Merry Christmas And Happy New Year

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”~Luke 2:19

Well, 2017 is nearly over, and it has been quite a whirlwind. Every year, I strive to write some kind of retrospective on the year. Sometimes it makes an appearance in a Christmas letter, and other times it ends up being a blog post (which have declined in frequency in general in 2017—sorry!) to be shared online.

Where to begin? We have been witness to incredible blessings in 2017. God gave us the incredible joy of watching our daughter grow and explore this beautiful world. Sylvia’s birth and growth have definitely shifted our daily rhythms. We explore more, and we try to savor the little things a bit more than we probably have in the past. It has been amazing to see this little girl grow and learn and gaze upon the world with wide-eyed wonder, and fill her little heart with love, goodness, and discovery. She really brings out the best in everyone she comes in contact with, and that is a beautiful gift.

We were on the move a lot this year as well. Sylvia now has 26 states under her belt, she has explored five national parks, and has been on 30 flights. She (and we) have been diligent to be outside together for an average of an hour a day, and we go on almost daily walks together. There’s a 3.3 mile loop near our house that has become our walking/running circuit when we are home, so I guess we are always ready for a 5K walk/run. ;) I also worked to be more disciplined about taking vacation this year (I’m terrible at it but improving), and we were able to see some amazing sights during our travels; including sunrise in Glacier National Park. Sylvia also dipped her feet in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during her first year of life too! One of my biggest joys with Sylvia this year had to be walking into our garden together, picking tomatoes off the vine, and sitting in our yard and eating them. Often the most joyful moments are the simple ones.

I finished a one year program for nonprofit leaders at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in May, and was invited back to campus this past fall to contribute to the learning of the incoming class.  I also accepted an invitation to become a member of Forbes Coaches Council and have contributed to a handful of articles online. In addition, we are continuing to expand our impact at Nuru. It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since Jake and I first met up to discuss his idea for addressing extreme poverty in some of the toughest places on earth, and, thanks to your support, Nuru is now in three countries and has gone from an idea to an organization benefitting more than 120,000 people.

Jamie started back to work at Healthworks in February after her maternity leave. She’s an incredibly gifted and compassionate aquatic rehabilitation therapist, and it is a delight to see her serve so many and help people improve their wellbeing as she works with them in the pool. She has continued serving as a Congressional District Leader for the ONE Campaign (Bono’s poverty fighting advocacy organization) and during the ONE Summit this February worlds collided as she introduced the keynote for the event, Jake Harriman, CEO and Founder of Nuru International! When she’s not fighting poverty or improving lives at Healthworks, she’s caring so sweetly for our little girl!

Our hearts have been so full this year. My mind is flooded with details around memories throughout the year that I just can’t fit into a short letter. There has been so much goodness we have been able to savor, so much to be grateful to God for. Our friendship with you sits at the top of that list. We have been so privileged to have wonderful people like you in our life; praying for us, encouraging us, laughing with us, and shaping new memories with us.

My prayer is that 2018 will find each of us celebrating the little blessings that make appearances in our lives each day, and that we will grow in our gratitude, our generosity, and our care for one another. May we each do our part to love well in a world that could use more love, more grace, and more peace. And, like Mary in the Gospels, may each of us treasure up the stories and memories we are sharing and creating, pondering them in our hearts.

Merry Christmas and have a happy new year!

Generous $15,000 #GivingTuesday Match For Nuru International

It's been a while since I posted on this blog, but today is just too important to not post. A generous West Virginian has committed $15,000 to match every donation that Nuru International receives today in honor of #GivingTuesday.

Over the last nine years, our entire team at Nuru has been hard at work developing leaders who have the passion, the drive, and the commitment to making extreme poverty history in their homes and their communities. One of those leaders is the gentleman next to Jake in the photo above, Josephat Marawa. Josephat was one of the first farmers Jake met when we launched Nuru in Kenya in 2008. Josephat was struggling to grow enough food to help his family address hunger and just like any parent, he was longing for his children to have a better future.



I can remember multiple occasions where I had the privilege of being with Josephat in the field and meeting with other farmer households. He is an incredibly soft-spoken and thoughtful individual, and in the years since he first started farming with Nuru, he has grown in both his ability to provide for his family and his ability to serve his community. He is now a field manager for Nuru Kenya's Agriculture Program, and is helping about 500 farmers to improve their livelihoods and to chart a better future for their families.


