Don't Care Who Gets the Credit

It has been said several different ways by several different folks that "it is amazing what can be accomplished when you don't care who gets the credit." So true. This is why River's Promise has tried to always be open to partnering with other organizations when it made sense.

Of course, the inspiration & name sake for "River's Promise" is River. Knowing that another organization was doing great work around the globe . . . we didn't hesitate to allow River to be in one of their promotional videos. May I introduce to you http://www.Heartwork.tv and a promotional video featuring my amazing son.

God Bless -
Jimmy Lakey

Destiny rescuing Destiny from Heartwork on Vimeo.

Back from Rwanda. New video posted!

I just returned from Rwanda and was thrilled to see all that we have accomplished through River's Promise. Orphans are going to school, they have beds to sleep in, and now they will have a consistent source of food and we will begin seeing the signs of malnutrition end. With the help of so many . . . we are truly giving hope to orphans.

Here is a quick video of me standing near the 1 hectacre that we are developing for the orphanage as an agricultural project. While standing next to this project, I had the opportunity to introduce you to a few of the orphans that we are helping through River's Promise. These are my son's earliest friends and we are giving them hope . . . .

Day #2 - Rwanda - 05/2010

Today we drove outside of Kigali with some local Rwandan contacts to visit one of the poorest Districts in Rwanda. Our goal was to meet the Pygmy tribes in this area. (Rwanda historically has 3 tribes . . . Tutsis, Hutus, & Twa (Pygmies).

We arrived to a local community building and instead of entering to meet with perhaps 30 people, word had spread quickly throughout the region that we were coming and we were met with 200-300 people swarming our vehicle while jumping, dancing, & singing LOUD songs of welcome. I hope to get the video posted soon of this welcome event but it might have to wait until I have better internet connection.

After some introductory remarks and a mad rush by the children who heard that we had one crayon per child and some candy, I was whisked away down some amazing backroad trails. After crossing some bridges that were not designed for our car . . . we parked and wound further in the bush on foot. This long and winding journey took us to two Pygmy villages and I was told that white man (Muzungo) had never entered. I was the first to EVER visit! WOW.

Words cannot describe the poverty, the sickness, the hunger, the desperation that we witnessed. 90% of the pygmy die before they reach 5 years old and you are old if you live into your 40s. I have photos of women who look to be 50 or 60 but they are only in the 30s. The 2nd village we entered had 100 people just a few short years ago – today there are only 8 families and many surviving orphan children.

These folks lived in squalor that I have never seen and they haven’t the slightest clue of nutrition, hygiene, etc. The Rwandans told me that colonization helped the Hutus & Tutsis learn the basics of modern civilization. This knowledge never reached the Twas and they are the most marginalized group in Rwanda. So marginalized in fact, that in earlier days the other tribes actually hunted these people.

No human on the planet should live like these people are living. These orphans will be dead in a few years if something doesn’t happen. No muzungu had been where I went today and it will take a while to process a plan of action to help these orphans . . . but it would be hard to be the first to see this situation and do nothing to take action.

I hope the pictures can show some glimpse of a situation that is truly a matter of life & death.

Thanks for your continued support & prayers for us during this trip. I will keep you posted with more as the internet connection allows. In the meantime, I have access to every donation you are sending at http://www.RiversPromise.com so literally your gift today will be helping an orphan tomorrow.

Day #1 - Rwanda - 05/2010

It has been an amazing 1st day back on the ground in Rwanda. It is the first time that I have been back in the country since leaving here with my son & I was honored to spend in visiting some of my son's earliest friends.

We started the day with a visit to the genocide memorial in Kigali. This is my 4th visit to this memorial but it is always just as moving. After the memorial, we headed to the PEFA orphanage where we were able to scout the needed land for an agricultural project and tell them that we (River's Promise) would help them move forward.

Up until now, the children have done good to get one (maybe two) meals per day and that was generally only rice, water, & maybe some beans. They were forced to buy food at market prices so this only occurred when they had the extra funds. A phone call was made immediately to an organization is sponsored by the Rwandan government and uses prisoners from the Rwandan genocide to clear land help with development. Literally, tomorrow . . . prisoners who killed during the genocide will come and formally ask the orphanage for forgiveness for their crimes and then ask if they can serve them to cultivate the land as a way to give back to the very community where they once perpetrated great crimes.

I am told that the land will be cleared & seeds planted probably by the time I return to the USA. After that, the orphanage will take over the land for harvest and continued planting. They will no longer have to wait on funds for food and the children will begin to have a regular supply of food & vegetables. The signs of mild malnutrition will soon be gone among my son's earliest friends. I will return to the orphanage every day that I am here to check on progress.

Tomorrow we will head outside of the city to see the extreme poverty among orphans in the Rwandan pygmies, then return to the orphanage to check on progress.

Thank you to everyone who donated to this agricultural project. We have only just begun! There is much more to do.

