Nine Year Old Summits Kilimanjaro to Raise Awareness for Clean Water Needs in Africa

This is an AWESOME story of amazing determination and faith. Please repost and share with others!

Sterling, VA – On July 2, nine year old Parker Phillips, a rising 5th grader at Lowes Island Elementary School in Sterling, became one of the youngest Americans in history to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain on the continent of Africa and one of the fabled Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.

The Tanzanian Parks Authority certifies each person who successfully summits any one of three points on the summit rim of Kilimanjaro – Gillman’s Peak, Stella Peak, and Uhuru Peak which is the highest of the three. Parker and his father, Todd Phillips, pastor of Frontline, the young adult ministry of McLean Bible Church, reached Gillman’s Peak together with 21 other young adults from the ministry.

“I would love to climb the rest of the Seven Summits if my Dad will let me,” said Parker who will turn 10 years old on July 19.

“Parker definitely has what it takes to summit four out of the fabled Seven Summits based on his performance at Kilimanjaro,” said Parker’s father Todd Phillips. “It’s interesting to note that in climbing to Gillman’s Peak at 18,638 feet Parker has already climbed higher than the summit of Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Vinson, and the Carstensz Pyramid.”

Gillman’s Peak stands at 18,638. Mt. Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, stands at 18, 510 feet; Mt. Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica, stands at 16,067 feet; and the Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak on the Australasian continental shelf, stands at 16,023 feet.

Parker, his father, and the 21 other climbers chose to attempt Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and charitable contributions for an organization his father started called The Last Well. The stated mission of this non-profit organization is to provide clean water, border-to-border, to the entire nation of Liberia and to share the message of Jesus Christ with those we serve. In just the past year, adventure trips like this most recent one have raised some $200,000 for their mission and have served nearly 50,000 Liberians with clean water in Christ’s name.

Video of Parker and has father Todd at the summit may be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3IiLRJcYbg

If you would like to interview Parker for a news story, please contact me directly and I can make the connection for you.

Feed a Child, Save a Life

As many of you know, on my recent mission trip to Kenya, my medical mission team had the unique opportunity to serve two feasts to the children and families we worked with in Eburru and Kibera. I am so thrilled to share with you that these children are feasting again this week, even as we speak.

After our team’s return in January 2008, the 15 of us, under the leadership of fellow teammate Jeff Trexel, prayerfully decided to move forward with starting a foundation to continue supporting the work we were partners in during our mission trip. Specifically, our hearts are burdened to equip local ministers and leaders to accomplish their own dreams of assisting poor, destitute and abandoned children in Eburru, Kenya. We named the foundation David’s Hope International, after a young abandoned and destitute child we met while we were there in January.

In order to formalize much of the foundation planning, our founder and CEO, Jeff Trexel, traveled to Kenya to do some reconnaissance and advance work as we prepare to finalize the parameters of David’s Hope International. Jeff has spent the last 3 weeks living and working alongside our partner in ministry there on the ground Pastor Steve Njenga and his wife Mary (pictured right). Pastor Steve and his ministry partners have big dreams of caring for the lost and forgotten children of their communities in and around the Lake Naivasha region of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. As our team witnessed first-hand in January, the needs in this region are huge and meeting these needs will mean life or death for many living in this region. As Jeff has further witnessed and confirmed, the situation is much more dire than we originally anticipated.

The livelihood of the people hinges on the livelihood of their crops. The livelihood of their crops hinges on the livelihood of the rainy season which typically happens January – May. This year, the region has seen rain only two times during the rainy season. Not much of a rainy season at all. This is having a drastically negative impact on so many aspects of life in Eburru. This unusual and unseasonal lack of rain is causing crops to fail – a death wish for a town dependent on agricultural production for life. Eburru is just about to enter a harsh three or four month period of no consumable or sellable food while the corn, potato and wheat fields move through their growth cycles, assuming the rains continue.

Upon hearing this news, Jeff reported the situation back to the team here in the U.S. and within 24 hours we raised over $1000 US for Jeff to use to buy food and feed the starving in Eburru. Folks, in a town where people live on $2 US a day, $1000 US goes a LOOOOOONG way. Under the recommendation of Pastor Steve and Mary, these funds are being used, as we speak, to feed many different groups of people, specifically children, who literally have not had a square meal since our team was in Kenya in January. This is the body of Christ in action. This is living out the Gospel, or as Rich Stearns would say, filling the “Hole in our Gospel”.

Why do I tell you all of this? Primarily to give glory to God. Jeff has shared back with us many stories of malnutrition, starvation and death from Eburru and I think its incredible that God sent him back, at just the right time, to provide for those in this community who are facing death due to lack of food.