Josephat is one of many leaders that Nuru International has poured into. And you might wonder, why invest in developing leaders? Why not just provide something to meet immediate needs? Well, the answer is simple. As a result of investing in leaders like Josephat, Nuru's Western staff were able to leave Kenya in 2015 and watch from afar as local staff continued to adapt and expand programs to serve their communities. They are helping other leaders grow and expand their reach, and the impact will continue for many years to come!



And it's not just happening in Kenya. In Ethiopia, there are leaders like Tekalign Teferi and Temesgen Berihun, who are training up Nuru Ethiopia staff on the importance of servant leadership, of putting others first, and of helping to build the capacity of those around you. And in the near future, Western staff will be leaving Ethiopia and watching locals continue to serve new communities. And they will do it even better!

And today, you have an opportunity to invest in these leaders with double the impact. As I mentioned before, a generous West Virginian has committed to match every donation received today, up to $15,000. That means if you give $250, it becomes $500. If you give $50 it becomes $100. If you give $500, it becomes $1,000. None of this work would be possible if it weren't for the generosity of friends like you. Will you give toward maximizing this match and helping Nuru serve even more communities in the future? Thanks for all you have done and continue to do to help more and more families lift themselves out of extreme poverty for good!

Joining Forbes Coaches Council

Earlier this year, I received an invitation from Forbes to join the Forbes Coaches Council. Forbes Coaches Council Is an Invitation-Only Community for Leading Business and Career Coaches, and I am now a member!

It is an honor to join other Forbes Coaches Council members, who are hand-selected, to become part of a curated network of successful peers and get access to a variety of exclusive benefits and resources, including the opportunity to submit thought leadership articles and short tips on industry-related topics for publishing on Forbes.com.

Forbes Councils combines an innovative, high-touch approach to community management perfected by the team behind Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) with the extensive resources and global reach of Forbes. As a result, Forbes Council members get access to the people, benefits and expertise they need to grow their businesses — and a dedicated member concierge who acts as an extension of their own team, providing personalized one-on-one support.

Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, says, “We are honored to welcome Billy Williams of Nuru International and Archegos LLC into the community. Our mission with Forbes Councils is to curate successful professionals from every industry, creating a vetted, social capital-driven network that helps every member make an even greater impact on the business world.”

About Forbes Councils

Forbes partnered with the founders of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) to launch Forbes Councils, invitation-only communities for world-class business professionals in a variety of industries. Members, who are hand-selected by each Council’s community team, receive personalized introductions to each other based on their specific needs and gain access to a wide range of business benefits and services, including best-in-class concierge teams, personalized connections, peer-to-peer learning, a business services marketplace, and the opportunity to share thought leadership content on Forbes.com. 

For more information about Forbes Coaches Council, visit https://forbescoachescouncil.com/. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com.

Reflection: A Delicate Balance

Recently I pulled out my Passion Planner and took a look at some of my goals that I set for the first three months of the year. Each year as the year ends/begins, I like to set a few goals for myself in areas spanning from my own health and wellness to home improvement projects and self-enrichment--things like learning new skills or refining existing skills. As I looked over my list, I realized something happened since the beginning of the year that had shifted some of these goals, that something is a really good thing, it is a desire to savor every moment I have with Jamie and Sylvia.

Among the many goals I started the year with, some have just had to just get reprioritized for now. I've heard it said that we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a year, and underestimate what we can accomplish in five. Last year, as we were getting ready for Sylvia's arrival, Jamie and I found ourselves taking on more and more big projects, and not only taking them on, but getting them done. One of my dear friends and personal coach took a look at five of my goals that were launching between September and December of last year and said if I only accomplished one of them it would be huge; I'm grateful that I was able to take on and accomplish all five, but I'm not sure how sustainable that pace is for the long haul.

This year, I've noticed a natural gravitation toward goals that are focused more on family, health, and wellness, than on next major steps for the house, or new skills, hobbies, or interests being cultivated. And, while I want to continue to grow and expand in skills, during this season, my focus has become more centered on daily habits that build toward long-term goals. This is probably true for every single one of us, but over the last few months, I have become more aware of it than ever. I'm striving to take vacation (something I've historically not been the best at), and I am taking more intentional daily space to get away from connected devices, from social media, and from work, although my friends and the farmers I have the privilege of serving alongside are never far from my heart and mind. And, while my blogging frequency has dropped pretty significantly this year, I am still taking time for reflection.

