One of our most challenging goals in working with the extreme poor is helping the vulnerable provide for themselves and attain financial freedom. Raising incomes can involve many facets, including psychological hurdles. There are cases where individuals are unable to…
I once, maybe I still do, considered myself a romantic. Before my wife and I were engaged, I loved writing her romantic letters. I would spend hours crafting the perfect sentence or thinking about what part of her personality I loved…
This morning I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal about the widening gap between rich and poor countries as a result of the pandemic. I thought it was interesting they tracked remittances as a measure of impact.…
Recently I was on a stroll through the center of town in Jackson, WY. Just off to the north is St. John’s Episcopal Church. At the side of their sanctuary sits a large labyrinth. Legend says that the design was…
If you were to ask most people their thoughts on the concept of weakness, by and large, the response that you would expect is that weakness is a thing to be avoided. We often consider weakness as something shameful, ignoble,…
Can you believe it? 2021 is almost over! A year ago, we could not wait to close the book on 2020—a year spoiled by fear, sickness, loneliness, and frustration. But now, at the end of 2021, many of us still feel afraid, sick, lonely,…
UPDATE FROM HAITI: December 24, 2021 Cap-Haitien: Good news, our partner churches are moving forward offering help to the victim’s families from the gasoline explosion. A committee of church members is finding the families and listening to their needs. Praying…
Who doesn’t love getting Christmas cards? The sweet family photos, the stories from your out-of-town friends, the glittery paper creations. Filling the front of your refrigerator with a colorful collage of those you love. Even though you can’t stick this…
What we think about the poor and how we meet their needs makes a huge difference in their ability to work themselves out of poverty and see them succeed. Conversely, if what we give them isn’t meeting their real needs,…
When a tragic situation like the gasoline explosion in Haiti takes place, where 71 or more people were killed, it is hard to understand how this could happen. A gasoline truck swerved to miss a motorcycle and toppled, spilling its…