Creatively Changing the World

And so it begins...

2009-08-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

This blog is officially being retired...

Keep up with my new adventure story here:

http://youshoulddogood.blogspot.com.

Changing of the Seasons

2009-04-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there are difficult times in life--and you can't control what happens, only how you respond to those situations. This is one of those times for me. A time of change, growth, and strengthening.

There are LOTS of BIG changes going on right now...The blog will be back very soon! I promise!

For now you can check out my newest venture: www.615creative.com

down, but never out.

- david

We're not dead and no one has malaria...yet...

2009-02-12T22:26:00.000-08:00

So you may be wondering why it's been a few weeks since we blogged about anything...well we haven't even had time to think lately...

Briefly, here's what we've been up to:

01/16 - 10 PM - I finally arrived in US...in FL to spend a few days with Mom & Dad before hitting the ground running in Nashville...

01/20 - Noon - Back in the saddle...well Nashville at least, and back to work.

01/21 - 01/28 - Working tirelessly to get all of our Global Support accounting up-to-date...not a fun job...especially when we had a deadline to get our giving statements in the mail by 01/31.

01/29 - Drove down to Biloxi, MS for a Second Avenue Trade show.

01/30 - Second Ave Trade Show

01/31 - Drove back to Nashville...made it home to see Travis, as he returned from Africa

02/01 - 02/04 - Trying our hardest to pull off our Nashville "This Is Love" Banquet! Also working on some cool new vid's...they'll be on the web soon!

02/05 - 10 AM - This is Love Setup

7 -10:30 PM - Nashville "This Is Love" Banquet

10:30 PM - 12 AM - This is Love Tear Down

02/06 - 02/08 - Running errands and hanging with the coolest Australian you'll ever meet.

02/09 - Drove to Mississippi to get ready for Biloxi "This Is Love" Banquet

02/10 - Biloxi "This Is Love" Banquet

02/11 - Day Off (FINALLY! but i did have a migraine most of the day, not cool)

02/12 - Mobile "This Is Love" Banquet

Right Now - writing blog...so people don't think we're dead.

So that's pretty much it...we've been sending pics via twitter if you wanna see some photos of the banquets...you can also check out our Global Support Mission Facebook page...

We'll definitely be keeping the blog more up to date now that we have time to be sane human beings.

Also, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who had any part to play in making the "This Is Love" Banquets a success. All three banquets, Nashville, Biloxi, and Mobile, were great and we could not have done it without you!

~peace
david

A Quick Blog

2009-02-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

We are doing great and at the end of our trip. It's sad to be leaving, but I'm also super excited about getting back to the US and getting to work at home.... so so much to do!

The last few weeks have been amazing... but I don't have much time to go into details.

I haven't been able to post as many blogs as I would have liked... but I'll try and catch up. I have about 7 minutes to get this one up.... so hopefully it makes sense.

A picture is worth a thousand words... so I'm going to share a few pic's... they are from about two weeks ago. I will post another blog ASAP that has more recent photos.

Here you go!

Motorcycle training... gotta start them off young!

Doing an interview with a friend of mine who was suffering from Malaria.

Dinner in Fort Portal.

Paul was pretty happy about his card!

Rebecca helping the kids make thank you cards for our partners.

Katy working her photographer magic... the kids freaked over the polaroid pics!

Amy the artist.

Beautiful!

Art projects!

Speaking at the youth conference.

Some serious rope burn on the chest... and no I didn't make it across.

David saying goodbye at the staff meeting.

Taxi park in Kampala.

Cooper helping me do research on the profitability of the medical clinic.

My daughters (jk)... they're the best!

David teaching the accounting staff Quickbooks.

Cooper became a man... he killed a rooster for dinner.

Compassion=Action,

-Travis

Things I've Learned

2009-01-12T06:47:00.000-08:00

This is my last blog from East Africa. After nearly a month and a half, I've seen, heard, tasted, smelled and touched many things. Some of these things have either changed my perspective, reminded me of things I'd forgotten, reitterated my opinion, or completely opened my eyes. Here are a few of them (in no particular order):

Third world accounting can be very complex.
Over the past three weeks I've been working tirelessly with the accounts team from Bringing Hope to the Family (the org we work with in Uganda) to develop a better accounting system for the organization. The organization has grown so large that the previous system was not adequate enough. We have moved them from using paper ledgers to now using Intuit QuickBooks on the computer. I've been very surprised how fast they learned the program and how hungry they were to put it to use. The new system is much easier to use but...

Sometimes, in an effort to keep organizations accountable, funders/donors make it more difficult for non-profits to do their jobs.
The new accounting system we've put into place is only complex because of the special constraints put on some of the donations. Several funders/donors that our organization works with, require that their money be kept in separate bank accounts and that the org's receiving funds keep separate accounting records of the money being spent...Setting up these accounts has been very frustrating in that respect. We've had to develop special procedures just for these funders...I hope they feel special...we worked extra hard just for them.

Relationships are more important than the "mission".
Sometimes this one is easy to forget about. This job is about people, not about achieving a mission or having a feeling of accomplishment on the flight home. The goal is investing in individuals...investing in their future... The mission should be developing friendship and lives. Everything else is built upon that.