What I've been discovering during this season is that there is a delicate balance as we each learn and grow and make our unique contributions to this world, and that there is a value to building foundations that will secure both the longevity and the depth of these contributions. Part of what has brought this truth into focus for me has been the blessing of having Sylvia join our family. Even more than before, I want to be stronger, healthier, and better at all that I am doing so I can be more readily available to play, to grow, to learn, and to enjoy this beautiful world with her and Jamie. We daily get play-time together, and we make it a point to have at least an hour each day outside. Beyond these daily routines, I've doubled down on fitness and health and made significant cuts to the amount of sugar I consume (I know that my habits have a potential to become Sylvia's), slowly and steadily train toward a fifth Marine Corps Marathon for Nuru, and building an almost daily regimen of bodyweight training and mobility.

While I could have chosen to focus my efforts toward achieving a litany of goals like the ones I have listed in my Passion Planner (blogging more frequently, working toward a blue belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu, paint the house), those goals will still be available next year. What won't be available again next year is Sylvia's first year of life, and witnessing all of the discoveries and developments she is making. I don't think I'll regret waiting a little bit before painting the house. It will still need to be done, but I believe I'm gaining by waiting.

I believe each of us has a great deal we want to accomplish during our short period of years on this earth for the good of others and for the glory of our Creator. May we each be granted wisdom and discernment to know when to start, how to prioritize, and how to make the most of our limited days on this earth!

Reflection: Squash Blossom 2017

This year marks ten years of keeping a small vegetable garden at the house and of enjoying its produce. But there's something more than the productivity of this truck patch that I have enjoyed over this past decade, and that is the beauty of the growth. Each year I have carved out time (even if it is just a few seconds) in the early morning to savor the beauty of the emergence of the squash blossom. My Shawnee ancestors and many other indigenous peoples have also made a practice of enjoying this natural beauty, and even incorporating it into jewelry, beadwork, and quillwork designs. It is also a tasty delicacy that can be enjoyed during the summer as a portent of more food to come from the various plants of this small garden.

These flowers are a gift that are shared most readily with those who wake up early to see the blossom fully opened. As the day progresses, the blossoms close, and so not everyone gets to witness these plants in their full splendor. Not everyone wakes up early. The squash blossoms do not grow alone, but there are clusters of these flowers along each squash vine, some of the blossoms have squash attached, and others are simply the blooms themselves. And yet, each one contributes to the strength, growth, and development of the plant.

I savor the early morning moments I have each year with the squash blossom as well as the rest of the garden. In a college town, things seem to get moving pretty quickly, and there are many blessings to be found in the stillness and the quiet in the early morning hours. The blessings don't stop as the day moves forward; they just change in their shape and texture. Like the blessing of watching my ten month old daughter enjoy a tomato fresh from the vine.

Seeing her enjoy this makes me wonder if that was part of why my dad worked so hard in our gardens growing up. Not only did he get to watch the blessings of growth and development happen after seeds were planted in the garden, but he also had the joy of watching us kids run out to the garden to grab a tomato or a green onion or some other snack after school. There's a blessing that comes from being able to provide for others, especially when we can see that provision savored. It kind of reminds me of this video that Nuru made a few years ago highlighting the story of one of the farmers in Kenya with whom we worked, Joshua.



There are many blessings to be discovered and enjoyed as we spend time with the earth, and learn to be better stewards of the small corners where we live. I don't know if you have ever planted a garden or not, but there is a bounty beyond the early and late harvests to be found in working with the soil. Whether or not you plant a garden, may you find time in your day to savor and enjoy the beauty that the Creator has strewn all around us!

Reflection: International Women's Day 2017

Today is International Women's Day, and all over the world people are advocating for and celebrating various endeavors aimed at improving the lives of women and girls, and because of that, I was tempted to not write and add to the mix, but then my conscience got the better of me. You see, the world needs every one of us to raise our voices for what is right and just and good for all. As the ancient Hebrew prophet Micah has said, "What is required of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." 

When children do not have the opportunity to receive an education, and specifically 130 million girls, that's an injustice. When a person's place of birth can mean the denial of basic opportunities to have meaningful choices and improve their livelihoods, that's an injustice. When we choose to do nothing when we have the tools and the resources to literally transform lives, that's an injustice. 

Jamie and I have been privileged to be able to travel to Kenya and Ethiopia with Nuru International and witness firsthand the impact that programs are making in the lives of women and girls. Last year on International Women's Day, Jamie was able to meet with Feven Yimer, one of Nuru's Ethiopian staff members who has been leading the design and implementation of Nuru's programs to address education in the southern highlands of Ethiopia. Feven moved from her nation's capital into a remote, rural area of Ethiopia because she was very aware of the opportunities that open up for children and girls in particular when they have access to basic education. In her team's design of programs she has successfully advocated for sex-segregated latrines in the public schools in the communities where Nuru is working. This gesture which may seem small, will open the door for more girls to come to school. Feven and her team have established book banks in local schools as well as in community cooperatives where children can check out books and practice reading and developing literacy in their native tongue, in their national language, and even in English. Feven is one of many champions for justice and incredible women Jamie and I have met in our travels.

