Changing the world.

About 5 years ago, I had an idea. It was a really big idea. I was in a business meeting, and we were asked to break into small groups and discuss some personal goals and aspirations. At that time, Katie and I had just begun exploring the possibility of adoption after seeing the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. So my mind had been soaked with images from the news,  children walking aimlessly amongst the rubble and ruin. At the same time we had been looking through pictures of other children from adoption agencies longing for a home.

The question came to me. “Jeff, what personal goals do you have?” My answer?

"I want to change the world."

I sensed that my colleagues thought I may have lost a few marbles. But I had said similar words before. Upon finishing college, the vision statement on my resume read; “To change the way we use communication.” Big britches indeed.

Since that meeting, I have been exploring ways to use communication in ways that reshape the way that we think about the world. Using it in ways that truly change us and make it better for others. Having worked as a communicator for over 15 years, I have worked alongside artists, learning designers and MBAs, gaining insight into how to engage people in communicating complex issues. I believe that there is a way to tackle some of the worlds’ largest issues by communicating them in ways that people can understand, connect to, and ultimately change.

Mama Catherine (left) and the children that Sixty Feet serves.

I truly believe now is the time. And I am inviting you on a journey to solve these complex challenges.

Over these last five years, we have met some amazing people doing some amazing work. Ministries that offer daily child care allowing single mothers to work, earning money to afford them the ability to keep their children fed. Groups doing the selfless work of removing jiggers (fleas) from children's feet so that they can be healthy and go to school. Amazing people, doing extraordinary things.

There is one ministry that we have felt a deep connection to. One that is trying to solve big problems. One that works with children that are neglected, with no hope. Down a winding dirt road in a secluded area outside the capital city of Kampala, Uganda, is a place where children are placed in prisons. Chained to bars, with no medical care or advocacy. No hope or restoration is in their future.

Winston Churchill once described Uganda as "the Pearl of Africa". He was describing the beauty of the land. There is no shortage of water in this lush African country. Yet like other African countries, much of Uganda’s water is polluted. Experts say that crystal clear, clean water is often less than 60 feet below the ground. Water that changes these peoples' lives forever. It is humbling to think that less than sixty feet below the dusty little feet of these orphans is the purest water they could ever drink. However it is just out of their reach. Everything seems just out of the reach of these children, but Sixty Feet is doing something about it.

Providing children with medical care, education, gospel, counseling, and justice.

Sixty Feet seeks to provide hope and restoration to these imprisoned children, in Jesus’ name. These children are in this place as a result of abject poverty. AIDS, lack of education and medical care provide no alternative than for these children to fend for themselves. Some have resorted to petty crimes to support themselves, thus complicating matters. What these children need is an advocate. Someone to stand in their corner and give them hope that there is a brighter future.

We are currently aware of six total remand homes around the country that are in various stages of need. Our prayer is that through the work we are doing in the capital city of Kampala, we can provide a similar model of care that ensures that all of the needs of the children can be met.

In addition to Uganda, other countries have invited Sixty Feet to discuss similar issues and assist them with solutions. Additional support will enable us to equip these centers with the proper tools and structure needed, offering these children a brighter future.

Today, there are many reasons to be hopeful about the future of these children. There are many Ugandans in country that care deeply for them. They are on the ground providing care and education. There are other areas where Sixty Feet has come alongside and are offering counseling, justice advocacy, and medical care. Change is taking place. Other countries in Africa have heard about the work that Sixty Feet is doing and would like their guidance in solving these seemingly insurmountable challenges. They too, need process, structure and support.

That is where you and I come in.

We can build a bridge that connects them to their hopes and dreams. Hope born out of the gospel. Being the hands and feet of Jesus.

We can not do this work alone. A holistic approach involving other partners is critical.

• Ugandan government officials; Ministers of Gender, Labour & Social Development and Justice have provided great insight and partnership.
• Ugandan pastors and educators have stepped up to ensure the children are loved and cared for.
• Sixty Feet team and partners are providing counseling, medical care and judicial support to those who are in great need.
• Friends of Sixty Feet are community members who include people like you, who believe in developing systems to support the growth of the ministry.

