Thank You Team!

I think today is the day the world was supposed to end.... glad they were wrong.

Today was the end of an era for me though.  Officially, this was my last day in my role as VP of Enrollment at Harrison College.  Next week, I move over to the Chef's Academy and begin a new era.  There is a lot I can reflect back on over the past five-and-a-half years and feel very good about.  I entered into this position with a timeline of 3-5 years until I wanted to transition to something else, so the timing is right and the next opportunity is very exciting.

I have had some really great teams in the past and have worked with some very talented people, but I have to say that the team I am leaving has been one of the best groups of people I have had the privilege of working with.  The core group has been six administration team members (7 including myself) for the last three years with others joining more recently as we restructure.  I could spend some time talking about their work professionally, their expertise and how competent they are but that's not really what I will value the most from my experience working with them - at least not the things that will matter in the long term to me personally.

I chose to come to work at Harrison because of the culture boasted a balanced philosophy of Faith, Family, Health, and Job - all very important values to me, personally.  I made no shame in sharing the importance of my family and my commitment to my them as a priority in my life.  As I shared with my team more of myself and my family they came to do the same.  I've had the privilege of watching couples become parents, parents grow and share, and families become friends.  This team grew into a work family themselves because each person was willing to openly share who they are, what they believe and value, and in the end receive acceptance from the entire team.  Each person brought a very different personality and perspective to the group that after some bumpy starts, became a team trait that was valued within the team.  Our individual differences made us collectively stronger. What resulted was not just a group of co-workers, but a group of people with genuine relationships who saw the strengths and faults of each member but worked tirelessly for each other and for the betterment of a vision they all helped to build and develop.

This group embraced an approach of always moving forward (IMUA) and working with the priority of the student experience at the top of the list. There was celebration when that experience was a good one and collaborative problem solving effort when we fell short.   As a team, we were not perfect, but we worked hard to be the best we could be and called each other out when we sensed opportunity.  That ethic and determination will be something I remember and hope to achieve again.

I don't know if others share my same high opinion of this team, but no one has worked more closely with this group that I have and as a result I am confident in the knowledge that I had the honor and privilege to lead a great group of people the past few years.  I have been blessed my their impact on me personally and professionally and I will miss working closely with them on a daily basis.

So "Thank you, Team!" I can't say it better than that.

Countdown to Haiti - 28 days

Ok, I know I just announced that I'm going back to Ghana in February, but before I go on that trip, I'm going to Haiti in January with Kids Against Hunger!

For the last few years I've enjoyed all the different opportunities our family has had participating in KAH packing events and about a year ago was really feeling led to try and get involved even more.  I started taking on more responsibility in running the packing events done at Northview, but also began working to bring this type of service activity to Harrison College and other organizations I am involved in.

1 bag of KAH food, provides 6 meals

After a food pack a few months ago, I came home and was debriefing with Marcy about the event.  I told her that night that I thought it would be amazing to be able to go and be part of a team that delivers these meals to those people who need them.  To see the process come full circle and how it impacts real people would be powerful stuff.  In my head I was thinking some place international, but later thought I could probably have an equally powerful experience if I just went to downtown Indianapolis where some of the meals are distributed and served each month.  That's still on my list to do.

Anyways, a few weeks later, I got a phone call at home one evening asking me if I would be interested in being part of a small group representing Kids Against Hunger to travel to Haiti and deliver meals that have been packed here in Central Indiana.  The purpose of the trip would be to document and tell the story of what happens after the packing events - to meet the people and tell their stories whose lives are impacted by the food and the work of Kids Against Hunger.   I said 'absolutely' without even talking to Marcy (not the most sensitive thing to do, but have I mentioned how amazing, supportive, and understanding my wife is?!).  Fast forward a couple months and we're 28 days from going!

We had our first training session today and it was great!  I knew very little about Haiti, but after today I know a little bit more.  This will be a very different trip than Ghana and I am anticipating a difficult trip in many ways.  I look forward to sharing much more about this outreach trip over the course of the next month and beyond.

I'm heading back to Ghana!

I spent a significant amount of time over the past year sharing thoughts and stories about my experience leading up to my trip to Ghana, West Africa this past March.  As I indicated in the posts after I returned, the experience and the people I met through the mission trip had a profound impact on my life.  More importantly though, I really felt that because I was obedient to his calling, that God used me in some great ways that have helped me to grow personally, spiritually, and even professionally as the lessons learned have helped me grow as a leader as well.

How I tried to describe my last trip to Ghana...

Apparently, God's not done with me yet in Ghana because I am heading back to Ghana in February 2013 with another Global Outreach team from Northview Church.  My role will be a little different this time as I'll be one of the team leaders this time - I look forward to sharing what this difference means and how it impacts both my preparation and overall experience over the next couple months.  Tonight was our first meeting as a team, and although not everyone was able to make it, I left the meeting excited about what God has in store for our group.

Northview's partner in Ghana, Manna Mission, is a place filled with wonderful people who give their lives to minister to and love the people of Ghana.  I look forward to returning to West Africa to work alongside them to serve and help some of my Ghanaian brothers and sisters in need.  I will certainly be blogging and sharing the experience this time as well, so I hope people will follow along and be praying for the entire team, and the staff at Manna, as we prepare for this short term mission trip.

More to come....