If you'd like to give, you can do so at http://www.RiversPromise.com/. We will have access to these funds the entire time I am here so what you give today will literally be helping orphans tomorrow.

I will keep you posted.

Thanks & God Bless-
Jimmy Lakey

Repeat: From one year ago . . . "Hard to Sleep"

This blog post was originally published one year ago, September 3, 2008. It was written in the middle of the night, just a few hours before I went to an orphanage in Rwanda to pick up my son and begin the journey back to the USA . . .

It has been an amazing year with our new son but this blog is a great reminder as to the 2-year journey of adoption. I hope you enjoy . . . .

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It’s two in the morning on Wednesday, September 3, 2008. I slept lightly for an hour but am now sitting up in my bed, typing in the glow of my computer screen. The window next to me is open and only the mosquito net above protects from the evening air in Kigali. I find the coolness refreshing even though the smell of smoke from fire pits is strong.

The singing, chanting, and screams of African men in the valley below has now faded a bit, but even without the noise, I knew it would be hard to sleep tonight.

Normally I’d be fighting to go back to sleep but my heart, my head, and the deepest parts of my being are awake with anticipation. There is anticipation for what is to come in a few hours when I go to the orphanage to pick up my son; and there is anticipation of the coming years as we begin our new life together.

For over a year, I have had to be guarded. There have been no assurances that this day would come, and there have been many times that we were led to believe it would remain only a dream. Now, I can throw caution to the wind and admit that someone new has captured my heart. A baby boy who was left in drainage ditch during a rainstorm has now joined my family and I have the opportunity to love him, lead him, & watch him grow into the man that he was rescued to be. He will grow up, I will grow old, and through it all, he will be my son.

I knew it would be hard to sleep tonight...

Counting Crows & Christian Music

Last night I attended a Counting Crows concert at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. It rained during the concert and I was soaking wet, but it was a great night.

Now as you probably know, I have been involved in the Christian music industry for several years. We’ve had some fun. We’ve made some friends. And we’ve made some money. I like the industry and am glad to be a part of it. After watching last night’s Counting Crows’ show, I began to think about 2 things that could be learned by the Christian industry & Christian tours.

Number 1 - It’s about the music! Last night’s concert wasn’t about fancy corporate sponsors or product booths. It was about the music. I see more and more Christian concerts spending large amounts of time pitching products, videos, movie releases, & their corporate sponsors.

I recall recently partnering with one of the major “mainstream” promoters on a Christian concert and they were amazed that a tour with such “low-sales” & “low-ticket price” looked like the circus unloading all the product & sponsor booths. We didn’t even have room to keep all their booths indoors. Attention! Stop the distractions! Shouldn’t it be about the music & message? It sure seemed to be that way last night at Red Rocks. There were a couple of product booths with tasteful selections of shirts, CD, etc. That is all. It was about the music - not the sponsors. Refreshing.

Number 2 - Stop the hard sales! More & more Christian shows seem to take large chunks of concert time convincing people to join some social justice cause, sponsor a child, or something of that nature. I like the concept of “doing good” and actually have started a program through “River’s Promise” for Artist Ambassadors; BUT must it take 20 minutes of the night and an army volunteers roaming the isles to get people to “do good”? I promoted a concert in December where “the pitch” took 30 minutes! Seriously! People have come for the music, not to see their favorite artist impersonate a television evangelist to get results.

By comparison, I heard Counting Crows mention their “cause/foundation” twice in the concert and it took a grand total of 5 minutes. There was no hard sale. Here’s why: Counting Crows has a charity that they support . . . most Christian artists have charities supporting them as a corporate sponsor, thus they need results for the bottom line.

Is anyone else seeing the ironies here?

More Than a Sexy Cause

This article is in the latest edition of Christianity Today and includes some conversation with Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz).

With social justice issues and causes being so "en vogue", is it a passing fad or has their been a cultural shift? It is horrible to consider the consequences should this just be a passing fad.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE.

Simple Things . . . Big Impact.

There are many friends who have told me they want to help make a difference in the lives of orphans by helping River's Promise. I am often asked "what can I do?". The answer(s) are pretty simple. Of course, donations are great but there are other things that can make a powerful impact. I thought it might it might be helpful to list a few. Donations are great . . . but for the sake of orphans . . . DO SOMETHING!

1) Invite me to share at your community group, church, or synagogue where I can share the heart of River's Promise and give people the opportunity to get involved.

2) A huge way to help is to host a reception or party at your house where I can give a presentation. People will come if you throw the party! Rather than selling tupperware or jewlery, we can talk about impacting orphans in Rwanda.

3) Perhaps the most simple way to help beyond just a flat donation is to buy one of our new CDs that feature Kate Hurley, Aaron Strumpel, A Boy & His Kite, & Jason Roberson. All the songs were written with Rwanda, River's Promise, and/or the plight of the orphan in mind! It is a great CD. Here is the link to buy it now!