fight #poverty with @fivetalents [november 1-7]
![fight #poverty with @fivetalents [november 1-7]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/five-talents-kids-150x150.jpg)
In The Unlikely Missionary: From Pew-Warmer to Poverty-Fighter you hear the story about how I found passion and purpose for my faith as I studied the issue of extreme poverty. Then you follow my journey as I discover the impact of microenterprise through sharing the stories of an organization called Five Talents, even as it takes me on [...]
[management by God] the core of leadership
![[management by God] the core of leadership](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/seamstress-africa-100x100.jpg)
What is the core of leadership? Honestly, this is a question that I haven’t considered very much before even though I regularly write on leadership principles. But I believe that how you answer that question will define what kind of leader you are. I’ve been reading a new book lately by Nancy Ortberg called Unleashing the Power of [...]
@fivetalents tanzania program featured on @bbc one
Five Talents has been featured as charity of the month on BBC One’s Lifeline program. See the 10-minute broadcast right here… Lifeline is the BBC’s monthly television charity appeal program. In May, Five Talents was the selected charity. For more than 20 years, Lifeline has helped raise money for and increase the profile of hundreds [...]
[the africa diaries] day fifteen: headed home
![[the africa diaries] day fifteen: headed home](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/welcome-home-100x100.jpg)
Waking up this morning I couldn’t wait to get home! While I tried to enjoy my last few hours with the team, my mind was already wandering home. At breakfast we all talked about how wonderful this experience was, while I (as the team chaplain) challenged them to not let it end here. What would we [...]
[the africa diaries] day fourteen: back to kampala
![[the africa diaries] day fourteen: back to kampala](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/uganda-water-carts-100x100.png)
Mission accomplished. Our work is done, and we now begin our journeys home. First the long drive across Uganda from Kasese to Kampala. Then after our last night our team flies together from Kampala to Nairobi to London where we part ways and I board my flight from London to Miami then on to Tampa. [...]
[the africa diaries] day thirteen: our last classes
![[the africa diaries] day thirteen: our last classes](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/uganda-woman-on-lawn-with-kids-100x100.jpg)
Our last day of teaching ended up being one of the hardest days for me on this trip for several reasons. Some of it was related to the obvious realization that our time was nearly up on this incredible journey. While I was anxious to get home to my family, there was part of me [...]
[the africa diaries] day twelve: teaching in uganda
![[the africa diaries] day twelve: teaching in uganda](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/african-community-meeting-100x100.jpg)
You’ve probably never heard of Rwesande. In fact, you won’t even find it on a Google Map. It’s in the area of Kasese up in the Rwenzori Mountains. Based on the roads that we took to get out there, I’m not surprised that I can’t find this place on a Google Map. But after a very [...]
[the africa diaries] day eleven: a walk in the clouds
![[the africa diaries] day eleven: a walk in the clouds](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/dan-with-kids-rwenzori-mountains-100x100.jpg)
Her story rocked me, and still hits me hard today. But more than her story, it was her attitude and resilience that stood out most. Getting out to meet the clients is exciting because we get to meet them where they work. This part of the trip in Kenya was pretty eye opening for me, [...]
[the africa diaries] day ten: the road to kasese
![[the africa diaries] day ten: the road to kasese](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/road-to-kasese-100x100.jpg)
It was a beautiful morning waking up in Kampala! Wow… It feels weird saying that even now. It was (and still is) hard to believe that I was there. The day was fresh, and I was anticipating some cool experiences as we made a few stops and hit the road for our ultimate destination of Kasese. Our [...]
[the africa diaries] day nine: headed to kampala
![[the africa diaries] day nine: headed to kampala](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/sunrise-over-kampala-100x100.jpg)
Leaving Kenya and flying to Uganda was the biggest thing on our agenda for this day. I have to admit that it was tough leaving my new friends in Kenya. Because of the great distance, I knew that it wasn’t likely that I’d see most (if any) of them again. Yet, their impact on my life is etched on [...]
[the africa diaries] day seven: wrapping up business in kenya
![[the africa diaries] day seven: wrapping up business in kenya](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/alice-kairi.png)
She walked up to me as I was setting up for my morning session, shook my hand, and simply stated, “I am Alice.” We laughed about that for a moment, but I never realized that this was about to be one of the most powerful moments of this trip for me. In order to understand [...]