One by-product of the trust that comes from relationship is efficiency and effectiveness. The most difficult of tasks can be accomplished when people really trust each other. I think the problem is trust only comes with relationship and time...two things that many NGO's/people don't invest in.

Governments can be real stupid.
During this trip, this thought has passed through my mind more than any other. Then again, governments are made of people. But they can still be stupid. In so many circumstances on this trip, governments have impeded growth, stifled economic development, and stopped great ideas.

It's not only frustrating for us Westerners...(i know we have our issues, but) imagine visitors coming to visit you and telling you about an economic system with few barriers to trade...about a system that allows you to buy from whomever you want...you can sell to whoever you want, at whatever price you want...imagine feeling that your government, which is supposed to be a democracy working for the people, is the very entity prohibiting your success.

While we were in Tanzania, we discussed the coffee farming industry with a coffee farmer and the head of a coffee co-op. Their main question was "How can farmers get more money for their crops?" Unfortunately, the TZ government doesn't allow for farmers to sell directly to buyers...all coffee must go through the government...which means that the government sets the overall price of coffee because they are the final buyer. Economically, it's great for the government, but terrible for the peasant farmers. They can never get fair market prices, because the cap is set by the government... We explained that it was the government that was holding down prices, and that there was nothing that we could do to help them...we don't buy from government for this very reason...it's a stupid practice. Yes, in one sense, it keeps prices at a minimum...but it also keeps them at a maximum...it disrupts the whole concept of supply and demand...

(on a side note: i think this is one reason for idleness and unemployment in third world countries. it's not that people don't want to work, they do. It's because at some point the return on investment isn't high enough...if they are going to work hard, they should be paid for it...so they do just enough to get by...)

OK, so I'm getting off the soapbox and moving on...

People are people...even with all of our differences, we are SO similar.
This one is universal, not Africa specific. I've been thinking about this a lot. It's amazing that nearly all humans smile and laugh...use body language...enjoy relationships...feel sympathy...use their hands when they talk. But that doesn't mean we can assume we understand each other...different experiences create different perspectives...just something to think about.

~peace
david

Community Development

2009-01-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a book called Two Ears of Corn. It's about creating sustainable agricultural projects that are community oriented and led. It is written by Roland Bunch. He has written and expounded on one of the best definitions of development I've ever come across. His definition is one of the core philosophies of Global Support Mission. I would like to share this passage from the book.

“Definitions of development abound, but most people would now agree that, among other things, development is a process whereby people learn to take charge of their own lives and solve their own problems. Development is occurring where people are gaining the self-confidence , motivation, character traits, and knowledge needed to tackle and solve the problems they have by actually tackling and solving those problems.”

He goes on to say... “If this process is, in fact, development, two corollaries immediately follow. First of all, giving things to people and doing things for people cannot be called development. On the contrary, they are the very opposite of development. Secondly, the development process, whereby people learn, grow, become organized, and serve each other, is much more important than the greener rice field and fatter coin purses that result (speaking about agricultural projects specifically). Although the two must go hand in hand, the 'how it is done' matters more than the 'what is accomplished.' And the 'how it is done' must include constructive participation.”

The ideas that these two paragraphs communicate are so insightful! If you are interested in getting into any kind of community development, please please please get a hold of these concepts. I am inexperienced and green compared to so many people who are in my field of work, but it doesn't take long to discover that the “western world” has done more damage than good by just giving things to people and doing things for people.

So how do we, Global Support Mission, put these ideas into practice?

Our well projects with Bringing Hope to the Family (our network affiliate in Uganda) is probably one of the best examples I can think of. Clean water is a huge need in the communities where BHFT operate, and we are partnering with them to solve this problem. Like any other project that we work on, it is being led by the locals. Here is the process.

Locals hear that BHTF is assisting communities in digging shallow wells. They identify that there is a lack of access to clean water in their community and submit an application to BHTF. The application process includes a description of the need, how many families will benefit, commitment that the community benefiting from the well will provide labor, a committee of locals who will oversee the maintenance of the well, and the donation of land on which to build the well.

We supply the money, BHTF supplies the engineer and the community supplies the land and labor (as committed to in the application). The end process is a well that is built for half the price that the local government would build the same well and a community that takes pride and ownership in the accomplishment!

This is a picture of one of the shallow wells we financed this past year. On the base of the well it says it was built by Bringing Hope to the Family (our local affiliate). Credit to GSM is no where to be seen, and that is purposeful.

Let me share one last quote from Roland. “...all of us working in development must remember that our job is not to become heroes, but to make heroes out of the people with whom we are working.”

It is critical that our network affiliates are seen as the heroes in their communities, because they are! If the focus ever shifts to us and what we have to offer, than I would say we are doing a great disservice to that community.

As an organization, we exist to see a movement of compassion wipe out hunger, disease and extreme poverty, but it's a LOCAL movement of compassion that is going to accomplish this... our movement is merely a support role. I think our name says it all... global SUPPORT mission.

