Stories of Inspiration

Pauline's New Business

March 2006

This is Pauline, a woman I met during one of my trips to Nigeria. When I met her she only had one of her children at home living with her. The other children were living with others because she could not afford to care for them. She had a small business at a local market. After I heard her story, I put her in touch with Promise Keepers, a microfinance corporation I helped to start. We were able to give her a $50 loan to increase her business. She expanded her business to include starch and laundry soap, which was enought to make a decent living. All of her children were able to return back home to live with her. Such a small amount of money makes such a great impact on many. Pauline is just one of the many women I have met in Africa who have inspired me through their tenaciousness and determination.

Rwandan Reconciliation

February 2011

One of the highlight of my international work was being asked to visit an organization in Rwanda called REACH-Rwanda. Reverand Philbert and his staff work tirelessly with the Rwandan genocide victims and perpetrators. In the picture at the left you see the woman whose face has been marred from slashes from a machette. The machette was swung by the man to her right. REACH-Rwanda holds reconciliation seminars which are making huge impacts throughout the country. As the perpetrators are now being released from prison, REACH works with them to build homes for the victims families as a way to give back.

Charles & Ida Weather Hurricane Katrina and Press On

Fall 2006

I first met Charles & Ida at a visioning seminar in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The city was a complete disaster zone. It was one year after the Hurricane. I had been hired to work with the communities of the Upper and Lower Nineth Wards to assemble a post-disaster plan in order to rebuild. Ida attended one of our visioning sessions. She was a spitfire from the very beginning, and was determined to take care of her family. All of her children lived close to them in the Upper Ninth Ward and they had all lost everything. Her husband Charles has recently went through Chemotherapy for cancer was was recovering. The people of New Orleans were struggling just to get FEMA trailers to live in while they repaired their homes. Ida tracked the FEMA representatives down and tenaciously secured a small trailer so they could begin the long arduous task of rebuilding. Of course, I loved Ida the first time I saw her as I listened to stories of what they had been through. She took me in as one of her own, invited me to her house each time I was in New Orleans to eat the wonderful Louisianna cuisine. In spite of her circumstances, she persevered and today her and Charles live in their remoded home enjoying their retirement. She is active in her community and is constantly giving to others. What an inspiration!

Little Joy's Adoption

Fall 2005

What an amazing story. My long time friends Jeff & Nealy Brown were sponsoring one of the King's Club kids in Nigeria. Nealy had asked me to pick a child for them to sponsor. I immediately thought of Ngozi. At age 8 she was preaching better than many pastors I had seen in the U.S. Nealy was exactly the same way. Ever since I have known her, she has preached to anyone who would listen. So during a visit to Nigeria in 2004, Ngozi was in my room and she said "I want to come to America, Sister Joy". I told her that she would have to pray and ask God if she was to go and that He would work it out if it was His will. Unbeknowst to us the very week that Ngozi and I were having this conversation, Jeff & Nealy were discussing the option of possibly adopting her. They did not know alot about her situation but decided to ask. A year and a half later, the 3 of us were headed to Nigeria to finalize the adoption papers and bring Ngozi, who took the American name "Joy" home to America to live. She was malnourished and struggled with school in Nigeria. Many years later, through much transition, Joy finished high school early, graduated with great grades, finished college, is finishing her Physician's Assistant license and is married with a family of her. She is now helping others in Nigeria have better lives. It is a full circle. Thank God for people like Jeff & Nealy. What a testimony to God's goodness and faithfulness.

Nigerian King's Club Kids Living in Shanty's

Fall 2004

Many of the Nigerian King's Club kids walk miles to attend our program there. These particular kids live in the shanty that you see behind us here in the picture. One boy specifically walked for 5 miles to attend our program one Saturday. He had no food or water for the journey. Then after the hour long program he walked the 5 miles back home each week. What are you committed to in life? What would you be willing to walk 5 miles to get? Would you do it every week? These kids inspire me and challenge me every day of my life.

African Boy Asks for Prayer

Fall 2004

This young man attended one of our outdoors King's Club programs in Nigeria. As you can see from his worn sweater, he didn't have alot monitarily. Yet at the end of the program, he came up to me and asked me to pray for him. My heart broke as I realized how blessed we are to live in America. Here was a young man with what many of us would consider "little" yet his priorities were in the right place. We can be monitarily rich and spiritually poor, or we can be monitarily poor and spiritually rich. I believe this young man was spiritually rich as you can tell from the picture he was happy. Are you happy with what you have and where you are life? At the end of our program we feed the kids. On this particular day we fed them cheetos. He took the package after finishing the contents inside and wore the bags on his feet. He had no shoes.