[the africa diaries] day six: starting with the next group
![[the africa diaries] day six: starting with the next group](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/africa-day6-thumb.png)
I was finally an accomplished missionary! Well, at least in my mind I was. After all, I had just finished my first full sessions with one of the churches in Kenya, and now I was off to another. I knew that this next group that we were about to work with would be different, I just [...]
[the africa diaries] day five: finishing with our first group
![[the africa diaries] day five: finishing with our first group](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/teaching-makogeni-thumb.png)
Finally! Today is my day to teach! Well, at least for half of it… Day two of our lesson plan calls for two important subjects. First up was the financial session. In this session we covered such basic, yet critically important, topics like keeping your business and personal money separate, and how to create a budget. [...]
[the africa diaries] day four: first day of teaching
![[the africa diaries] day four: first day of teaching](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/makogeni-thumb.png)
Here we go… This is what we came for! Our first day of teaching has arrived! And one of the first things that I learned today was that schedules (time) in Africa are very different than they are back in the States. I think that our start time was supposed to be 9:00 AM, but it [...]
[the africa diaries] day three: visiting the clients
![[the africa diaries] day three: visiting the clients](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/african-kitchen-thumb.png)
This was the big day that I had been waiting for! Today our plan was to meet with the people at the offices of Thika Community Development Trust (TCDT). They are the Five Talents partner that runs the local microfinance program. After that, we were going to go out and meet some of the existing program clients… [...]
[the africa diaries] day two: the road to thika
![[the africa diaries] day two: the road to thika](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/road-to-thika-thumb.gif)
My first morning in Africa! I could not wait to look out my window to finally see what Africa looked like! But I had no idea how quickly this trip would start impacting me. The place that we stayed that first night was actually a really nice guest house that was run by the local Anglican church. [...]
[the africa diaries] day one: arriving in nairobi
![[the africa diaries] day one: arriving in nairobi](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/british-airways-thumb.gif)
I was only at the airport before this trip started to impact me. As I sat there waiting to board my first flight, I couldn’t help but to wonder what this mission trip was going to do to me. Would I come home a different person? How would my heart and my mind be affected? The [...]
the africa diaries
Amazon.com Widgets In May of 2009 I joined a team of businessmen from around the United States as Five Talents International (FTI) sent us out for a Business as Mission (BAM) Trip to Kenya and Uganda. FTI is a faith-based organization that fights poverty with microfinance. They work in areas where there is extreme poverty [...]
an escape from poverty
If you are a regular at this site, then you probably already know that one thing that is important to me is the fight against extreme poverty. There is a very large part of our world that goes to bed hungry every night, and because of their economic situations they lack the resources to maintain a ‘normal’ and healthy life. [...]
poverty mission to africa '09
*** IMPORTANT UPDATE *** Since returning from this amazing trip, I have been sharing my journals and other thoughts in a new series called the africa diaries. Check it out and share your thoughts! Over a year ago, God starting doing some amazing work in my heart. Through some studies with the young adults ministry [...]
microentrepreneur wins award
by Kelli Ross Vasanti Uikey struggled against extreme poverty to become a successful microentrepreneur. Now, this 45-year-old mother of two has been named the 2008 National Runner-up and the Social Responsibility Category Winner (West and Central) by the Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards program. She was chosen out of 2,500 nominees for this prestigious award. This [...]
opportunity: invest your talents
Matthew 25:14-30 provides an amazing teaching (in parable) from Jesus in which we learn that if we do not invest our ‘talents’ then we will loose them. Of course there is much more that can be said about this parable, but my emphasis on the “use it or loose it” perspective is intentional. I believe [...]
children of microfinance: fernando in bolivia
by Kelli Ross Fernando is proud to walk to school in his brand new shirt and shoes. “My teacher said that I look really handsome — I love her a lot!” María, Fernando’s mom, started a knitting business in Tarija, Bolivia, with the help of a Five Talents’ partner, Semillas de Bendición (Seeds of Blessing), [...]
children of microfinance: irene in kenya
by Kelli Ross Irene is one of the top students in her 4th grade class, and her mother is very proud of her achievements. Without the help of the Thika Community Development Trust, Irene may not have been able to attend – or have had such success – in school. Jane, Irene’s mom, has been [...]
