The Reveal

For a long time now I have been going back and forth to Haiti, doing my thing, mainly at a little mission hospital in a fairly remote region of that country. Sometimes taking teams. Sometimes going by myself. Sometimes taking one of my kids. Over that time I've taken on several projects for the hospital. Some small and a few bigger ones.

Lately, though, I've been wrestling. For whatever reason I have not felt at ease with the status quo as it pertains to my level of involvement and I've shared a couple times before in earlier blogs how frustrated I am (with myself) that I don't have a good way to say yes to people when they offer me a hand in my work in Haiti.

But for the past six months now, I've have finally brought myself to do more than whine about it. After much prayer and counsel, I have raised the stakes of my commitment to make a difference in Haiti by creating a structure that will enable me to leverage the human resources that God is making so available to me.

On February 3, 2010, articles of incorporation were filed with the State of Michigan, an official document that put flesh on the skeleton of my conviction that there is a vast untapped resource of good people, compassionate and kind-hearted, just itching to give and to do. And waiting for the ask.

Since then, a board of directors has been meeting. Bylaws have been established and volumes of paperwork are near completion, pursuing 501(c)3 non-profit designation, a determination that the IRS will take many months to render.

While we await non-profit status, we will be busy assembling a network of team members, people and agencies in both the US and in Haiti to collaborate in efforts that, by themselves, neither person nor agency could pull off. We are excited that much of that team is already in place.

Our name and brand is ready to be revealed. We have also defined what our initial projects will be and will announce those soon. Our web domain is purchased and web development is underway. Software is being purchased. Printed materials are being developed.

But I think I'm most excited about our unique approach and mission strategy. So important is it, that we worked and waited several months before we settled on a name that would reflect this unique approach. I think you will like it...