Being Nuru: A Visit To "The Well" at Ashland University

It was about this time last September that I received the call. Zach Hefner, a student at Ashland University called me to see about how his campus, and more specifically, his church could get involved with Nuru. He told me about how active students were on his campus, and how he had been following Nuru’s work more or less since we started in 2008. He was interested in seeing his campus have the ability to drill a well, or buy some goats, or something of the sort.

I let him know that Nuru doesn’t do any of those things. We don’t drill wells (although we have in the past), and we don’t do anything that could resemble a handout. I also let him know that I was incredibly excited to talk to him, and I was even more excited about the fact that he and his friends had decided to take action toward ending global extreme poverty. I could guarantee to Zach that whatever funds he was able to raise on campus, Nuru would do its best to leverage them for the greatest impact in ending extreme poverty for the people of Kuria West, Kenya.

So many people have the greatest of intentions, but they stop short of taking action, and what the world needs is people who take action, folks who choose to make a difference with their limited time and resources on this earth. Zach is one of those types of people, and thankfully there are more people like him.  I am filled with joy that every day, I have the opportunity to meet and interact with passionate difference makers like Zach.

After my own life was awakened to the issue of global extreme poverty in an English class in 2005, my life has been on a different trajectory. I believe that global extreme poverty is the greatest humanitarian crisis of our generation, and I believe further that future generations of humanity will judge us based on what we did or did not do to bring an end to global extreme poverty. As a result, I am passionate about seeing others get involved, and taking action, people like Zach.

A few months after my initial call with Zach, I made my way to Ashland University, and met one of Zach’s campus leaders, a guy named NateBebout. Nate and I were able to have lunch together, and we talked at length about seeing people get connected with issues and even discovering their own callings as a result. Nate is a solid leader, and honestly, he is a true gift to the students at Ashland.

At Ashland Uniersity, students had raised over $2000 for Nuru through giving a little bit each week. As I shared with members of their campus ministry in April, I couldn’t help but think about the future. You see, the students here had taken a big step from good intentions to action, and had started down a path of being engaged in ending global extreme poverty together with Nuru.

I’m excited for the future because of leaders like Nate who will be able to work with even more students in the future, and provide them opportunities to care and take action to end extreme poverty in our lifetime.

If you are reading this blog, maybe it can be an encouragement to you to take action as well. When Zach started talking about Nuru on his campus, he was the only person there who knew about Nuru. Maybe you can lead the charge in your workplace, on your campus, or in your faith community to be Nuru, and invite others to join us in this work.

May today be a day for you to be Nuru, and to move good intentions into conversation and action toward making a difference in this world.

The Last Hunger Season by Roger Thurow

Earlier this summer, I was able to acquire a copy  of Roger Thurow’s new book, The Last Hunger Season. The book chronicles one year in the lives of four families who are working with an organization called One Acre Fund (OAF) to improve their livelihood as small shareholder farmers.

My initial interest in the book was because One Acre Fund is an incredible thought partner for Nuru International, and our CEO, Jake Harriman, did a summer internship with OAF in 2007 in order to learn more about their model first-hand. If you have not heard of One Acre Fund, I strongly recommend you look into their work to improve the lives of farmers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi.

But now for more about the book. Thurow starts off by explaining what is meant by a “hunger season” or “wanjala” in Kiswahili as this is a foreign concept to people who have never set foot outside the United States. In the West, we have access to food year round. For people in the US, it is hard to fathom that anyone on the planet would ever run out of food, or that food prices could double and triple during those times of year when there is a shortage. Even more difficult for our minds to imagine is that people grow most of their own food. While we know that farms exist, most people here buy their food in a supermarket.

Thurow does a masterful job of allowing the reader to enter into daily life for people in remote rural Kenya who are living in extreme poverty.  Unless one has witnessed it firsthand, it is hard to imagine whole communities who lack access to electricity or running water. It’s hard to imagine healthcare that is "distant and meager at best." Beyond this, Thurow helps readers get a better understanding of what access to high quality seed and fertilizer and improved planting techniques can do for these agrarian communities.

Too often, in the West we have been given distorted images of people living in extreme poverty. Too often, our global neighbors are portrayed as helpless and unable to fend for themselves. The truth of the matter is that our global neighbors are incredibly resourceful, but they have largely lacked access to tools and knowledge that could mean massive improvements to their livelihood.  Too often, these people are portrayed in a way in which we do not see their full humanity, their brilliance, or the daily choices they are compelled to make. Roger Thurow helps us to get a more accurate image of who these people are and what their dreams are, both for themselves and for their children. During each chapter, he allows us to walk through the lives of four One Acre farmers, and experience the challenges they bravely face during the course of a year. I believe that through Thurow's detailed chronicling of one year in the lives of the families of Leonida, Rasoa, Zipporah, and Francis, we have been given a true treasure. 

