Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Here's the lowdown
Hi Friends! As many of you know by now, I will be going to Haiti for a few months to do short term missions work! It's all very exciting (and a little scary) and the story goes like this...
I have been contemplating going into business for myself for a few years, attempting to determine how God could best use both my skills and passions. He has answered by placing a slightly crazy (if you know me), but lucrative, business idea on my heart. It could potentially allow me to work with missions organizations in underdeveloped countries but because I had never participated in a missions trip, I decided to get some experience in this arena.
I contacted a Christian missions organization in Haiti that has a long-time partnership with my church group from Purdue and asked them if they needed any help in their business office, not knowing that there was a huge need. Turns out they can really use my help getting much of their business operations in shape - they are so busy running their core business functions (agriculture and horticulture plus medical clinic & school) that they don't have time to focus on process improvements.
I went down there for a long weekend in mid-June to check it out and see how I could be of help and saw a lot of room for improvement. It is a totally different world down there - a beautiful land with smiling people but in a chaotic environment with severe poverty everywhere - a big lifestyle shock for sure. Haiti is the least-developed country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world, and it shows. I have to confess that after my initial trip down there, I wasn't hopping to get back, but the need is real and I believe that God will also use this experience to provide additional experience for someday running a business of my own. My current plan is to leave mid-September and return mid-December.
The name of the missions organization is Double Harvest and here is their website: DoubleHarvest.org (While this website gets their main points across, I plan to tackle a website redesign project while I'm there!) I will tell you more about the organization in future postings. Here are some photos I took during my June trip.
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Speaking of mid-September to mid-December, everything is falling into place and all road-blocks are being removed. I got an email last Friday from a gal from my old church group at Purdue who has a friend that needs a place to stay for 3 months during her occupational therapy internship in Chicago... during the EXACT time period that I was considering leaving (mid-Sept) and along the Chicago El Blue Line (where I live). When I got the email I didn't even realize it at first - I was trying to figure out who she could stay with until it hit me in the face - THIS EMAIL WAS FOR ME. Whoa - signal received. I had not even prayed about this but what a blessing to have someone pick up some of the slack on my mortgage while I'm gone. Crazy, huh? Please pray for this divine appointment to get firmed up soon.
Please also pray that my employer allows me to take the time off! My employer has a generous leave of absence policy but I can only take up to 3 months off before some of my benefits expire - so I am going to request 3 months off! Some employers provide partially subsidized leave of absence policies for employees taking time off to work for charitable organizations. I am not aware of a similar policy at my employer, but you never know - the head of my organization (who needs to approve my time off) is a major supporter of charitable organizations and has a heart for the needy. Why not go ahead and pray that she responds generously towards my request? God is good and can use anyone for his amazing purposes!
I do not know how God will use this Haiti experience, or if the original business idea will ever come to fruition, but I ask that you please pray for God to use my life in all the perfect ways he has planned for me.
# posted by A*Dub @ 7:04 PM 
Comments:
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I haven't been able to read all of your posts yet (alot) but I am impressed with your work and your time there! Keep up the good work. I'll tell everyone at work about your blog. It's cool!
Phuong
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Phuong
# posted by 
: 10/13/2006 10:19 PM
: 10/13/2006 10:19 PM << Home