Back in 2012, we had the privilege of meeting Mama Susan in her butcher shop in Mabera, Kenya. Mama Susan was skeptical and distrustful of Nuru when it first launched in her community, but then she witnessed the life change wrought in her neighbors' livelihoods when for the first time they had a surplus of food that they had produced, they had developed savings, and they were sending their children (boys AND girls) to school because they could afford uniform and book fees for the first time. Mama Susan began participating in Nuru's programs, and through the training she received, she not only improved her family's livelihood, but she was able save money to launch her own business, a butcher shop. She is just one of thousands of people whose life has been changed for the better by Nuru's work. 

Last week, Jamie, Sylvia, and myself were able to spend time on Capitol Hill visiting the offices of our elected representatives as part of our efforts with an incredible organization started by Bono called the ONE campaign. Our purpose was very simple. We wanted to encourage our representatives to support legislation to make education more readily available for girls everywhere, AND we wanted to encourage them to not cut federal funding (which makes up less than 1% of our budget) for poverty eradication efforts globally.

Speaking of Sylvia, when I think about her in light of International Women's Day, I find myself desiring even more to be an advocate and encouraging others to do the same. Just by the grace of where she was born, she has access to incredible healthcare and education opportunities. I know that family and friends would rally to support us no matter where in the world she was born, because that is part of our shared humanity and part of what I believe it is to be made in the image of our Creator. But if we were born in another place, her education opportunities would be a question mark. If we were born in another place, we might have a significant hike just to arrive at a healthcare facility, and then, we might be disappointed and desperate to find that they had run out of medicine while we were waiting. Because we have access to a variety of healthy foods (some of which we have grown ourselves), Sylvia is able to receive nutritious meals from her mom through exclusively breastfeeding during these critical first six months of her life.

So today, if you are looking for an action to take in honor of International Women's Day (and even if you aren't), I want to give you three actions you can take. Truthfully, you can take these actions any day, but why not today? As an ancient proverb says, "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed." So here are the three actions.

1) Join ONE. Just sign up to become a member, and they will let you know additional steps you can take to be an advocate wherever you are.
2) Record a #GirlsCount video. Join the count and help create the longest film ever AND advocate for the 130 million girls who do not have access to basic education.
3) Donate to Nuru. Jamie and I have both directly witnessed the impact of financial support to Nuru's work, and we would love to have you join us in supporting this work.

Whatever you choose to do, Jamie and I thank you in advance, and we look forward to seeing the outcome of our work together to bring meaningful choices to even more of our brothers and sisters around the world. May your own life be enriched by your choice to make a difference!

Cultivate Hope With Nuru International On #GivingTuesday

This year Nuru is working to raise $300,000 to expand its efforts to 1,500 new households in the southern highlands of Ethiopia. And today, on #GivingTuesday, a generous donor from West Virginia has stepped forward to match every donation received up to $15,000 today. Will you make a donation to help maximize this match and help Nuru serve even more families in 2017? Every bit helps!

Since the summer of 2007, I have had the incredible honor of working together with a few of my friends from my undergraduate days, namely John Hancox, Jake Harriman, Andy Cogar, and Trey Dunham to make our own unique contributions to a massive global problem. The problem is global extreme poverty. And, while the problem by itself is huge, the very fact of its existence leads to the proliferation and thriving of an array of other problems including global instability, violent extremism, child soldiers, slavery, and human trafficking just to name a few. 

Back in 2007, we had no idea what might be in store in the years ahead, but we had a plan, a ton of passion, and a number of really smart and committed leaders contributing their skills to building an organization that could make a tangible impact in the lives of others. As we launched Nuru International in September 2008, a number of our friends had thrown their lot in with us and committed time and money to helping spread the word about the issue, and Nuru's unique contribution to the problem. In a matter of months, Nuru had grown from an idea to an actual organization that was serving approximately 2,500 people in southwestern Kenya. 