Through the innovative work of organizations like One Acre Fund and Nuru International, literally thousands of families are taking the first steps toward lifting themselves out of extreme poverty and dealing with chronic hunger. In the book, one gets a vivid image of the challenges that a family might face in a year, challenges like paying school fees and paying back agricultural loans. Thurow reminds us of challenges like insuring that a family has enough food to eat through the wanjala, or even challenges like dealing with health emergencies like malaria. 

Beyond his detailed description of one year in the life of four farmers, Thurow offers a primer to the history of sustainable agriculture and international development from Norman Borlaug's work in India and Pakistan in the 60s and 70s to renewal efforts being led by groups like Bread for the World, One Acre Fund, Nuru, and many others in this generation. Throughout the book, he also details the work of advocacy groups like ONE (an advocacy organization started by Bono, the lead singer of the band U2) and even the work of the Obama administration's Feed The Future initiative and agencies like USAID to bolster food security and production. He even quotes US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack's reminder that, "just one lifetime ago the United States was a country of subsistence farmers...there are no better innovators than those who farm the land." Thurow allows us to not only read about the lives of farmers, but his book is filled with opportunities to learn more about the history of sustainable agricultural development, as well as learn how others, like former representative Tony Hall and Christian writer Jim Wallis, have taken tangible action steps to speak and take action about the unnecessary injustice of chronic hunger.

I really loved the book for a number of reasons, and I believe the book is a must-read for anybody interested in sustainable agriculture as well as how our global neighbors who are suffering in extreme poverty may be able to chart a better future for themselves. If you take the time to read the stories of one year in the life of the families of Leonida, Rasoa, Zipporah, and Francis, I hope you will be able to move past the statistics you may have heard, and come to the conclusion that there is hope, and that we stand on the threshold of an amazing opportunity to work together toward helping farmers like the ones mentioned above provide a better future for their families. Thank you Roger Thurow for your engaging and inspiring work open our eyes to parts of our world from which so many in the West have been insulated.

L' Shana Tova 5773!

Tonight at sunset, Rosh Hashanah begins. Rosh Hashanah is also called Jewish New Year, it is on this night that Jewish people celebrate the creation of the world from Adam's perspective. According to the Jewish calendar, this is year number 5773.

Tonight marks the commemoration of the evening and morning that were the first day, when the Creator of the universe breathed into dust and formed man.

And over the next ten days, the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mark a time of repentance, and is also called the "Days of Awe." During this time, one celebrates the creation of the universe, but also is mindful of the need for self-examination. One also blows the shofar or rams horn as a reminder that God is the King of the universe. 

It's a customary greeting on Rosh Hashanah to say "Shana Tova!" or "A Good Year!" Or even, L'shana tovah tikatevu vetechatemu which means "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year!"

I don't know if you have ever considered this ancient tradition, but as the time approaches tonight, I plan to take time to reflect on the good world that has been created, and the pollution of shalom that has taken place since that time, and even my own part in that pollution. And then, I want to pray that God would allow me with his help and empowerment to be an instrument in bringing healing and beauty where there is now brokenness and suffering. May we all be instruments of healing, beauty, and peace where there is now brokenness and suffering.

And, L'shana tova tikatevu vetechatemu le'altar lechayim tovim ul'shalom! May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year immediately, for a good life and for peace!"

Nuru International And Chase Community Giving 2012

If you are on Facebook and have followed much in the nonprofit world, you might have heard of the Chase Community Giving contest. Chase is giving away $5 million dollars to about 200 nonprofits. I would personally love to see Nuru be among that group. With your help, I believe we can work together to qualify Nuru for at least a $10,000 grant from Chase.

So how do you do it? Go to the Facebook page for Chase, "like" it, and vote for Nuru. After you vote, you can update your facebook, twitter, google+, and linked in statuses with your vote so you can get your friends involved. It literally takes seconds to vote and spread the word.

If you don't have facebook, send a link to this blog post via email to your friends and contacts, and tell them that you want them to help Nuru Internaional receive $10,000 or more. 

The important thing is that you VOTE NOW because voting closes September 19. Will you take a minute out of your day and help Nuru? We need folks to take action RIGHT NOW.

Thanks so much! Your vote can literally be the difference in Nuru being able to receive $10,000 or more.

GO! GO! GO!

Harvest Time At The Williams House

During our journey to Kuria, and in the weeks since that trip and our trip to Minnesota, Jamie and I have been in an ongoing harvest of our own in Morgantown. While our small strip of land does not allow us the opportunity to grow enough food to carry us through the next year, it has been an ongoing source of lessons taught for us and for some of our friends as well.

