles produce or implement, has been done with thoughtful excellence and quality and with an end result of helping others to do better at doing good in the world.

As I picked up the book, I must admit, I wondered if the world needed another book on getting things done or idea making. Books like ReWork, Making Ideas Happen, and The War of Art all seemed to hone in on the subject—what more could possibly be said? Charles’ book is actually quite remarkable. It is a series of études within a book. He has put the book together so that individual chapters are short, and easy to draw out applications. He uses real world examples from both his own life and the experiences of other idea makers to drive home his points, and he talks about subjects that can be challenging for creatives and ideamakers to talk about, things like team chemistry, implementation, and maintaining a family life and boundaries for work.

With each new section, I was thoroughly impressed with both the quality of content, the brevity of words to communicate the content, and the practical next steps offered to individuals to take ideas to reality. I believe this book could be helpful for individuals involved in start-ups as well as for teams. This book is perfect for creative folks who have a hard time staying grounded to push their ideas into implementation as well. The chapters are short enough that anyone can pick up and read and think through application points for individual concepts. For folks who chronically start books and cant finish, the book is set up to be read as a whole, or read as chapters in isolation.

If you know, have heard, or are in other ways familiar with Charles’ work, you know that this book is a must read. If not, and you have an entrepreneurial bent, you should give this book a read and add it to your short list of books that are motivating, informative, and practical for converting ideas into reality. Buy it today, and, if you have time to insert it into your calendar, you should make it a point to participate in a conference Charles’ consultancy created, called !deation in Chicago this May.

A Little Encouragement For Your Health And Wellness Goals: Twenty Three And A Half Hours

2012-02-09T04:56:00.000-08:00

My good friends Luke & Diane Harriman recommended this video to me while I was in Florida as an extra incentive to pursue some of my health and wellness goals for 2012. I was just able to watch the video for the first time this weekend, and I did so with my wife and her parents, and we all found it insightful, engaging and inspiring for pursuing improved health and fitness.

What I love most about this video is the different tact taken to describe how to pursue a fitness goal. We’ve heard that 20-30 minutes of exercise(walking, cardio, hiking, biking) per day can do the body a world of good, but to ‘couch’ it in a different way is pure brilliance.

Dr Mike Evans encourages us to limit our sitting and lying down to 23.5 hours per day to enjoy some pretty amazing health benefits. There’s something about looking at it in this way that I find extremely motivating.

I hope you enjoy the video as much as we did, and that it can provide additional motivation toward your own health and wellness goals this year.

The War of Art

2012-02-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

I was first exposed to this book during the summer of 2003. I was working in Orlando, FL to help facilitate a leadership development program for college students and at the same time participating in a separate staff leadership program with Great Commission Ministries. During my summer stays in Orlando, I had managed to find two incredible book stores in the area. One was a used book store called Leedy’s, and the other was a book store in Northland Community Church in Longwood, FL.

While I was at the church book store, the book store manager recommended The War of Art by Steven Pressfield to me. It wasn’t a faith-based book, but rather a book about the creative process and persevering from idea to action. It sounded like a great read, so I picked it up and added it to my list for the summer.

Just this past summer, it was mentioned again on a list of recommended reads at a java developers conference. So, of course, I picked it up to re-read it. What I found in it was a series of short essays on resistance.

Resistance is that internal invisible force that distracts us, shoves us away, and prevents us from doing our work particularly when that work derives from our higher nature rather than our lower (painting, writing, music, dance, or any creative art, any form of spiritual advancement, education, and more). We all experience it, and our inability to overcome resistance is what leads to lapsed diets, exercise programs, creative endeavors, and other forms of personal development and self-improvement. And the crazy thing about resistance is that it comes from within.

I don’t want to share too much of the book here. Rather, I would say that particularly at this time of year when so many of us are in the process of setting goals, making new commitments, and pursuing new physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, financial, or creative endeavors, this book makes an incredible read.

The book can be an incredible tool for identifying resistance and pushing through to the realization of our goals. Once one knows their enemy, then they know how to combat their enemy.

If you are looking for a good read to give you a kick-start to achieving your goals, I highly recommend The War of Art. I also highly recommend taking time to recognize how resistance rears its head in your own life, and determine creative ways to stop it before it stops you in 2012.

My 2012 Goals

2012-02-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

After taking tome time to look over my goals from 2011, I decided to post a list of goals for 2012. I feel like there is something powerful that happens when goals go from the mind to being written down—I feel like the act makes me more committed. Studies have shown that it’s not a reality that is unique to me, so I highly recommend that you write down and share your 2012 goals with someone as well.

So here are my top ten for 2012.

Practice Sabbath, Solitude, Silence, and Fasting—This was once a strength for me, but I’ve allowed this discipline to slip in recent years. I think part of the challenge comes from living in a world in which people are expected to be ‘always on’. As a partial remedy to this, I’ve decided to start sleeping with my phone in another room (no temptation to check/respond to emails, Facebook, or Twitter). I believe that reintroducing these practices of Solitude, Silence, Sabbath, and Fasting will be a point of refreshment and revitalization in 2012.

Blog More Consistently—Maybe my 2011 goal of 3-5 posts per week was a bit high. Last year I had 83 blog posts. This year, I would like to have at least 105 posts (2 per week).

Exercise—I’m proud of the habit of exercise I cultivated in 2011. This year, I would like to at least walk 30 minutes per day for a minimum of 3-5 days per week. Separate from this I recently started jumping rope—it’s a fairly inexpensive and intense form of exercise I highly recommend. Again, I am hoping to work on fitness rather than fatness in 2012.

Lose Weight—Continuing to build on the successes of 2011, I would like to lose weight during 2012. My weight at this writing is 197 pounds. I would like to lose at least 18 pounds during 2012, and maintain that lighter weight.

Parkersburg Half-Marathon—It eluded me in 2011, but there is time for training for this event in August.

Steward Resources More Wisely—In 2011, Jamie and I took a few steps to lower our footprint, shrink our spending, and be more earth friendly. In 2012, we would like to continue this trend.

Get Outdoors—In a world that is becoming more and more connected to technology, it has been refreshing to spend time enjoying the great outdoors. Whether walking in Cooper’s Rock or around Lake Floyd, my goal is to get outside for at least 30 minutes a day. Hopefully that time will be tied to some of my fitness goals.

Connect—I want to continue the trend of visiting with friends both near and far. One of the best gifts I have been given in this life are the incredible friends who I have met along life’s journey. As often as I have opportunity, I would love to reach out and connect with friends. These times of connecting are a refreshment to my soul.

Plant a Garden—Of course this is a goal every year. I’d love for us to grow more of our food this year, and this time with our hands in the soil will also help us spend time outdoors.

Leave Margins—This is separate from the idea of Sabbath. I tend to stay on the go most of the time. I think it would be good to leave some ‘wiggle-room’ in my schedule, and in so doing, it will probably afford me more opportunities to connect and enjoy spontaneity in the rhythm of life.

What about you? What are your goals for 2012? What habits would you like to make or break in the coming year?

You Lost Me Book By David Kinnaman

2012-01-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had the privilege of reading David Kinnaman's new book, You Lost Me. David is the president of the Barna Research Group, one of the most well known research firms in the country. David illuminates current trends being seen in both Protestant and Catholic arenas of the church as people in their twenties and thirties are disconnecting from the faith practices of their youth. As I read the book, I couldn't help but think about how exeperiences during eight years I spent in vocational ministry coupled with the seventeen years I have been a Christian seemed pretty congruent with Kinnaman's research findings and conclusions.

In the book, he talks about three distinct groups of people who are leaving classic expressions of faith, and landing in significantly different places, Nomads, Prodigals, and Exiles.

Nomads--Make claims to a basic truths of the faith but don't engage in outward expression of the faith.

Prodigals--Have completely separated themselves from the faith in which they were raised.

Exiles--Hold closely the basic truths of the faith, engage in outward expression of faith, but in very non-traditional ways.

And what has lead to this array of departures? According to Kinnaman's book the biggest problem is that these youth who are raised in the church are not being equipped with the tools they need to make sense of the world in which they live through their faith communities.

For instance, although there are many scientists (myself included) and workers in the realm of science and technogy who have little difficulty seeing their engagement with science, medicine, health, and technology as an arena in which to express their faith, many young people are raised in the church with either an anti-science background (at worst) or little thought being given to how faith and science work together (more generally).

Aside from being antiscience, Kinnaman notes in his research that these young nomads, prodigals, and exiles also consider the church to be overprotective, repressive, shallow, exclusive, and doubtless. While Kinnaman shares these concepts with the data to back them up, he also paves a way for the church to navigate going forward to course correct amid these problems. For me, this was the most encouraging part of his book.

Why was it encouraging? Well, the reason was two-fold. The first reason is because it would be very easy for a researcher to simply just lay out the findings and walk away to let the reader engage with the data and figure it out. David doesn't do that. He cares so much about this issue that he is willing to share examples of bright spots amid these negative trends. The other reason I was encouraged by this book was more personal. I read the book and felt affirmed in the way in which I went about my work in vocational ministry on the campus of West Virginia University and in the city of Morgantown, WV while I worked for Great Commission Ministries at Chestnut Ridge Church.

I highly recommend his book; particularly for church leaders and others who are wondering why they are seeing a decrease in attendance among those in the 18-35 year old range in their congregations. I would also recommend reading it if you are a person in this age group period. It is well written, not preachy, and Kinnaman writes from the position of a fellow journeyer.

My 2011 Goals

2012-01-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

No, the title of this post is not a typo. In separate posts, I will be sharing my 2012 goals and some reflections on some of my favorite moments of 2011, but I thought I’d take a minute and examine how I fared with some of my personal goals from 2011. For instance, I had hoped to run the Parkersburg Half Marathon, but it did not happen. I had set a few other goals as well, and I’d like to share how I fared in each of these.

Lose Weight—I started 2011 weighing 211 pounds. I ended 2011 weighing 197 pounds. I hit my low weight for the year during the week before getting married, and I weighed in at 183 pounds. I had hoped to hit 170, but didn’t make it; nonetheless, I am glad that I could measure progress, and perhaps my goal of 170 pounds by May 25 was a little unrealistic.

Spend Less—Well this was a bit of irony. I actually spent more in 2011, but a major part of that was a result of unforeseen medical bills, and expenses associated with getting married. What I’m happy about is that separate from these expenses, I did hold fast to my goal of spending less.

Blog More Consistently--Over the last year, I had started the year with a goal of writing three to five blog posts per week over the course of the year. Had I accomplished this goal, I would have written around 150 posts for the year. Unfortunately, I did not meet this goal, and, in fact, only posted 83 times in 2011 which accounts for the lowest number of posts of any year since I started this blog in 2005. (Although, I did have another blog on another now obsolete site from 2003-2005, that probably had fewer posts).

Get Outdoors—I’m really happy about this one. I spent such a small amount of time outdoors in 2010, there was nowhere to go but up. From October to the end of the year, Jamie and I made a habit of visiting Cooper’s Rock for some hiking at least once per week to hike when we were in town.

Exercise—I joined a gym in September, and spent most of the year getting exercise of some sort 3-5 times per week.

Parkersburg Half-Marathon—Injury prevented me from training properly for this event, but it is in my sights for 2012.

Reflect—I started the year well with this goal, but as the year lurched forward, I found less and less time available for this discipline. This will change in 2012.

Say “No”—I did improve in my ability to say no over the course of 2011, but I can still improve in this area.

Martin Luther King Day 2012

2012-01-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

Today we remember the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his legacy of working toward justice in America and in the world. It's pretty amazing to think about the fact that less than a century ago, the civil rights movement was in full sway. Less than a century ago, schools were segregated, restaurants were segregated, and even bathrooms and water fountains were segregated. Our nation has come a long way since Dr. King's death but there is still much work left to do in the realm of justice.

This weekend, I pulled a book off the shelf called "A Testament of Hope." It is a collection of the writings and speeches of the late Dr. King. I read a sermon, which was Dr. King's last Sunday sermon and it was given at the beautiful National Cathedral in Washington DC on Passion Sunday 1968, just a few years before I was born, almost to the day.

As I read the sermon, all I could think was that it could have been given yesterday just as easily as it could have been given 34 years ago. The words ring as true today as they did in 1968. Here's a small section.

"First, we are challenged to develop a world perspective. No individual can live alone, no nation can live alone, and anyone who feels he can live alone is sleeping through a revolution."

And another.

"Something positive must be done, everyone must share in the guilt as individuals and as institutions."

And yet another.

"There is another thing closely related to racism that I would like to mention as another challenge. We are challenged to rid our nation and our world of poverty. Like a monstrous octopus, poverty spreads its nagging, prehensile tentacles into villages and hamlets all over our world."

Dr. King, in this sermon centered the message around these words of Jesus, "Behold I make all things new--former things are passed away."

And as a closing remark, may the closing words of Dr. King's sermon be our prayer today, and every day, until Jesus returns.

"God grant that we will be participants in this newness and this magnificent development. If we will but do it, we will bring about a new day of justice and brotherhood and peace. And that day the morning stars will sing together and the sons of God will shout for joy. God bless you."

My Thoughts About Tim Tebow

2012-01-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

Tim's First NFL Touchdown from Tim Tebow on Vimeo.

It seems like everywhere people are talking about Tim Tebow. Sports pundits wonder if he has special favor from God because of some of his team's amazing victories this year. The faith community seems divided, some thinking he is a great proselytizer and others thinking he is drawing too much attention to football. Others, somewhat cynically work to remind the masses that he is just a man, and what he is doing is being overly hyped.

Now, historically I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, although I have a nephew who is a huge Denver Broncos fan and has been since he was a little boy. I'm not writing as a sports pundit. Of course, those who know me know that my faith is very important to me, and that I strive to learn how to best live this life from Jesus Christ, and I seek to follow his example, but I'm not being so bold as to claim to be an expert as to how Tim Tebow should incorporate his faith into football. This post is about Tebow, but it's really about all of us.

This morning after I woke up, I read an article about Tim Tebow that really touched me. There's been a lot of ink used on Tebow in recent months, and as I referenced earlier, it has been a mixed bag with regard to what people are saying about him. As I thought about whether I should write anything at all, I figured that if I did, I should definitely write it before tonights game, as regardless of one's perspective on this guy, lots of people will be writing about what he did or didn't do tomorrow.

That's a lot of pressure on any human being, but Tebow seems to deal really well with it. I mean tomorrow there will be thousands of tweets and facebook posts talking about the game and his faith, and his prayers, and his life, but the article I read this morning on ESPN really brought a different angle to his story.

You see, even though all eyes are on Tebow before and after games, each week, he has his eyes elsewhere. He has his eyes on someone who has been suffering, whose life he is attempting to make a little brighter. Rather than re-tell the story of the ESPN article I read, I'm just going to post it here, and let you read it as well.

This post has made reference to Tim Tebow multiple times, but it's not because of his accolades on the field, or the way he talks about Jesus every time he gets the opportunity. It's for what I saw in the article, and what I hear from time to time from others. Sure, he's just a man, but in spite of having all eyes on him and having all eyes expecting him to fail, expecting him to shout about Jesus, expecting him to pull-off a miracle play, he is looking to care for others. He is spending time with the hurting, and trying to make others lives a little brighter.

And so although this little ditty started as a post about Tim Tebow, it's really about you and me. You see, the majority of us will never rise to the celebrated status of this or any other professional athlete or rock star or writer or hollywood mogul, but, we have an opportunity every day. Every day, we have an opportunity to serve others, to make someone else's day a little brighter, to love our neighbor as ourself. It's really about what we are going to do with the time we have to make this world a better place.

And so, whatever you do, whether it's playing professional sports, or some less celebrated activity, remember that your time, and your day is really not about you, but rather it's about how you can serve, bless, and/or improve the lives of other people. May we each make the most of the limited time we have on earth, and learn to love well. When we love well, we make the world a little more beautiful. As I read and learn more about Tim Tebow and his off the field exploits, I see the beauty he brings into the world. And as I close this post, I pray that he, and you, and I can grow in our love and service for others.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2012

2012-01-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

For the last three years, I have written a post about National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. And as I write a post about the day this year, I'm excited about the growing number of people who are committing their time and efforts toward working toward an end to human trafficking, and for the steps taken last year to eradicate modern day slavery.

Just a week ago some of my friends attended the Passion Conference in Atlanta, GA. Over 40,000 college students attended the event and raised over $3 million dollars to fight human trafficking. They also made a commitment to work toward the end of human trafficking and modern day slavery. Did you know that there are over 27 million slaves in the world today? Did you know that this is more than at any other point in history?

Numbers like this can be overwhelming, but I would love to share some more positive numbers from an organization my wife and I proudly support, International Justice Mission.

More than 1600 men, women, and children were rescued from violent oppression, like sex trafficking, forced labor slavery, and illegal detention.
Nearly 1000 members of Thailand's hill tribes received citizenship documentation critical to protect them from trafficking and other violence.
More than 100 traffickers, rapists, and other criminals were convicted as a result of IJM casework; hundreds more were charged or face trial.
More than 4000 men, women and children were served by IJM aftercare.
A dozen bars and brothels were ordered to shut down permanently for human trafficking crimes.

But there is more work to be done. Will you consider taking a step this year to help bring an end to human trafficking?

Support an anti-slavery or anti-trafficking organization like IJM, Not For Sale, or Polaris Project.
Write your congressional representatives and encourage them to support the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 and other anti-slavery and anti-trafficking legislation.
Commit to learn more about the issue. There are tons of resources on the web, and if you can make time to visit, I highly recommend a trip to the Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH.
Also, if you suspect a potential slavery or trafficking operation happening in your community, report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

May we each take steps this year to help make this world a better place.

As The Sun Prepares to Rise on Another Year

2011-12-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

Today I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Morgantown, WV, far from the view pictured above. I just finished a brief conversation with one of my old roommates, Joel Setal, and started re-reading a really cool book my friend Pavi suggested to me a few years ago. The book is called The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel. I highly recommend it.

Earlier today, Jamie and I took a walk across town to get a little exercise, and because she is going through orientation for a new part-time job. She's going to be teaching aquatics classes at a local fitness and rehabilitation center called Healthworks. I'm excited for her to launch into this new endeavor because I think she is incredibly gifted in both aquatics and with people. Her bosses are being incredibly flexible with her, and have built into her schedule time off to travel with me when I need to be on the road for Nuru.

This year has been incredible, and in the near future, I'm looking forward to posting more details and highlights from the last twelve months. Life seems like it has been speeding up steadily over the last twelve months, and one of my passions that has suffered has been my blog. This year marks the fewest posts I have been able to put up on this blog since I started it in 2005. It's probably the fewest since the first year I started blogging which was 2003 (Unfortunately, those old blog posts are no longer available--the site was taken away).