And as of this year, that number has grown to more than 100,000 people. That's more than 100,000 lives changed for the better because people like me and you stepped into the arena and chose to do something rather than stand by idly as our global neighbors suffered. And we are just getting started. In 2015, our western staff left Kenya for good, and local leaders are continuing to adapt and improve their efforts to address extreme poverty in their country. They are cultivating hope in areas of the world that are all too often forgotten by most.

Earlier this year, I had the honor of traveling with Jamie to visit our second country project in Ethiopia. The area where Nuru works is high up in the mountains of southern Ethiopia, and it is about a 2.5 hour drive from the nearest city to the area. Together, Jamie and I listened to stories from farmers and their families about the transformation that had taken place for them since Nuru's arrival. They talked about increases in crop yields and being able to feed their families. They talked about improving their savings and their health, and they talked about things I didn't think about with regard to programs. They talked about how their marriages were healthier because they were not frustrated by conversations about money or frequent discussions about children being sick. Their marriages were healthier because they were developing skills to improve their livelihoods. There are so many aspects of our lives and our relationships that improve when people have the ability to make meaningful choices for their future! As we walked along and talked with these families, we also witnessed how Nuru had equipped these families to be able to cope with one of the worst droughts in Ethiopia to occur in many years.

Farming is risky business, and farmers are inherently risk takers; it’s always been that way. All over the world, our food supply relies on farmers taking risks. All over the world, parents want a better life for their children than the one they had. Amarech Sama was among the first individuals to enroll in Nuru's programs in Meteka Mele Ethiopia in 2014. Her community was deeply affected by the drought, but because of Nuru, she and her family are thriving. In fact, Amarech just gave birth to a baby boy, and has not only improved her own financial literacy, but she is participating in programs to learn to better care for her newborn in Nuru's healthcare training programs (and teaching others) ways to better care for their infants as well! Please watch and share this video to learn more about Amarech and the work of Nuru in Kenya and Ethiopia as well.

This holiday season, you can help change the lives of thousands of our global neighbors, and cultivate hope in the southern mountains of Ethiopia and beyond. Will you share this post and make a gift to support women like Amarech Sama and move Nuru's mission forward today?

Reflection: Marine Corps Marathon 2016

After two full and amazing days sharing Nuru’s story with folks at the expo, I had the privilege of lining up with about 30,000 other runners from around the world to run my fourth Marine Corps Marathon.

This time was really different for me. I had not trained as diligently as I had in previous years, and I had a couple of injuries during the summer. Not only that, but this was the first time I ran the Marine Corps Marathon without Jamie there with me. She was of course busy caring for Sylvia, so I thought this year I would be running for all three of us. This was my first Marine Corps Marathon as a father too.

Thankfully I was at least able to start the race with my good friend JR Pittman. He decided to run for Nuru with me this year, and we had a great run during the first half of the race, and then my lack of training at longer distances began to catch up with me. I made it about eighteen miles before I started cramping up, and I think that was about the same time the sun came out, and the temperature began to shoot upward a little more quickly. Even with the heat, the fatigue, and the cramping, I am so glad I persevered through it.

When I think about all of the runners who have joined me in running to help Nuru fight extreme poverty, I get a little emotional. Thirty thousand people run this race each year, and I’ve been so grateful that slightly under 100 of them have run with Team Nuru. And, I think about all that each one of us gets out of the deal. Not only are we helping others half way around the world, but we are also making ourselves better in the process.

A lesson I learned from my first Marine Corps Marathon in 2013 was that the training and the race provide a great tool for exercising self-discipline, long-term planning, and working toward a larger goal. I’ve been able to translate those same attributes into many other areas of my life, and I can’t help but think that they will help me be a better father and a better husband too.

When I crossed the finish line, I took a few seconds to express my gratitude for finishing the race. I also took a few seconds to pose for a starjump in honor of Jamie since she wasn’t there with me this year.

As the miles began to add up, I remember two distinct voices in the crowd (other than the ones offering hot dogs, beverages, and gummy bears). There was a little girl around mile 17 and a little boy around mile 22. They were probably each around six years of age. The little girl yelled out as I went by, “Keep going, you can do it!” and the little boy yelled, “Don’t ever give up, keep going!” And for some reason, amid all of the various cheers and shouts, the words of these two children yelling with all they could muster made their way into my heart, and my eyes teared a little. Their words of encouragement are what we all need to remember, no matter what the challenge is we are going through.

There is at least One Voice out there that believes the absolute best for each of us, and if we are attentive we can single it out above all of the noise. And, as we apply discipline to our lives and accomplish challenging goals, we become more and more attuned to that voice. May we each keep running and keep our ears tuned in for that Voice.