Since late July, we have been pulling yellow squash, acorn squash, and zucchini out of the garden at a rate that has kept us with plenty of food to eat and to share with others. Our small crop of corn has allowed us to share the bounty of our harvest with family and friends who do not have gardens of their own.  And while we were away some of our friends brought their children over to pick beans, corn, squash, and tomatoes.

What is really amazing about this bounty is that it came from a few seeds. We have been able to eat fresh tomatoes every day for nearly a month. We have been able to eat other vegetables for an even longer time. We have had friends and family visit and shared multiple meals with them. We have been able to take squash and zucchini as gifts when we visit friends. All of this has been the result of a few seeds planted.

Jesus of Nazareth once said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." Jamie and I did not plant wheat. I honestly know very little about wheat. I never planted it, and to my knowledge, neither did many of my ancestors. I do know a thing or two about corn, beans, and squash though. And I know a little something about tomatoes too. I'm not a horticulturalist at all, but my experience is that an amazing miracle takes place when we plant seeds in the earth. They grow, and produce a harvest.

When Jesus spoke this truth about planting and harvesting, he was using it as a metaphor for people who are willing to lay down their own lives and their own self-interest in the interest of others. Laying down one's own interest seems about as unreasonable as burying a seed (which could be eaten) in the earth, and gaining a harvest as a result.

Around the United States, we are entering into a time of year that my Shawnee ancestors called the Harvest Moon. When it comes to growing food, there are ideal times for planting and harvesting, and one does not want to miss these times.

But, when it comes to laying down one's life in service to others, the more immediately we undertake this exercise, the better. As you go through your day today, perhaps you can begin to take a step toward planting seeds with your life, so that there may be much fruit harvested one day in the future from your gestures. You may never see the harvest that comes from your life, but who knows how many people will benefit from the choices you make each day to be continually planting.

Choosing A Path Today

For some reason, this year I have found it difficult to maintain my blog with the consistency of past years. And I'm really trying to change that. It definitely has not been for a lack of content. In my travels, I find myself reflecting regularly on experiences and seeing small life lessons strewn all along my way.

Separately, last week, I was able to list at least 20 books I have read and I would love to review. I even have a couple of books I am looking forward to reading and reviewing that are waiting in the wings. One of the ones I'm most excited about reviewing is a book called The Last Hunger Season by Roger Thurow. It is an absolutely fascinating book, and one that I hope many people will take the time to read (more about it in a later post).

Beyond this, Jamie and I were able to visit Kuria, Kenya in August and see Nuru's work first hand with specific intentions including being able to share these experiences with others. The progress that is being made, and the lives that are being changed because people here have chosen to care, and because people there are being equipped with the tools and knowledge to lift themselves out of extreme poverty is absolutely awe inspiring. These stories need to be told and shared with others!

And then, there are the moments when we have met up with old friends, or made new ones along our journey. We both feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to cross paths with so many truly amazing people--people we are proud to call our friends.

In the middle of it all, sometimes it is hard to know where to start and as I spend time wondering, another day goes by in which I let uncertainty create a vacuum where there could be a story told, a review written, or a reflection recorded.

It's funny to me because at the beginning of the year I set several goals, and have been able to accomplish virtually all of them with the exception of blogging consistently. At least I have a few months left to push forward toward this goal and although I'll fall short of my goal for the year, I can at least end well.

As I have been thinking about this, I have realized I am not alone. Every day, people from all walks of life are hindered in progress because they don't choose a path. For me, it is a matter of what story to write, and the longer I wait, the more choices and opportunities emerge, and then some opportunities also end up going away.

Some people wait forever before deciding to ask that special someone on a date, or to become their spouse while considering contingencies. Others debate over a career move, but fail to take a step. Still others have life-long dreams that never get moved forward because they never begin taking steps and choosing a path toward that goal.

At times, it makes sense to wait. Not every project, dream, or conversation needs to be realized immediately. But at some point, we have to act or they will never be realized. We must choose a path and move forward. If we don't, we will miss opportunities. We will miss mistakes as well, but then we will also miss out on the joy of achieving.

Today, I want to encourage you to choose a path, and begin walking. Today, I hope that even by writing and posting this blog, I can take a step down this path of writing more regularly, and sharing with others, and begin moving toward my goal set at the beginning of the year.

May your life be enriched as you begin to walk down a path. Who knows, your own journey may lead you to a great discovery about yourself, and about others, that will pave the way to a better tomorrow.