Over the next couple of days, I'm hoping to spend some extended time writing, praying, reflecting, planning, and resting as I prepare to welcome in the new year. Jamie and I have had a wonderful holiday season, and have had the privilege of being able to spend quality time with many members of our family, as well as many friends. I think we are both just craving more time with everyone (including the people we didn't get to see). As much as technology has made our use of time more efficient, and opened up opportunities that were never before possible for staying connected, I find myself always craving more time with people.

I imagine that craving will never be satisfied on this side of the veil, and I imagine I'm not alone in my craving. As 2011 winds to it's end, and the sun rises on a new year, my hope is that you and I will be able to savor every moment, and make the most of the time you and I have been given.

Prophet's Rock

2011-12-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

During my visit to the village of Tippecanoe, a local told me about a place where Tenskwatawa was supposed to have gone to pray and to encourage the members of the confederacy. I'm sure that Tenskwatawa visited this place, as did his brother Tecumseh.

In light of my last post and Willie's statement about a Shawnee walking through this area 200 years after the battle, it was kind of cool to stand atop this rock, look out on what would have been the site of the Tippecanoe (Prophetstown) village, and think about what once was, as well as think about what 200 years hold for all of us on this planet.

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of these photos and taking a moment to imagine what this part of the world might have looked like 200 years ago. Imagine traditional home structures that represented a wide array of cultures (tipis, wickiwas, longhouses, and more). Imagine large agricultural plots to meet the food needs of a diverse village. Imagine a community rallying together to maintain some semblance of a traditional way of life and a heritage.

It was a rainy day in Tippecanoe, and I am grateful for the ability to walk in this place as well as for the ability to imagine a different world. I think that this is one of the great gifts we have been given, not only do we have the ability ot imagine what the past was like, but we have the ability to imagine, and be active participants in creating a future world, and playing our part to make this world a better place for future generations.

The Battle of Tippecanoe: 200 Years Later

2011-12-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

On my way back from a recent trip to Columbus, Cincinnati, and Chicago for Nuru, I had an opportunity to stop at Prophetstown State Park and the location of the Battle of Tippecanoe. I have for a long time wanted to visit this site where Tecumseh and his brother were beginning to build a confederacy of American Indian tribes to resist the encroachment of western settlers into Indian territory. Over the last several years, I have made it a point to visit historic and sacred sites for my tribe with members of my family and tribe.

It was a bit ironic to me as Jamie and I took a break from our long drive to visit this historic site. The date we visited was November 7th, 2011--exactly 200 years to the day of the original battle. It appeared there were a number of people who came out for the weekend to commemorate and remember the combatants (based on the number of re-enactors I saw dressed as militia people walking around the grounds).

So a bit about the significance of the battle for me. My family is Shawnee. Tecumseh and his brother were also Shawnee. Tecumseh is seen by many as one of the greatest orators and military leaders in history. He and his brother had begun assembling an array of people from tribes all over North America to stand as a united front against the illegal encroachments of settlers into Indian territory. Not only was Tecumseh a brilliant orator and military strategist, he was also an astute diplomat and a champion of justice. He's one of my personal historic heroes, and holds a special place in the hearts and minds of all Shawnee people.

For every good thing that Tecumseh represented, his brother Tenskwatawa was the anti-thesis. In early November 1811, while Tecumseh was speaking to tribes in the southeastern United States to encourage them to join this confederacy, his brother was making claims to great power, influence, and medicine. And a young American leader named William Henry Harrison began driving a militia group to encamp near Prophetstown, the gathering place of Tecumseh's confederacy. Tenskwatawa told the gathered people in his village that if they attacked Harrison and his men, they would become bulletproof, and the bullets in the rifle's of Harrison's men would roll out of their barrels and turn to dust.

But that's not how it happened. Tenskwatawa rallied people to fight and early in the morning, they attacked Harrison's camp. Harrison and his men were ready. They routed the poorly executed attack of the confederacy (without their leader, Tecumseh), and destroyed Tecumseh's dream of a massive confederacy. It also secured Harrison's political future and he later became president of the United States.

As I stood at the site of the battle, I was overcome with emotion. I can't quite describe it. I began bawling my eyes out when I thought about the lives lost in this place, and the possibilities of a different future for shawnee people that were shattered during this event. After spending a couple hours walking around the battle ground and memorials with Jamie, we proceeded to drive to Columbus, OH where I was able to share the whole experience with my best friend in the whole world, Willie, who is also a member of my tribe.

He had really cool insight for me as I told him about the great sadness I felt standing in that place. He said, "You know, nobody who had been there for that battle could have possibly imagined that there would be a Shawnee walking over that land two hundred years later." His comment put things in a little better perspective for me. It was a bright spot of a different sort. It was a reminder of the power of perseverance.

In my tribe, we have a song called Itcheepon. As I walked the battlefield on November 7th, 2011, I found myself singing it. I'd like to share one of the verses here.

"Now you think that we're gone.
Look around you! Hear my song!
Aren't the skies still blue? Don't the rivers run?
We're still here on Itcheepon.

And as I close this reflection, I'm encouraged in the middle of walking through such a sad place, because there are still Shawnee people walking on this earth. Things look different than could have been even imagined two-hundred years ago, but we are still here. HeYa!

Thanksgiving Reflections

2011-11-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

Last Friday while looking out the window at Lake Floyd I enjoyed a brief period of reflection from one of the many places Jamie and I are thankful to call home. We've been incredibly blessed with loving families, with a wonderful community, and with each other.

More than this, we have been able to give our time and energy to meaningful work, to loving our neighbors, and toward a way of living that attempts to scratch the surface of the beautiful way of Jesus of Nazareth.

Today I slept in, and stayed away from the special sales, the shortages, the lines, and the hustle and bustle. As G. K. Chesterton once said, "There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less. There are many "things" that we can acquire, and, living in this period of amazing innovations, those 'things' can be pretty cool, but they pale in comparison to the people with whom we get to spend our lives.

Each year at Thanksgiving, whether I write about it or not, I try to carve out some time to look at just a few of the blessings I have received in this relatively short life. I actually try to do this more often than thanksgiving just because I think there is a value in seeing how much we truly have.

We get marketed many times daily and told about so many things that will "make our life better", but my limited experience (I'm still a young learner on the journey of life) tells me that the 'things' that make our life better are not what people lined up at stores for on Friday morning.

Rather, what makes our life better is a dedication to things like work we find meaningful, to people we love, a sense of purpose in our lives, and an opportunity to serve others rather than be served. This is an amazing world in which we live. I believe that it is filled with treasures that we tend to ignore while looking for something more. As the author Annie Dillard once quipped, "It is a poor person indeed who can't stop to pick up a penny." It's not an easy task, especially with so many entities selling us on other ideas of joy and happiness that aren't nearly as satisfying. My temptation is to write explicitly about what some of these treasures are, but I feel like I may never end this post as I start. Besides, I think there is way more excitement and adventure for each of us if we go out into our world with eyes wide open looking to discover what treasures we may be stumbling over just outside our doors or in our everyday routines.

As we are all amid the throes of the holiday season, I hope you are surrounded by people you love, and that you don't take for granted the little treasures that surround you. Stop, pick them up like pennies, and savor the moments of discovery, of laughter, of healing, and of togetherness.

Eleven Eleven Eleven: Veteran's Day 2011

2011-11-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

Or maybe I should have entitled this post "One One One One One One."

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had ample creative space for writing, but my life has not lacked content for consideration. I’m hoping to write more in the near future, and possibly even re-vamp this blog again for the new year. For the last few years I’ve taken advantage of a feature in Facebook that allows my blogs to insert as ‘notes’, but it appears this function will be discontinued in a few days. For anyone who reads my notes on facebook, I apologize for this change. But enough about all of that logistical stuff…

What an interesting Veteran’s Day! Having a number of friends (and a few family members) who have served in the armed forces, In light of the date as well as the holiday (and a day off), I thought this was the perfect storm for creating a blog post.

First a little bit of history. Veteran’s Day was originally called Armistice day, and it was a day celebrating the end of World War I. It was intended to mark the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. And here we are today marking the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month during the eleventh year of the century.

Armistice Day was changed to Veteran’s Day in the 1950s as a way to honor the lives of all of those who served in our nation’s armed forces, and not just those who served during World War I.

And today, as I think about my friends and family who have served in various branches of the military, of course I feel compelled to share the story of my friend Jake.

If you have been following my blog for a while, then you are probably familiar with Jake’s story, but if not, let me tell you a bit. Jake and I lived in the dorms together at WVU, and after his sophomore year, he left WVU to attend the United States Naval Academy. He graduated with top honors, was captain of the rugby team, and went on to serve in the Marine Corps as well as a special operations unit called Force Recon. During his time as a platoon commander, he saw a connection between terrorism, insurgency, and extreme poverty and this led him to Stanford University, where he pursued the creation of a non-profit with a new approach to fighting extreme poverty called Nuru International.

Of course those who know me know I’ve been passionate about this work from the moment I first heard about Jake’s research at Stanford. I’m honored to call him my friend, and I’m thankful for the life of service that he has embodied. I featured a video that I’ve shared in the past of him sharing his story. It is a story of his first hand experiences in combat as well as a vision for a world in which our global neighbors living in extreme poverty have the choice to determine their future.

As I sit in a Starbucks with my wife enjoying a pot of French pressed coffee and write this post on this intriguing date, I am a bit overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed at the work we have before us to help forge a better world. I'm overwhelmed at the potential we have with the tools, knowledge, and resources we have at our fingertips. And I'm overwhelmed at all of those one's in today's date.

When we start counting, we start with the number one. If I look at this date as a series of ones instead of a series of elevens, I can't help but think about new starts, like the new start my buddy Jake had when he ventured into grad-school focused on ending extreme poverty. Or the new start that so many people journey into when they start the new year.

And when we think about the term the "eleventh hour" it reminds us of the urgency with which an undertaking needs to be commenced. Today, on Veteran's Day 2011, I feel like there is something beyond the federal holiday to consider, and that something is a new beginning that is taken on with great urgency.

May we all take a moment to pause, reflect on our lives, and consider this an opportunity for a new start to be commenced with great urgency, and may we all be part of leaving a legacy and building a better world for generations to come as we seek to do justice in this world.

Invisible Children, Advocacy, and President Obama's Action Against the LRA

2011-10-17T04:50:00.000-07:00

The year 2005 was an incredibly significant year for me. In 2005, I resigned as a chief of my tribe, I had my eyes opened in a life and career altering way to the issue of extreme poverty, and I was first exposed to an organization called Invisible Children.

My friend Dave Williams, who at the time was working with me as a leader in a summer-long character based leadership development program in Orlando Florida, shared a website with me. On the site, I was exposed to the brutality of child-soldiers in northern Uganda, and I saw the beginnings of one of the most impressive grassroots advocacy movements of young people I have ever witnessed, and I was thoroughly inspired. Less than a year later, representatives of Invisible Children visited the campus of WVU, and dozens in Morgantown and thousands around the country participated in a global night commute in solidarity with children in northern Uganda.

This organization, has catalyzed thousands of young people to take action against global atrocities like the work of Joseph Kony and the LRA in Uganda. I have met many people who trace back their beginnings of advocacy, justice, and community service work to their exposure to Invisible Children. Some of my closest friends have participated multiple times in some of this organization's awareness campaigns. These campaigns were designed to bring more than awareness. They awoke a desire in many for a different kind of world.

Invisible Children, through one of their campaigns, came on Oprah Winfrey's radar, and because of that, came on the radar of millions. They have partnered with many other organizations and agencies, and have encouraged people to write their congressional representatives to take action to end the reign of terror caused by the LRA in Africa. It was because of Invisible Children that I wrote my first letter as a concerned citizen to Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, my state's Senators at the time. They encouraged a lobby day in DC that saw over 1000 grassroots lobbyists travel to our nation's capital to advocate for a bill of which Invisible Children played a strong role in its initiation.

And now, President Obama has authorized 100 military advisors to travel to Africa to help local militaries bring an end to 26 years of terror, atrocities, and the abduction of 1000s of children who have been forced to become soldiers. I believe that Invisible Children has played a huge role in encouraging young people to participate in our government's processes, and I believe that for many, it has restored a belief that they can make a difference in this world, they have a voice that can be heard, and they have a role to play as citizen participants in our government as well as in bettering this world.

Who is the LRA from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Today, remember that you have a voice, and you have an incredible opportunity to good in this world, and to help make the world a better place--don't take it for granted!

Nuru International Partners with Sevenly T-shirts To Support Rural Farmers On World Food Day

2011-10-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

As part of observation of World Food Day, through October 16, Nuru International is proud to partner with the Sevenly T-shirt Company to raise funds and awareness for Nuru’s agricultural program in Kuria Kenya. For every Sevenly shirt sold, the t-shirt company will donate $7 toward Nuru’s work to equip poor farmers with the tools and knowledge they need to lead their communities out of extreme poverty. Sevenly’s mission is to raise funds and awareness for the world’s greatest causes, and at Nuru folks are excited to be featured for their campaign this week in conjunction with World Food Day.

Nuru’s agricultural program is a linchpin for it's holistic model. We based this model on an incredibly successful model that we witnessed from one of our partner organizations, One Acre Fund. At Nuru, we pursue a holistic approach to international development that capitalizes on synergies developed by simultaneously attacking multiple issues that lead to systemic extreme poverty. For example, most families in remote, rural areas farm their own land. We train farmers to increase their harvest using the best agricultural means available. An increased harvest means they will have enough food to feed their families and surplus to sell; with the money earned, families are then able to save for the future and afford healthcare interventions for their family, education for their children, and necessities for their home, like a latrine.

This year, millions of families in East Africa are suffering because of a horrible drought, but amid the drought, Nuru farmers who have participated in our agriculture programs, while producing a lower yield this season, still have enough food to feed their families, pay back their loan of inputs, and generate revenue from the sale of surplus maize. In a recent blog post, Nuru’s CEO, and agricultural program manager, Jake Harriman gave further detail about what these interventions mean for farmers in Kenya. Since Nuru’s inception, it's agricultural program has enrolled over 2000 families as well as loaned or sold over 40 tons of maize seed and 400 tons of fertilizer. Farmers have seen an increase in yield of 250% and Nuru boasts a 98% repayment rate on loans disbursed.

It is incredible that Nuru is able to participate with Sevenly’s T-shirt program during the week of World Food Day, because this offers many an opportunity to take tangible steps to alleviate hunger as part of a greater vision to end extreme poverty in remote rural areas. Will you join us in our efforts to engage more people in this work? Here are a few suggestions from the World Food Day website. Join with Nuru, and take a tangible step toward a world in which people who live in extreme poverty have the choice to determine their future.

Also, if you would like to buy this Sevenly t-shirt, you only have a few hours left...sales discontinue at 12PM EST Monday October 17th.

Global Handwashing Day

2011-10-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Today is global handwashing day! Now you may be thinking, "What's the big deal about handwashing?" That's probably because you have had the idea of washing your hands with soap drilled into you from a very young age. Remember when you were first learning about this though? Remember your parents telling you that you always needed wash your hands after you go to the bathroom and before you eat to make sure you got rid of dirt?

I can remember arguing with my parents that my hands weren't dirty because I couldn't see any dirt on them, but through them educating me about germs as well as programs in my school, I learned that there are germs and bacteria which I can't see that I need to try to remove from my hands too.

Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections which take the lives of millions of children in the developing world each year. This habit, could save more lives than any vaccine or other medical intervention, and could cut the number of lives lost each year to diarrhea by almost half!

There is a ton of publicity around initiatives to provide clean drinking water to our global neighbors who are living in extreme poverty, but there is also a huge need for interventions like handwashing stations and the use of soap after going to the bathroom and before eating. Water and sanitation hygiene, according to Unicef, is a key ingredient necessary to make international development possible. At Nuru, our holistic approach to tackling poverty has enabled us to tackle several problems at once and overlap solutions between different program areas. A great example emerges in handwashing. Our water and sanitation team has been developing low-cost handwashing stations that can be constructed, and sold to individual families at a very low cost, and then revenues generated from the sale of these stations can be used to maintain and grow our water and sanitation program. At the same time, our community health workers travel through villages and reinforce the concept of handwashing to save lives by visiting individual homes and providing education on why handwashing is important. As they travel, tehy also bring soap and other commodities to these homes and sell them for a low cost. This easy access to soap, along with handwashing stations, and education on why both are important when it comes to reducing sickness and the mortality rate of children under five are making a huge difference in the communities where Nuru works!

The video I shared here is a recording of testing an early prototype handwashing station for durability. To read more about this prototype click here. Global handwashing day is focused particularly on educating children, not only because of their great risk, but also because young people can also be incredible agents for changing behaviors. Their energy and enthusiasm is even more contagious than the pathogens on their hands. Today, as we celebrate global handwashing day, may we together take action to help others, especially children, to live healthier lives!

Breathing in the Creation

2011-09-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Jamie and I decided we would attempt a little change of pace. Many weekends, we get the privilege of entertaining guests and connecting with friends both old and new, but this Sunday was different. We decided to take a trip to a nearby forest--Cooper's Rock.

In the past, I can remember going rock climbing with my buddy Steve in this park. We probably climbed at least four days each week. As soon as I was out of work at Mylan, we were in the woods. I also have many memories of hiking along a multitude of trails at Coopers Rock with my dad as well as with many of my friends.

Picnics, hiking trips, rock climbing, and just hanging out on an overlook have become a semi-annual tradition for me, and a wonderful part of the Morgantown area that I love to share with visitors.

This sunday was different for me. I haven't been out in the woods that much this year, and I think that time in the creation is something that we all need in our life. Otherwise, we miss out on so many smells, sights, and sounds, and find our only connection to nature is through video or some other media. I love photographs (as you can see above), but a photograph is no substitute for watching sunbeams break through the canopy and illuminate fiddlehead ferns along the forest floor.

I don't know if your work, your school, or your daily routine find you breathing in the beauty and peace of wilderness often, but it is my hope that we can all take some time to enjoy this wonderful world in which we live.

And as an added bonus, if you live in my part of the country, you get the joy of autumn bursts of color and the sound of leaves crunching under your feet real soon.

Wherever you are, may you find time to unplug, unwind, and make your way into the wilderness. Enjoy the fall, and maybe a little sunshine too!

Nuru International Celebrates It’s Third Birthday

2011-09-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

It’s really hard to believe it has been three years since Jake, Doug, Janine, and Nicole left the United States and flew for two days to arrive in Nairobi. From there, they hopped in a matatu (bus), and began the eight hour journey toward one of the most remote corners of Kenya, and the nation’s second poorest district (county), Kuria.