Compassion=Action,

-Travis

Random Things

2009-01-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

Blogs can't all be serious. So I'll be letting my hair down on this one.

Five Things I'm Currently Missing

5. Hot Showers
4. My Bed
3. Sleeping without a rooster outside my window
2. Technology (the internet anytime)
1. Ice Cold Cokes

A New Thing

When you travel as much as we have over the past few months, it's not everyday that you encounter a new experience...today though, was a different story...

(I'm writing this so that if you're every in a similar situation, you can aviod it...)

Do not:

Pop a breathmint in your mouth then walk into the outhouse.

Breathmints are great by themselves...

The outhouse is bearable by it's self...

But together...ugh...unbearable...it's way too wierd...i couldn't handle both extremes and had to expediate my visit to the outhouse...

Happy and Not-So-Happy

With limited internet access, it's hard to stay up-to-date with the NFL...since being here I've had a few withdrawl symptoms...i do miss watching football...especially in Dec when the weather gets bad, teams are jocking for playoff positions, and coaches are being fired. Here's what i just learned and how i feel:

I'm Happy because:

- The Titans are the No 1 seed in the AFC...they have a bye this week...congrats Titans...

I'm Not-So-Happy because:

- The Bucs fell apart in December. Though they were once leading their division, they didn't even make the playoffs.
- Long-time Bucs Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin has resigned to coach with his son at the University of Tenn. (maybe i'll be a Volunteer fan now, who knows) Maybe this addition will help UT beat the Gators...which is a good thing...

~peace
david

Ugandan Wedding

2008-12-31T08:22:00.001-08:00

We had the honor of attending our friend Jane's wedding. Here are a few pics from the all day event!

The bridal procession... some of the prettiest girls in Uganda!

Jane and her uncle making their way down the isle. I've been to several Ugandan weddings and I rarely see the bride smile... not sure why. Maybe it's all of ceremony they have to go through before the actual wedding day... it's quite exhausting!

The newly married couple!

My bro Ken singing his heart out!

More dancing and singing!

I couldn't resist!

We had to paint the church the day before...

Sanding and prepping for the paint.

David and his mad painting skills!

Some of the boys from Home Again roll'n it on!

Compassion=Action,

-Travis

Agriculture Done Well = Self-Sufficiency

2008-12-31T08:14:00.000-08:00

It could be argued that the title of this blog may not be 100% correct, but it's pretty close.

Here in rural Uganda we are mainly dealing with an agrarian society. Everyone farms. It's not a choice... it's a matter of survival. Farming practices are passed down from generation to generation, but in poor communities these practices are rarely developed. The incorporation of modern technology and advances in agriclutural practices are desperately needed. Without these advances, an agrarian society will become weak and unable to meet the demand of a growing population.

They need training! They need to be taught how to intigrate new practices with the old way. How to do things like make organic fertilizers and pesticides from local recourses to produce a higher yeild and healthier crops. I am by no means well educated in the area of agriculture, but I know a man who is!

We are working with a local farmer named Anthony Magambo. He is heading up the agricultural department of Bringing Hope to the Family. We helped finance the beginings of this new arm of BHTF and are excited about where it's headed.

Anthony is starting by developing new farm land to supply the needs of BHTF as an organization. Food costs are one of BHTF's biggest expences. Being able to meet the organization's food demand will be a huge step on the road to self-sufficiency.

He is also training the girls at the vocational school and has started an experimental community training program, with the intent of one day having a centralized demonstration farm.

Here are a few pics from a day spent with Mr. Magambo...

Magambo talking with David about a new banana plantation he recently planted to supply food to Home Again Orphanage.

Newly planted banana trees.

These bananas are called matooke and are one of the main sources of food here in Uganda. These trees are about 18 months old.

Beans are commonly mixed in with banana trees or potato fields.

This is a nursery that is being cultivated by the girls at the vocational school. This is their practical hands on training.

Kale, one of the few green vegetables eaten on a regular basis... and it's pretty bitter!

Maize, more commonly kown to us as corn. Here in Uganda they grind it up and make a flour called porsho.

Magambo and David talking about these newly planted potatoes!

Pepperoncini's... a new cash crop to western Uganda.

Magambo planted 2,300 pine trees! This is a long term investment that makes good use of land with poor soil.

A new piggery! This initative was funded by our friends from Canada.

Meeting at Faith's house with the top management from BHTF about lots of exciting things... especially the new agricultural projects!

Compassion=Action,

-Travis

Christmas in Uganda!

2008-12-25T10:44:00.000-08:00

These last three weeks have been a true safari (Swahili for long journey)... Nairobi to Mombasa to Arusha to Mwanza to Bukoba to Kayanga to Kigali to Mbarara to Kasese to Fort Portal to Kaihura! The journey has been incredible... beautiful landscapes, different cultures, amazing people and new friendships! I enjoyed every minute of it, but from the beginning we knew we had to be in Kaihura for Christmas!

We arrived in Kaihura the night of the 23rd. This small village in western Uganda is home to Bringing Hope to the Family, our flagship affiliate. They have a medical clinic, vocational school, orphanage that houses 47 children and another 1,800 children who are registered with the organization. Kaihura is a home away from home for me. This was my third Christmas in the village!