Thinking Back To September 11 2001

The day started like any other day for me at Mylan Pharmaceuticals. I was an analytical chemist working in quality control. I had walked from my apartment which was just about a mile from Mylan, and arrived slightly before 7AM the way I had walked many times before that day. I had written up some work from the previous day's testing, and was beginning sample preparation for some more tests. We used to listen to the radio in the lab back then, and we were stunned in our workday when we heard the first news broadcast at slightly before 9AM. I don't think any of us knew how to respond to it. How could anyone? What we were listening to was so foreign to our ears. How could any of this have happened? And then, as the day went on, we continued to do our work as we listened attentively to update after update, each one stirring us freshly. What was happening to our world?

I remember in the early afternoon that I made the decision to post a note on our break room door for a time of prayer for anyone who was interested. It seemed like the one thing that was within our power was to call upon the Creator of the universe to share our fears, our concerns, and our deep sadness over what we had heard over the radio over the course of the day. As I walked home at the end of the work day, I wondered about all of the people who had been in those towers. I grew sad as I thought of families and friends who would never be reunited in this world. I grew angry at evil and injustice.

When I arrived at the apartment, I found my roommate sitting in the living room, his eyes glued to the unbelievable images on the television. Was this really happening? I remember phone calls going out, to say that our church, like many communities of faith,  was having a special time of prayer for our nation and for our world that evening.  We were all stirred to our core as we tried to comprehend what we had witnessed on television and over the radio waves that day.

I remember seeing images in the days after the event of missing person postings as people wondered if their loved ones had been among the survivors or not. I even remember seeing, for a moment, what I thought was a photo of one of my high school classmates, Mary Lou Hague. Unfortunately, Mary Lou was among those whose lives were lost on that day. I mourn the loss of a friend, but I can't begin to imagine what her family and the families and friends of so many others continue to feel every year as this day approaches.

So much has happened in all of our lives since that day. I have watched a number of friends graduate from college, start new careers, move to new locations, and even get married (and I've actually done those myself). We have buried loved ones, and watched new technologies develop at a remarkable pace. We have witnessed changes in our lives and in our culture that at one time we could not even imagine.

When flying before the events of September 11, I remember sitting with friends and loved ones as I waited for my plane to arrive at my gate in the airport. Since that time, I have learned to say my goodbyes enroute to the airport. I have many fond memories of saying goodbye or hello to family and friends at airport gates, but since September 11, no new memories like that are possible.  And as I walk into a variety of hotels and other buildings, I am reminded, as I empty my pockets to walk through metal detectors, that today's world is very different. Today, various agencies work tirelessly to insure that our lives are safer, and that an event like what happened 11 years ago does not happen again.

In the eleven year wake of September 11, 2001, one thing hasn't changed. I believe that people have not lost hope. We have not lost the opportunity to do good in our world. Every day, we have opportunities to love our neighbors, to practice kindness, and to strive to be a help to others. As you read these words, I ask you to consider how you might help make the world a better place. We live in a world that is still hurting, but we have not lost hope. This hurting world needs people like you and me to actively pursue ways in which we can work toward a better tomorrow. May we all consider our how we can contribute to a brighter future, and may we never grow weary in doing good.

Returning To Kuria

The last few days have been so filled with stories, I'm not sure where I should begin. It has been a while since I have carved out time for blogging, and as much as I have desired to write more since starting this journey, I have not done it until now.

Friday morning Jamie and I awoke early, and began final preparations for this journey. Our goal in traveling to Kenya is to gain direct updates on Nuru's programs and to directly see the level of impact Nuru is having in Kuria and to then be able to share what we have seen with others, and Brett inform people back home in the US about this work.

After we woke, we traveled to Pittsburgh early Friday morning with my dad and another long time friend who has Made the Pittsburgh airport trip with me many times. We then proceeded from Pittsburgh to Detroit to Amsterdam where we waited for our final flight to Nairobi. We arrived in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 8:30 local time Saturday night. At the airport, we had a reunion with A very dear friend I made on my last trip to Kuria, Julius Nyamahonga. Julius grabbed a cab, and eventually we went to a hostel to sleep for the night before an early morning bus ride to Kuria.

Along the bus route, we passed through many towns, and also saw this amazing view of the Great Rift Valley. This land and it's people are beautiful. We have been greeted warmly by all we have encountered, and on the bus trip I met some amazing people who have committed their lives to the service of others. For the most part, the bus was quiet aside from the din of a radio playing local music, but at one point, I heard a young man behind me begin to sing hymns.

Later in the trip, I descovered that he was as chemist (like me) and that he was traveling to a nearby community called Migori from Nairobi to serve others. His name was Herbert, and he was an incredibly passionate and energetic man. We had a long conversation about faith, God, our world, and life in general, and then after he got off the bus, he handed me two books through the window of the bus as the bus pulled away. I will look forward to reading these gifts when I return to the States.