I remember when Nuru was just an idea that my friends Jake and John had started contemplating late at night over many cups of coffee. I remember talking with John as Jake was finishing up his first year of grad school at Stanford. His goal, to develop a holistic, sustainable, scalable model to help people who live on less than a dollar a day to lift themselves out of that condition. He wanted the organization to be results oriented with a clear exit strategy, and long term going into some of the most desperate places on earth.

Some ideas are good, but they never get legs and they stay on the drawing board. But Nuru has been different. Virtually everyone we have been able to talk to 'gets' what we are doing, and they want to be part of it. They know that the solution isn’t handouts or isolated interventions. They know from their own experience that when they have been equipped with tools and knowledge, they have been able to do amazing things, and the story has the potential to develop in the same way anywhere in the world.

Three years ago, there were a handful of people in Kenya who were willing to trust and collaborate together with Jake, Nicole, Janine, and later others. And now, there are over 10,000 people who have been able to experience lasting positive change in their community as a result of their own community’s leadership and willingness to work together to forge a better future for people in their own community and beyond.

And back here in the States, there has existed a small skeleton of staff, and a growing number of volunteers, advocates, investors, and supporters who see the condition of our global neighbors and have been inspired to act. Again, I remember when Nuru’s grassroots movement was composed of a handful of activist in the hills of Appalachia who believed together that we could change the world and make a significant impact in ending extreme poverty, together, one community at a time.

Now, there are literally thousands of people who have joined Nuru’s work. They follow us on twitter, friend us on facebook, tell their friends and neighbors, and invest their time and money into inspiring others to confront the greatest humanitarian crisis of our generation—extreme poverty. Together, we have taken Nuru’s story to other organizations, to schools, churches, and to our workplaces. We’ve reminded people that there is hope, and they have an incredible opportunity to join with us in this work. And, they have joined us, and together, we are becoming a movement, an unstoppable force, a revolution, as we work to make a lasting impact in the world.

As Nuru celebrates its third birthday, I am grateful for the opportunity to work together with so many. I’m grateful that we have a panoply of significant and incremental successes that we can celebrate. But more than this, I’m excited for the future. We have learned so much over these last three years. We have become more focused in our efforts, and we have had a steadily increasing impact in our work. Together, I believe we can change the world.

As Jake so often says, may we continue to ‘stay in the fight’ and see even more of our global neighbors have lives filled with opportunity and choice instead of desperation. Together, we are ending extreme poverty, one community at a time. Thanks for being Nuru together with us wherever you are in the world. Your contribution is more significant than you know!

And as a small gesture, I want to make a birthday wish request of you. Will you share this video with at least three of your friends, and let them see some of what we have been able to accomplish together over the last three years?

Thanks for being Nuru!

Nuru International and Hunger In East Africa

2011-09-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

It’s kind of hard to get our minds around a drought and what it means for people living in extreme poverty when we live in the United States. I think it’s hard because many of us have lost the connection between the weather and our food. It’s hard for us to imagine arrival at a supermarket and finding the shelves empty because food isn’t being produced. Imagine, walking through the produce section and seeing people fighting over the last small bag of potatoes, because nobody is sure when or if there will be another shipment arriving soon.

For 70% of the world’s extreme poor, they live in remote rural areas. There are no supermarkets insuring that there won’t be a shortage of food to eat. Instead, they rely on the land and work to the best of their ability to insure that their families have food to eat. And right now, there are millions in the Horn of Africa who are starving because of a drought, and because before the drought they lacked access to life-changing tools and knowledge.

Even in Kuria, Kenya where Nuru works, farmers have been affected by the drought. My friend Jake recently shared about a walk he took with a Nuru Agricultural Field Manager, James about the impact of the drought in Kuria. Nuru farmers have seen a decrease in yield of 20-30% on average, but thankfully, they still have enough food to feed their families and pay back the loan of seed and fertilizer they received at the beginning of the season.

Other farmers did not fair so well. On the same walk, Jake and James came across a Nuru farmer’s fields and they were filled with maize that stood ten feet high. Next to this field was a field with maize that stood 2-3 feet high and many of the plants didn’t have maize on them at all. James commented to Jake, “The drought has come again to Kenya. There will be hunger here. There will be so many this season.” James eyes grew more and more sad as he and Jake talked next to these fields.

The World Food Programme has noted that about 13 million people will be affected by drought in Somalia alone. This famine is absolutely overwhelming. It’s utterly heartbreaking, and yet, it is so difficult to imagine that in today’s world there are people who are literally starving to death.

It doesn’t have to be this way. As I mentioned before, over 10,000 people who are participating in Nuru’s agricultural programs are beginning to turn the tide. They were trained in best practices for growing maize, took out Nuru agricultural loans, and have enough to feed their families and pay back their loans. Programs like Nuru’s are allowing our neighbors who are living in extreme poverty to bring about lasting change through simple, scalable and sustainable ideas that can literally save lives.

Nuru International Board Visits Kuria, Kenya

2011-09-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

After many hours of journeying from various points around the globe, Nuru board members John Hancox, Trey Dunham, and Don Faul arrived in Kuria, Kenya during late August for a one week visit to Nuru's project there. They have been part of the strategy and direction of Nuru since it’s inception, but this trip, slightly before the third birthday of Nuru, marked the first time they have witnessed with their own eyes, and heard with their own ears directly from the people Nuru has been involved with since 2008.

John, Trey, and Don (along with orginal board member Andy Cogar and new board member Kim Keating who were unable to join on this journey) have been involved with Nuru from times before it was even incorporated. They have provided wisdom and guidance from their various disciplines to help Nuru become what it is today.

And as they walked the dusty roads of Kuria, and shake hands with individuals whose lives have been forever changed because of access to tools and knowledge that have allowed them to lead their communities out of extreme poverty, they were also preparing for a return to the states with an even greater fire and passion for the work for which they have volunteered so many hours of their time.

If you know any of these individuals, now that they are back in the states, you should stop them and ask them about their experiences on the ground—I know they will be anxious to share! In fact, you should hop over to read John's recent blog post of reflections from his journey. Just click here.

Remembering September 11, 2001

2011-09-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning, and I felt an overwhelming compulsion to write. Yesterday, I attended the WVU football game, and mixed throughout the game were a variety of points for reflection, for singing, for remembering, and for grieving the events that changed our country and the world on September 11, 2001.

I remember so vividly ten years ago. I was working as an analytical chemist at what was then the world's largest generic drug manufacturer in the world, Mylan Pharmaceuticals. We were listening to a small radio when the music was interrupted with an announcement that brought our work to a temporary halt. A plane had just flown into the top of one of the towers at the world trade center. We all continued working as discovery after discovery was made. A second plane flew into the other tower. We then were confirmed that this was not an accident, but a deliberate attack on a symbol of our nation's financial wealth. An attack that took thousands of lives.

And as the day progressed, we all continued our work in the lab, and were shocked as more and more news came over the radio. Four planes in total. The third flew into the pentagon, and the fourth landed in a field about an hour away from us. As the work day ended, I invited all of my coworkers who wanted to come to join me in our break room for a short time of prayer. None of us were sure what exactly had happened, but we all felt a desire to cry out for answers, and to intercede and help, the best we knew how, on behalf of the people who had lost their loved ones, and on behalf of those who were first responders across our world.

I had planned on giving my two weeks notice on September 12th, 2001. I was starting a new career in ministry, but I couldn't leave just yet. Mylan was giving away a proprietary burn ointment to victims in need in the aftermath, and it just happened to be among the drugs I was working to test. I felt that it was my contribution to help in the aftermath.

Our country has gone through a series of changes in the aftermath. I remember flying for the first time as I was starting my new job, and no longer could one go sit at the gates of the airport with family and friends. I miss those days. I have some very special and emotionally loaded memories with being greeted or saying goodbye at my plane's gate. But much more changed for me beyond that.

I feel like I became more keenly aware of issues around the world. My eyes were opened in a far greater way to the hurts of the world, from slavery, to human trafficking, and from political injustice to extreme poverty, I began to see the world through a different lens. Actually, I think many of us did. No longer were problems of the world seen as far away, and not our concern, but rather we began looking for ways to help our neighbors around the globe.

Years later, I made another career change to begin working with my friends at Nuru International. I was reminded by my friend Jake's Story (in the video above) of just how connected everything is. During his times of service in Force Recon, he saw a connection between terrorism, insurgency, and extreme poverty. He also came face to face with suffering and desperation to which most of us living in the west have no comparison. Those unshakeable visuals have led him and many others to begin working to serve others by equipping them with the tools and resources they need to lead their communities out of the desperate conditions of extreme poverty.

And so, as I remember the events of September 11, 2001, I feel a myriad of emotions. Even yesterday, while attending the football game, I felt a little disoriented. I wanted to be in the moment of celebrating a Mountaineer victory, and then I wanted to be in the moment of grieving and remembering as we took time as a crowd to spend a moment in silence, and allow the memories to flood in. But as I've had time to process it a bit more, I feel overwhelmed by hope.

Why hope? I believe that as much as our world has changed since September 11, 2001, collectively, we have become more caring about our world. Over the last ten years, I have met several people who have been willing to leave lucrative careers in an effort to dedicate their lives to the service of others. I have also seen more and more people become generous with their hard-earned income in a challenging economy, because they see the needs of others, and they want to help their neighbors, whether locally or globally.

Our eyes have shed many tears since that fateful day, and they have been opened to tragedy after tragedy, but they have also been opened to hope and dream of a better world, and to put forth the effort to change those dreams into reality. As you and I remember the events of 2001, may we be filled with the desire and the discipline to be part of creating a better world.

Margaret Matinde: A Nuru International Story of A Changed Life

2011-08-31T05:28:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a post last week, Nuru has put together an online interactive annual report that includes two videos. Last week, I shared a video that told the story of Elias Sinda and how his life had changed as a result of Nuru’s work.

This week I wanted to post a second video that tells a different story, the story of Margaret Matinde. Margaret’s story is not all that uncommon in Kuria. She lives in a home made from mud and thatch, and works hard to take care of her family. Because noone had ever quipped her with the tools and knowledge necessary to learn to save, her family rarely had money to help meet basic needs, and couldn’t afford to send her children to school

When Nuru came into the community, Margaret (and many, many others) participated in savings clubs. In these savings clubs they learned to save, budget, and invest their resources wisely. As a result of Margaret’s diligence and discipline in saving, she qualified for a small loan from Nuru and she used this money to start a business—a restaurant. Now, it’s not what people in the west are accustomed to when it comes to a ‘restaurant’ but it is an incredible example of local business and local entrepreneurship helping to meet needs in a community.

As a result of Margaret’s successful business, she can now afford to send her children to school, which in turn means that her children will have even more opportunities for a better life. Margaret learned how to do business, and she learned how to save and plan for her family’s future.

I love the fact that we have stories like Margaret’s and Elias’ that we can share. And there are many more people in Kuria who, just like them, are experiencing hope, choices, and opportunities that they would have never dreamed of before Nuru. If you have been volunteering, fundraising, or donating to Nuru, you have been playing a key role in helping Margaret, Elias, and thousands of other people to write these stories, and to have a new outlook for their future.

Our work is just beginning, but together we are making a difference in the world as we work to create a world where people in extreme poverty have choices and hope where there was once desperation and despair. Together, we are ending extreme poverty, one community at a time!

Squash Blossom 2011

2011-08-29T04:33:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautiful flowers I believe I have ever seen is the squash blossom. My ancestors thought so much of this flower that it was incorporated into clothing, footwear, jewelry, and accessories for hundreds of years. The squash blossom in its simple beauty also served as a reminder that some of the bounty of the early harvest was coming soon. It was a portent of the late harvest to come as well.

It was and is a symbol of beauty and fragility too. For the last four years, I have kept a garden at my house, and every year I write a post as I see the squash blossom open early in the morning to sunbathe it’s delicate saffron petals. I feel like skills like growing food are becoming quickly forgotten in the West. In my family, we have always grown food, and we have had a longstanding tradition of sharing our harvest with friends and neighbors, and canning some of our harvest to store for the winter months as well.

I realized that I was missing a great deal by not having a garden. I was missing an understanding of where food comes from. I was missing an awareness of what it means to labor for my food. I was missing the joy that comes at harvest time when there is food to eat and grand celebration. My family is Shawnee, and many of my tribe’s ancient ceremonies are intricately tied to planting and harvest.

This year, I have had the distinct joy of planting together with my wife. It is the first time in her life she has planted any crop. And it is exciting to watch her eyes light up as well when she sees the seeds that she planted earlier this year provide food for our new life together and food that we can share with others.

There is an unexplainable sense of gratitude I feel to the Creator of the universe that I experience uniquely when I taste and see the harvest coming. All I did was prepare the soil and drop a seed in the ground, and then amazingly that seed becomes a plant and that plant produces food. Around the world and throughout the history of humanity, I believe that farmers around the world experience that wonderful mixture of gratitude and joy that happens when they see the growth of their crop and they prepare for the harvest and celebration of food to eat for their families.

And for me and my wife this year, we look at the beautiful bouquet of squash blossoms erupting from our garden as an indicator of the harvest to come, and we are thankful.

My Dad: 70 And Going Stronger Than Ever

2011-08-26T04:10:00.000-07:00

My dad is amazing. I could probably leave this post at that statement, but I won’t. He just turned 70 on June 1^st (he also shares that birthday with my wife’s dad), and he works out 304 times each week at the Parkersburg YMCA. He rides an exercise bike, hops on a treadmill, and even does the elliptical machine during his two hour workouts.

In 2009 he had a heart attack, and at that time he was walking 12 miles a day. In fall 2008, he and I went on a bike ride that included four miles of an eight percent incline—thankfully he didn’t have a heart attack then, because we were in a remote area. We have made a tradition of journeying at least once each year to the top of Seneca Rocks over the last several years, and we took Jamie along for her first trek this past July. When dad had the heart attack we wondered if he would be able to keep going like he has in the past. Honestly, he is amazingly fit. I venture to say he is more fit than the majority of people who are half his age.

Earlier this spring, my brother and nephew got a healthy dose of my dad’s fitness as he took them on 25 and 30 mile bike rides averaging 15mph+ in between his workout days.

For the last year, my dad hasn’t been able to walk longer distances because of some inflammation in his plantar fascia, but he has been continuing to exercise and push himself in areas where he can get good cardio work in.

Where many of us would see our setbacks my dad makes adjustments and keeps going strong. Last weekend he and I road our bikes around the course of the Parkersburg half-marathon so we could cheer on our family and friends who were competing. There was never a time I was waiting for my dad; in fact sometimes it was quite the opposite. He is a daily inspiration to me to always be pushing the envelope to be the best I can be in whatever I do.

We all encounter setbacks, injuries, and challenges in this life, but a big part of our the outcome of our life is how we respond to those challenges. My dad has lost his life-long best friend (my mom) to breast cancer, and suffered a massive heart-attack within two years of each other. But he perseveres. He gets up each day, and does his best to make the most of it. He doesn’t see it in himself, but if you spend much time around him, and observe the way he lives, he is one of the most inspiring people you will ever meet.

None of us truly know the number of our days, but while we live and breathe on this earth, we have an opportunity to make the most of this time. I’ve heard it said that the way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives. May we find examples in our life who push us, and encourage us by the way they go about their days, and may we imulate the disciplined way of living that allows us to truly blossom, so that if we live to be 70 like my dad, we will also be going stronger than ever!

Parkersburg Half Marathon: 25 Years

2011-08-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was in junior high and I was running the one mile race in the wood county track meet, when I first started hearing about the Parkersburg Half Marathon. I had aspirations of one day running this race (in fact, it was one of my goals unrealized for 2011). My friend Dan Van Valey and I would joke about me getting out there and running with world class athletes for about a hundred yards before I slowed to my mere mortal pace. This year was the 25^th annual Parkersburg Half-Marathon, and while it is no longer the site for the US Men’s National Championship, runners still come from all over the world to compete.

Although I didn’t run the race this year (foot injury), my sister, my brother-in-law, and my wife all three did run it. For my wife it was her second half-marathon. For my sister and her husband, it was their first. Each of them finished with respectable times. Jamie ran a 2:16 (she had a knee flare up around mile 8), Ray ran a 1:55, and Becky ran an incredible 1:47, and placed second in her age group.

I was proud of all three of them for the races they ran. Jamie ran hers with very little training, but focused on following through on the commitment she made. (It would be easy to have quit or just not run, but she is not a quitter!) Ray has had surgery on both of his ankles in recent years and has lost 80 lbs over the last two years. He just turned 58, and he is probably in the best physical shape of his adult life. He is living proof that if you are disciplined about your habits, you can turn around your physical health pretty significantly. I’m super proud of he and Becky for their commitment to their health.

But the runner I was most impressed with is my sister. I can remember telling her (for years!) that if she ever got serious about running, she could be a really good runner. She would laugh at me sometimes when I said it, but I think Saturday she proved something to her self that I already knew. She has what it takes to be a great runner! She ran her race effortlessly, and had energy to spare at the end of the race. She picked up her pace during the last mile and I personally watched her pass six runners during the moments I saw her near the finish line. If ever my sister has doubts about herself, I hope she will remember Saturday and her confidence will return.

I’m super proud of all of the folks who got out there and walked, ran, and wheelchaired their way thirteen miles through the town of Parkersburg. Some were competing with other runners, but the wise ones were competing with their number one competitor—themselves. No one can push you harder than yourself, no one knows better when you are slacking than yourself. And at the end of the day, the other runners probably won’t be going home with you and talking about your performance.

Whatever race you are running today, whether it is a footrace, or a part of the ‘daily grind’ may you run in such a way to win and be the best version of yourself you can possibly be.

Nuru International 2010 Annual Report: Stories Of Changed Lives

2011-08-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

Elias Sinda's Story from Nuru International on Vimeo.

Earlier this month, Nuru released it’s annual report in a really different format. Some organizations send out a brief financial statement to donors; others send a more extensive printed annual report (Nuru did this last year). This year, we thought we would do something really different. We posted our annual report online in a really cool interactive format. I highly recommend you take some time to check it out here.

In the meantime, I thought you would enjoy watching this video of Elias Sinda and hearing about how Nuru’s work in his community has equipped him with the tools and knowledge to help his family lift itself out of extreme poverty. Elias’ story is one of hundreds being written in what is the second poorest district in all of Kenya. With Nuru’s help, the people of Kuria are turning desperate conditions into a world of opportunities. They are learning how to prevent waterborne illness. They are growing enough food to feed themselves,. They are insuring their children are enrolled in school because now they have income that will allow them to pay the nominal school fees. It’s truly wonderful to see.