We spent the day with the kids at Home Again Orphanage. We helped serve them a Christmas feast and then just hung out with them for the rest of the day. These kids are some of the coolest people you could ever want to spend time with. They'll put a smile on your face and warm your heart. Once you get to know their stories and understand their background... it makes it even that much more impactful!

Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas day here in the village...

Faith and the girls getting ready for Christmas! Lots of preparations to be made.

Cooper learning the African art of beating beans out of their pods! He's probably never worked so hard on Christmas Eve.

Moses and me about to ride out to the country side to make some deliveries and pick up a few items for our friends up coming wedding on the 27th.

Rice, beans, beef, chicken, chapati, millet and the list goes on! This is one of the best meals these kids get all year and they definitely don't let much go to waste!

Chowing down and drinking soda!

It ncver hurts to have a little help with eating your food! This is little Favor and her twin sister Faith is in the background. They are two new additions to the Home Again family.

I think their fat and happy... I mean full and happy! This is little James (I affectionately reffer to him as cheeks), Victor (our poster child) and little Favor.

The whole crew on the front lawn of Home Again.

Christmas is SERIOUS business! This is cool little Allen.

Cooper and the Christmas tree... yes this is the Christmas tree. They look a little bit different over here... it's more of a limb than a tree. People have to be a bit more creative.

Hanging out with one of the coolest guys at Home Again... little Victor! He says Merry Christmas to all!

This lovely picture of our friend Cooper was taken by little Shearon... not bad for a seven year old.

And this little fellow is the community pet. I think the kids caught him at school. He doesn't look very happy... and I probably know why.

This has once again been a wonderful Christmas! What better way to celebrate the birth of our Savior.. the hope of the world.. than with children who have faced the horrors of this cruel world, but by the transforming power of Christ's love, have over come and been given a second chance!

Merry Christmas!!

-Travis

Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills

2008-12-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our last four days in the southern hemisphere were spent in the land of a thousand hills... better known as Rwanda. It was a short reconnaissance trip. We were there to get a better grasp of what was happening in the coffee sector and to begin networking with locals.

Rwanda is one of the worlds biggest producers of arabica coffee and the source of our first coffee line. We are currently buying our coffee through a broker, but this trip was the first step in the process of buying directly from the communities where the coffee is being grown.

We really enjoyed our time in Rwanda and are looking forward to getting back as soon as possible. There is still so so much work to be done! We're just getting started!

Here's a few pics from our time in Rwanda...

Members of a local church gave us gifts after we went to their church service. Their pastor, Pastor Maso, was assisting us in learning more about the coffee community. He introduced us to a local Gov't offical who showed us several large coffee farms and a wet processing factory.

This is a huge water collection pit. It provides the water for the coffee cleaning process. It is about 150 yards up hill from where the cleaning takes place.

The tanks where the coffe is washed. It was off season, so there wasn't much action.

The view from the other side. It was a pretty cool design and engineering. I really wished we would have been there during the harvest, so we could have experienced the whole process.

Bags of clean processed arabica ready to be shipped off. One day we'll be buying container loads of coffee just like this!!

Compassion = Action,

-Travis

Coffee & Kayanga TZ

2008-12-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

The ultimate goal of Up & Up Coffee is to buy directly from the farmer or local co-op. This is not the easiest thing to do, but we are determined to keep working towards this goal. We want to bring as much assistance to the local community as possible through direct business relationships... so here is a little bit of an insight into what it takes to accomplish this.

We were in Kayanga, TZ this past week meeting with local coffee farmers and researching the local farming and processing practices.

Here's a few pic's...

Meeting with the chairman of a local co-op. He helped navigate us through the coffee buying process in TZ and also supplied us with some samples of local Arabica.

We were in the country side most of the day visiting small farms. We stopped at a local pastors house for tea, andazi's and some roasted goat... once again a classic Cooper face!

Touring a local coffee processing factory with our friend Pastor John.

Filming the cleaning process.

Meeting with a group of local coffee farmers... very informative!

Headed to Rwanda to meet more farmers! We are standing over the river that separates Tanzania and Rwanda... the waterfall behind us was huge!!

Compassion = Action,

-Travis

Kayanga, Tanzania

2008-12-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

The third leg of our journey brought us to a small town called Kayanga. It is located in the mountains of northwestern Tanzania... in the Karagwe district. We started building a relationship with a local visionary named John Mulokozi this past April. Pastor John, as we refer to him, is a local pastor and the founder of Christian Vision Ministries.

CVM is a small but ambitious organization. They conduct vocational training in the areas of tailoring and carpentry, they started a preschool program for orphans and disadvantaged children, and they have a group of widows that they work with.

They have also organized community groups throughout the district. These groups have been brought together to help each other and assist the disadvantaged children that live among them, but the catalyst for organizing these groups came from a partnership with Heifer International. These groups were trained by the local gov't in better husbandry practices and then received cows from Heifer Int'l. Heifer Int'l donated a limited amount of cows so many of the groups are still waiting to receive a cow... and most of the groups are made up of over 30 families.

