Why?

For the past several months, I have been planning a 5K event to support La Coma, Haiti.

Why?  How did I get here?

Last July I joined my church (First Church of Christ in Burlington, Kentucky) on their annual mission trip to Haiti.  I decided to go on this mission to Haiti, because I'm a leader in the student ministry and I felt I had an obligation to go.   What I didn't expect was my attendance was needed more as a follower than as a leader.

Early in the trip, before we left the plane in Haiti, I had misplaced my cell phone.  For the next two days, I was consumed with thoughts related to my phone.  Is someone racking up a bill over a thousand dollars?  Is someone calling & messaging all my friends & family?  Will the airline find my phone?   Will I be able to get a replacement iPhone.  I wasn't just consumed with negative thoughts, but my mood was wrecked. Everyone was enjoying & embracing the experience, but I was worrying about worldly possessions to the point that other people on the trip knew what my focus was on.  Certainly, I knew my behavior was misaligned and I tried all I could do to correct, but I just couldn't change my attitude.

On our first full day in Haiti, we finally arrived at La Coma.  After exiting the bus, I was informed that the group I was leading would be responsible for that evening's VBS.  My phone was still on my mind, but now joined by my worrying about delivering the perfect VBS lesson that I felt we weren't prepared enough for.  Of course as life goes, our VBS lesson went better than I expected.  By being a vocal point of that night, I started to integrate myself into the environment as young teenagers started asking me questions about my age, family, etc.   It was in these moments that my worrying about my phone and about leading the perfect lesson became insignificant.   Those moments were about bonding with my fellow man and finally softening my heart to their experience.  I won't deny that I came into the trip with harden heart burdened by insignificant worries.  These first conversations started a week long change a of perspective in myself.  You learn to complain less about the difficulties of your life.  Try riding in a bus in Haiti, you won't care about another pothole in US ever again.

So what led me to this 5K?  While in Haiti, I learned to be participant as I watched other leaders embrace their niche.   A teacher becoming an educator of the English language.   A midwife & a paramedic addressing the needs of a pregnant woman.  A sales manager successfully guiding a team of 32.  In my life, I am businessman trained in the world of project management.   We live & die by planning every little detail.  In college, I was responsible for the impossible task of leading fundraising for a business fraternity of over 40  overly extended college student forcing them to dedicate themselves to fruitless tasks like concessions at a football game.  If I could do this, couldn't I do something more for something more meaningful.

Towards the end of my trip, I overheard a conversation with the minister of La Coma.   He was listing the needs of the church.   Some seemed simple (Bibles, can you imagine the easiest book to find in the US being a luxury in Haiti?) and some seemed impossible in their surroundings (a sound system), but it was in those moments that I felt all my experiences in life through many narrows paths lead to one important objective.  To help launch the church of La Coma, Haiti by fundraising for their financial needs.

I'm nothing special by myself.  I believe what I am doing anyone else can accomplish.  However, I have been given the experience to accomplish something greater than myself.   I cannot imagine the everlasting impact I can bring to this community by offering the financial resources they need to complete the roof of their church.  I know many Americans are disenfranchised with the Christian Church, and I cannot blame anyone for that reaction, but Haiti does it right.   Their church is about helping the hungry, the sick, and the weak.  

This site will be used to share my experiences, so you can understand why I am begging and pleading for so many of my friends to participate in this event.  This event isn't for me, but it is for my friends in Haiti who deserve so much more, but still find a way to find happiest in everything they do.

Register today at www.heartforhaiti.tk.   Thank you everybody!