In spite of the drought that has wreaked havoc across the Horn of Africa, Nuru farmers are thriving. It is truly a joy to know that lives are changing in Kuria, and that you and I get the opportunity to be part of it. Thanks for watching, and thanks for being involved. And if you haven’t gotten involved yet, now is a great time to start.

Not Your Mother's Casseroles

2011-08-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, my friend Faith Durand just had a cookbook dedicated to the art of casseroles published, and she gave me an autographed copy; It's called, Not Your Mother's Casseroles. As has been my unofficial policy, when I have a friend who publishes a book, I buy a copy, and I try to review it and share it with others.

With Faith, the nature of the review has to be a bit different. For the last few years, she has been writing regularly on a blog as she experiments with recipes, foods and flavors, and in some ways this book is a focused extension of her blog work. She is managing editor for a blog at thekitchn.com and also tweets @thekitchn.

I’m no expert on writing cookbooks, but I will say that my wife has been preparing a few of Faith’s recipes in recent times, and every thing I’ve had so far has been incredibly delicious. In fact, one of the most bizarre recipes she tried was composed of carrots, mint, and feta cheese. As strange as this combination might sound, I have to tell you that it was absolutely amazing!

If you like to cook, or know someone else who does, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Faith’s cookbook and giving it a whirl.

Jeni’s Ice Cream and Northstar Café

2011-08-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was in Columbus, Ohio for a few days to visit with my best friend in the whole world, Willie, for Jamie to attend a baby shower for one of her closest friends, Ally, and to meet with a few Nuru supporters in the area. While I was there, Willie and some other friends made it a point to introduce me to a couple of their favorite Columbus businesses.

The first on the list has to be Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream in Bexley. Jeni is a local Columbus business woman who has developed an array of gourmet and specialty ice creams with flavors including Brown Butter Almond Brittle, Goat Cheese With Red Cherries, and Sweet Corn and Black Raspberries. The eclectic mix of flavors is brought about through natural ingredients, including local organic milk from grassfed cattle. If you are in Columbus, I highly recommend giving Jeni’s Ice Cream a try. My personal favorite is the Brown Butter Almond Brittle, but I must confess that I usually sample four to six different flavors when I visit.

I also had the privilege of visiting the Northstar Café in the Easton Town Center. My friends Faith and Mike introduced Jamie and me to this great local restaurant. The food was incredible and incredibly healthy. They charge a little bit more for their food, but they have set up their café so that tips aren’t part of the protocol, and, much like Jeni’s Ice Cream, they choose locally grown and natural ingredients. From what I’ve been able to gather, they even thought through the long term impact of the materials they choose for building out their restaurant space.

I probably could have dedicated separate entries for each of these businesses, but I thought I would lump them together for their similar philosophies. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to visit both spaces with friends and experience a bit of the local flavor of Columbus. Interestingly, while Jamie was at Ally’s baby shower, I randomly walked into a bookstore where Jeni was signing copies of her new book.

While I didn’t get in line for an autograph, I did get an autographed copy of my friend Faith’s book, Not Your Mother’s Casseroles but I’ll have to save my comments on her book for another delicious post.

What are some of the local businesses in your neck of the woods that you would recommend?

U2 360 Tour Heinz Field Pittsburgh

2011-08-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

On my brother's birthday, July 26th, Jamie and I went to our first concert together as a married couple (I know, it was such a thoughtful and selfless gift for Chuck). We were able to get two tickets to see U2 at their last show in the United States on their current tour, and I would have to say that it was the best concert I have ever seen. It was absolutely incredible!

There are so many aspects I'd like to write about, but I'm going to limit myself to just a few. First, I loved the way they interacted with the crowd all night. The band could remember their first show in Pittsburgh. It was in a small club in 1981. They have been returning to Pittsburgh for years (I had seen them with three of my friends during their last tour in 2005). They referenced cultural icons and built a rapport with folks in the Burgh quickly. Beyond this, they built a sense of community and togetherness with the fans in attendance. It was really something to experience.

For instance, as Bono started singing "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," a song that was written as a modern hymn by the band, he stepped away from the microphone and the entire crowd in Heinz Field sang the first verse and chorus together. Bono picked it back up for the second verse, but it became one of many powerful moments for the concert attendees.

Beyond the feeling of camaraderie among the attendees, there was something special about the band themselves. They weren't just a group of musicians, they were a team of lifelong friends. They have been playing music together since 1976, and they have been able to bridge the gap of multiple generations. There were young and old alike in the crowd singing along to songs that spanned many years of their career. These guys have fun playing music together, and have been creating unique moments for concert goers for decades.

Beyond all of this, I think I appreciated most of all the sense of a long, persistent faithfulness to social causes and social justice. Sometimes, I think Bono is looked at as some rock star who just recently became an advocate for social causes, but the band has been serving as advocates for others for most of their career. In fact, two years ago, I saw U2 perform in Washington DC, and during the concert they made a focused push for freeing Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kii. They encouraged fans to write letters and use their voices as advocates for freeing Aung San Suu Kii. In November 2010 she was freed, and during the concert in Pittsburgh, she addressed the crowd by video and encouraged them to use their voices to fight for justice and to serve those who are in need.

As Jamie and I took in the sights and sounds of an incredible evening in Pittsburgh, I was reminded of the importance of perseverance and faithfulness, and I felt a renewed energy for approaching the causes I am passionate about with an even greater zeal. I hope that twenty years from now, I will be able to look back and see the impact that comes from longstanding faithfulness and tenacity.

May we each emulate these rockers from Ireland in the way that they work toward creating community, beauty, and seeking the good of others all the days of our lives. And, if you have an opportunity to see U2 on a future tour, take advantage of the opportunity. You won't regret it.

Night Of Hope

2011-08-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

I thought that getting back into the groove with my blog would be much easier than it has been. I had every intention of getting back into a regular flow, but I've found myself much slower in the process than I would like. I'm hoping to change that this week, and I'm starting with an event I attended last night.

It was called Night of Hope. My friend Eric Baldwin invited me, Jamie, and my best friend in the whole world, Willie, to attend this evening highlighting the issue of human trafficking both in the state of Ohio and internationally. The event was hosted by Veritas Community Church in downtown Columbus. As my friend Eric was telling us about the event, I was excited to find out that an organization started by a friend who used to be on staff with GCM with me was among the groups who would be sharing, Doma International.

Doma along with representatives from three other groups shared some of their work on the issue of human trafficking. One group, C.A.T.C.H. (I couldn't find a URL), works specifically to rehabilitate women who had been trafficked as youth and have since been caught-up in a cycle of prostitution. During the evening we were able to hear some of these women share how they had been abducted and forced into a life of prostitution during a young age, and how the CATCH program had helped them to leave a life of drugs and crime, develop job skills, get an education, and work toward reconciliation with their families.

Two other groups, As Our Own and Grace Haven shared even more stories of redemptive work in Columbus and in India as they work to rescue young girls from the world of prostitution. The stories were heartbreaking, and hearing them has made me even more fervent in pursuit of justice. I'm grateful to know that so many are laboring to make a difference in this world, and hopeful that many more will join with these and other organizations for more than a night of hope; we each need to start somewhere, and may we keep running until our part to play in building a better world is finished.

Rockets And Relaxation With Friends

2011-07-29T06:19:00.001-07:00

Flying WV #3 Launch 2 from Ricky Beamer on Vimeo.

This past Saturday, I awoke with grand goals. I wanted to spend the majority of the day writing and ruminating on the events of the last two months and “catch up” with blogging.

This simply did not happen. Instead, I found myself getting out of bed early to join my friends Ricky, Jason, Justin and Sarah for a rocket launch.

No, we were not in Florida, nor were we going to observe the latest exploratory journey of NASA. Instead, we were driving into western Monongalia County for the launch. We journeyed just a few minutes outside Morgantown, and Ricky brought out his rocket, “Flying WV #3”. We had three video cameras and a single still camera recording the launch as we gathered on a rural hillside. I honestly felt like a close friend to Homer Hickam and his buddies in Coalwood as Ricky began setting up the launch pad.

The rocket had three engines and was anticipated to shoot into the air about 2000 feet. We hooked a switchbox to Ricky’s car battery for the launch and each of us prepared our recording devices to take in this historic flight. 5-4-3-2-1-BLAST OFF!

There was a malfunction. Only one of the engines fired. The rocket only rose a few feet off the ground. After peaking at about 30 feet, the three pieces of the rocket separated, and drifted back to the earth. As the rocket slowly dropped, the second engine fired, but was not able to propel the separated rocket in any direction.

Our chief engineer. Is currently reviewing footage and preparing for a future launch. Thankfully this launch did no damage to the rocket’s integrity, and a future launch should be able to take place later this year. It was great connecting with friends on this little adventure, and even dreaming of a future adventure of either hiking, or camping, or a little bit of both with a great crew of incredible friends.

As we wound our way back to the house, we were visited by another friend--Joel Williams. Joel has been part of our community, for a few years, he was in the neighborhood, and he stopped in for a visit. We enjoyed good conversation, laughter, and some homemade popcorn.

While I didn’t blog during the day (or even open my laptop), I have to say it was incredibly relaxing to be able to spend time just relaxing. I actually took a nap in the middle o f the day, and went to sleep before 10PM. This was an incredibly different pace than I typically live, and I truly believe it was a much needed day of rest.

Somehow, over the last few months I’ve found myself getting out of the practice of Sabbath, but this day, was a great first step back into it.

A Lengthy Hiatus

2011-07-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been approximately two months since I last blogged. In the beginning, this was the unintentional consequence of preparing for my wedding and heading off for a lengthy honeymoon. Since returning to “the real world” it has just seemed that there hasn’t quite been the time to write. And I guess that’s the irony; a life of adventure allows for plenty of content, but alas it has minimized time to write.

I have still made a habit of reflecting, and often, I will awaken early in the morning and go for a walk in my neighborhood. I arise and slip on my sneakers and make my way through the quiet streets. I make my way to Mountaineer Field and Ruby Memorial Hospital, and then proceed back to the house. Part of my early morning walk is for the quiet and opportunity for reflection. Part is simply a matter of exercise and enjoying the created world. I walk early partially for the quiet, but honestly it has been so hot and humid that I find it necessary to rise early in order to beat the heat too.

As much as I have enjoyed the walking in the early morning world, I have also greatly missed blogging. Since I first started blogging (in Winter 2003), I have found it to be a spiritual discipline of sorts, and an outlet for me to be able to write and reflect on places, experiences, and people with whom I’ve connected. It’s also provided me an opportunity to share the journey with others, including you.

If you have been disappointed by my lack of posts, I apologize. I’m really looking forward to getting back into the routine, and I believe my next several posts will be a mixture of reflections from the last few months along with some current happenings.

I’ve taken a lengthy hiatus, but I am back, and looking forward to diving deeply into the written word. Thanks for reading, and for allowing me to share with you.

The Ring Part 7 The Finished Product

2011-05-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

After Doug had finished cutting the stone, I still had the challenge of selecting a ring for the stone. Again, I was looking at silver, and Doug had warned me about a couple of challenges with silver. Silver is usually very pure compared to other precious metals 98%+ versus gold being about 60% pure. This means that silver rings are somewhat softer than gold rings (even though pure gold is very soft). Also, most rings are made from gold or platinum, so he warned me that it may be difficult to find a silver ring that I liked.

We spent about two hours pouring through a catalog and I found about eight options that I liked. There was one ring in particular with which the wedding band paired uniquely, and the engagement ring itself had a unique setting. Instead of 4-6 prongs (which can break), the ring setting was comprised of two semi-circular clasps that hold the stone liked two clasped hands.

Doug was concerned that the ring may not be able to be cast in silver, but to my joy and our collective surprise, it could be.

Some of you may be wondering why I would go to such lengths over a ring and stone. Let me explain. Jamie is incredibly special to me, in fact, I would say that she is a precious gem and a treasure that God and her parents have entrusted to me, and allowed me the privilege of sharing her and caring for her. She’s an incredible lady, and I consider her a gift to be cherished. So often, the media encourages us to spend money to show our love for another person, and personally, I love to lavish gifts upon my friends.

With Jamie’s ring, I wanted her to be able to look at it, and know that it, much like she, is one of a kind. I wanted her to know that I wanted the ring to be special and memorable, and that I wanted it to be a symbol of the same care that I want to show her for the rest of our lives on this earth together. It’s also a symbol of the degree of care with which I want to live my life on this planet. It’s not often we get an opportunity to pour thought and effort into a symbol, and an engagement/wedding ring is one of the most powerful symbols on the planet.

For you men out there, remember that he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and that your spouse is one of the most precious gifts God can give you. Don’t take this person lightly or take this gift for granted. For you women, the same is true. You are called to support one another and to work together to accomplish far more good in this world than either of you could do alone. That’s a lofty challenge, and the beginning of such a work is to be found in centering your lives upon the beautiful way of Jesus, and then taking this divine love and sharing it with each other, then letting it pour out to the rest of the world to add bring joy and peace to the earth.

The Ring Part 6 Some Spiritual Thoughts About The Process

2011-05-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

As I was writing about the process of making Jamie’s engagement ring, I couldn’t help but think about a spiritual correlation. I think God finds us on this earth as rough sapphires. He applies heat and pressure, and begins to shave away aspects of our lives that do not reflect light brilliantly. For us, the process is often painful. Nobody likes having our rough spots grinded away until they are smooth as glass.

But God does this, and over time, there is a brilliance and light that emanates from us with increasing brightness, that is if we abandon ourselves to the trustworthy skill and expertise of God the gem-cutter. If not, we may never develop our full potential.

But every time we yield another aspect of our life, to the Creator, he is able to create another facet. And then, we reflect light. We don’t produce it from within, but rather, the light enters us like it enters a gem, it bounces around, and then radiates outward like some kind of divinely orchestrated spark or sparkle. When you see someone whose life seems to radiate a great light, it is a mark of the master jeweler who has been cutting away and working toward’s creating a masterpiece out of that person’s life. You see, we aer God’s masterpiece, we are his precious gems that he created for the purpose of emanating love, joy, piece, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. In a world in which we need to see more of these things.

May you be yielded in the hands of the Master as he brings out your brilliance and enables you to reflect and shine His light in this world.

The Ring Part 5 The Stone And The Process

2011-05-18T04:49:00.000-07:00

After doug received the stones, he began working on cutting them;my previous post contains an image of the rough stone before any cuts or faceting if you want to get an idea of what it looks like--it really just looks like a bright colored rock.

One stone, he planned to do a pin cushion cut (a little more antique style), but mine I had hoped to be rounded. The stones were 3 and 5 Karats rough, but much of the stone get’s ground away as the gem cutter begins faceting.

One day, I visited doug’s house just to see the apparatus he used. Not being a gem cutter, it was like exploring a whole new world and culture. He had intricate apparatus that used small diamonds to grind away the sapphire. The only thing harder than sapphire is diamond, so it was a pretty challenging process for Doug to cut such a hard stone. After he had cut the first stone, he saw some imperfections in it, and wanted to make sure that I still wanted to take the risk of cutting the other stone. You see, the sapphire mine would take the rough sapphire back, but if there was a single cut made into the stone, then we would be keeping it. I told him that I was willing to take the risk, and that I wanted to see this through to completion.

So doug began the work of making a stone into a beautifully sparkling sapphire gem. I asked him to take photos during the process, so I could share this story with Jamie, and then with you.

I also want to recommend Doug’s work to you. He is a Doctoral candidate in Neurobiology, and so this is more of a hobby for him than a profession. His work takes time, but he has an incredible eye for detail, and loves the challenge of bringing out the brightness and color of stones by precise and diligent faceting work.

As you can see, the process brings out so much of the stone.

The Ring Part 4--Indigenous Stone

2011-05-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

Doug started making calls to mines around the country to find that there was only one mine in the country that was still producing topaz. It was in Texas, and the mine owner was also a gem cutter. She insisted that she cut the stone, and was charging a very steep price for her topaz.

I don’t think I mentioned this earlier, but as Doug and I had our initial discussion, he offered to cut whatever stone we were able to get. If he found something, he would order it, and then would cut it for me. Doug’s a pretty amazing dude.

So as Doug commences calling mines, he gets in touch with the owner of a sapphire mine in Montana who had just discovered two rough blue sapphires. He said that if I wanted one, he would take the other, and would keep it for his own collection. I gave him the ok, and he placed the order.

Just so you know, if you are thinking about trying this, there are no guarantees with purchasing rough stone. As you cut into the stone, there may be impurities, fractures, and the like that emerge. Sometimes stones will be heat treated to burn away many of the impurities. The stones Doug was working with came out of the earth as is.

Also, if you are thinking about doing something like this, it takes time and effort. It’s not as simple as clicking a couple of buttons or going to the jewelry store and swiping a credit card. In order to do it, you need to plan ahead, and give time for the turn around. From start to finish of everything it took around a month. I believe it was worth it.

The Ring Part 3 The Search

2011-05-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Knowing that Jamie and I desired to keep the cost of the symbol low, I began my search. Actually, my best friend in the whole world, Willie, helped me begin the search. He sent me several websites with alternative style rings. Everything from wood to hammered silver. I loved looking through the pages and considering the power of the symbol as well as the power of the story we could tell about the ring. Looking for a female perspective, I turned to my sister. She suggested that I consider buying a ring that was made from Jamie’s birthstone. Jamie’s birthstone is blue in color, and Turquoise, Blue Topaz, and Zircon are all considered December birth stones. I began looking online at different rings that were available, and then an idea occurred to me.

Back when I was working as a chemist at Mylan, I worked with a guy who had become a gem collector and jeweler. His name is Doug Kolson. Doug and I were friends back in the day, but I hadn’t talked to him in a while. As I searched through several web pages, and considered walking into a jewelry store with hundreds of mass produced rings, I just felt like none of these would be special enough for Jamie. I wanted something that was unique, and I thought, “Maybe Doug could help me find something.” After all, the world of precious stones and jewelry was fairly new territory for me (the last ring I bought had a giant cherry flavored “gem” atop the plastic ring), and so help from a knowledgeable friend would be so incredible.

I called Doug, and we set up a meeting during the evening of the day when I asked Jamie’s dad’s permission for her hand in marriage.

Doug and I looked through his collection as I explained to him that I wasn’t interested in a diamond, but rather I was considering a blue topaz. My first preference was to find a stone that came from a mine in the US, so I could insure it was “conflict free.” After that, I wanted to buy a quality stone that had a bluish tint and that was semi-precious. After suggesting stones from topaz, zircon and sapphire, we landed on a search for natural blue topaz or a blue sapphire, both of which could be found in the United States.