Last month I left my 9-5 job to take up the cause for these children. To change the world. Katie and I will be working full time with Sixty Feet to develop communities of change, engaging people, organizations and even other countries in understanding the challenges these children are facing, and to become part of the solution for this, and future generations. We will also be traveling routinely to Uganda to minister to these children in tangible ways. Helping in-country staff accomplish the goals together we have set out to achieve.

We are excited about this next chapter. Excited to offer hope to children that currently have none. Would you partner with us by contributing to this worthwhile effort? Thank you.

(Your support is tax deductible. Friends of Sixty Feet and Sixty Feet are 501(c)(3) Corporations, and the ministry is an ECFA member and a Silver participant with the GuideStar Exchange.)

Sixty Feet to hope.

Turning 40 is a big deal. Sure we are living longer than ever before and the big "four zero" is merely pit stop on the highway of our lives, but it's still significant. Like others, I now see turning 40 as a celebration of someone's life, rather than a concern for its brevity.

Well, my wife is turning 40 this year, and her life is definitely one worth celebrating. It is her silent (and maybe not so silent) strength that keeps our family running. And running would be a fitting word. Because for the last 6 years, she wakes in the early hours of the morning to exercise and get a respite from managing a demanding family of 8.

And while this re-energizes her, it also fuels her passion for giving back. Ever since adopting our two incredible Ethiopians, we have both been broken by the immense poverty and need that exists in our world today. Our trips to Africa painted a vivid and dramatic picture of how the rest of our world lives, and how poverty can cause a multitude of challenges for its' people.

...like digging beneath the surface of their circumstances to uncover their heart.

So now? She runs with a purpose...to support those who have nothing. In April she will once again toss on her running shoes and tackle the Nashville Half Marathon. This run marks her 5th half marathon in the last six years. And for those who train for these races, you can likely attest to the determination and physical strength it takes to prepare and run these distances.

It's hard work. I mean what's harder than getting up and running 13.1 miles?

Maybe being caught in a cycle of poverty? Having no access to basic medical care? Being imprisoned for begging?

Much harder things indeed. But solving these needs at the most basic level can lead to, dare I say, the critical work, of digging beneath the surface of these children's circumstances to uncover their heart. To help them discover, maybe for the first time, what their hopes and dreams are.

So my wife is turning 40. And she wants a present...

She wants to give hope. Hope for those who have nothing.

I could tell you that your gift is tax deductible, and that 100% of your gift goes directly to the work on the ground in Uganda through the ministry of Sixty Feet.

But what I will tell you is that your gift will make a significant difference by providing basic medical care, education, justice, counseling and the Gospel, to children who need it the most.

Thank you...and Happy Birthday Katie.

 

 

The advent of you.

Advent. It represents the "coming" of the birth of Jesus (the first advent) and the anticipation of His return (the second advent). These times in history are worthy of distinction, because of the individual's life that they highlighted. Jesus' life was one that created immense impact.

But I want to talk about our advent.

We each have a story. It begins with our birth and ends with the closing chapter. Through the pages of this story are words that reflect our life. Each page chronicles the choices we make and the legacy that we will leave. All to often this story is full of white noise. Countless pages of fuzz that make no distinction and define no character. We are hamsters turning the same wheel in endless rotation.

How many remember the mobile bookstore that always came to school with the "fun" books that all of us really wanted to read? No more boring library books that told stories we didn't particularly care about. My personal favorite was the Choose Your Own Adventure books. The appeal to these books is that we got to choose the direction the story went. I mean how cool is that?! Who wants to read a book that always has the same ending?

You may have heard the Choose Your Own Adventure analogy before. But what's interesting to me is that we continue to choose the safe route, "The hamster jumps into the wheel: Go to page 34". We may make slightly interesting choices to mix things up, but how many times do we take the "The hamster jumps from the moving train: Go to page 52" choice? Probably not often enough. Sure it's easy to take risks when it doesn't involve us. But when it's our own lives that are in question, the choices become much more calculated.

Without risk, there is no distinction.

 

As we begin the Advent season, our thoughts are usually restricted to Christmas. Mr. Claus, his little pointy eared minions and all the gifts that we share. But for some of us, our thoughts steer towards those of a small baby, born in a barn. And although this birth was in less than ideal circumstances, this was typical to the time period. However, despite this simple and humble beginning, a child born of a virgin and a reluctant father, would end up changing the course of history and saving us all. The turns His life took were risky. And yet those risks created incredible distinction.