I also share with you to ask for your prayers. God alone can move mountains and when God’s people pray God responds. I have never felt more burdened to pray for the livelihood of our brothers and sisters in Kenya than I do right now. I pray that you will join me in remembering our friends in Kenya and ask God to provide for all of their needs according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

Finally, I write this today to invite you to be a part of David’s Hope International. Click here to sign up to receive news from David’s Hope and keep up to date on stories of David, Pastor Steve and Mary, and others in Eburru. Learn more about the needs of the poor and destitute and lift these brothers and sisters up to the Lord in prayer.

We are planning events in and around the DC area for folks who are intrested to hear from Jeff about his experience, to show photos, videos, and stories about whats happening on the ground in Eburru and the surrounding areas and generate awareness and interest in whats happening in one of the poorest lands on earth. If you want to stay informed of these events please be sure to sign up for our enewsletter and you will know of all events coming up in the next several months. If you are not local to DC we are planning to take the show on the road in the near future, so be praying for us, that God would open doors for us to tell David’s Story to more people outside of the Washington DC area. If you are interested in having Jeff or someone from the David’s Hope team come speak to your church or youth group, please let me know and we can arrange for that as well.

God is a global God and his church is not limited by county, state, our country lines. The 15 original founders of David’s Hope International are committed to doing our part as the body of Christ to help our brothers and sisters in need. We invite you to join us in our mission!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY JD!!!

Dear JD-

Thanks for being an AMAZING dad! We love you and miss you very much!

Love,

Brian and ALW

An African Update, a New Venture, and a New Website

Friends:

As many of you know, Brian and I went on a life changing missions trip to Kenya earlier this year.  Since returning from Kenya, my teammates and I, under the visionary leadership of fellow team member Jeff Trexel, have started a foundation to continue the work of the Lord we had the privilege to support on our mission trip.  The foundation is called David’s Hope International, named after one of the orphans who captured our hearts while we were there in January.  Partnering with a local Pastor, we hope to build out an old farm house in the area that will serve as a community care center for abandoned children like David in Eburru, Kenya.

I am sending you this email to let you know about the foundation, and to also let you know ways you can stay up to date with news about the foundation through some of the features on our website www.davidshope.org

Jeff is the founder of this foundation and is traveling in Kenya to do some advance work for our efforts.  He will be updating the website regularly with photos, videos, blogs and more.  Please consider signing up to receive email updates each time a new blog is posted.  CLICK HERE to sign up for the emails.  If you know of other like minded folks who would be willing to receive updates from David’s Hope, please send this email to them on our behalf.

If you want to really help out, each of Jeff’s blogs will have a “share this” link at the bottom where you can post the blog posting to your facebook profile or send it out on your twitter account.  We would be honored if you would help us spread the news about David’s Hope International by sharing these updates on your own social networking sites.

Davids Hope International is also on facebook and on twitter so if you are on those sites, be sure to follow us or become a fan on our page.

Thanks for considering helping us spread the word about God’s work in Kenya.  You’re helping abandoned children have access to food, shelter, clean water, education, and more by raising awareness.  The more we know of the need, the better we can help and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Our web address is www.davidshope.com  please stop by and say hello!

Blessing to you!
AnnieLaurie and Brian

Thoughts on Silence and the Idea of Having a Voice…

Ive made no secret of the fact that I have lost my voice.  On Sunday it started to get bad and on Monday I woke up totally speechless.  This has really been tough for me because I looooove to communicate!  While I do use several different mediums for communication, good old fashion verbal communication is by far my favorite.

Here are the things I have noticed since loosing my voice:

1. I really enjoy conversations

2. I enjoy shaping conversations with different ideas and approaches.  Its like my own verbal artwork.

3. Words have a HUGE impact.  We all know this, but until you loose your words, you forget just how big your words can be.

4. I wonder how many people with valuable things to say are being “talked over” in life and what the rest of us “talkers” are missing because we talk so much and need to listen more.

5. Non-verbal communication TRULY is the majority of communication.  Ask my husband!

6. I am less stressed and less worked up after 4 days of not having a voice.  This is interesting to me.

I think the reason for this is that, since its such a struggle to get any words out at all, I am being very particular about when I actually exert the energy to try and talk. Basically, if I had a voice I would be commenting a lot more than I am right now.  This is causing me to think maybe I comment too much. Typically I inject my verbal opinions into areas I may not need to, welcome or unwelcome, I think when we engage in conversations that are not really a priority for us we take on more stress and mental/emotional baggage that we may have avoided if we had just kept quiet.

Also, I am realizing that the fact that my voice is “missing” from certain conversations and discussion isn’t having that large of an impact on the outcome.  Decisions are still made with or without my voice, and for the most part, I have been in agreement with whats happening around me.  Lack of voice has also caused me to “let it go” when I do disagree because its literally not worth wasting the energy to offer my humble rebuttal.