Our bus had a few delays along the way, but everybody arrived safe and sound in Isibania late Sunday afternoon. During the final two hours of th bus trip, we were greeted by Nuru team members Scott and Claire Rumpsa who had travelled to Kisii to visit a doctor and get antibiotics for an infected wound in Claire's leg.

Together we journeyed on and when we arrived in Isibania, we were able to all take a taxi together to the Nuru staff house and we arrived at about 430pm local time. In three days we have been on three continents. I hope to share even more updates in the near future about all that we are experiencing. We have seen so much in these last few days, I am still trying to process it all.

One last thought. This is truly a beautiful world in which we live, but also a world with deep needs, suffering, and hurting. When we can help and serve others, we inject more beauty into this world. Wherever you may find yourself today, look for an opportunity to serve.

Eagle Cliff Mountain Colorado

On our last day in Colorado, we took yet another trip to Estes Park, and this time we visited the YMCA of the Rockies, an incredible YMCA that sits on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. We traveled again with Josh, Carri, and their son, and at the YMCA, one of my long time friends from my old job at GCM, John Drage, greeted us and he and I had a brief reunion. We had about 2.5 hours to hike around before we left for the airport with the Drakes. (Love the Drakes!)

John, knowing we had limited time, and knowing he would not be able to join us, pointed out Eagle Cliff as great nearby summit to take in one last look at Rocky Mountain splendor. We took off immediately. We started at about 7000 feet along a stream, and ended at 8300 feet in elevation over a one mile stretch. I don't think I would have been able to do it if I didn't have a week of high altitude conditioning in. Josh and Carri scampered straight up (with 2 year old on back and soon to be born second child).  We made it to the summit in record time, and again, it was absolutely beautiful. We took some time to soak it in and ate a lunch that Jamie and Carri prepared earlier that morning. We turned around and made our way back down Eagle Cliff just in time to be greeted again by John.

I'm immensely grateful that I was able to spend this last day in Colorado with many friends. John had tried to get me to visit Colorado and attend a summer leadership training program GCM organized for college students, but I never made it out there until this summer. It was wonderful to be reunited with an old friend, and to be physically challenged as Josh, Carri, Jamie, and I pushed our way up to the summit and back in record time.

May we each make the most of every day, and be attentive to the adventures and the fellow adventurers that come across our paths.

Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, Colorado

 Well, it's been a little over a month since Jamie and I had the amazing privilege of being able to visit with a couple of amazing friends in Colorado. We were invited to share Nuru's story at a Java software developer conference, and while in the area, we were able to visit with our great friends Josh and Carri Drake and their young son. Josh and Carri, aside from being die-hard Mountaineer fans and lovers of the great outdoors are both pretty amazing athletes.

Josh picked us up in the Denver airport, and took us to their home in Fort Collins, CO. Josh is a graduate student working on a PhD in Exercise Science at Colorado State University. Carri also has a background in exercise physiology, and they are both incredibly fit folks. Josh rode on the cycling team at WVU, and Carri was a gymnast on WVU's team as well.

When considering where to take us to experience Colorado, they decided on Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park (we also spent some time exploring Fort Collins which was pretty cool too!).

My hope for the trip was that we would be able to see Elk (Wapiti in Shawnee), and almost immediately upon arrival to Estes Park, we saw a herd hanging out in a neighborhood, and eating the blooms and leaves off trees. It was absolutely amazing to be so close to an animal that once roamed the entire United States. They were truly beautiful creatures. The only way this experience could have been better is if I would have heard an elk bugle. Perhaps another time.

After our brief stint in Estes Park, and our visit to the Stanley Hotel (site of The Shining), we traveled into Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked a trail that was fairly level, but was at 9,100 feet elevation. That was the highest point Jamie and I had ever experienced together. We hiked along for a couple of miles, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. While we were hiking, we may have been adjusting to the higher altitude, but Carri was six months pregnant, and Josh was carrying his two year old son on his back. At our turn around point, I traded Josh and carried their son on my back all the way to the car.

It was a lot of fun hanging out with Josh and Carri, and singing Shawnee songs to their son along the way. I'm so grateful that Jamie and I had the privilege of seeing some great friends while we were away from home. Not only that, but it was absolutely beautiful country. I felt like I was walking along a movie set the entire time.








If you ever have the opportunity, you should definitely visit Rocky Mountain National Park--it is truly a beautiful place. And even if you never get to visit this park, my suggestion to you is to go outside, and explore the beauty that is around where you live. Walking in nature helps us to slow down, and simply appreciate life and the gifts that each one of us is given. And we could all use more time spent in appreciation.