We really enjoyed our time in Kayanga and are looking forward to the continued growth in our relationship with CVM!!

Here are a few pic's from our time with Ps John and the CVM family...

Meet Pastor John! One of the funnest easy going guys in all Tanzania! ...and he's a visionary!

This is the carpentry training center for CVM... small space with a big vision!

The tailoring shop for CVM. Forty students have graduated from their tailoring program.

This small simple structure is where the preschool is conducted. These are few orphans and widows greeting us with a song and dance.

Meeting with one of the community groups.

This is a hefeir that was given to the group above through our Know.Think.Act program. A youth group from TN started an action group and raised money.

I got the honor of helping Ps John with a baptism service. It was a little bit different from how we do it in America. They damed up a stream down in a valley.

I'm not a big fan of being in water where I can't see what's going on below the surface, so I can only image the courage it took for those who were getting submerged!

A picture of some crazy mzungus that Ps John has on the wall in his office.

26 oranges, 40 tangerines, 6 papayas, 12 sodas, 4 eggs, 1 bag of coffee, 26 tomatoes, 1 bag of 70 strange bad tasting orange things, 1 bag of roasted peanuts, a hand woven grass fiber tea set, 2 hand woven grass fiber pot pads, and a massive jack fruit! We received all these gifts in one day!

This was taken as we were headed out across Lake Victoria. Mwanza and it's rocks... looked like something out of Gulliver's Travels! This pic doesn't do it justice!!

Compassion = Action,

-Travis

This Is Africa: Transportation

2008-12-21T06:44:00.000-08:00

With every trip comes a saying or a phrase that is used throughout the trip, usually to the point that it is overused, but still it's used to explain the trip...this trip's saying was first used by Cooper, referencing the movie Blood Diamond..."TIA:This Is Africa."

We've been using this phrase every time we encounter a difference in culture or a hardship while traveling. As you can imagine we've been using the phrase a lot. From the realization that African time is much different than our time (meaning meetings tend to start late, at least 30 min) to encountering price gouging while trying to buy bus tickets....TIA. I can dream of an Africa in which examples like these are the exception to the rule, but for now, This Is Africa.

This blog is about the difference in transportation...TIA.

Traveling is probably one of the most dangerous and uncomfortable things anyone can do while in Africa. So far, we've traveled by boat, plane, train, bus, minibus, motorcycle, and small car. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages in price, time-to-arrival, and safety.

Here are some examples from our travels:

We took a train from Nairobi, Kenya to Mombasa, Kenya...we were supposed to arrive at 10am, instead we arrived around 2pm...we seem to have stopped in the middle of the night...for 4 hrs...

We took at bus from Mombasa, Kenya to Arusha, Tanzania...it was an older bus with bad shocks...8 hours of that will make anyone very sore...

Shortly after leaving Mombasa, the bus started slowing down. A crowd was gathered in the street, and once we passed the crowd I saw why they were gathered...someone had tried crossing the road without looking for on coming vehicles...unfortunately, a tractor trailer was coming...the police who were at the scene tried to cover the area with a sheet, but it wasn't enough...i was disturbed by what I saw and once again we were reminded...TIA.

We then took a bus from Arusha, Tanzania to Mwanza, Tanzania...this journey, or "safari" in Kiswahili, was by far the most dangerous that I've been on. The trip started bad. After we got on the bus, a guy imitating a bus worker tried to con us into paying him a "bag fee" of 5000 TZ Shillings per bag...in all the traveling by bus we've done, we've never heard of a "bag fee." This guy was messing with the wrong guys at 6 am...none of us were in the mood to be haggled...got to give it to the guy, though. He tried everything he could...but to no avail...TIA.

Finally we were on our way... About half-way to our destination, our driver attempted to make up some time by speeding...several passengers on the bus started getting angry, but the bus driver didn't seem to care...every time he would hit a pot hole, the angry passengers would start standing and yelling...after about 5 min, they had had enough...they began to rush to the front of the bus.

At the same time, another bus began passing us...keep in mind these are dirt/gravel roads...our driver must have lost concentration, the two buses collided! Glass and gravel were flying through the air...the window in front of us had shattered everywhere...both buses began swerving because of the high speeds...finally, our bus slowed down...the driver's side mirror was also destroyed and was in pieces throughout the bus...amazingly no one was injured...but the passengers were NOT happy. We thought there was going to be a riot. Luckily, there were two other bus workers on board who finally talked the people into sitting down...it was CRAZY!!!

That yellow thing is a piece of the driver's side mirror...i still can't believe no one was hurt by all the flying glass.

The final TIA:Travel experience was when we were traveling by bus to Rwanda...while passing through a national forest in Tanzania, we had two escorts with machine guns board the bus for security reasons...TIA.

Here are a few more pics of us traveling :

This is a picture of us crammed in a minibus. There were about 20 people packed in this thing!

This is Travis sleeping on the boat we took from Mwanza, Tanzania to Bukoba, Tanzania...it was a 4 hr trip across Lake Victoria. They recycled old plane seats...it was pretty cool!