The Ring Part 2-I Could Have Done More

2011-05-11T07:38:00.002-07:00

Beyond the issue of conflict stones is another issue. It’s the issue of spending extravagant sums of money on a status symbol. The power of a ring to be a symbol of commitment and fidelity is not dependent on the amount spent on it. Nor does it indicate the degree of love that one has for another.

Jamie and I made a second decision that we wouldn’t “buy into” the standards set across our country for engagement ring expenditures. One reason is because of financial feasibility—why should we go into debt for something if we can prevent it. The second reason compels us more strongly than potential debt. If you’ve ever seen the movie Schindler’s List, you might know what I mean. At the end of the movie, Oskar Schindler, while standing amid a group of thankful Jewish Holocaust survivors, begins to lament the things he didn’t do. He looks at his pin and tells them that it could have saved another life, and then he looks at his car and says, “this could have been ten more lives.” He breaks down in the arms of one of the Jews he had saved lamenting, “I could have done more!” Every time I see that clip, I think about the wastes we take part in on a daily basis. Jamie and I decided not to spend a bunch of money on a ring, when we could use the same money to help our global neighbors who are living in extreme poverty. We’ve both heard all of the arguments—“It’s an investment!” “You will have this your entire life!” “It’s a way of communicating your love for one another!” We believe that the symbol of the ring still has it’s same power whether we spend $50 or $5000 for it.

Every time Jamie or myself look at the ring, or share the story with another person, it’s a reminder to us and to them, that we are building the foundation of our relationship on principled decisions, on our love for each other emanating from a love for God and overflowing to allow us to love our fellow human beings.

If you made a different decision for your engagement ring, this post isn’t to make you feel guilty. Rather, if you haven’t made this decision yet, then we would like to encourage you to think about the good you could do by resisting some of the traditions of the past and trends of the present. No matter what, it's always a good process to evaluate what we use our resources in this world.

The Ring Part 1 Do No Harm

2011-05-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

Over the next few posts, I am hoping to share some thoughts and reflections around the process of the creation of Jamie's ring. Hope you enjoy them.

As I mentioned before, I initially wanted a hand crafted silver ring that was made by a tribal elder to be the ring with which I proposed to Jamie, but that just wasn’t working out. Jamie had mentioned that she loved silver, and that she’d like her ring to be made from this precious metal. She and I had also discussed that no matter what, we didn’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on the ring, or purchase a precious stone that could be associated with conflict, slavery.

You might be wondering what I mean by conflict. If you have seen or heard of the movie “Blood Diamond” you have some idea. You see, many of the precious stones that make their way into our jewelry here in the United States come from places known for political instability, extreme poverty, and violence. Poor people become forced laborers, and are compelled to search for these precious stones. Then, the guerrilla or terrorist group that forces these people to work take the stones. They sell the stones in global markets, and use the precious stone trade to fund their operations, and continue to oppress other men, women and children.

It’s a very ugly situation, but we are significantly removed from the reality of it when we walk into the local jewelry store and go online to purchase a gift. Early in our relationship, Jamie and I watched the movie Blood Diamond, and made a conscious decision that if we continued in our relationship and became husband and wife that we would not support the diamond trade, and that we would seek to do no harm with our purchase.

One of the things about Jamie that impresses me about her is her heart for justice (that could be a blog post in itself), and her practical mentality about material goods. She and I both strive to thoughtfully love our neighbors, and one of the ways we wanted to do this was to go against the grain of normal wedding rings. I don’t believe anybody sets in their mind to do harm by the purchase of an engagement ring or other jewelry. Honestly, as I said before, we are so far removed from the conflicts associated with these precious stones that we just don’t know what evil we may be participating in when we make a purchase.

The Place

2011-05-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

Back in April 2010 I went to visit some folks from my tribe who live along the Ohio River. Me and my best friend in the whole world, Willie, picked up some tobacco as per our tribal tradition while on our way (you should always bring some form of tobacco as a gift when visiting an elder or spiritual leader), since we were visiting the oldest living elder of our tribe. His name is Flying Duck, and he is the brother of our tribe’s former principle chief. He and his sons are pretty amazing artisans, and in particular he and one of his sons work with silver.

The reason for our visit was twofold. The first reason was because Flying Duck is an elder, and regrettably for both Willie and myself it had been far too long since we last visited him. The second reason was because I was hoping to ask him and his son if they could make an engagement/wedding band for me to offer Jamie as I asked for her hand in marriage. Shawnee people have a long tradition in silver-work, and for many other tribes, the word used to describe the Shawnee meant “the silver people.”

As Willie and I drove the narrow country road that led away from the Ohio River along a small stream on Rush Run Road, my mind flooded with memories. We had driven this road many times before to visit Flying Duck and other Shawnee who lived in the area. We had roofed a house there, gone to church there, attended funerals there, and on many occasions sat in the house where Flying Duck and Raincrow grew up.

Every time I visit, I sit down in an old wooden chair that sat next to an old wooden table in the dining room, and sometimes, Flying Duck talk about the table and chair. Shawnee people love to tell stories. "Billy, a lot of very deeply spiritual people have sat at that table. Many of the most committed Christians I have ever known have sat exactly where you are sitting. Raincrow, my grandmother, and my mother have all sat in that space. We’ve hosted missionaries, preachers and others and they have sat right here at that table for meals. Have you ever heard of Dr. Alexander Reed? Dr. Alexander Reed was a missionary to Africa and he had a huge crush on my mother. Lot’s of men did because she was beautiful, and very godly. Every time Dr. Alexander Reed would return from Africa, he would come visit for Sunday dinner after church and would share stories with our family of his missions in Africa. Lot’s of powerful Christians have sat where you sit Billy, and it’s an honor to have you sit there too!”

And so we would sit and listen and share stories. It’s a bit of the Indian way. On this trip, it was more of the same, and although Flying Duck and his son felt they would be unable to help me make a unique ring, we certainly enjoyed catching up, and sharing stories. I remember my drive back to Columbus with Willie, and just how nostalgic we had become from our visit to a place and to people with whom we had many special memories.

As I talked with Jamie about it the next day, it sparked a question. “Where’s the most special place on earth for you, where you have a lot of memories and good times?”

Her response, “I’d have to say Lake Floyd. It’s the place where I grew up, and it is really special to me.”

I thought, then spoke “Well, is there any place in particular around the lake that is particularly special for you? It’s kind of a big place.”

“The middle of the lake, I used to love rowing out there and sitting—it’s just so quiet and peaceful.”

And that’s when I knew that when I asked Jamie to marry me, it was going to be in the middle of Lake Floyd…

And what about you? What are some special and sacred places for you?

One More Permission

2011-05-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Jamie and I had been in a relationship for a long time, and once again I found myself looking for an opportunity to sit down with Jamie’s dad to ask permission of him. This time it was to ask for his permission to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. It was a one of a kind conversation, and had it’s fair share of humor in the brief exchange.

It was mother’s day 2010, and Jamie and I drove to Lake Floyd to spend a little time with her parents. I was praying for the right time to ask her dad, and for an opportunity, but I knew that much of my summer I would be out of town and traveling. I had a 5-10 minute window on Sunday morning before church while Jamie was taking a a shower, so I took my opportunity.

“Hey Les, could I talk to you for a minute”

“Sure”

We sat down in the living room, and I started.

“I’ve never done this before, and I hope I never have to do this again”--masterfully eloquent I know.

We both laughed a little bit, and I continued, “but I’d like to ask your permission to ask Jamie to marry me.”

“Sure. Kim and I felt like we might have this conversation soon. When were you thinking about asking her?”

“I was thinking sometime over the next month or two. I’m going to be meeting with a friend tonight who is a gem cutter about possible rings and gemstones.”

“When were you thinking about a wedding date?”

“I was thinking sometime next May or June, after she finishes her Master’s degree.”

“Well what if she says no?”

“I never thought about that, that’s a good question!”

“You know nobody bats 1.000 right?”

We both laughed, and I told him my plans for asking her. He asked me to let me know if there was anything he and his wife could do to assist.

And then Jamie came out of the shower and we all drove to South Ridge Church. Les told his wife about our conversation, but Jamie would have to remain in the dark for a few more weeks . . .

Permissions and Clearances

2011-05-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

Now I’ve been interested in people before, and I’ve even dated some, but I haven’t spent that much time in the dating sphere. Honestly, for a long time I called myself a “bachelor to the rapture” because I really wondered if it wasn’t best for me to be single. I believe that if you are going to be married or in a relationship that the person you are with should be a complement to you, should spur your growth, and should be someone with whom you can pursue your faith in a meaningful way. I further believe that friends and family provide some of the best guidance and perspective when it comes to whether or not to pursue someone.

I had talked to a handful of friends in the days before the ‘Bubble Tea Episode’ and they all thought Jamie was absolutely wonderful. After Jamie had let me know the answer she had received through prayer, I told her that before we pursue anything further, that we needed to ask for a few people’s thoughts about it, and the first people I wanted to talk to were her mom and dad.

There were a couple of reasons for this. The first being that quite simply, courting/dating relationships shouldn’t be entered into lightly, and it is honorable and right to ask a woman’s parent’s permission before entering into a dating relationship. Mind you, I had never done this before, but I just believed that on this occasion, this was the right course of action. Another reason was because at the time we started dating, I was leading a ministry in the church that Jamie was part of. I wanted Jamie’s parents to know that I wasn’t some creepy church guy who was preying on their daughter (unfortunately there really are people like that and it’s a tragedy that they turn people away from the faith). If those reasons were not enough, a month prior to asking Jamie about dating, I had a dream in which I drove to Jamie’s parents to ask their permission to date Jamie. All in all, it seemed like the right thing to do.

During thanksgiving break, I followed Jamie to Lake Floyd and had lunch with her parents and her. I explained to them how very special I believed Jamie was, and that I was interested in pursuing a relationship with her, but that I would stop that pursuit immediately if they did not feel that they could bless it, or did not believe it was honorable. Jamie’s dad had one of the most profound responses I’ve ever heard—it echoed Gamaliel’s statements in the book of acts (read em). He said, “Well, if this is God’s will, then there’s nothing we can do to stop it, and if it isn’t, there’s no way it will ever amount to anything. So we will trust God, and give you our blessing to pursue a relationship with our Jamie.”

After Jamie’s parents, it was time to ask my own family. I had really never even talked about dating anybody with them in my whole life, but I wanted them to weigh in on it with Jamie. As I spoke with them after leaving Jamie’s folks they said they thought it was my choice, and they looked forward to meeting her. My best friend, Willie, expressed some concern over her being a Tarheel fan but other than that, he thought it was great! (Just for reference the photo above was taken just after I told them about Jamie, and just before I let Willie know she was a UNC fan.)

And my final clearance and permission needed to come from the pastors of my church. Now I don’t think this is necessary for every person, but for me, as a leader in the church, and knowing some of the downright awful things that can happen among ‘leaders’ and members of a congregation, my ultimate concern with all of my asking permission was that I did not want to do anything that would tarnish the name of Christ in mine or Jamie’s lives, nor did I want to do anything that would draw reproach on the church or undermine mine or Jamie’s testimony to the hope we had found in Jesus. The response of my fellow staff member’s and pastors was enthusiastic and encouraging.

So on December 17, 2008 Jamie and I announced our relationship at a birthday party at the Olive Garden. While all of my conversations with family, friends, and church leadership might seem a bit over the top, I’m so glad that from the beginning of our relationship we have invited many others to speak into it, to counsel us, and to encourage us in our pursuit of God first, and then our relationship with each other.

Bubble Tea Will Never Be The Same

2011-05-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

It was October 19^th, 2008, and the place was a little spot in Morgantown called Bubble Sikaku. It was an Asian Tea place that sold bubble tea. Bubble Tea is a delicious drink that has small tapioca balls in the bottom of it. It comes in a variety of flavors and styles, and I believe one could spend years drinking it without exhausting the combinations. I had chosen Bubble Tea for the place where we would meet.

I had hoped to meet up the day before, go for a bike ride to Apple Annie’s, and then take a drive to Cooper’s Rock, but we couldn’t do that because of schedule conflicts—she was attending a wedding with another guy. So I waited for the meeting, and planned it for the next day.

When I was scheduling our meeting, she asked if other people could join us, and I told her that I would rather just talk to her. She asked if she was in trouble or getting fired, and I let her know that she wasn’t in trouble but that I just wanted to talk.

As she came into the space and we sat down, I started by thanking her for her friendship. We had been friends for three years, and she had become one of my most trusted friends. She and her mom came to my mother’s funeral, and I had encouraged several guys to pursue a relationship with her because she was such a catch. And recently, I had wondered if maybe I should stop encouraging other guys to date her.

I told her that we had been spending a lot of time together, and that I really enjoyed every moment of it. I didn’t believe we had crossed the line of “too much” time, but I felt like we were getting close to that line, and that if I really wanted to honor God, and honor her, I needed to talk in more detail about our relationship. I wanted to get to know her better, and I was beginning to believe that I either needed to begin to pursue a relationship with her, or back off in our quality time together significantly.

So I shared my feelings with her, and how special and treasured she was to me, and how I had no idea what the future had in store, but that I would love to find out. Maybe we would only end up being really great friends, but maybe there was something more.

She didn’t talk much. She didn’t pour her Bubble Tea out on my head either, so it didn’t go entirely badly. She told me that she was honored and flattered, and although the thought had never crossed her mind about it before, she wanted to take time and pray about it.

And so she prayed, and I waited. And after a few weeks of prayer, she let me know that YES, she would be interested in seeing what a relationship together might look like.

Bachelor to the Rapture No More

2011-05-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, perhaps for about as long as I’ve been a Christian, I’ve used the term “Bachelor to the Rapture” to describe my relationship status. I first heard the term from my long time friend Andy Manzo, and it quickly developed into my relationship mantra. In my mind, I felt like perhaps the best way I could serve God was to do it as a single individual. That’s not to say that there weren’t people who caught my eye, or who I even considered and pursued for a bit between 1995 and now. But each time, there was a clarity brought about to indicate to me and/or the other person, that this wasn’t the best match up.

Recently, that all changed. There was a young lady who over a three year period became one of my closest friends. We would spend time together often among a larger group of friends, and neither of us looked at the other as a person to pursue for a potential relationship. But something changed during the fall of 2008, and I began to wonder if I should pursue her as something more than a friend.

So why her? I’m not sure if I can enumerate all of the reasons, but I can tell you it starts with her faith in Jesus. She is one of the most genuine faith-filled people I have ever met. There’s something about her that radiates the joy she has in God, and anybody who spends much time with her sees the same attribute. She loves God, the deep abiding kind of love that saturates every area of life. Beyond this, she loves people. In the years that we were friends, I don’t think I ever heard her say a mean thing about another person. Beyond this, I would regularly see her go out of her way to welcome new people, and comfort those who would be standing at the fringes of our faith community in Morgantown. She would regularly give of her time and energy to help others realize their potential, to weep with them, and to rejoice with them. Beyond these two attributes, Jamie truly loves life! She brings a contagious enthusiasm to everything she does, and people absolutely love her.

Jamie is set apart from every other person I have ever met. She is one of the most thoughtful, tender, and nurturing people I know. If you’ve met her, you know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t met her yet, I hope you have the opportunity!

I am a “bachelor to the rapture no more,” and I’m looking forward to spending many wonderful years better getting to know this woman who has so enamored my heart.

In future posts I’ll unveil more of the story, and more of how things have transpired since fall 2008, and how Jamie Reaser went from being one of my close friends to my fiancée.

The Work of Nuru International & The Death of Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening, before going to bed, I began scrolling through my twitter newsfeed, and discovered that President Barack Obama was about to make a special announcement. Before he was able to speak, the news was all over the internet via Twitter & Facebook. United States Special Operations Units had been in a firefight with Osama Bin Laden and the leader of the terrorist organization Al Quaeda had been killed. As I lay in bed, incredibly tired, I pulled myself together to go before the television and waited to hear the words from the mouth of our nation's Commander In Chief, Barack Obama.

As I waited for the President to begin his speech, my mind went back to September 11, 2001, and the day that four planes were hijacked and nearly three thousand lives were lost in a matter of moments. I was an analytical chemist at Mylan Pharmaceuticals and I was preparing samples for a test as the news came over the radio. It was shortly after that day that my career took a significant turn and I left the pharmaceutical company to pursue a career in ministry with Great Commission Ministries. Leaving Mylan was a difficult decision both financially and personally because I had many friends there, and I loved the fact that I was serving millions of people by insuring they had high quality medicine to take.

Over the next eight years as I worked and recommenced my studies on the campus of West Virginia University, my friend Jake Harriman was serving on the front lines of Iraq as a platoon commander in a Special Operations unit called Force Reconnaissance. While he was serving, he had seen a connection between terrorism, insurgency and extreme poverty that led him to launch out an initiative to fight the war on terror on a different front. The connection in its simplest form is that terror and insurgency groups use the desperate conditions of people living in extreme poverty as a means to recruit individuals to take up arms against the West.

In 2007, Jake, John Hancox, and I met in Morgantown, WV, the place where John and I call home, and the place where the three of us initially met. We gathered together to talk about the issue of extreme poverty, and an organization that Jake and John were starting to fight extreme poverty by empowering local communities to lift themselves out of their condition in a holistic, sustainable, and scalable manner. The idea Jake and John were proposing absolutely fascinated me. In September 2008 the idea became a reality when we launched Nuru International and began this innovative approach to fighting extreme poverty that Jake had developed while attending graduate school at Stanford University.

We inserted our first team on the ground in southwestern Kenya, and today over 10,000 people are beginning to lift themselves out of extreme poverty through Nuru's unique model. Farmers are able to feed their families, save money, pay school fees, and have drastically reduced the incidence of malaria and waterborne illness.

As the President began his speech I took in the words of May 1, 2011. "...The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda. His death does not mark the end of our effort..."

Indeed, it does not. As long as there are people living in extreme poverty, there will be a recruiting ground for groups like Al Quaeda. I am grateful to be working with a team of dedicated individuals like Jake and John who are working to give our global neighbors access to tools and knowledge that will insure that this and future generations will be able to live with opportunities and choices and will take away the desperate conditions that contribute to the cultivation of terror and insurgency groups, trafficking, slavery, and many other significant global problems today.

The president wrapped up his speech, and I was sitting in my living room confronted with the reality that while this was a significant day, our work is not over. Every day, my friends and I who work at Nuru wake up with the reality that we are working toward ending the greatest humanitarian crisis of our generation. And so, just like the rest of the world, I will take a moment to reflect on this significant event, and then I will return to the work of engaging others to join us in this effort.