Early Harvest

Well, it was just a few weeks ago when Jamie and I planted a variety of corn, beans, and squash, and while the summer has been incredibly dry for the most part, our squash and zuccini plants have been doing incredibly well. In fact, every day, we are producing more than we can eat in recent days. It seems that each day, we wake up to more and more produce being yielded from our little plot.

The good news is that we have been able to share this food with others. We have baked zucchini bread, cooked frittatas, and even grilled & sautéd a few variations for good measure. It is absolutely amazing to see so much come from working the land, planting, weeding, and waiting for God to do his work. It really is an amazing gift that we plant and weed, and where there were only dirt covered seeds at one time, there is now an abundance of food.

This may sound a little strange, but it has been my experience when eating food I've planted or that was planted and grown by others, it just tastes better. And here in the states, I believe that people are forgetting how to grow their own food. There is an art to preparing the land, to planting, to weeding, and to harvesting. There's a rhythm to all of it that many don't experience. I know that for me, as I left home to go to college, I didn't pay a ton of attention to the work that was being done by my parents and others to grow food, and I didn't plant anything on my own for many years.

Since I've started planting, I've been amazed at both the yield of the land, and the yield to my spirit and body. There's something about taking the time to work the land that is good and wholesome physical labor with a purpose, and there is something about the process, that reminds us that most of what happens on this earth takes time. In a world of fast food, email, and instant results, we can lose sight of that reality. It takes time to grow food. It takes time to prepare food. It takes time to work the land.

It takes time for us to grow as well. May you not become disheartened at growth that is at a slower pace than what you want, and may you see a great yield of produce from your fields and from your life.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church

Last weekend I had an incredible privilege. Jamie and I were invited to a visit a small country church in Herring, West Virginia. Not only did we have the incredible privilege of visiting this space, but also, I was invited to share the message last Sunday. Last Sunday wasn't our first visit to the church, but it was really encouraging to see the growth of the congregation since our first visit. We were welcomed with open arms, and it was cool to listen to the people who make up this congregation share their lives with one another.

As I walked forward to share, I began thinking about the generations of people who had gathered here before. On the front of the church is a sign that celebrated 100 years of this church's presence in the community. The church building was erected in 1891. That's over 120 years of faith-filled families gathering in this space. I realized as I walked forward, that I had never shared in a church that old. I thought about how there just aren't many buildings at all in the United States that have been around that long. I thought about the level of care that I witnessed the people had for each other in this space. And then I thought about the tombstones outside the church that were a visible reminder of many of those who were part of this church in previous generations.

What an incredible legacy. In our culture today, so much emphasis is placed on what is new and trendy, and I have to say that it is incredibly refreshing to step into a space that has been filled with generations of stories and memories.

May we each take time to think about the stories we will leave behind in the places and spaces we inhabit. May we fill these spaces with life and love!

Squash Blossom 2012

It has been a few weeks since I have made the time to blog, but I believe the emergence of squash blossoms in our garden is a wonderful opportunity to stop, reflect, and write. Every year, since starting a home garden, I've made it a point to take time, no matter how busy my schedule, to enjoy the squash blossoms.

They don't really emanate a strong fragrance, but they are a reminder that soon food will be arriving to the Williams homestead. My ancestors would perform intricate quill and bead work designs that were representations of the squash blossom and a reminder of the beauty and bounty of the created world. The Creator of the universe provides us with all good things, and fills our world with beauty. The sad thing is that many of us miss out on seeing this beauty. Whether we busy ourselves too much and don't make space to enjoy these little gifts, or if we are simply lacking in thanks, the fault is our own.

Beyond its beauty, for me, the squash blossom is a catalyst for memories. Memories of tribal gardens of the past, memories of family gardens growing up, and memories of the many meals provided by growing, harvesting and cooking crops together with family and friends fill my mind as I look at these beautiful flowers.

If you don't have a garden, you can still plant a squash, and see this flower and it's fruit before summer is over. Jamie and I planted in June and have enjoyed a couple of squash and zucchini already. For just a small investment, you can provide food for yourself and your friends and family for multiple days.

It is truly amazing that God not only meets our physical needs through foods we can grow, but also does it in a way that if we are willing to take time we can see traces of beauty all around us.

I'm thankful for squash blossoms and the bounty provided from these beautiful broad leafed flowering plants.