Even though traveling in East Africa has been one of the most dangerous things we've ever done, we've also seen some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. So far we've seen giraffes and ostriches on the Serengeti, herds of cattle and camels on the train from Nairobi, and the fertile mountains of Rwanda. These sights were awe inspiring and can never be fully encountered unless seen in person.

~peace
david

Week Two in Kenya

2008-12-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

The second leg of our journey brought us to the city of Mombasa. It’s a port city on the Indian Ocean in eastern Kenya. Our primary purpose was to spend time with a young visionary named Peter Ochiel. Four years ago, at age 24 he founded an organization called Action Ministries. We met him earlier this year and after hearing his heart and vision for the future of the organization, we knew we had to get back and spend some concentrated time with him!

Meeting with Peter after spending the whole day celebrating with the staff. Every year they set aside the first weekend of December to come together as an organization and thank God for what has been accomplished through out the year. They also eat, sing, play games and share vision for the year to come. It was a good day!!

One of the places that Action Ministries is working are the slums of Mombasa. They started working with this family because of little Sophia (sitting next to Peter). They found her with a severe burn on her right leg (you can barely see the scare in the pic). It was exposed and unattended to. In the process of getting her proper medical attention they discovered she had three other siblings and that their mother was single and jobless. They are now working to put the children in school and have created an income generating project for the mother.

Meet beautiful Sophia! When I get discouraged and wonder if the problem is just to big... it's a picture like this that keeps me going... that reminds me the only way to change the world is one little Sophia at a time!

Eating lunch in the slums. Beans with a little maize mixed in. This family lived in a one bedroom mud thatched house with iron sheets. There was just enough room to walk around the table and their bed is just on the other side of the gold sheet... their hospitality and willingness to give when they have so little (in earthly possessions), is why in reality they are much richer than many of us in the "developed world".

Action Ministries also works in a leper camp outside of Msbweni, a village on the beach about an hour south of Mombasa. At one time there was a Leprosy Hospital. People from all over came or were brought for treatment. Because of the stigma attached to the disease, most never left... even after they were cured.

They formed a camp next to the hospital and settled in. The camp was called Tumbe (cursed)... that is until four years ago when Peter discovered the camp, heard their story and started
Action Ministries. Peter told them they were not a cursed people, but a blessed people. Their settlement is now called Blessed Camp... and it truly is a blessed place!!

Most of the older people in the camp are missing fingers, toes, feet, etc. The devistation of the disease is evident, but hope is just as present... especially in the kids! The Leprosy is almost completely wiped out and their is a whole generation of healthy children running around the place... but there are still many challenges to over come, but with the help of Action Ministries I believe they will!!

A fresh catch! The guy who caught these fish was pounding a large octopus with a big branch just to my right. It's a huge blessing that they are able to fish... because of the stigma of living in a leper camp, many of them have a hard time getting jobs.

This is the only well in the camp and it is running dry.

This elderly man was kind enough to let me take a photo with him. I can't remember his name, but I will never forget shaking is hand. He had no fingers.

Few more fun pictures to document our trip to Mombasa...

Out front of Terminal Hotel in Nairobi... getting ready to walk to the train station. We will be backpacking it from here until we get to Uganda.... to much traveling to bring a suitcase.

We were filming an early morning blog hanging out the window a bit... good lighting, Kenyan country side moving in the back ground... when all of a sudden a zebra came out of no where and started running next to the train right below us! Pretty crazy, not sure if I got it on film.

Just woke up on the train to Mombasa. I had to post this pic. Cooper's face is priceless!!

The view from our cottage on south beach in Diani. You can't go to Mombasa without spending a few days on the beach! We've been traveling nonstop since the beginning of October and have another two months to go... so it was a much needed rest! On a side note, Blessed Camp is about 30 minutes from here.

Compassion = Action,

Travis

Finding the source

2008-12-05T05:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody!

Tomorrow we'll have been in Kenya for a week and already so much has happened. We were in Nairobi the first five days and then took a train out to Mombasa this past Friday. This blog is an attempt to give you a glimpse of what we did during those five days in Nairobi. Our purpose there was to build a supply chain for Second Avenue Trade. It is our desire to develop DIRECT trade relations. By that, we mean buying directly from those who are making the product. That is easier said than done sometimes.

Outside of organizing a co-op of women ourselves (what we're doing in Uganda)... we have to get out and find the source ourselves. That means very, very long days pounding a lot of pavement, usually skipping lunch or eating really late, lots of crowed noisey matatu rides, and worst of all dealing with "sharks"(that's what we call the brokers or middle-men).

A lot of times we start in the market. We were in Nairobi earlier this year in April and spent a whole day at the Masai Market. We found product we liked, bought small amounts to test the american market, and built a list of contacts. Sometimes the person selling at the market is the actual artisan... sometimes not.

We found two of the guys we had done business with earlier this year (they were the actual artisans)... and through a series of events located a co-op of wood carvers, two brothers who manufacture bone products, and a group of talented artists in the village of Gachie who craft anything you could ever want out of banana leaves.