7. I am getting a ton of sympathy.  At the grocery store, the pharmacy, the starbucks, at work, not so much at home But in general when you start to speak and your face is animated and your body language is in full gear but nothing is coming out of your mouth people notice!

8.  I miss singing in the car.

I guess thats about it.  I am sure there are other reflections I have had but for the most part this is what I am thinking.  Esp. #6. However, if you consider my strengths finder, it seems God made me to communicate.  My strengths are Connectedness, Communications, Activator, Empathy and Input.  ALL of these require talking and are fueled by talking. What I still wonder about is if God is trying to tell me something/show me something from this experience.  There always seems to be a spiritual lesson to back up something happening in the physical world.  That part I am still wondering…

Have you ever lost your voice?  How did that make you feel? Did you learn anything in particular? Are you a talker by nature?  Do you think you are a good listener?  Ask someone who isn’t a talker if you’re a good listener, then you will know.

Twitter Validity and A Bit of a Rant

As if anyone really needs any more proof that Twitter has validity and longevity, check this out:

From Twitter

Down Time Rescheduled

A critical network upgrade must be performed to ensure continued operation of Twitter. In coordination with Twitter, our network host had planned this upgrade for tonight. However, our network partners at NTT America recognize the role Twitter is currently playing as an important communication tool in Iran. Tonight’s planned maintenance has been rescheduled to tomorrow between 2-3p PST (1:30a in Iran).

Our partners are taking a huge risk not just for Twitter but also the other services they support worldwide—we commend them for being flexible in what is essentially an inflexible situation. We chose NTT America Enterprise Hosting Services early last year specifically because of their impeccable history of reliability and global perspective. Today’s decision and actions continue to prove why NTT America is such a powerful partner for Twitter.

Unless you have been unplugged from all forms of communication, you have surely heard that Twitter is the primary means of communication for those fighting bogus election results in Iran.  As an early adopter of new communication technologies, I am thrilled to see this tool, which has oft been criticized as useless, frivolous and even narcissistic,  has finally proven its credibility in the international public eye.

So much so that Twitter is scheduling required maintenance and downtime around whats happening in a part of the world where Twitter users are currently most active.

The reason I am so thrilled is because, I believe that I will live to see a day where communication outlets are monitored, stifled and eventually controlled by governments and/or powers attempting to control message.

<Soapbox alert, I warned you…>

This sounds incredulous, I know, but its already happening in small instances. While I hope against all hope that never happens, and am encouraged that freedom prevailed in a recent case, I am not naive. Because I am part of a growing minority in terms of my belief system, I am convinced that the potential for censorship as future events unfold is quite real and I am very excited to see a communications tool like Twitter serve a much higher purpose than updating one’s Facebook status, especially because I fear that in my lifetime I could experience the same censorship as some of my brothers and sisters who live in other countries.

I am sure that, for most of my readers, you will all think I have gone off the deep end.  Don’t jump to the comments and start leaving me nasty-grams.  Consider the point of what I am saying.  I dont talk much about things this political in nature on my blog, and I promise not to make a habit of it.  But I do feel that its of critical importance to highlight the role Twitter is playing in one of this year’s most impactful news events.

What we are seeing with the people’s use of Twitter in Iran right now is that, people who have historically had no voice, no way to communicate with the international community, have found their voice through new, free technology.  Not only have they found their voice but they have found huge support from the international community, thirsty for knowledge and what I believe to be a sincere desire to advocate on their behalf.

My only point in all this is to say that, I am encouraged by what I am reading on twitter, specifically the solidarity that is coming across.  You cant say its not real.  You cant say its not encouraging and fueling, whether for good or for evil, the thousands if Iranian citizens who are plugged in and communicating with each other and the world during this time. Its making an unprecedented difference in world events.  Its a tool we didn’t have 2 years ago!

The way we communicate is changing, rapidly, and we MUST KEEP UP!

If you have not yet, watch whats happening on Twitter and consider changing your thinking relative to emerging communications technology.  For me, I plan on staying as current as possible and keep myself knowledgeable of these news tool so that I am prepared to use them if I need to, for something larger.

Rant over.  Thanks for reading.

Book Review: The Hole in Our Gospel

This new book by World Vision U.S. President Rich Stearns, published by Thomas Nelson Publishing,  is an excellent survey regarding poverty, Christian responsibility, and the global church. The book is lengthy, nearly 300 pages, and ends with a call to action by President Stearns:

You, Me, Let’s Go! We have work to do and its urgent.  Join me…

I think that sums up the book in short order.  The entire read builds toward a call to action, specifically for Christians, specifically for Western Christians, to stop ignoring the more than 2000 Bible verses that tell us to do something about the poor, needy, widows and orphans; those verses that command us, under penalty of judgment,  to intervene on behalf of those suffering at the hands of injustice and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

For my regular readers, it is no secret that these issues have been near and dear to my heart ever since my first mission trip to the hill country of Guatemala in 2003.  Many of you may also know that I worked at World Vision U.S. for a short time in 2007 between my time on Capitol Hill and my current position at McLean Bible Church. You’ve read of Brian and my mission trips to the poorest of the poor, most recently our time with the local church in Eburru, Kenya and how that experience continues to pierce my personal devotion times as I try to make sense of how God would use me to speak for those in Eburru and Kibera who cannot speak for themselves.