Etsy and Harriman Woodworking

Have you ever heard of Etsy? It's a website that serves as a hub for artists, artisans, and craftspeople of various types to sell their wares to people everywhere. My best understanding of it would be that it is an online grassroots marketing and distribution site for people who are skilled in various arts and crafts. If it had been in existence when my mom was living, I have a feeling she would have been enjoying a profitable retirement as she could have an outlet (beyond local craft shows) to distribute her amazing crochet, knitting, beadwork, and jewelry. 

I first discovered Etsy through my friends Clare and Jimmy Shreeves. Clare buys a number of handmade items on Etsy. My wife also frequents Etsy, and has bough multiple wedding gifts through the site (and also bought our cupcake toppers from our wedding there). The site has tons of listings in various categories, and each listing has an image. Many of the artisans are willing to make custom items as well. I love the idea behind this site, because I feel like there's something really special about hand-made items. Hand-made items tell a story. The creators of the items have refined a skill, a process, and strive for excellence in their work. 

Recently, I found out that one of my old roommates from college, Luke Harriman, just opened an Etsy page. Luke and his wife Diane, are incredible friends, and I'm grateful for any time I get to spend in their presence. Luke has also always been gifted with his hands. He also has recently completed a PhD in English--so he's a pretty smart guy too! Back in our undergrad, I can remember Luke teaching himself how to crochet, play the fiddle, and he even taught himself pottery and made our plates, bowls, coffee mugs, and drinking cups when we were living together.

Luke is also an incredible woodworker. He has worked in carpentry as well as cabinetry, and I'm really excited that he has started making beautiful clipboards and cutting boards and is selling them on Etsy. The photo above is his "End Grain QR Code Cutting Board" that he is selling on Etsy. It's a pretty intricate piece, and it is also a great conversation piece. The QR code is becoming an increasingly common format for bar codes and it is able to be scanned with smart phones. This particular cutting board has a QR code that takes you to the website of Nuru International. Beyond being an incredible conversation piece about Nuru, Luke has dedicated 20% of the proceeds from sales of this item to further Nuru's work.

Looking for a high quality cutting board from a talented craftsman? Looking for a kitchen tool that has an incredible story to tell, and that benefits an organization doing incredible work? look no further, visit Harriman Woodworking on Etsy, and tell others about Luke's incredible handiwork!

Five Years

Today marks five years since my mom left this world and journeyed to be with Jesus. The time has passed so quickly. It really feels weird to think about how much my life and the life of my family has changed since she went home to be with Jesus. I wish she could have been around to see it all, and that she was still here with us, but she has gone on to a far better place. She no longer suffers the challenges of high blood pressure, type two diabetes, congestive heart failure or metastatic invasive carcinoma breast cancer. And when I list out all of those challenges she faced daily, it makes it even more impressive she stayed with us for as long as she did. 

In 2007, I cut a significant amount of my hair in honor of my mom, and in 2008, I cut the remainder of my locks in honor of her, and to mourn her loss as per our Shawnee tradition. I’ve not grown it back since. My brothers, Chuck and Willie, both made sacrifices of their locks as well. Chuck even shaved his mustache—a permanent fixture on his face since the 80s. Even Willie’s son Christian shaved his head in honor of my mom. Willie also wrote this beautiful song to honor and remember her upon her passing. It still brings tears to my eyes as the memories come flooding back of her courageous last days on this earth.

I started my first garden the year my mom died. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot through my dabblings in local agriculture, but more than anything, I’ve been reminded of lessons she and Dad taught me about planting, growing, harvesting, and hard work. Of course like any kid, I didn’t enjoy the discipline at the time, but I can look back with immense gratitude now.

And within a month of mom saying goodbye, I began to have serious conversations about global poverty and international development withmy longtime friends Jake Harriman and John Hancox. These conversations along with extensive reading and research on the subject, and much prayer, fasting, and wrestling, led me to a significant career change as I joined my friends as they started Nuru International. I’m grateful that I have been able to deepen my service to others, and invite more people to confront the crisis of extreme poverty in our world. I really wish mom could have been here to see what we have been able to accomplish in the five years since she died, but I am incredibly grateful my dad has been here cheering us on in this work.

And a little over a year ago, I got married. I wish my mom could have spent more time with Jamie. She’s absolutely incredible, and I think they would have absolutely loved each other. They are two of the best examples I know when it comes to compassion and caring for people around them.

And then there’s my sister. She left a ten year job at a doctor’s office to start a new career this year. Not only that, but my sister has become quite the runner. It seems like every weekend she is getting a new trophy or award for her running exploits. Since the year my mom went to be with Jesus, Becky has led our family in participation with the Wood County Relay For Life. Mom was never able to attend—the first year, she was in ICU. Little did we know she would be leaving so soon. And Becky had her own bout with cancer in 2007 too. Just a month after mom’s parting, she had a malignant melanoma removed. She’s a survivor.

