Wow, barely 4 weeks left before I head to Rwanda for 10 days (7 of which will be spent on the saddle of my bike pushing up and screaming down the steep hills)!!! I just picked up my anti-malarial medications from the pharmacy, and tomorrow's weather looks good so I have a 60 mile training ride planned.
My fundraising goal has been $10,000 and to date I'm up to $7,295!!! Here's something cool: the very first supporter is a friend of mine who donated $500 with a promise to double his donation if I reach $7,000 (not including his first donation). That means I'm only $205 away from another $500 towards evangelism, development, and aid for Burundi!
Let's chip in to meet that threshold!!! Here's the fundraising site:
https://www.youcaring.com/greatlakesoutreach-769532
Friday, April 21, 2017
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Solutions in a Nation of Hunger
For the last few years Burundi has consistently been ranked the "Hungriest Country in the World" by the World Food Program. As one of the poorest countries in the world, 90-95% of Burundians spend less than $2 on food per day. Over 60% of the population is chronically malnourished and disease is rampant. After a decade long civil war Burundi has struggled to stabilize and rebuild, but there are people doing some amazing and inspirational work to help resolve hunger and bring economic development to this beautiful country.
When our family was in Burundi in 2014 we met Evariste, a Burundian man who is working to get high yielding Friesian milk cows into the hands of poor farmers and families. The traditional long horned Ankole cows of Burundi only produce about 1 liter of milk daily and require extensive grazing. Young children are often put in charge of grazing the cattle, which in turn, keeps the children out of school. But the more robust Friesian cows don't require grazing and can produce over 10 liters of milk daily. Over 400 Friesian cows have now been imported from Tanzania and families and villages are being revitalized. Read more about it on their website here and watch the video below
This is one of the programs your supporting when you donate towards my upcoming cycling "Tour du Burundi." 100% of your donation goes to support the development work in Burundi and is tax deductible. I'm paying my own way and my own expenses. Here's the donation page, it is quick and easy to donate: https://www.youcaring.com/greatlakesoutreach-769532
My departure is now only 7 weeks away and I would love to see your support!
Hank
When our family was in Burundi in 2014 we met Evariste, a Burundian man who is working to get high yielding Friesian milk cows into the hands of poor farmers and families. The traditional long horned Ankole cows of Burundi only produce about 1 liter of milk daily and require extensive grazing. Young children are often put in charge of grazing the cattle, which in turn, keeps the children out of school. But the more robust Friesian cows don't require grazing and can produce over 10 liters of milk daily. Over 400 Friesian cows have now been imported from Tanzania and families and villages are being revitalized. Read more about it on their website here and watch the video below
My departure is now only 7 weeks away and I would love to see your support!
Hank
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
77 day countdown--how I'm training.
Three months from now I'll already be back and (hopefully) recovered from jet lag from the Tour du Burundi. I'll leave home on May 24th, arriving in Kigali, Rwanda late on May 25th after 24 hours of travel time. There will be a day to acclimate and the tour will begin on May 27th and over 7 days we'll cover 470 miles and climb a total of 49,000 feet. The tour will finish on June 2nd and I'll fly out of Rwanda on June 3rd returning home on June 4th after another 24+ hours of travel time. Whew!!!
We still have snow on the ground here at home so I've been logging miles with my bike mounted on a trainer.
I've been using a great motivating training program called Zwift, riding in real time with other cyclists the world over. Here's what it looks like:
I've logged about 400 miles indoors so far this year. I can't wait for the weather to turn warmer so I can start riding outside again. My cycling partner, Josh Sherven, and I have some longer routes planned as soon as we can.
Riding is cathartic for me, and often when I can clear my mind of the stresses of my day, I think and pray about the great needs half a world away. Burundi, the poorest of countries, has such great promise. There is endless opportunity there for growth and renewal, and your support, no matter how small or large, will affect wonderful change for the Burundian people.
Please consider a gift in support of the work happening through Great Lakes Outreach (GLO). I've just set up a new funding account through youcaring.com. Youcaring doesn't take a commission so 100% of your gift goes directly to GLO, plus your donation is tax deductible.