In that spirit, as you finish reading this, I want to invite you to join us in the fight by sharing Jake's Story with others, and possibly making a donation to further Nuru's work of empowering families out of extreme poverty in Kuria, Kenya and beyond. Thanks for reading and for your unique contribution to fighting terrorism and insurgency by working with Nuru toward the end of extreme poverty!

World Malaria Day 2011 and the Nuru Healthcare Worker Model

2011-04-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

The video above chronicles the beginnings of the Nuru International Community Health Worker(CHW) Model--which is currently doing amazing work in Kuria, Kenya. Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see how the model works first hand by traveling with a Nuru Healthcare Field Officer.

During the months of March and April, a big focus for Nuru's CHW program has been Malaria. Malaria is a preventable ailment that takes the lives of 2,300 people daily around the globe. Sixteen percent of children under five in Africa die because of malaria. Imagine dying from a mosquito bite. When I was a little boy, my body would be covered with welts from mosquitos, and even as an adult, no-see-ums love to attack me. Had I been born in a different longitude and latitude, I would probably not be alive to write this blog post. At least not unless someone had educated my family with regard to malaria prevention.

And that's just what the Nuru CHW's have been doing in villages all through Kuria, Kenya. They visit people's homes and talk to them about what causes malaria, what the symptoms of malaria are, and how malaria can be treated. More importantly, during this time, they talk about how malaria can be prevented.

That's the good news, malaria can be prevented. With proper use of a bed net, malaria risk is significantly lowered. While everyone can benefit from this knowledge, the groups at highest risk are children under five and pregnant mothers, and so Nuru is working specifically to help these at risk populations. As CHWs travel from house to house, they not only talk about the benefits of bed nets for malaria prevention, but they also sell bed nets at a low cost to families. This assigns a value to the net, and it also saves a family the challenge of traveling to a town or medical center to purchase this low cost malaria intervention. The health workers also walk through how to properly use a bed net and even how to repair a net if it becomes torn. If someone doesn't know how to use or repair a tool then it will do them very little good.

Nuru's focus on prevention through a CHW model via sales of bednets as an intervention, particularly for pregnant mothers and children under five sets the organization in a unique category for stemming the tide against malaria.

As I write this post, I find myself reflecting back on my childhood, and the mosquito bites that would appear on my arms on summer nights, and I am thankful that families in Kuria, Kenya, are now equipped with the tools to prevent malaria.

Will you help Nuru continue to empower even more families with tools and knowledge to prevent malaria and so much more? Also, if you'd like to learn more about our CHW program and our work to fight malaria, check out this great article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Thanks for being part of lasting change for the people of Kuria, Kenya.

The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team

2011-04-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Over the years and at various places I've worked or visited, I've heard people mention this book by Patrick Lencioni called The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Finally after many years of conversations where the book has come up, I have been able to read it.

I'd highly recommend it to anyone who works on a team, whether it is a sports team or a leadership team. The book is extremely easy to read (it's written as a fable), and it covers five areas for growth for any team.

What are these five dysfunctions? I've included them below. They are listed in the book as a pyramid with each one building on the other. In my list below the pyramid is inverted, and so the first dysfunction to deal with is at the top of the list.

Absence of Trust This is the the foundation of problems on teams and in organizations. If people don't trust each other, they will be unwilling to share weaknesses and ask for help because they will believe that other members of their team will pounce on these weaknesses. The solution is to cultivate a willingness to be open about weaknesses so other members of the team can help move things toward the win.

Fear of Conflict People are afraid of conflict. We 'extend grace' and 'foster harmony' and avoid hard conversations because they are, well, hard. And as a result, the teams we are on suffer. Now conflict isn't always good. If people are tearing each other down constantly or the conflict becomes rooted in personal attacks over moving more aggressively toward a win, then the whole team suffers, and trust is eroded.

Lack of Commitment It's hard to move forward toward any goal if people aren't committed to making it a reality. Our generation is extremely tentative about commitments, we are in a world that is quickly moving, and we long for fluidity, so commitments feel kind of, committing. When we fail to commit to a course, a plan, or a specific direction, we can flounder, and never quite move forward. It's kind of like driving a car. When we start the car moving, it becomes much easier to adjust our plans and directions but we have to be willing to set forth in a direction, or we go nowhere.

Avoidance of Accountability People don't like to be accountable for anything. When we choose not to be accountable or hold others accountable, we see a lowering of standards. Often we can be wracked with guilt for holding another person accountable for their contribution and it prevents us from holding to standards--this hurts the entire team.

Inattention to Results When a team loses focus on results that benefit the win for the whole team, then individual players become concerned with their own status and ego being satisfied. This happens when individuals become more concerned with advancing their own careers or receiving accolades rather than seeing the team move to a win. A great example might be a person on a sports team who is more concerned with their own stats than they are with whether their team is winning. Wins take on a more selfish and personal nature, and team members are working toward boosting their own career rather than the health and vibrance of their team. When this happens, the team loses sight of it's big win, and never fully achieves it's potential.

As I share this synopsis, if you've ever been on a team, you've probably experienced one or more of these dysfunctions. They are part of our nature as human beings, but to become a truly successful team or organization, they need to be challenged and overcome. Unfortunately, it takes more than an intellectual assent to these to make that a reality.

I highly recommend the book, but even more than reading the book, I want to encourage you to examine your own life and involvement with teams to determine how you can eliminate your tendencies toward these dysfunctions and help others do the same. Our world needs people working together to accomplish great transformative dreams and to help this world become a more beautiful place than we could ever make it alone.

Nuru International's Research Field Coordinator and My New Friend Julius

2011-04-07T08:20:00.001-07:00

The guy in the photo standing next to me is Julius Nyamohanga. He's twenty five years old, and he's the first person who greeted me when I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport last week. As I came out of baggage claim, I walked into a huge hall filled with people waiting for others to arrive. Julius was holding a beautiful Nuru International sign, and immediately welcomed me to Kenya.

He and I had about two hours to wait for the rest of the team to arrive, and he offered to have me shuttled to the apartment where we would all be sleeping later that night. Of course I refused--who needs sleep after flying 8000 miles in 2 days--especially when there is an opportunity to share stories.

So Julius and I made our way to a litte coffee shop in the airport and started chatting about life, the weather, my flight, and how we started working for Nuru. As Julius began his story, I didn't take out pen and paper, but simply listened and what follows is my best attempt to recall the details as he shared with me. I asked his permission to share his story and stories from his community with others, and he was grateful both that I would ask, and that I would be willing to share.

Julius lost both of his parents at a young age, and is the oldest of six siblings. Amazingly, he has been the provider and caretaker for his brothers and sisters since his early teenage years. When many children in the west are thinking about school, sports, and playtime, Julius was thinking about how he would insure that his brothers and sisters were cared for, had food to eat, and were able to go to school. Julius is an incredible example of hard-work, dedication, and service. Julius farms a small plot of land where he works hard to insure that his siblings have enough food to eat and that he can earn some extra money through selling any surplus maize produced.

Beyond caring for his own family, since Julius' teenage years, he has been involved in community activism. He started a self-help group for vulnerable women in his community (HIV Patients, second wives, single mothers, widows, etc.), and has volunteered with the Kenya Volunteer Development Association (KVDA) for about ten years (since he was in primary school!). Right now, he maintains all of those responsibilities, and he works as Nuru Kenya's Research Field Coordinator.

As Julius shared his story with me, I had to work hard to fight back the tears. He and I both lost our mother's to cancer, but he was far younger, and was charged with an even greater responsibility after the death of his mom. I thought about my own teenage years, and how carefree they were--and how frivolously I spent much of my time. And then I thought about Julius working in the fields to make sure his siblings had food to eat and could pay their school fees, raising his younger brothers and sisters without guidance and direction from his own parents, and then giving of his time to help others in the community better their lives.

After the rest of the team arrived, Julius took us to an apartment in Nairobi, and began preparing a meal of eggs, rice, tomatoes, and cilantro for us as we began acclimatizing ourselves to Kenya. The next morning, he guided us to our bus, and paid for our fares as we set out on a 5 hour bus ride to Isibania from Nairobi. He did the same thing for us on our trip back to Nairobi, traveled with us both ways, and guided us all along the way.

He taught me a few phrases in Kiswahili and Kikuria as we sat together on the bus, but more than that he taught me a great amount about service, about sacrifice, about family, and about friendship through his life and stories as we traveled. As we were parting ways, I thanked him many times for all that he was doing for his family, and for Nuru. And, I asked him how to say two other phrases in his Kikuria mother tongue and then I called him by those phrases. The phrases? muramwito na msalani (brother and friend).

I am honored to call Julius my brother and friend, and more honored that I get to share his story with you. Even more than this, I'm honored to serve together with him and many in Kuria as we work to end extreme poverty, together, one community at a time. Will you join us?

Arriving Back to the United States After a Brief Stay in Nuru International's Kenya Project

2011-04-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

The photo above was taken in Amsterdam near Centraal Station during a brief stopover I had between flights as I returned from Kenya. It says, "Terugkomen is niet ketzelfde als blijven" which means "Returning is not the same as staying." My friend Eric Asp pointed out the sign to me as we were making our way through this beautiful city during the early morning hours Sunday morning.

The sign is incredibly true. Returning I am a different person than I would have been had I simply stayed. Sure I would continue in the work I am doing for Nuru and in telling the stories that I have known about what Nuru is doing, but now things are pretty different for me. The time spent in Kuria has made this issue even more central to my life, my mission, and my purpose on this earth.

I carry the dust of Kuria in my clothes and on my shoes now, and the people of Kuria in my heart. Last night, as I slept in my own bed for the first time in several days, I found myself awakening confused and disoriented and wondering where I was. I woke up twice in the night to go to the bathroom, and felt around to crawl out from under the bed net on my bed only to discover both times that I was not under a bed net. Because of the place in the world where I live, I don't have to worry about a mosquito bite causing me or my children to suffer and die. (I do have to take anti-malaria medication for the next week though just to be on the safe side). When I woke up this morning, I had planned to take it easy today, and to adjust back to life here slowly, but I feel a tremendous burden and a great urgency to engage others in confronting the crisis of extreme poverty and help our global neighbors to lift themselves out of their condition.

I know that returning is not the same as staying, and I also know that the opportunities that have been afforded to me to witness both tragedies and triumphs in Kuria firsthand are not that readily accessible to everyone. At the same time, I hope that my life experiences and the stories I tell can help others get a better grasp of how they can make a difference in this world and awaken to the need as well as the opportunity to serve others and love our neighbors well.

I hope to share more stories of some of the wonderful people I met while away, either in this blog, or in face-to-face conversations with you and others. In the meantime, I will continue to reflect upon my experiences and adjust to life back here in West Virginia.

Nuru International Leadership Training Team at the Regional Training Center in Kuria Kenya

2011-03-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

All of this week I've had the privilege of meeting various leaders who are executing the scaling of Nuru's programs. I've been able to listen to them describe their plans for growing and scaling their work and helping new communities lift themselves out of extreme poverty in remote rural areas of Kenya. Not only have I been able to hear these plans, but I've also been able to walk the shambas (farms) with many of these leaders and watch them execute their plans. One thing has been true across every program. These people are highly capable, and they have a vision for impact far beyond their local area.

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to meet some of the people who are creting a leadership training curriculum for new Nuru employees. Francis, Lucas, John, and Paul, are the curriculum development team who aree creating a system by which future Nuru leaders will be trained on wholistic, sustainable, and scalable development. They will also be trained on the concept of servant leadership, and why it is important to be one who can humbly but confidently lead others.

Yesterday they walked us through their vision for where Nuru is going in the next 3-4 years. As they are developing their curriculum, some of the things they are considering are, how does one teach people who do not understand Kiswahili, KiKuria, or English. They are also considering how people learn and incorporating teaching modules that involve stories, visuals, and definitions.

There is a passionate desire among everyone here to work hard to see their neighbors and fellow Kenyans who live in remote rural areas have access to the tools and training needed to lift themselves out of extreme poverty. I'm so in awe of the dedication and focus that the staff are demonstrating, and I can see the fruit of their focus in the results they are producing. Two and a half years ago a handful of farmers decided they would test Nuru out and receive training on better farminging techniques, water and sanitation hygiene, economic savings, healthcare, and improving education for their children. Today, there are over 10,000 people participating in these programs and improving their own lives and doing so with a greater vision of helping even more people!

It is really awe inspiring to see this place, to hear these stories, and to learn from these incredible people during my time here. What's even more inspiring is that this whole chain of events was catalysts by a small group of friends back home. If you have been part of this journey, you are really part of something magical. If you haven't yet joined us in this fight, I ask you to consider your means, your talents, your skills, and join this small movement of people from around the globe who are confronting the crisis of extreme poverty, and working together to end it, one community at a time!

Celebrating my birthday with Nuru Farmers in Kuria Kenya.

2011-03-30T21:31:00.001-07:00

Wow! March 30th, 2011 will have to go down in history as the most incredible birthday I've had in my life. I wasn't sure what it would be like to be far away from my family and most of my friends, and while my experiences here were no substitue for being back home, the experience was absolutely amazing! (brace yourself, this will be a longer post)

After going through my usual routine in the early morning hours, I set off to walk through the farms with Nuru's Kenyan healthcare team. Each member of that team has an amazing story of overcoming adversity and hardship that most of us will never experience. And we set off to wlk through the area to visit people's homes. Each month, Nuru healthcare workers make their way from house to house to talk about a critical healthcare issue. This month and next month the focus is on educating people about malaria, what the symptoms are, what causes it, how it can be prevented, and where to go if they or a member of their household is demonstrating symptoms. At each home the healthcare worker also reinforced topics from previous months like water purification, hand washing, and nutrition. The healthcare worker also offered tools for sale such as water guard (a water purifier), soap, and bed nets.

As we visited each house I was thoroughly impressed by the gratitude shown to these healthcare workers for training and educating each household. Most families did not have money for purchasing products, but asked the healthcare worker to come back soon when they would have money. In the west we would probably Not be received well going door to door, but here, it is different-these healthcare workers are offering life-saving tools and training that are fri endly and convenient.

I've been learning as much of the local language here KiKuria as I can, and employing it I n conversations. The healthcare program leaders here Nelly, Puce, and Isiri, has been pretty impressed with the speed at which this mazungu has picked up their language. The members of our team from the states told the team that I did not have a Kurian name. And so, On my birthday, I became Billy Wandwii (Lion), which I've got to admit is a pretty rockin name!

As noon approached it was time for me to leave the healthcare team to grab lunch with the economic development team. I met three individuals, Andrew, Peter, and Moses. One thing that impressed me about all of the staff here is a passionate desire to serve, along with a zeal for being the best they can possibly be. These men and women leaders are humble, and they care about their community deeply. Andrew pulled me aside after he learned it was my birthday. He sai d that it was a very big deal that I would choose to work and serve on my birthday, and. It meant a lot to him and the people here. When I think about what problems Andrew and his team face every day and the stories and successes that need to be heard and shared with others, I told him it would be incredibly difficult to NOT work and serve.

And believe it or not, my day kept getting better. After lunch, we traveled to Ngochoni (which was about 45 minutes away by car. We came for a meeting of the Nuru farmers in the area to talk about creating savings clubs. One hundred sixty five people showed up. They showed up for their. 2pm meeting on time (even though many had to walk up to an hour to get there). Moses led the meeting (which was conducted in Kiswahili and KiKuria) he made a brief introduction of me and the other western Nuru staff (and he introduced me as Billy Wandwii) and then proceeded with a meeting that took an hour and twenty minutes. The end result was that every farmer who showed up wanted to learn how to save their money better and take another step toward lifting themselves out of extreme poverty. I had to figh back the tears as I got up off the ground for a second to take a picture--what a significant milestone!

Driving home, we encountered flash floods and we were delayed slightly while we waited for the waters to subside (that might be a separate post at some point-it was pretty crazy to see that much water coming down the road). Also, while we were traveling we received updates via text from Andrew and Peter. They had traveled to two other new areas to conduct a similar meeting and in total FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY SIX people committed to meet monthly and start savings clubs!!!

After an event filled day, I made my way back to the staff house for one more huge surprise. The team here made an incredible birthday dinner and even had a birthday cake and ice cream. By the way there is no refrigeration at the staff house, so they had to bring the ice cream from the market to make this happen, and the market is not incredibly close. I am blown away by the love that was shown to me by friends old and new in Kenya, and I'm incredibly grateful that I cow ld spend my birthday and hopefully the rest of my life serving in this mission with such wonderful people.

I have been thoroughly blown away by all that I have seen and experienced among these beautiful people and in this wonderful place. I thought I was committed to this cause and to these people before I left, but I'm not sure I even fully fathomed what commitment could even look like. I hope you will join with me when I return to the states to make an even greater impact as we work together, to end extreme poverty, one community at a time.

What an incredible way to celebrate a birthday and any day for that matter!!!

37 Years

2011-03-29T21:16:00.001-07:00

Today, as I awaken to greet the sunrise and watch the clouds begin to dissipate as the land becomes bathed in the warm glow of morning, I am filled with gratitude for another day of life, another opportunity to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. I will always be able to do the last one, but I imagine when I meet my King face to face, I won't remember injustice or a lack of mercy because they won't exist. But I will always be able to walk humbly with my God.

Today is my 37th birthday. I have been on this earth for 13,514 days. And as each one of those days comes and goes, I feel like I'm gaining a better understanding of what it means to truly live. To really live, one must be willing to give it all up and lay it all down, to live a life of surrender. A life that lets people experience a taste of God's Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Today, I will be visiting the homes of people in Kuria who are being offered an opportunities and choices. There are so many opportunities and choices we take for granted each day. And as I've been here in this community I've had my heart wrenched so much by some of the stories I've heard and the beauty I've seen as people in this community are caring for each other and helping each other make a better life and have some of those basic opportunities we take for granted. I mean, I can think of many times I've been in a dilemma about what I should eat, and as I've walked the fields with Jake and others, I've seen people who finally are able to grow enough food to feed their families.

So as I sit and write these thoughts from rural Kenya on my birthday, I'm filled with gratitude. Gratitude for life, for choices, for opportunities to do justice and love mercy as I walk humbly with my God. And I'm thankful for the opportunities you and I are able to bring to others through the work of Nuru. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of lasting change for our global neighbors. And, I'm hopeful that I'm given many more years on this earth to continue to do justice, love mercy, and to provide others with opportunities and choices. And I hope that you are given long life to do the same as well!

Visiting the Nuru International Regional Training Center

2011-03-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Regional Training Center from Nuru International on Vimeo.

