But more importantly, I don’t want to.

One of the greatest gifts of being gone a lot is that you learn to really value people.  You recognize the difference a well placed hug makes in your week.  Dinner parties with laughter and good lighting sparkle all the brighter.  Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with dear friends at church offers a sense of continuity that grounds your ever travelling feet.

One of the coolest parts of doing world changing work is that every day you get to focus blood, sweat and yes, sometimes tears on others. You pour yourself out like a glass of water.  You take what you have and you invest in the most valuable asset around–people.

The joy of my life is connecting my people with my other people. I have always had lots of friends in different circles and when I get the opportunity to connect the amazing people in one part of my life with the other amazing people in another part of my life–lighting strikes and extraordinary things happen!

Together we change stuff.  Together we laugh more.  Together we are stronger than any form of poverty, pain or injustice.

I believe that with all my soul.  I can do this work alone but I don’t want to. I want you to experience a peice of Africa. I want you to get to know one of my students by name.  I want you invest what you have because I want to share in the joy with you.  I want to change the world–with you.

I love my work and am so thankful for my life, but without your involvement we both miss out on something extraordinary.  I know you can’t all hop on a plane with me and explore Rwanda, Uganda or South Africa, but the beauty of this modern day, is that we can continue to travel along together in so many ways.  As I pack my bags this time, I want to invite you to really walk along side me.

See – I try to post at least photo a day on instagram. I will introduce you to the people I meet, the roads I travel on and the occasional cute kitty photo. It will probably make you smile and most folks tell me that it really helps them understand my day-to-day.  (I’m also on Facebook.)

Listen – Follow me on this blog.  I’ll post stories, thoughts and things I need prayer about.  I try to update weekly but commit to updating at least once a month–in case the African interweb breaks and I can’t get an update out. Just enter your email in the box to the right and my blog posts will come to your email box.  Easy peasy.  You can also follow the blog at These Numbers Have Faces by scrolling to the bottom of the site and entering your email address.

Join – Take that next step and join me.  Buy a plane ticket–literally–and come see Africa.  Or invest in me and support my work.  I still need to raise another $10,000 to keep the lights on.  Partnering financially is a way to have a deep impact on many lives–mine, the students I work with, the folks I meet along the way. Note a recurring donation of $50 a month gets you a really cool Christmas gift from Africa! I’m just sayin’…

I know you will be changed if you walk this road with me and I know that together we will not only change the world but have a hell of a time doing it!  You know I’m right…