Take a moment to go to youcaring and make a contribution: https://www.youcaring.com/greatlakesoutreach-769532
Thanks, and I"ll keep you all updated!
Hank
We still have snow on the ground here at home so I've been logging miles with my bike mounted on a trainer.
Riding is cathartic for me, and often when I can clear my mind of the stresses of my day, I think and pray about the great needs half a world away. Burundi, the poorest of countries, has such great promise. There is endless opportunity there for growth and renewal, and your support, no matter how small or large, will affect wonderful change for the Burundian people.
Please consider a gift in support of the work happening through Great Lakes Outreach (GLO). I've just set up a new funding account through youcaring.com. Youcaring doesn't take a commission so 100% of your gift goes directly to GLO, plus your donation is tax deductible.
Take a moment to go to youcaring and make a contribution: https://www.youcaring.com/greatlakesoutreach-769532
Thanks, and I"ll keep you all updated!
Hank
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Biking for Burundi
Its been nearly 3 years since our trip to Burundi--dentistry, helping at the missions hospital, fellowship with our friends--we're here in Idaho long term, but we left a piece of our hearts back there. How can we help, what can we do to serve the poorest of the poor? While it isn't in the plans for us to live and work in Burundi, we can be advocates for the work and revitalization that is happening there, bringing the needs of this poorest of countries to the attention of others.
Let me back up a bit. Burundi? Where's that? A small country in East-Central Africa, South of Rwanda, Burundi is the poorest of the poor. Ranked the "hungriest nation" by the IMF/World Bank, Burundi has struggled to climb out of and heal from a horrific genocide/civil war in the late 90s and early 2000s. Peace and stability is tenuous and uncertain--there has been an attempted coup, rioting is common, grenade launchers and gunfire can be heard in the capital at night, unemployment is unimaginably high. Malnutrition and a short life expectancy is the norm.
And yet, there is hope.
While we were in Burundi we got to know Simon Guillebaud, a British missionary who has been in Burundi for nearly 20 years, working with Great Lakes Outreach (GLO) on helping the people heal and grow into the vibrant nation that they can be. Simon has helped develop a program to empower street kids, an English speaking boarding school to train and teach the next generation of Burundian leaders, a high-yielding dairy cow program to tackle malnutrition, among other efforts and programs. Check out this video.
In an effort to raise awareness of the great needs in Burundi, and as a fundraiser, Simon also coordinates a 450 mile bicycling "Tour Du Burundi" in which I will be participating. From May 26th to June 2nd I and about a dozen others from Europe and the US will be cycling through the hills of East Africa, covering 450 miles and approximately 49,000 vertical feet. Due to the political instability in Burundi the ride will be held in Rwanda.
Burundi needs your support. My goal is to raise $10,000, all of which will go to the development projects led by Simon and GLO. I'll pay my own airfare, lodging, and meals. Donations are tax deductible.
You can donate by sending a check with "Hank Willis, Bike Tour" in the memo line to:
Great Lakes Outreach
PO Box 2379
Mt Pleasant, SC 29465
Alternatively, you can donate online through my youcaring.com site:
https://www.youcaring.com/greatlakesoutreach-769532
Thanks for your support and I plan to bring periodic updates as the date draws closer. I may not be able to update during the tour, but I'll certainly post a report with photos afterwards.
Here's a great PDF with more details on the ride and where the support goes.
Let me back up a bit. Burundi? Where's that? A small country in East-Central Africa, South of Rwanda, Burundi is the poorest of the poor. Ranked the "hungriest nation" by the IMF/World Bank, Burundi has struggled to climb out of and heal from a horrific genocide/civil war in the late 90s and early 2000s. Peace and stability is tenuous and uncertain--there has been an attempted coup, rioting is common, grenade launchers and gunfire can be heard in the capital at night, unemployment is unimaginably high. Malnutrition and a short life expectancy is the norm.
And yet, there is hope.
While we were in Burundi we got to know Simon Guillebaud, a British missionary who has been in Burundi for nearly 20 years, working with Great Lakes Outreach (GLO) on helping the people heal and grow into the vibrant nation that they can be. Simon has helped develop a program to empower street kids, an English speaking boarding school to train and teach the next generation of Burundian leaders, a high-yielding dairy cow program to tackle malnutrition, among other efforts and programs. Check out this video.