I wish I could go into more detail about how we go about this, but that will have to wait for a personal conversation when we get back. Let's just say it's risky and challenging, but very, very rewarding... that's probably why I enjoy it so much.

I have to end here... but below are some pics from Nairobi. I apollogize for their layout. I had some problems and it's not so easy to fix things over here. I plan on posting another blog this weekend highlighting our time in Mombasa. I hope you enjoy!!

This is a man carving a statue. He was a part of the co-op we found in Nairobi.

Meet Richard... he's a "shark" We're smiling but don't let it fool you. We don't trust him one bit. Sharks try and scam us and we use them. He led us to the co-op above. Thanks Richard!

If you bought a pair of aluminum or brass earrings from us, there is a good chance this man made them. Incredible craftsmanship. His son, Gabriel runs the business and also makes earrings.

David and Jack working out a deal. Jack does a lot of bead work. Great guy!! We bought some really cool multi-line necklaces from him.

Light pouring in against bone dust in the basement (where the bone workshop is) of a multi level building on the out skirts of Nairobi. It was pretty intense!

This pic is out of order (as far as the creation process) but this is where they do the final touches on the bone jewelry. Still in the basement.... but you can breathe a little better in this room.

Camel bones... mmmm... I'm thinking about making some soup! The big white dots are flakes of bone floating in the air.

Turning nasty bones into beautiful jewelry. Don't freak out on us and think we are promoting sweat shops!!! These guys are of age and very grateful for their jobs. We are looking forward to helping the owners improve the working conditions as our business relationship progresses.

Meet Benson (in the middle) and his little bro. They are the owners of the bone workshop. They started by making the bone themselves (just like the previous photo) and have grown so much that before the election violence earlier this year they had 20 employees. They almost went out of business during the unrest, but Benson sold his car and they made other personal sacrifices to keep the business going. They had to cut the staff down to nine. Benson is an incredible guy with great vision.

Meet Geoffrey. He lives in a small village outside of Nairobi called Gachie. He can make anything out of some wire and banana leaves!

Promote Trade, Create Jobs, Change Lives.... that is the goal of Second Avenue Trade Co. This trip is the beginning of some very exciting equitable business relationships and the opportunity to see lives changed through mutual benefits in commerce.

Compassion=Action,

-Travis

2nd Ave Trade Christmas Event!

2008-11-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

Our 2nd Ave Trade Christmas Event was great! Thanks to all of you who came out and bought some cool products and helped us make a difference!

i wanted to get more video, but my camera ran out of battery power... :-(
oh, well...if you weren't there...you need to be there next time!
~peace
david

Christmas City Day One

2008-11-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from Christmas City (Day One):

The above video was shot before we setup...

This one is after setup.

End of day one...ah, finally...i need some sleep.

~peace
david

House Parties

2008-11-08T16:22:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics from the last 2 house parties...

Thursday night...

Friday night...

Getting ready for Christmas City...

Travis tagging baskets....

Me stamping bags...

Turning Sympathy into Compassion

2008-10-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

In the early days of GSM we talked a lot about the differences between sympathy and compassion. Some would argue it's just semantics... and I can see their point. I would probably lose that debate... I'm not an English major. But I believe there is a fundamental difference in how these words are lived out... there's more here than Webster's telling us.

In my humble opinion...

Sympathy, is an automatic emotional response to awareness. Compassion, is a conscious and deliberate physical response... or action. You could look at it this way. Sympathy is the door to compassion. It compels us to do something. It urges us to respond. The problem is as long as we stand outside the door, we haven't made a difference or changed anything.

Sympathy is easy. We feel good about feeling bad. It helps us ease our conscience.

Compassion on the other hand requires more of us than lip service and pity.

So, why do we settle so often for being merely sympathetic and not compassionate? I'm just as guilty as anyone. By just looking at my own life I would say there are three main road blocks to living a consistently compassionate life.

1.) Fear (which is usually rooted in pride)

I think the hardest part is just making a decision to step out... over coming our fear. It's not as hard as we sometimes make it out to be. You don't have to start a non-profit to be a compassionate person. It could be as simple as giving someone a hug, a helping hand, or introducing yourself to the "loser" at school that no one wants to be associated with. It's really that simple.

2.) I don't feel capable of making a difference, or I'm not sure how to respond

All compassionate acts make a difference. Every action has a reaction... you just might not see it. And once again, you don't have to do anything incredible. For example... some new friends of ours Yvette and Erica (who are AWESOME!) raised almost $1,000 in one night by going to the movies... a movie called Call and Response... they responded before they even saw it! Read about it for yourself.. http://dollybellamy.blogspot.com/

3.) I just don't care enough

We need to get over ourselves. I believe a life of compassion will not only make the world a better place, it will bring us joy and a life with little regret. I don't know about you, but the things I regret most in life are the times I could have made a difference and decided not to.

Turning sympathy into compassion is a CHOICE... and it's a choice that only YOU can make.

Compassion=Action,

-Travis

Passion & Purpose

2008-10-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how the most mundane task can set your soul on fire... when it's for a purpose.