Monday morning I was able to visit the site of the Nuru International regional training center with our team here, and I have to say that I have been utterly blown away by the vision and the scope of what the Kenyan Nuru staff are not only looking to do in the future, but what they are doing now. Two and a half years ago, Nuru was an idea, a REALLY good idea, but an idea nonetheless. Now, to see what it has become is utterly amazing.

As my friend Jake talked to us a little bit about the center, I just kept smiling from ear to ear. I was nearly to the point of tears from the joy I was experiencing. The center is the headquarters for all of the Kenyan Nuru Staff (and the number of Kenyan Nuru staff significantly dwarfs the western staff.)

So, where to start. I could start with the crazy amount of construction that has already happened. Thereof a bank being built, a education resource center that is being built, a center for educating children and preserving the Kurian cultural heritage. There is a large meeting hall for regional training conference for Nuru Kenya staff across the district and province as Nuru expands. And there is a kitchen under construction as well as classrooms and two floors of sleeping rooms for guests. There's also a healthcare commodities selling station under construction.

I am amazed at what this training center is already becoming. I met dozens of Nuru Kenyan staff who are working in our five program areas. These people are passionate about bringing excellence into every facet of the work they are doing to empower their entire community out of extreme poverty. I'm honored to see it, and privileged to be able to share many of their stories with others. Together, we are ending extreme poverty, one community at a time.

Sunrise from the Nuru International Staff House in Kuria Kenya

2011-03-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up at 530am to begin my day. I've found that by rising early, I am not only able to feel more productive during the day, but I also get to take in little treasures like this sunrise. And this sunrise reminds me a lot of some of the wonderful sunrises I've experienced from back home in West Virginia. In fact a lot of my experiences here in Kenya remind me of places back home.

This life is a gift. Every day of life we have on this earth is a gift. When we rise early we are given more time to appreciate the gift and it's Giver. Life is short, and all of life is precious. As you venture on your day I hope you were able to enjoy the treasure of the rising sun, and that you look for opportunities to bring beautiful and healing gifts to others by the life you live today.

This world needs each one of us to show up, and to allow our lives to be gifts to others. May we make the most of the time we have been given, to love well, to serve others, and to make the most of the time we have been given.

Sleeping Under a Malaria Net in The Nuru International Staff House in Kuria Kenya

2011-03-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Again, I find myself with many stories to tell, but this one I'll keep short and simple. I just woke up after my sixth night sleeping in a different location. (my bed, my couch, an airplane, Nairobi, Border Point Hotel, and now the Nuru staff house). Each night since arriving in Africa, I've been finding myself more and more adjusted. Here in Kuria, it is the rainy season, and there have been some epic storms. Yesterday evening I sat on the front porch of the staff house and watched an amazing storm roll in, and for two nights in a row, I fell asleep to the sound of heavy rain on a tin roof along with thunder rolls I haven't heard in the states for a long time.

Sitting on the porch reminded me of times in my childhood when huge storms would roll in, and all of us who lived on 15th Street would watch as our street flooded. Sometimes people would play in the floods or step under their gutters with shampoo and take a 'natural' shower. Those are some bright and vivid memories of growing up, and now I'm making new memories while not forgetting the old.

Last night I slept in a bed undera bed net for the third night in a row. The first night I had a little trouble with my net, but I had no doubt it offered me protection. I could hear Mosquitos flying on just the other side of it, but I was safe and protected from their malaria transmitting bites. (but, I've always attracted Mosquitos, so I haven't been completely unbitten, but the nets offer a significant protection.

Looking at my bed, I sort of reflected on the fact that to some it probably looks like a canopy bed, but the purpose of this bed is not aesthetics as much as survival. Nearly one million people die each year from malaria. Most of them are under the age of five. Can you imagine it? Death from a mosquito bite? The way I got bit as a child, I would have been part of that statistic, had I lived in a different part of the world.

Here in Kuria though, this is all changing. The community is learning about malaria prevention, and local health care workers are taking life saving tools like bed nets into the community where they are sold for a reasonable price and where people can undergo proper training on how to use them. Without training and education, these nets become soccer balls, curtains, and wedding dresses because people just don't know how to use them.

That's one of the amazing things about Nuru's work here. It's all locally led, being built to be both financially self-saustainable and scalable to neighboring communities. In just two a very short time, Nuru has grown from impacting a few families to over 10,000 people. And it's not just malaria prevention and bed nets. It's food production, economic development, education, and clean water too.

Each night as I go to sleep, I give thanks for my bed net. I give thanks for the healthcare interventions that I have taken for granted for most of my life, and I think about how life is changing for these beautiful people in Kuria Kenya.

May we, as we lie down, and as we wake up, be thankful for the life and the opportunities we have been given, and may we each consider ways that we can use the lives we've been given to be ambassadors of hope to our global neighbors.

Bus ride from Nairobi to Kuria, Kenya

2011-03-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

I've been here in Kuria, Kenya for two days now and my mind has been a flutter with trying to determine where to start in telling stories. So I'm thinking I will start at the beginning with my arrival and trip to Kuria. (btw I wrote this post once and the app I'm using totally crashed.).

I arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at around 830 Saturday night local time. After making my way through the passport and visa line, I proceeded to baggage claim, but it was a quick stop because I didn't need to check bags. It appears that in all of my travels over the last few years I've learned how to pack light.

I proceeded out of baggage claim and came into a large area where there were dozens of people holding signs and looking for people who were arriving. And then I saw a Nuru International sign being held by a young Kenyan man named Julius Nyamohanga. Julius works for Nuru Kenya and has an amazing story (which I will probably share in a future post. We hung out together for about an hour while we waited for the rest the team from the US to arrive.

They got in around 1015pm and together we drove to a nearby apartment for a late meal and attempted to sleep. I think I finally fell asleep around 2am, but woke up at 415am to travel to a bus staging area in efforts to get a seat on the bus heading to Kuria. The bus we traveled on said Kenyan Airways on the outside (this one was obviously re-commisioned from an airport bus to be our source of travel but it was an incredibly appropriate name. We FLEW to Kuria. A trip that usually takes 6-8 hours only took us about five. And we hit a few bumps along the way that sent us airborne. Every time we hit a bump and the bus (and we) went into the air, Julius and I would look at each other, laugh, and say Kenyan Airways.

As I mentioned, we did make it to Kuria in pretty amazing time, but the whole experience has been pretty surreal. I hope to share more stories tomorrow-the work that is happening here is utterly amazing. I believed in what Nuru was doing before, but I have to tell you that everything I have seen and heard has utterly exceeded my already high expectations.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to share more soon!

Koffie Verkeerd with Stroopwafel in Schipol Airport

2011-03-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

I wanted to at least write a quick note and give a brief update from my travels. So much to say but my next flight boards in just a few minutes. So far the travel has been amazing. I actually slept and enjoyed a smooth flight across the Atlantic through the night. I also watched 'The King's Speech' on the plane. Great movie!

Sitting next to me on the plane was a Nigerian man who has spent the last thirty years living in Detroit after finishing a degree at Michigan Tech. He currently works for Ford as a network engineer and goes back home to visit his mother three times each year. He was very well versed in the problems and potential of the African continent, and he was also designing a solar powered LED & battery charging lantern.

Needless to say we had some great conversations and exchanged information as we departed at Schipol.

I'm looking forward to more amazing connections to be made as I continue my travels. Speaking of connections, I better go. I really don't want to miss my next flight.

Sent from my iPad

Koffie Verkeerd with Stroopwafel in Schipol Airport

2011-03-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

The Big Idea Has Become Reality: Traveling to Kuria, Kenya to See Nuru International's Project First Hand

2011-03-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

So for the last four years, I've been involved with my friends Jake, John, Andy, Trey, and many others as we launched a social venture called Nuru International. Among the many posts you have seen on my blog, I have been writing for a long time about this idea that has become reality. In September 2008, Nuru sent it's first team to Kuria, Kenya, and over the last 2.5 years, over 10,000 people have had their lives changed by Nuru's work--for good!

Over the next few days, I will be traveling to Kuria, Kenya to see first-hand the impact that Nuru has had in it's efforts to empower families out of extreme poverty. I will listen to the stories of some amazing individuals who have been able to survive on less than $1.25 per day and who are now lifting themselves out of this condition for good.

I'm not sure what my internet access will be like over the next several days, but I look forward to sharing with you some the amazing stories of the people I meet. Many of you have been involved with Nuru for quite some time too. Whether it's through reading this blog, sharing videos with friends, volunteering, or even making financial contributions to our work to end extreme poverty. Their stories are our stories as we, you and I, work together toward ending extreme poverty, one community at a time.

I'm grateful to all who have joined on this journey, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to capture some of these stories first-hand. I know my soul will be stirred deeply by this brief glimpse into the daily experiences of some of our brothers and sisters from around the globe. May we never grow weary in doing good in this world while we have the time and the resources.

Be hope. Be light. Be Nuru.

Sala Thai Restaurant Bethesda

2011-03-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Before leaving the greater Washington DC area last week, I made one final stop. The location was a Thai restaurant called Sala Thai. I was first introduced to this restaurant (and Thai food in general) by the former principal chief of my tribe, Chief Joseph Raincrow. The year was 1996, and at that time it was called Thai Place. It's undergone multiple name changes over the years, but it's always served really high quality and affordable food.

My personal favorites are their Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Soup) and Chicken Pad Thai. I have many vivid memories of ordering take-out and taking it back to my Chief's house for a meal together, but the restaurant space is pretty incredible too. They actually have live music on some nights, so it makes for a great space to go and enjoy music and food.

If you ever find yourself in Bethesda, Maryland I highly recommend stopping by Sala Thai and giving it a try.

WVU Human Performance Lab, Daniel Plan, and Bod Pod Part 2

2011-03-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

So a couple weeks ago I made it back into the Human Performance Lab at West Virginia University where my fiancée Jamie works. She’s finishing up her Master’s in Exercise Physiology this May.

I went in for a second Bod Pod body fat analysis and was really encouraged by the results. After my one month membership at the Human Performance Lab (which is only $30—and well worth the rate!), I reported a decrease in weight of about seven pounds. And I also lost about nine pounds of fat over the course of the month.

I actually gained two pounds of muscle mass over the course of the month of February.

My first analysis at the beginning of February, yielded these results.

Percent Fat: 27.2%
Fat Weight: 52.4 lbs
Lean Weight: 140.1 lbs
Total: 192.4 lbs

And now, here are my new numbers

Percent Fat: 23.5%
Fat Weight: 43.6 lbs
Lean Weight: 141.1 lbs
Total: 185.6 lbs

Needless to say, I’m really impressed with my progress thus far. I’m still about 15 pounds from where I’d like to be, but the weather is starting to warm up, and that will make cardio a little more tantalizing.

It’s hard to believe I started at 211.4 pounds back in January.

My secrets are really no secret. I stopped eating heavily processed food, and began eating more fresh whole foods and I've been working hard to implement ideas from The Daniel Plan. I also started exercising regularly and getting a little more normal sleep pattern started. It’s amazing what a difference little changes like this can make. Looking to get more fit? Start exercising, stop eating heavily processed foods, and mind your portions. That’s been my solution.

World Water Day 2011

2011-03-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Episode 4: Portraits of Kuria from Nuru International on Vimeo.

Today is world water day. Today, over one billion people do not have access to safe clean drinking water. They don't have a supermarket where they can buy bottled water either. Most of these people live on less than the buying power of $1.25 per day (or less than $456.25 per year), so buying bottled water is probably not top on their priority list. We take for granted so much of what we have in this world.

This year, as world water day passes us by, I want to encourage you to consider doing something to help our global neighbors who are suffering without access to safe, clean drinking water. I want you to consider taking what you spend this week just on beverages, and at the end of the week, making a donation at that amount to Nuru International.

As you can see in the video above (which was actually made in late 2008), Nuru has been making a significant impact in the lives of the people of Kuria, Kenya. Right now, there are over 2000 families who are starting to lift themselves out of extreme poverty in a sustainable and scalable way. There have been wells drilled, trainings on boiling water, and on proper use and installation of hand-washing stations. In all of these ways and more, problems associated with the lack of access to safe, clean drinking water are being effectively reduced.

Will you take a step toward ending extreme poverty and toward allowing others to begin to have choices in this life? Thanks for considering this challenge.

Apple Store South Hills Village and an iPhone4 Experience

2011-03-22T04:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, I drove to Pittsburgh to connect with my best friend in the whole world, Willie, and some of his family. Sunday morning as I was departing, I realized-"Hey! I'm not that far from the Apple Store, and I've been having some sound issues with my iPhone4. Maybe I can have someone at the store take a look at my phone before my next round of travel." And so I drove to the Apple Store in the South Hills Village Mall in hopes I could get a timely genius bar appointment and discern what was causing the issues with my phone.

I was able to get an appointment with a genius within 10 minutes of arriving. As I described my problem, a clicking sound that sometimes occurs while using my Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket headphones, we attempted to troubleshoot it while in the store. The first suggestion was a backup and restore of my phone. I backed up all of my apps, and when attempting the restore, my phone failed to be restored. The genius at Apple replaced my phone. But that wasn't the end of the story.

I had iOS 4.3 on my backed up phone, and the new phone was running iOS4.2.1 so the first dilemma was updating the phone's operating system. After this, we restored the contents of my old phone to the new phone. Then, this new phone kept restarting every 2-3 minutes. So we restored the phone again, and started the process from the beginning again, only this time, we launched all of the back ups as a sync to a new phone. Everything seemed great, and I left the store to do a little shopping around the mall.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled out the phone (which was fully charged) to make a call, and it had turned itself off. Thankfully I hadn't left Pittsburgh yet, and I could make one more trip into the Apple Store. The folks at the genius bar were really understanding, and they said that they had never encountered such an array of set-backs with the phone before. I responded that I hadn't either. ;) They then proceeded to bring out another phone, and began the process from the beginning for the third time that day.

All in all, the whole process took about five hours, and I watched dozens of customers get their problems with computers, phones, ipods, and ipads answered during my time at the genius bar. I'm glad I had extra time to take care of any potential issues before leaving, and the staff in the store were incredibly helpful as we worked toward a solution to the problem of my phone.

I wanted to share this because it was an incredible day of quality customer service. I deeply appreciated the time the Apple geniuses (Tom and Haley) took to help me out. I know that when a problem doesn't make its resolution quickly, it can be tiresome for all parties, but the team at the apple store did an incredible job.

If you have a problem with a piece of Apple Technology and you are close to an Apple Store, I highly recommend scheduling a visit to the genius bar. The staff are friendly, patient, and incredibly helpful. They do all that they can to help customers make the most of their technology.

Lately, I've been finding myself really appreciative of great customer service. Too often we hear horror stories and complaints, but I think we should make it a point to highlight and applaud companies when they do an exemplary job.

Have you had an incredible experience in customer service? I'd love to hear about it, and I encourage you to share it with others too!

Five years of Twitter

2011-03-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

On March 21, 2006, Twitter was born when Jack Dorsey sent the first tweet. Now, literally billions of tweets are emitted from mobile phones, computers, and other technology as people share news, updates from life, links, and sundry other 140 character pieces of information.

I joined the world of twitter on May 26th, 2008 while attending a leadership conferences for churches called Drive. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the technology at that point in time, but I thought it might be worth checking out. Over the last three years of my own use, I've been able to see it used a number of ways, including staying connected with friends I've met during my life's journey. I've watched people use it to share information with others on an amazing scale, and I've seen Nuru International use it to share the release of media, updates from the field, and more.

Twitter is defined as a micro-blogging technology. Since you are reading this post, you probably know what a blog is. A Tweet is 140 characters long and can share anything from links to life reflections. There has even emerged a form of philanthropy called Twestival which in years past has been used to raise $250,000 for great organizations like charity: water.

With the emergence of smart phones and dozens of apps and platforms for managing twitter accounts, I'm curious to see where this technology is going. Do you have a twitter account? If so, what do you use it for? If not, what do you think about all of this tweeting going on?

Regardless, I think the emergence of twitter speaks to a great desire we have as human beings to share both information and experiences with others. Whether you tweet or not, may you find a community of people with whom you can share your experiences and may you together help make the world a better place.

March Madness

2011-03-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today's a big day! First day of the NCAA tournament and it's also St. Patrick's Day. It's a big day for basketball, and a big day for the Mountaineers, as they start everything off at 12:15PM. I"m really excited for the day, and I'm looking forward to getting back to Morgantown soon. In the mean time, here's a little video to reflect on our season thus far...

Let's Goooooo Mountaineers!!!

Ash Wednesday 2011

2011-03-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

This morning, I woke up at 530AM and did some push-ups and sit-ups like my buddy Jake does every day. I had picked up this ritual when we were hanging out for a few days last year, but had lost the habit. After getting dressed, I then proceeded into the kitchen and began heating water for green tea, cooking eggs, and peeling an orange for breakfast. I had pulled up my Bible and a small Moleskine journal. As I finished preparing my breakfast, I sat down, paused, and began to reflect on the Book I was about to open, the Author, and His great love for me. I then read, "I tell you, something greater than the temple is here." As I reflected on this short passage of scripture, I considered the day, and the season of the year.

Today starts the season of lent, and millions of Christians around the world will gather in community to participate in a 40 day period of fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and repentance. I went to a local church at 7AM with my fiancée and our mutual friend Jess. I've attended an Ash Wednesday service for the last several years because I feel like it is a great reminder, as well as a great opportunity to be intentional in my pursuit of knowing God better and loving my neighbor better.

As Father Fred placed ashes on my forehead, he admonished me with a reminder, much as others had done in years past. "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel." A simple message, and personally, I feel like it's one I need to be reminded of daily and not annually. So as I walked back to my seat, I knelt and reflected. God, what could I give up or add to my life that would help me become the best version of myself I could possibly be. I know the version of myself that loves You and loves others best, is the the best version of myself.

And so I've committed to four things this year.

Engage in a daily fitness regimen. No matter where I am, I can do push-ups and sit-ups. If I can run, walk, or engage in other physical activity I will.

Don't wake up or go to sleep to the smart phone--I've developed this horrible habit over the last two years of checking my email, facebook, and twitter as I'm waking and as I'm lying down. My justification is that it helps me prepare for my day, as well as keep up with the daily happenings with my friends. I think I can do without this habit.

Give more generously to causes I care about--I created a facebook cause wish to attempt to raise $1000 for Nuru International in honor of my birthday. It is my hope that together my friends and I can totally crush that goal, and I plan to give generously throughout this lenten season. I will be in Kuria, Kenya for my birthday, and I imagine I will be reporting in detail what I see and feel.