In an effort to raise awareness of the great needs in Burundi, and as a fundraiser, Simon also coordinates a 450 mile bicycling "Tour Du Burundi" in which I will be participating. From May 26th to June 2nd I and about a dozen others from Europe and the US will be cycling through the hills of East Africa, covering 450 miles and approximately 49,000 vertical feet. Due to the political instability in Burundi the ride will be held in Rwanda.
Burundi needs your support. My goal is to raise $10,000, all of which will go to the development projects led by Simon and GLO. I'll pay my own airfare, lodging, and meals. Donations are tax deductible.
You can donate by sending a check with "Hank Willis, Bike Tour" in the memo line to:
Great Lakes Outreach
PO Box 2379
Mt Pleasant, SC 29465
Alternatively, you can donate online through my youcaring.com site:
https://www.youcaring.com/greatlakesoutreach-769532
Thanks for your support and I plan to bring periodic updates as the date draws closer. I may not be able to update during the tour, but I'll certainly post a report with photos afterwards.
Here's a great PDF with more details on the ride and where the support goes.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Leaving
Then after you're inspired and soothed by the destruction and erasing power of the salt waves, you go home weeks later and discover highway-sized tunnels of emptiness all throughout your body.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
When your dad is dying and you can't be there...
When it looks really dark, and you sit on the couch inside because it is too dark to go outside, you should get up anyway. Go out into the dew-chilled grass at the edge of the cliff, and the sound of the Pacific waves will wake up the part of your brain that you thought had gone to sleep 2 hours ago along with everyone else in the house.
It is dark. But it is not too dark to see the white edges where the water becomes foam and the salt becomes bubbles and together they make the roar that drowns out the part of your day where real people saw imaginary nemeses. The anger of the waves will soothe the peace in your soul and vice versa. You will hear it and you will see it, even when you thought it was too late.
But more than sight or sound is smell. You will inhale and it will be a deliverance and knowing and assurance all at the same time. Take it in, all the way down to your alveoli, and then use it for something good before the oxygen in the salt air is used up and you must exhale the day.
7/22/16
It is dark. But it is not too dark to see the white edges where the water becomes foam and the salt becomes bubbles and together they make the roar that drowns out the part of your day where real people saw imaginary nemeses. The anger of the waves will soothe the peace in your soul and vice versa. You will hear it and you will see it, even when you thought it was too late.
But more than sight or sound is smell. You will inhale and it will be a deliverance and knowing and assurance all at the same time. Take it in, all the way down to your alveoli, and then use it for something good before the oxygen in the salt air is used up and you must exhale the day.
7/22/16
Friday, May 13, 2016
fiction
cheek down on sun-warmed cement
lying on her belly, she felt nine years old
(remember getting out of the pool and warming up on the edge?
one ear down, chlorine-flavored droplets
drying as soon as they hit?)
head still, silent tears coursed down
pooling between her freckled, weathered, notnineanymore cheek
and the scraped/stained concrete
trying to answer back normally
as unbelievable comments about mostly-eaten peanut butter sandwiches
and more believable comments about hummingbirds landing on heads
lit like bumblebees and took off again
she forced two deep breaths
like aspen leaves holding on
in, out, in--
but she wouldn't let it back out
or else the notyetsummer breeze would carry away
all the years before today
--t. scarlet
lying on her belly, she felt nine years old
(remember getting out of the pool and warming up on the edge?
one ear down, chlorine-flavored droplets
drying as soon as they hit?)
head still, silent tears coursed down
pooling between her freckled, weathered, notnineanymore cheek
and the scraped/stained concrete
trying to answer back normally
as unbelievable comments about mostly-eaten peanut butter sandwiches
and more believable comments about hummingbirds landing on heads
lit like bumblebees and took off again
she forced two deep breaths
like aspen leaves holding on
in, out, in--
but she wouldn't let it back out
or else the notyetsummer breeze would carry away
all the years before today
--t. scarlet
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