Bad at Names

I am really bad at names.  Everybody says they are bad at names but I really am.  Yesterday I was told that a little girl died in an orphanage Annette and I have helped in the past.  I spent a considerable effort trying to get straight which orphanage was being described.

Finally I said the one where my son played and laughed with the kids in the rain and I slept on the floor?  Instantly my sons face and this other wet face popped into my mind.

The moment is crystal clear in my memory of these wet happy faces gathering buckets of rain water.  The laughter and the joy that filled the air that night will live with me forever.

This morning I asked for a picture of the little girl that had died of typhoid.  The picture shocked me to my core.  The face is the same face that I envisioned.  This one really hurt.

I'm sorry I didn't ask your name then.  I'm sorry that even if I had I would not have remembered your name today.  I will remember your laughter and the joy you brought to my ten year old son forever.


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Post Traumatic Growth

Wealthy

"Happiness = Satisfaction / Desire"    Anonymous

“If you have enough money to satisfy your desires, you are rich. But there are two ways to be rich: You can earn, inherit, borrow, beg, or steal enough money to meet expensive desires; or you can cultivate a simple lifestyle of few desires; that way you always have more than enough money.”  Dave Ramsey, lots of people, but I think Dave Ramsey will get traffic to this blogg

Rich = Wants / cash flow   

Step one—Ask for God’s great blessing and He is bound to bless you

I pray that God will give me "Super Natural Favor"  I have had this every day since I accepted that this is what is intended for me.

What is "Super Natural Favor?'"   Annette has been using this term.  I did not slow down enough to process what she was saying.  There is a distinction between "favor" and "super natural favor."   The word "Supernatural" has always made me flinch.  Annette using the term "Supernatural favor" bothered me.  This raised my awareness to others using "Super Natural Favor" I agreed with Annette.  We (Annette & I) have been given "Super Natural Favor".  

Natural favor must be earned, but supernatural favor is a gift. Natural favor says, If you work hard enough and long enough, some people will like you some of the time.

But that acceptance must be maintained, and having to say and do all the right things becomes a form of slavery. God does not expect us to run around trying to earn favor with Him or with others. 

Example I liked "God isn't impressed with us for climbing the mountain, he made the mountain." Keith Loy

God expects us only to do God's will whether it is popular or not. Just do your best and leave the results to God.

Annette's prayer as long as I have known her "God grant me the courage to do the next right thing."

 Step two—Ask and God will enlarge your territory (Grant you success)

I pray that my territory continues to grow.  Last week was a prime example of this, I thought that my territory had shrunk by 700 instead God was showing me that my territory was already 70,000 and I was not to doing my part.

 Step three—Ask and God will bring a touch of Greatness to your life 

By being persecuted I'm showing that it never was me that was doing these things it was my God through me.  By being stripped of the distractions that money and possessions bring, I was able to finally see that I am much more.  

Step four—Ask and God will keep the "Appearance of impropriety" away.

In my case, I pray that the devil remains using incompetent tools.
I pray that, "Appearance of impropriety" stays outside and does not return to within my family.

This week I have people asking me how are you going to make money?

Money does not = Happiness

I will not go back to the "happy does not exist" rant.  But, one thing that is beyond question is that money is not the answer.

My wants/things that will satisfy me are very simple.  

I want my wife to be left alone.    This one I know is unattainable, she is not capable of walking by somebody in need that she has the ability to help.  Annette's foundational prayer "Grant me the strength to do the next right thing."  Will always keep this out of reach.  It is good for a man to want and to have something to strive for.

I want our influence to continue to grow.  I want time with my wife and kids.

This is unrealistic an assistant attorney general is a very powerful enemy to have.  They have the power of the State the "Department of Criminal Investigation" as staffers.  This is unimaginable power.  I have seen people intimidated, threatened for supporting Annette.

I want people to look beyond the headlines, and see that they could be next to be attacked.  The accusations are horrific with no facts.

Money is not the answer.  There is not enough money that any single person has to do this.

Mission Field: South Dakota

11/17/2012

I strongly believe that Annette and I have been given a three fold mission reset, renewal and reform for South Dakota.

Reset: the easiest way to do this is to take teams to Haiti.

Annette prays this before every trip, "god please allow them to see only what they can handle"
The first few times I heard her do this I didn't understand. The more people I expose to Haiti the more valuable these words become. It amazes me how a beautiful act of kindness will be happening right in front of us and the team member will focus on the need for the building to be painted.

When the team returns to South Dakota the team member will end up noticing the need in South Dakota. I thought they missed in Haiti. The team member will eventually start working on the noticed problem in South Dakota.

I call this a "hard reset" resetting what the team member sees as important.

Renewal: remind them what it feels like to care.

"Nobody cares until it becomes personal to them."

Mission based: take native Americans, addicts, kids, teens, families, churches to Haiti. No matter what personal injustice they have incurred Haitians have it as bad and with less.