Dad was walking twelve miles a day, and riding his bike 20-30 miles 2-3 times per week after mom died. And then in 2009, he had a massive heart attack. It was utterly unexpected. Dad has always been healthier than most people half his age. Since that attack he doesn’t walk twelve miles a day anymore, but he is probably in better shape and eating better than ever before. As much as we kids miss mom, Dad lost his best friend of 43 years. Dad continues to be an example of generosity and compassion to others too. He supports Becky at virtually every race she runs, and he maintains his garden the way he has done for years and gives away significant portions of its bounty.

My brother, well he is still working in the same job, but his level of responsibility keeps increasing. He’s an extremely talented engineer. And he lives and loves sacrificially with his time. He’s up at 430AM virtually every day to drive himself and several coworkers to work and stays up late to make sure dogs are walked and chores are done. And further, his son has graduated high school and is a student at Notre Dame (not WVU, but still not a bad education).

And in the last five years, each one of us has grown in our faith as well as in our service to others. My dad just recently took the steps to join his church and was baptized the same day.

On Mom's last trip to the hospital, my sister, dad, and I spent the day with her, and I left the hospital to drive to Morgantown to receive my MA in English. I leaned down to hug her and told her, “I’ll try to make you proud tomorrow mom.” As I stood up, she looked at me with her eyes filled of compassion, as she breathed deeply from the oxygen tube running under her nose. She smiled and said, “Every day you make me proud.” Those words echo in my mind every time I think of her. She loved each one of us well, and she showed us by example, even during her last days, how to love the people who cross our paths in seemingly random ways.

I wish mom was still with us, but one day we will reunite with much rejoicing. And until that day, we will labor, and dedicate the remainder of our days to love God and love others well, and to work to serve our neighbors both locally and globally. I know that if she were here, she would continue to be so proud of each of us. I know she would be cheering us on alongside Dad, and she would be cheering Dad on as he maintains his health and faith so well.

Wherever and whoever you are, you have an opportunity today to make a choice. You and I have an opportunity each day to pour out a legacy of hope and compassion, to wisely steward the gifts we have been given, to love well, and to live well. And I pray we may live as an example worth imitating as we walk this earth, just like Mom.

Fairmont Senior High School Students Join Nuru International’s Efforts To Fight Extreme Poverty in Kuria, Kenya

Back in February, I had the privilege to witness a first in the short history of Nuru International. I visited a high school in north central West Virginia that had organized an entire week of events dedicated to raising awareness about Nuru’s work as well as raising funds to further our efforts on the ground in Kuria, Kenya. To my knowledge this is the first time a school anywhere in the country has dedicated an entire week to ‘being Nuru’ and, as a West Virginian, it makes me extremely proud to know that this school is in my home state of West Virginia.

Over the course of the week, students organized a variety of activities to raise funds and to ‘be light’ on their campus. (Nuru is a kiswahili word that means light and has a connotation of hope.) The week started with me visiting the school for an all school assembly to talk to students about the issue of etreme poverty, what Nuru does, Nuru's West Virginia roots, and how young people just like them are getting in the fight to end extreme poverty together with Nuru.  That same day, students and faculty were encouraged to wear their “We Bears Do Care” Nuru Club T-shirts, and wrote statistics on clothes pins and pinned  these to one another to raise awareness around the school about global extreme poverty.  The week progressed with students being able to buy glow in the dark bracelets, raise funds to participate in a ‘bucket walk’ , and culminated last Saturday with a 5K race on the campus of Fairmont State University.

To me, one of the most amazing aspects of the week was the fact that it was largely coordinated through the efforts of one teacher and a handful of students. Mrs. Adrin Fisher, an English teacher (and also a past graduate of Fairmont Senior High School and West Virginia University), helped her students form a club, get permission for the events of the week, and mentored them along the way. As a result of their efforts, more and more students and teachers began getting involved with the events of the week, and together they had a massive impact.

Over the course of the week, over 200 people joined Nuru International’s fan page on Facebook, and these students together raised over $2700 to support Nuru’s work on the ground in Kuria Kenya. I am so proud of these young people. As Mrs. Fisher noted, too often, young people from small town America are discouraged from believing they can do something really significant to make a difference in this world.  The fact that Nuru was started by Jake Harriman, a person from rural Appalachia (Preston County, West Virginia), really resonated with the students and served as an example that they also could step up and make a significant impact on our world.

I hope other schools around this state, country, and world, will follow the example of these students, and organize their own unique events and fundraisers to inspire even more people to join us in this fight so that one day, we can say that together we were the generation who ended extreme poverty, and helped people everywhere have choices and the opportunity to determine their future.