Well, you know how much I would love to go back in time and take every single one of you with me, so you could experience first hand all that God has allowed me to bare witness to in Central and South America, in the Middle East, in South East Asia and in Africa, but since we all know that is not possible, the next best alternative is for each of you to stop reading this blog, log on to Amazon.com and buy The Hole in Our Gospel.

In this book, Stearns shares his personal testimony of how God called him to step out of the lucrative corporate world and into the non profit world, how he almost missed his calling, and how God has transformed his thinking about what it means to live out the Gospel, the GOOD NEWS of Christ.  He then goes on to share numerous first hand accounts of situations he has witnessed through his field work with World Vision U.S. That is all in part one of the book – The Hole in My Gospel (and maybe yours).  Part 2 is titled The Hole Gets Deeper, where Stearns takes the Scriptures at their word and asks Christians to consider some hard questions about their responsibility to care for the poor.  Part 3 is A Hole in The World.  Here is where Stearns takes off the gloves.  The commentary, statistics, and examples he provides concerning the state of the poor in our world today are textbook quality.  If you do not have any frame of reference for the condition our world is in today please at least read Part 3 of this book.  You will walk away with a foundational knowledge concerning the complexity of poverty and hard facts to stand on concerning the life threatening realities of more than 1/2 of the world’s population.  Part 4 is titled The Hole in Our Church – 71 pages of truth that, if read and taken seriously by the Western Church, could be the beginnings of the end of poverty , once and for all.  And finally Part 5 is Repairing the Hole, a variety of parting motivational facts, Scriptures and quotes to ensure this journey doesn’t end with the conclusion of the book.

Its really difficult for me to review this book because I feel that I have been grappling with the contents of this book long before Rich Stearns decided to write it.  But for Christians who have yet to prayerfully consider their personal responsibility to care for the poor and the needy,  I implore you to read this book.  Its eye opening.  Its convicting.  Its heartbreaking.  And its the TRUTH!

I give this book my whole-hearted two thumbs up recommendation for anyone who wants to understand more about the complexity of poverty.  For my Christian friends who have not yet started to consider their role in ending poverty, I urge you to prayerfully consider this book as a starting point.  For my friends who are already grappling with these issues, I believe this book could come across as “preaching to the choir”.  You will find yourselves wanting to shout AMEN and PREACH IT!  But you will not necessarily learn anything “new” about poverty if you have already been paying attention.

All in All, an Excellent read, no matter your faith persuasion.  Poverty is real and this book speaks the truth.

Now, lets Go!  We have work to do, and it is urgent!

For more info, visit the website associated with the book http://www.theholeinourgospel.com

Kids Playing at Jockey’s Ridge, OBX

I had the chance to shoot a bit of video while we were on vacation. Here is a clip from our time playing with the kids on the trip. Not far from where we stayed in Southern Shores is Jockey’s Ridge. It basically a huge sand dune with these really tall sand “cliffs” you can run up and down. This is some video of the kids playing in the sand. Great memories.

Testing wordpress from the road

I’ve never used my iPhone to post a blog but I am board on a road trip and thought I’d give it a try.

Brian and I just got back from a great week first with amazing friends at the outer banks North Carolina, then visiting family in Aiken SC and finally to our dear friends Jenny and John’s wedding in GA. As I type we are on I 95 only a few miles from Richmond. We had a good time but were both ready to be back. I miss my routine and for the first time ever I miss my work! It’s such a blessing to enjoy your work so much that You look forward to coming back after vacation. We have several exciting projects going on and I have an amazing team to work with. I am ready to get back and get in the groove.

Tomorrow I am super excited to be going to Wolf Trap to see one of my favorite musicians in concert- Patty Griffin. If you’ve never heard her stuff check her out on I tunes.

Well that’s about all I got. I think it’s almost my turn to drive so I am gonna wrap this post for now.

Happy Summer!

Iron Designer America

Today, in honor of National Chocolate Chip Day, our design team faced off in Iron Designer America Battle Chocolate Chip!

Based on the hit tv show Iron Chef America, our designers were given exactly 1 hour to design a structure using only edible ingredients and showcase today’s secret ingredient, the Chocolate Chip!

I have submitted this to the Food Network “How do you Iron Chef” competition and we will see if we win!  Holla Bobby Flay and Alton Brown!