Disciplined: teach personal accountability, you can't control the results but you can choose the path.

Reform: total
Self: open, honest, willing, transparent
Community: should be held accountable, once the population sees the benefits from living this way they will expect it from leaders as well.
School: what and how is being taught. Creativity and Critical thinking are what needs to be taught. Not, memorization.
Health: personal accountability, financial means and what is the outcome need to be held to up same standard of accountability. The individual needs to do everything in their power to do their part.
Accountability can only happen in a small group setting. Ideally an individual would be long to several. Group of peers, group that is inter generational in their chosen profession, family.

Social concerns are important; ends and means are important. What is the best possible outcome, what is the exit strategy?

Prevenient Grace

I have not heard this term since I went through my confirmation class. I was confirmed United Methodist around 1982.

Prevenient Grace, "There is nothing this man can do to save himself. Outside help is his only hope." John Wesley founder of the Methodist Church.

I need to reread John Wesley's "Appeals to man of reason and religion." I think I would take more from it than I did when I was twelve.

Water Project Success

Water restore to a shit load if people.

That's a meaningful mission trip.

Preventive Health Strategies

11/26/2912

Working with local community leaders in Haiti to make sure water is restored to 70,000 people Meaningful missions believes in direct support. Meaningful Missions finds the individuals in a community then makes sure they have what they need.

This community needed water. Meaningful missions talked to community leaders to find out what their water solutions were. The plans were well thought out and obvious. This was an obvious preventive health strategy, meaningful missions had the ability to help and we did.

The Preventive Health Strategies used only Haitians to do this project. The only support given was direct financial support and accountability. Training Meaningful missions local leaders to always follow up and make sure the work is completed and that nothing else is needed.

Eighteen local leaders showed up to "meaningful medicine" accountable.

Www.meaningfulmedicine.org

Preventive Health Strategies
1) See the need
2) show compassion, observe, learn,
3) If possible meet the need.

The mayor explained to me "help tomorrow just means you are not going to help my people today!"

Water was restored to this community.

Traffic jams

I have experienced traffic jams on this trip to Haiti.

Reasons for the traffics jams. If you have worked in Haiti or any other third world country you have experienced the rounding that happens in translating.

Think of the game telephone now it goes down a long line of people gets to your translator who tries to explain the situation to you.

Transportation taxi jams:
1)Accident: I understand this one
2)Bridge out: happens in America too
- this added an hour to our commute both directions everyday
3)The bridge is out and somebody has blocked the detour bridge on purpose.
4)Heavy commute traffic: rush hour happens in America too
5)Vehicle stuck in a pot hole and needs to be pushed out.
6)Police stopping every vehicle
7)One lane road and heavy traffic from other direction
8)Funeral procession
9)Communication Errors with driver
- end up at the right business wrong location
- driver doesn't arrive on time.
- because he runs into one or all of the issues listed above
-missed church yesterday because driver got to us two hours late
10) livestock crossing the road
11) Market Day- Some communities the market is right next to the only road going through town. This can bring traffic to a dead stop.
12) Americans- trying to help. Guaranteed will stop traffic
13) celebrations - same thing happens in America, Macy's thanksgiving day parade. Feels random as an American though.
14) Being lost
15) Donkey loaded down with things for market won't move.

Drop off

The little kids in the back of the tap-tap are being dropped off at a Haitian orphanage.

The whole experience brings back memories of taking livestock to market in the back of a pickup with my grandpa when I was a kid. The only difference being that at least some paperwork was done on the livestock(a check if nothing else).

https://www.meaningfulmedicine.org/donations

Cleaning up the Garabage

Preventive Health Strategies

This garbage pile has been her since 2008. Every time we drive by it Annette gets pissed "Why? Hasn't anybody cleaned that up?"

God works in amazing ways. This week I met the mayor of the community with the garbage pile.

Thanks to the many supporters on this trip the mayor is personally overseeing the cleaning up of this garbage pile today. On a Sunday!

Let me make that clear "today!"

New mayor!

God put us in the right place at the right time!

I wonder how many times the previous mayor was given the resources to do this job.

Happy birthday Annette!  It is because of you that this garbage is being cleaned up today.

Getting this garbage cleaned up is going to prevent lots of health problems both long term and today.

This is meaningful. Thank you to everybody that supports

www.meaningfulmedicine.org
God is good!

Inspirational YOUTUBE videos

I am stuck in a traffic jam in Haiti.  I have been thinking about youtube videos that inspire me.

1)  Hans Rosling: Stats that reshape your world-view

2)  Derek Sivers: How to start a movement

3)  Simon Sinek: Start with Why

4)  How to live before you die - Steve Job explains

5)  Barry Schwartz: The paradox of choice

6)  Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

7) 1989

8)  Cure for Alcoholism

9) One Red Paper Clip

10)Abundance 

Tap-Tap is moving!!

This is a Haitian "Tap-Tap"