"Field Posts"

Have you ever been fired from a job?  I have.  It doesn't feel good.  But, have you ever fired yourself from a job?  It's not easy at first, but in the end, it feels great! Do you have too many jobs?  Do you wear too many hats?  Sometimes, you have to fire yourself from a job in order to focus on the most important, and in order to engage others in those other jobs.  We often actually rob others of a blessing and opportunity by hoarding tasks and responsibility. Recently, I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to prune, trying to evaluate where I should remain focused, and what I should let go and let others do.  Everything seems to have value, but not everything will be the most strategically important in the long run.  I want to be a change-agent.  The most successful way for me to influence change, is to focus my God-given energies in the areas that will have the greatest long term impact.  Where can I have the greate...

So I thought this would be a slower month for us here.  It is a slower month team-wise, with just one team already come and gone, and the next one not arriving until October 12th.  This is always the perfect time to get caught up with all the administrative work and work on getting ahead with responsibilities, planning, training and team-building with our staff.  And we’ve been able to do this!  Just yesterday Rob was talking about how we, as a leadership team, want to be proactive vs. reactive. Well, a few weeks ago Rob and I were discussing how we needed to have quite a few branches in the trees around our yard trimmed.  We should have been more proactive, because today we are handling the after effects of a huge part of the tree over our covered outside area crashing down in the middle of the night and completely destroying the roof.  No lack of excitement here… There was no wind or rain last night.  Looks like there was termite damage in the t...

I couldn’t be more excited.  The picture below is our team of 5 Partnership Facilitators (Perguens, Pierre Rony, Frantz, Manno and Parick), plus 2, their direct supervisor (Benjamin – Field Administrator), and his right hand man (Benson – Project Supervisor).   Although we are all learning, the 5 facilitators have been in boot camp style training (they still are, but they can’t stay).  We are calling this team our “1:12 Partnership Facilitators” (some other day I will explain the 1:12 bit). It’s going to take many more servants behind the scenes, but these are at the core.   We believe in our Haitian staff and we are committed to empowering them and releasing them to change the world. Now, it is time for the next step.  It’s “Go Time”! We’ve been preparing.  We’ve been dreaming.  We’ve been calculating.  We’ve been praying.  We can’t wait any longer.  What do I mean by “Go Time”?  The 5 Partnership Facilitators will be ...

I get a lot of credit for the things that other people do simply because I'm the leader. But to be honest without the people that surround me I am nothing. I'm grateful for the people that have gone before me to set the foundation, to set the table, to prepare the way, to invest in my personal development. Without my bosses (past and present), without my coworkers, my team, my wife, without our supporters who faithfully support us financially and with lots of prayer, without my extended family, I am nothing and I will accomplish nothing. Most importantly without Jesus I am nothing. It is only because of what he is doing in me and through me that I'm able to lead and do what I do. I just got done reading toda's entry in You Versions study, " The Leadership Style of Jesus ".  Great reminder. Here is a direct quote from the study... "But Jesus was not driven, as so many leaders are today, by the need to receive credit, applause and attention. He was dri...

I love new beginnings.  They are a chance to start over, begin again, hit the reset button.  Since returning from vacation August 22nd, we’ve had a busy time of new beginnings!  August 22nd was Tessa’s birthday and we celebrated her turning 7 years old. It was the beginning of another year of her life. August 23rd, new RMI missionaries, Greg and Star Harvie, arrived on the field (all the way from Nebraska).  For them especially, this a very significant new beginning: one they will mark every year they are here.  The past week has been full with helping them get settled into their new host-country and home, showing them the ropes and field orientation: all with the goal of helping  set them up for them for success in their ministry with RMI and in Haiti.  September 9th, they start language training.  This whole year will be filled with firsts for them! August 26th was the start of a new school year for Drew and Tessa (3rd and 2nd grades, respe...