Spend intentional time in prayer--In a culture that celebrates and encourages autonomy, it is all to easy to get weighed down with burdens and not call out for help. I've been very guilty of this as of late. I believe prayer is both a communicative gift from the Creator of the universe and a reminder that we can and should ask for help.

Some say, "Why observe lent? You don't need to have a special time of year to draw closer to God." I agree, I don't need a special time of year to start or end any habit, but lent offers a nudge toward becoming the person I want to be. It also is an opportunity for me to reflect on the wilderness fast of Jesus, and prepare, my heart, my mind, my body, and my soul to more richly celebrate Resurrection Sunday.

What about you? Are you adding or giving up something during this season, to pursue Christ more passionately? May we all take time to reflect and build habits that will help each of us to become the best version of ourselves we can be not only for our own sake and as an expression of adoration for our Creator, but for the sake of our fellow human beings.

The Treasure of Good Friends

2011-03-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I was privileged to be able to hang out with three incredible friends of mine, Jimmy, John, and Andy. Last year, we made a commitment to attempt to hang out at least once a year as a ‘guys day’ of catching up and having some fun together. This year this annual gathering was made even sweeter because our significant others were able to get together and spend the day together as well.

I first met Jimmy in high school, but I don’t think it was until our senior year physics class with Mrs. Berry at Parkersburg High that we became good friends. We made a decision to be college roommates, and lived together for six years. For the record, I finished my degree in five years, but it took him six. ;)

John lived in my dorm with me and Jimmy our freshman year, and, while we were never roommates, there was just a special bond that was formed among many of the people who lived on our wing of Arnold Hall our freshman year.

I met Andy in the dorms too, but it was my junior year. He and I also went on to live as roommates for six years (two of those were with Jimmy).

For each of us, our friendship took on an un-anticipated depth when one-by-one we committed to a life of faith. Each of us became involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, and became active participants in what was then a small community church in Morgantown, Chestnut Ridge Church. I believe that our common faith journey took our friendship far deeper than it would have gone otherwise, and, I’m grateful for that depth.

It’s pretty amazing what these men have been able to do with their lives since back in the days of our undergrad. Each one of them is highly successful in their career, incredibly passionate about their families, and committed to pursuing justice in this world. Actually, Andy and John are both board members of Nuru among their sundry other commitments.

So we got together, visited Eat-N-Park for some breakfast, watched the Mountaineers beat Louisville, and then went to catch a movie and grab a bite to eat. Our conversation ranged from laughter and jubilation (at the end of the WVU game), to some rich conversations about our faith.

Every time I take a look back over my life, I’m utterly amazed that the Creator of the universe has allowed me to have such incredible friendships. It’s not just Jimmy, Andy, and John and their spouses. I have truly been blessed with some amazing friends who are making a true difference in this world by the way they live their lives.

As I started this post, I thought it was going to be nostalgic about weekend fun with these three guys, but as I’ve written, I’ve found my eyes welling up with tears of gratitude for the truly magical journey I’ve been able to travel in my short life, and for the incredible treasure of friendship that I’ve experienced with many wonderful people. If you are reading this, chances are you are one of them. Thank you for the gift you’ve given me by being my friend.

And, if I don’t know you, maybe one day we will meet and share stories too.

And, in this world of hyper-connectedness where ironically people are feeling more isolated, maybe take a moment to leave a note on a friend’s fb wall, send a text, make a phone call, or just visit. I know I need to make this more of a lifestyle personally.

Forty years of the WVU Coliseum

2011-03-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

Last week, my dad, my uncle, Jamie and I were able to go to see WVU play UConn at the Coliseum. I tried to capture the moment with a photo, but my big head got in the way of my dads face :( It was an awesome game, and it was absolutely incredible to share in the celebration with my dad, Russ, and Jamie. The team looks like it is starting to come together strong and just in time for the Big East Tourney. Perhaps next year, I will have the foresight to schedule some time off and we will be able to land tickets to watch this legendary tournament in the Garden! Until then, I will savor the memory of another Mountaineer win, and get geared up to watch the defending Big East Champion mountaineers play their first game game on TV with friends Wednesday night.

While we were there, this video played and it got me a little nostalgic.

The video walks through the 40 years of the WVU Coliseum's existence. As I watched the video, I have to admit I got a little emotional. I started thinking about games I was able to see with friends and family over the years. I reflected on photos my brother took when I was little and he was a WVU student in the early 80s. I thought about listening to Jack Fleming on my dad's transistor radio as he made home made pizza's. I remembered the disdain for Pitt for Pitt that was instilled in me from an early age via "Beat Pitt" signs on buildings in my home town of Parkersburg.

Finishing my undergrad and graduate degrees here in Morgantown, I have many more memories of going to games as soon as my classes were over and waiting to be allowed into the building. I remember the excitement of having a roommate who served as our mascot, the Mountaineer. And I remember names of players. People like Dale Blaney, Lester Rowe from Buffalo, Darryl Prue, Chris Brooks, Adrian Pledger, PG Green, Kevin Pittsnogle, Mike Gansey, Da'Sean Butler and more comprise the stuff of legend for Mountaineer fans during the Coliseum era.

I wonder what the next 40 years will look like? If God would be gracious enough to allow me to be a father, I imagine we will probably spend time in a similar way, only this time, listening to Tony Caridi on the radio and sharing stories of many Mountaineer greats and legendary exploits as we are able to attend games ourselves.

I hope you enjoy the video, and, if you grew up in this state, I hope this video brings back some of those great Mountaineer basketball memories for you as well!

And, wouldn't it be something if we were able to get a second Big East Championship this week? :)

Alleviating Poverty Through Entrepreneurship Summit

2011-03-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

2011 Alleviating Poverty Through Entrepreneurship Summit @ Ohio State Info Video from Bill Babeaux on Vimeo.

During my travels, I’ve had the privilege of meeting some pretty amazing people. Not the kind that you see on the stage and screen, but some really monumental individuals who are dreamers with both feet on the ground. They work hard to make vision a reality, and they invite others to come along for the adventure.

One of those individuals is a guy named Bill Babeaux. Bill is a student at Ohio State University, who is studying International Business, International Economic Development, and Political Science.

This spring, he and some of his friends are joining together to create the above mentioned summit at OSU. The APTE Summit will take place this April, and will be hosted by an organization of which Bill is a dedicated member--The OSU Business Builders Club.

On April 15^th 2011, hundreds of students and professionals will converge on the campus of OSU to share ideas for building a better world through entrepreneurship, and Nuru will be among those represented. Our very own Gaby Blocher will be presenting to folks about Nuru’s metric system and how we measure our effectiveness in our efforts to end extreme poverty in Kuria, Kenya.

If you can, make it a point to visit Columbus, OH on April 15^th. Mark your calendar now, and make sure you get there! For more updates, check out the APTE facebook fan page.

Lasting Impact

2011-03-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

My friend Jake posted this video on his twitter account recently, and out of curiosity I found myself watching this eighteen minute video where Kevin Starr of the Mulago Foundation shares how his foundation researches organizations to find those who are making a lasting impact. If you look carefully, at one point there is a slide behind him that shows the logos of a number of organizations, including Nuru! Yay!

I wanted to share this video with you because I felt like Mr. Starr lays out some great criteria for individuals like you and me to consider when we are looking to invest our limited resources in projects that have the potential to make a lasting impact on problems in the world.

Here are the four questions he uses as a filter.

1. Is it needed?
2. Does it work?
3. Will it get to those who need it?
4. Will they use it correctly when they get it?

People are coming up with some really creative solutions to some major problems in our world, and at first glance, they all sound great, but upon further inspection, not as many have the ability to bring about lasting impact. May these questions serve as a tool for you as you seek to make wise philanthropic investments of your limited resources to help create lasting change.

Nuru International and One Days Wages Work Together To Empower Farmers Out of Extreme Poverty

2011-02-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

What started last spring with conversations between staff of Nuru International and One Day’s Wages while attending the !deation Conference in Long Beach, has culminated in $15,000 being raised through the grassroots efforts of ODW to help 70 families take the first step to lift themselves out of extreme poverty through a loan of high quality agricultural inputs from Nuru. This loan of agricultural inputs, along with training in proper planting and harvesting techniques will allow these families to produce a harvest large enough to feed their families, to pay back their loan, and to sell their surplus for a profit. They will no longer go hungry during the hunger season, and they will be able to grow in financial freedom as well.

We are excited about the people that ODW has given an opportunity to join Nuru in the fight to end extreme poverty through their movement of people, stories, and actions to alleviate extreme global poverty.

You see, every single one of us have a contribution to make toward the goal of ending extreme poverty. Maybe you will be like Naomi and her family, and donate your birthday for a cause. This little girl and her family had a goal of raising $500 for Nuru’s work, but ended up raising $1500. Or maybe you can be like Esther, who raised over $2000 for Nuru as she ran a marathon.

At Nuru most of our videos end with a simple statement. Be hope. Be light. Be Nuru. Nuru is a Kiswahili word that means light and has a connotation of hope. We love seeing people take steps to tangibly be Nuru in this world that needs more hope. We applaud the efforts of ODW as they provide individuals with great tools to be Nuru. We need more Esther’s and Naomi’s in this world.

Our recent grant with ODW has been fulfilled, but there is still a great need to be met in Kuria, Kenya. This winter, we are expanding our programs to over six hundred new families. Will you join us in this effort? Here’s a few ideas to help get you started. Together, we are ending extreme poverty, one community at a time!

Blood Screening

2011-02-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

As part of the Daniel Plan starting point, it was suggested that we get some of our baseline numbers to know how much of an impact this diet has had on our health. Jamie and I drove down to Fairmont General Hospital to take advantage of their general blood screening and lipid screening tests. The plan also suggested getting a starting point number for height (not anticipating a change) weight, blood pressure, and waist size.

We both have some great numbers to start with. Our fasting glucose is in the eighties, and our cholesterol is rocking too. My total cholesterol is 156, but I need to make some advances in HDL mine is only 39 (Jamie’s is 62!!!).

We both are feeling good about the baseline numbers we have, but we are curious to see what a year of healthy eating will do. When I started the Daniel Plan, I weighed in at 197, and my waste size was 39 inches (taking the measurement an inch over the navel). My blood pressure was 120/80, and I’ve been rocking out 6’2” for several years now.

The funny thing about getting bloodwork done was that there weren’t many young people doing it. Most of us wait until we start having health issues, or questions about some of our numbers before we get our blood tested, but it’s a good idea to get work done to know your numbers in advance. I had work done three years ago because my mom had breast cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure, and I thought that if I could discover early warning signs and work proactively to prevent similar problems, then I wanted to do it. In 2008, my cholesterol was 175, so over the last three years, I’ve made some significant improvements.

When was the last time you had your blood checked? I know it’s not super exciting to wake up early to go to a community blood screening and get stabbed with a needle, but it’s worthwhile to know how your health is looking. I know I was dreading the numbers when I went to get tested, but I knew that if my numbers were not great, I was in a solid place to begin some lifestyle changes. Will you do yourself a favor, and check your numbers if you don’t typically do so? Maybe you will see some early warning signs that could prevent problems later.

The Daniel Plan

2011-02-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz around different diet and wellness plans, but I’ve latched hold of this one as a tool to help me in my pursuit of fitness, weight loss, and overall health goals. I included a video from one of the physicians who shares some basic information for why a healthy lifestyle is important.

The plan was initiated by Rick Warren and the congregation of Saddleback Church in an effort for Rick to lose 90 lbs in a healthy way, and encourage people of faith to pursue a healthier lifestyle. The plan has three top notch physicians (Daniel Amen, Mark Hyman, and Mehmet Oz) sharing their wisdom and encouraging participants toward a healthy lifestyle.

So what exactly is the Daniel Plan? It’s a fifty two week lifestyle change that starts with six weeks involvement in a small group ton encourage the continuation of the plan. The plan consists of exercise, relaxation, rest, and eating natural whole foods. The exercise so far hasn’t been that intense--walking 30 minutes a day, like you are going somewhere, and like you are late. The relaxation and rest? Taking a few seconds at the start or end of the day, to just breathe deeply and do nothing. Personally, I’ve incorporated these deep breaths into my prayer time. I’ve also been diligent to be in bed before 11PM (sometimes even earlier). I try to get up early in the morning, stretch and get some weight training in (as a supplement to the base of the plan).

The big thing is food though. But the food portion of the plan doesn’t feel all that gimmicky. It involves eating whole, natural foods. Here are some of the basic rules of the Daniel Plan.

Don’t drink your calories (no soft-drinks or juice).
Don’t use canola or soy oil to cook (or shortening).
No high fructose corn-syrup.
No hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Stop eating sugar (and splenda, and aspartame, etc). [the reason behind this is pretty fascinating].
If it’s got more than five ingredients on the box, then don’t eat it.
If it contains ingredients that your grandparents wouldn’t recognize as food growing up, then don’t eat it.

So what can you eat? Fruits & vegetables, fish, chicken, whole foods, nuts, and much much more. Here’s a great list of foods to eat. Think about eating foods that are located around the edge of the supermarket. Jamie and I have been changing our eating habits, and we can both tell a major difference in how we feel. We have more energy, more focus, and we have lost weight—at a fairly reasonable pace.

I just thought I’d write a little bit about it, because I’m very impressed with the videos and information that Saddleback Church has been sharing with the world so everyone can improve their health!

SustainU Clothing

2011-02-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

Change your clothes. Change your world. from sustainU on Vimeo.

Not too long ago, a few of my friends embarked on a pioneering journey to encourage people to think about the clothes they wear, how the production of those clothes impact the environment, and how it could all change for the better. Out of this journey, SustainU clothing was born. SustainU is a company who specializes in making clothes here in the United States and they work specifically to produce their clothing line from recycled materials. This company is headquartered in Morgantown, WV and many members of their team are from this great state.

Right now, they are embarking on a campaign to save about 150 tons of clothing from landfills through a campaign called the ONEshirt campaign. They are encouraging college students across the country to participate in a clothing drive to reduce waste, and encourage all of us to think a little more deeply about our choices when it comes to what we wear. There are currently over 100 campuses involved in the campaign. By the way, did you know that 10% of the content of landfills is clothing?

Take a little time, and watch the video, and think about how changing your clothing just might change the world. Maybe it's time to get rid of some of those clothes you haven't worn in the last two years. Let someone else give em a try. And maybe, next time you are looking to purchase clothing, consider making a statement and grabbing something from the Sustain U catalog.

Storytelling—Nuru On Tour

2011-02-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

Nuru On Tour from Nuru International on Vimeo.

I love this video, I love the music that was donated by MGMT for the video, but more than that I love the people who make up this video. Three recent West Virginia University graduates, Derek Roberts, Tiffany Newcomb, and Lisa Hough, decided that in lieu of pursuing jobs in Accounting, Aerospace Engineering, and Civil Engineering respectively, they would drive around the country in a Ford conversion van and tell people about the greatest humanitarian crisis of our generation, and how they could join Nuru in our efforts to end extreme poverty, first in Kuria, Kenya, and then moving forward to some of the most poverty stricken and unstable places on earth.

I first met Derek in a Bible study on the campus of WVU. He was a competitive triathlete, and passionate about pursuing justice and serving others in this world. In fact, about a year after I met him, he left competitive cycling and triathlons emphatically by selling a bike and giving the proceeds of the sale to Nuru. He shocked his fellow triathletes, and left many of them wondering what had happened to radically transform their fellow competitor. Derek put his career on hold to challenge others to get engaged in the fight to end extreme poverty, and before graduating, founded Nuru’s first campus chapter at WVU.

I’m not even sure where I met Tiffany, but I know I heard stories about her passion for advocacy for a long time. She left a great job at an engineering firm and took a job waiting tables while serving the homeless community in Morgantown, West Virginia before joining Derek and Lisa to tell Nuru’s story on college campuses, in churches, and in coffee shops in cities all over this country in the winter of 2010.

I was at a costume party at my friend Cameron’s house when I first met Lisa. Lisa not only served as a diligent student, but also competed as a scholarship athlete in volleyball at WVU. After her final semester, her friends Derek and Tiffany talked to her about career options, and invited her to join them in sharing Nuru’s story. She did not hesitate to accept.

Many people found out about Nuru through this tour. Maybe you are reading this blog post because you found out about Nuru through these three brilliant individuals. Maybe you are reading this post and wondering if you might be able to make a contribution toward ending extreme poverty. I can tell you for sure that you can. I can tell you that I am of the conviction that every person on this planet has a contribution to make toward ending extreme poverty. It could be as simple as sharing Nuru’s story with a friend or as complex as a career or degree change. It could be as easy as making a financial contribution toward Nuru’s work, or pursuing a career in advocacy for the one BILLION people who live in extreme poverty.

Today, in the spirit of Derek, Lisa, and Tiffany I simply want to ask you, will you share Nuru’s story with someone? Not sure where to start? How about liking our “Do Something” page on the Nuru website? There are lots of ideas to get you started.

No Excuses

2011-02-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I thought I'd send a little sunshine your way. I took this last fall while hanging with my brother near Newport Beach. I'm not there now though, I'm chillin' in Morgantown. Just thought a little sunshine image might correspond well with the unseasonably warm weather we are experiencing in the land of the Mountaineers.

So I haven't blogged in a bit. Right after committing to a goal of 3-5 posts per week I fell off the wagon. I could blame back-to-back-to back-to-back losses for WVU women to Pitt, Steelers to Packers, WVU Men to Pitt, and WVU Women to UConn, but I won't. (Although that streak left me pretty down). I could blame the flu that I had last week, but I won't. When I finally took my temperature, and a day off, I had a fever of 101.7.

This morning I realized it had been a while when somebody asked me about my blog. I had a "D'oh!" moment, and figured I'd make a quick post.

There will be more later this week...maybe even later today, but we will see.

Hope everyone is having a great week, and sorry I fell out of the habit so quickly.

Nuru Regional Training Center

2011-02-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

Regional Training Center from Nuru International on Vimeo.

I love this short video featuring Nuru Kenya’s Chairman, Philip Mohochi. It’s amazing to think how much change has taken place. As of fall, 2010, 7000 people have participated in Nuru’s programs in Kuria, Kenya. Seven THOUSAND!!! In September 2008, there were NONE!!!

This year, Nuru is expanding to provide tools and trainings even more people. Right now, over 10,000 people will benefit from Nuru’s work in Kuria. And we are still growing and scaling. It’s truly amazing to think about the future, and what this work will mean for fighting poverty everywhere.

The Regional Training Center in Kuria, Kenya will help even more leaders receive the training they need to help their communities to lift themselves out of extreme poverty. Leader by leader, community by community, family by family, we are ending extreme poverty, together, one community at a time!