****

David and I are in the back of the fellowship hall finishing off some cake, while everyone in the rest of the room is watching our first short documentary, Victor's Story. We're both very tired and hungry. I just want to eat something bigger than a little piece of cake and go back to bed, but I can't... so I try and focus on the video.

I've seen it a million times. Nothing new. I could close my eyes and know what scene it is just from the music. And ah! ...here it comes... my horrible overdub. I mutter my usual excuse, that we recorded it at 3am and shake my head.

As the video progresses little Victor comes into the story and my eyes start to water. I realize how long it's been since I last watched the video. I can't help but smile as I reflect on that incredible day when Victor was rescued off the street and given a new life... a life full of love, hope and opportunity.

The video ends and I'm called up front to speak.

***

Since then I haven't been able to stop thinking about purpose and passion and the incredible things we can accomplish when our passions find purpose. The more I think about my purpose, the more passionate I get! The more passionate I get, the more I want to fulfill my purpose!

I believe God has given all of us the same ULTIMATE purpose in life... to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves... but HE didn't give all of us the same passions.

Every person on earth has passions. The question is, have those passions found their purpose?

These are two of the greatest forces at work in my life. They're why sometimes, the most mundane task can set my soul on fire!

Compassion=Action,

-Travis

This Past Sunday

2008-10-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

We had the honor and privilege of being able to set up our stuff and share at Emmanuel Fellowship (Brady's home church) and Every Nation Seattle this past Sunday. Here are a few photos...

Taking over the world one email at a time!

Me... and a nice lady in a blue shirt.

David the salesman... changing the world one necklace at a time!

Driving to a night service at Every Nation Seattle.

And that's how we do it!

Compassion=Action

-Travis

Some Thoughts

2008-10-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Seattle's been great so far! This pic doesn't do it justice, but the view from where we are staying is amazing...

So anyway...enough about the inspiring view...oh, and fyi this blog will be me just typing some thoughts as i think them with very little editing, so here goes:

Stories are great. They inspire me to do what i do--NO-- they inspire me to do more than what i think i can do. They push me to think outside of myself--out of my little world around me. They encourage me to be a better person; to be more than i am now.

Isn't that what we all want anyway? To be better today than we were yesterday? To be better tomorrow than we were today? Yeah, i think...i think that's what i want. but how?

how do we "become" better people? I think CS Lewis said the answer could be found in mere imitation...ie, a girl learns to become a woman by imitating her mother. An apprentice becomes master by imitating the master...etc.

this doesn't mean that you put up a front and act holy in front of certain people...it means that if you what to make a difference in your community, you imitate the people who are out there doing stuff--those getting their hands dirty. You get out from behind the TV and out on the streets. You get into your local after school program to volunteer, or go to a soup kitchen and serve meals. You get on the internet and do some research on good organizations to get involved with. Don't just give your money... be apart of what they're doing...invest in the future.

As you act you actually become a better person. You will start thinking different thoughts. Your dreams and passions will begin to change. The whole world starts to open up to you and life will look totally different. Your conversations will change. Your wants will change. You will realize things you thought you needed were really just wants...life will change...you will become different--BETTER!

ok, so after writing all of this...i kinda feel like the inspirational speakers that i like to make fun of...so i'll wrap this up...basically, it's really not that hard to make a difference.

It just requires a little action. Trust me, if a selfish and disorganized guy like me can do it, you can too.

The Next Four Months

2008-10-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

David and I have been on the road for almost two weeks now. It's been pretty great thus far and we're just getting started. Los Angeles and San Diego are in the books. Now we're in Seattle. Here's the rest of the itinerary...

Portland, OR
Nashville, TN (home for 2 days)
Biloxi, MS
Baton Rouge, LA
Mobile, AL
Nashville, TN (home for 6 days... almost a week!)
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Biloxi, MS

November 30th, I fly out of New Orleans, David (who goes to Flordia instead of Dallas) flies out of Tampa, and our buddy Cooper flies out of Nashville.... we'll meet up in Amsterdam. Then the next two months...

Nairobi, Kenya
Mombasa, Kenya
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Zanzabar, Tanzania
Kyanga, Tanzania
Kigali, Rwanda
Kaihura, Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
Jinja, Uganda
Kasese, Uganda
Entebbe, Uganda

Yep, that's the next four months. I'm going to try my best to blog a lot, so check in often... it should be pretty interesting!

Compassion=Action,

-Travis

Just arrived in Seattle

2008-10-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

We arrived in Seattle last night...we're staying with some friends who have a studio apt downtown...the view of the city from their place is AMAZING!

The last few weeks have been great! Travis and I were in LA and San Diego speaking at church groups to inspire a movement, setting up house parties for 2nd Ave Trade, and meeting with potential donors about funding Know.Think.Act. It's been incredibly exciting to meet new people who share our passions.

I can say with no reservations that i really love what i do...and the people that i share my life with.

~peace
david

A lame first post...

2008-09-10T19:28:00.001-07:00

Grand Opening Sale!

no but really, I'm going to try this blogging thing...not sure if anyone wants to read my thoughts, though...

~peace
david