Am I the only one that draws a parallel here? Sure, we were not born to save the world, but were we not created in God's image? I don't find it a coincidence that our lives start with a humble beginning just like Jesus. We get up and go to work, just like He did. But as His story unfolds, He begins to realize that He was created with a purpose. He makes choices that reflect risk and ultimately defines a person that is set apart. He began to realize that the pages of His book were epic. And in the end, what an incredible adventure that unfolded.

Do we have that same belief? Do we believe that our only choices are limited to what clothes we'll wear today? What route we'll take to work or what we'll eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

During this Advent season when we see the Advent calendar and remember the birth and second coming of the King, take a moment to think of your advent. Your life is like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Filled with choices that create a story that could be worthy of distinction. Take risks. Live boldly.

• Be with your loved ones instead of watching the game.
• Donate $100 instead of $10 to your favorite charity.
• Go serve at a soup kitchen instead of giving canned goods.
• Be a missionary instead of reading their newsletters.
• Adopt or foster a child instead of wishing their circumstances were different.

Are you living a life that is full of anticipation...expectant of the incredible pages your life has yet to write?

Let your advent begin.

Parachute pants of hope.

I remember one Christmas as a teenager when I had really hoped for a pair of parachute pants. Y'all need to understand something. This was the 1980's. My life would not be complete without a pair of these pants. These were the ticket I needed for my passage to acceptance.



I dropped more hints on my parents than I had ever dropped for anything, ever. Even more than the Izod shirts I would ask for in the years to follow. And trust me people, I wanted those little alligators. Or crocodiles...whatever. There was nothing as thrilling as the anticipation for Christmas morning as I would await the nylon awesomeness that would soon adorn my legs.

Christmas morning came and went. No parachute pants. That morning I received a one-way ticket to Uncool-ville.

Until my Mom told me that Christmas wasn't technically over. We still had the trip to my grandparents later in the week. Now don't get me wrong, I loved my Grandparents. Awesome sugar cereal? Check. Candy handouts in the middle of church? Check. They were great. But reality check here people, I'd be shocked if they knew anything about these pants. I mean come on.

Cue the emminent crushing of my hopes.

I waited patiently for my turn. The box was shaped like your typical "clothing" present. Could it be? No. No way. Narrow, flat, and rectangle, the box headed my way. A few rips...and there they were.

I heard angels sing. Seriously.

I tried them on. One size too small. I didn't care. They were mine...and I wore them all year long. I may have even slept in them.

Here's the thing. Hope is an anchor. But we often treat it like a feather on a breeze...or a pair of parachute pants.

Hope comes alive when it finds a place where it can sink deep and permeate our lives everyday. Cast it overboard and hang on tight.

http://bible.us/Rom8.23.CEV-EN

 

Dr. Leo Marvin

My wife and I were talking a couple of weeks ago about how easy it is to get overwhelmed by gigantic tasks. Ones that require a lot of time and energy. Or even lots of little tasks that add up to significant amounts of work.

Here's the thing, thinking with a big picture point of view can definitely provide you with a more holistic view of life, a challenge, etc. However, it can also prove to be extremely nerve wracking if you start seeing all the little things begin stacking up on each other, becoming one immoveable mountain.

Therein lies the challenge between big and small picture thinking. How do we reconcile this tension? How do we strike the right balance between thinking holistically, and doing the small tasks in front of us?

We start with...baby steps.

I'm reminded of Bob Wiley, Bill Murray's character in "What About Bob?". In the film, Bob is encouraged by his therapist, Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfus' character) to begin dealing with his fears by taking baby steps. "Baby steps to the front door...baby steps down the hallway...baby steps into the elevator."

We all have certain ways we approach life. Some of us see things from an altitude that is more conducive to big picture thinking. And yet others are perfectly fine tackling what's right in front of them.

The key to accomplishing any task, is understanding what perspective works best for what you're trying to do. Baby steps work great for chipping away at large projects, and thinking in the big picture thinking works well for when your stuck in the mud.

Regardless of how we approach life, it's important to remember that our altitude can greatly impact our attitude.