Do Something Good Everyday
Today, in the United States at least, is something called “Giving Tuesday.” Giving Tuesday is a response to “Black Friday” and “Small Business Saturday” and “Cyber Monday.” It is meant to be a day designated for people to give back to an organization or cause that they believe in. It is a time to do something good, and it is a day where these good deeds are promoted and recognized.
In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, this year, I find myself in need of financial support as I prepare to serve in Nairobi, Kenya for the next three years. I know that there are many wonderful organizations and causes out there that need support of generous donors. If there is something that you believe in strongly, I would encourage you to support whatever that is. But, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least encourage you to read through my blog and the information on this website to learn more about our ministry and how we are making a difference in the slum community of Mathare in Nairobi, Kenya.
Friends, let me cut straight to the point. I want to go and help this ministry and these kids, but I need your help to do it. I’ll be bringing my process-driven, operational mind to the field in an effort to prepare, plan, and lay the groundwork for future growth of our programs there. While we are currently reaching over 12,000 children and their families, there are at least ten times that many more children out there who are unreached. I need your support (yes, yours!) to get to Kenya and to be able to serve there for the next three years. On this Giving Tuesday, would you consider making a one-time or recurring gift in support of my ministry?
As you consider what you might be able to do, keep these things in mind: It’s not about me, and it’s not about you. While giving toward my ministry will enable me to serve in Kenya, this is ultimately about me sharing my knowledge with the team there and working in the trenches alongside them to enable this program to grow and reach more children. It’s not about me; I’m just a pawn on the giant chess board of the universe. On the flip side, don’t give to an organization or cause expecting something in return. Give generously and unselfishly. And, please, don’t ever give out of obligation or guilt. Give from the heart.
If you’re interested in talking to me in more detail about my work in Nairobi and how I got involved, please contact me. I would love to talk to you! You can find links to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and email accounts listed under the Stay Connected area on this page. You can also help by passing this website, my giving link (http://give.markfirestone.com), and my contact information on to friends, relatives, churches or anyone else you know of who may be interested in hearing about this ministry and my role in it. If you or anyone else have any questions at all about this work and what I’m doing, please ask! Don’t be shy!
One last thing I want to challenge you to do… After today is over, don’t just forget about all of these great causes, organizations, ministries, etc. that need support. Don’t boil down the spirit of giving to one day or to an item on a checklist. Get involved. Make a real difference. Do something good everyday, not just because it’s Giving Tuesday.
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.
Support my ministry: One-Time Gift | Sustaining Gift
Posted in Blog.
No More Boots
As I sit here composing this entry, I’m seeing snowflakes blow across the landscape outside, which is already blanketed in an inch or two of snow from last night. Though it’s not technically “winter” yet, it appears the winter weather has arrived early. I’m looking outside the window of my old bedroom upstairs in my parents’ house, and I’ve come to the realization that I don’t have any snow boots.
Correction: I don’t have any snow boots anymore… Over the summer, I threw them away.
You see, I wasn’t supposed to be here. I was done with winter. I had an iron-clad plan to move to Florida where I would trade my boots for flip-flops. I was downsizing, and my boots were a little worn. So, with the confidence that I wouldn’t need them anymore, out in the dumpster they went! But, here I am. I’m still here…living back at my parents’ house. It’s snowing, and I don’t have any boots.
How did this happen? How did I get here? I owned a home! I had a successful career! I was going places! I had big plans! (For the answers to these questions, look here or here.)
It would be an understatement to say that these last few months have been a complete whirlwind of re-thinking, re-learning, re-adjusting, and re-focusing. (This so-called “whirlwind” should be evidenced by my severe lack of posts on here lately!) But, sometimes, I think we need these moments in our lives where everything gets tossed up in the air and jumbled around to get rid of the distractions and keep us focused on what is important.
Here recently, this naturally introverted, never-wanting-to-burden-anyone-with-anything personality has ventured into the world of fundraising. I never, ever wanted to have a job working in fundraising (or “development” as it is often called in the business world). But, I had to dive in head first in a very big way! For my own survival, I have to raise support, or I won’t be going to Kenya at all. This means that for the last several weeks, I’ve been reaching out to people, meeting with them, having dinner, lunch or coffee with them, and asking them to support my ministry.
Let me just take a time-out here to point something out to you… If you think it is awkward or uncomfortable to be asked by someone you know to give them money, think about what it must be like for the person who is doing the asking. I guarantee you – from my own experience – it is 100 times worse for them!
All of that said, in the time since I started this journey about two months ago, I’ve managed to secure monthly, sustaining commitments totaling 58% of my total monthly needs. By any measure, that is astonishing progress! But, I can’t stop and celebrate that for too long, because I need to raise 42% (about $1,900.00) more in monthly commitments by the end of January to stay on target. Factor in the holidays, and that really only leaves me about 10 weeks to go. (And I haven’t even mentioned my sending budget, which is another story entirely.)
I have been incredibly humbled by the many people who have committed to financially support the work I’ll be doing and who truly believe in this ministry! I’ve said from the start that this isn’t about me; rather, it’s about the futures of hundreds of thousands of children living in extreme poverty. It’s about investing in this ministry. It’s about building capacity. It’s about enabling it to grow many times over and reach even more children than we are now. It’s about social justice, and doing what is right. It’s about hope.
I know I have a wide variety of people with a wide variety of beliefs who are following along with my adventures here. I think it’s evident that I’m a person of faith, and this is very much a journey of faith for me. I haven’t made a three year commitment to serve in Kenya because I want to. (Remember, MY plan was to move to Florida!) I’m doing it because I feel called to. Called and prepared by God.
So, I have a choice. I can respond to that, or I can ignore it and hope that God will call someone else to go instead. Sometimes, I think that’s how a lot of people respond to things today. A need is presented, and there is this mentality of “I don’t need to do that because somebody else will” that often permeates our culture. I’m just as guilty. When this all began, I argued that there must be somebody else out there with my specific skill set and experiences that can go and serve in the specific capacity needed in Kenya. But, I’m haunted by this thought: What if there isn’t? What if I AM the solution?
Excuses abound: It will be inconvenient. It will be uncomfortable. It will take too much time. I have more important things to do. Or, how about these: I’m too scared. It’s too much of a risk. I’ll have to give up too much control. It’ll be too hard.
Calling up my inner JFK voice, I say this: I choose to go to Nairobi and serve not because it will be easy, but because it will be hard. I choose to go because maybe I need to let go of some control and take some risks. I choose to go because it will take me outside of my comfort zone and challenge me in many ways. I choose to go because it will help me to be a better person. I choose to go because the work there is important. I choose to go because I am needed there. I choose to go because I’m called to go.
And, as it turns out, in Kenya, I won’t need snow boots either!
I’m looking for financial partners to invest in my work with this ministry for the next three years. Could it be that you are supposed to be part of the solution? If so, check out the partner or give sections of this website. Of course, I’m always happy to answer specific questions or visit with you to talk in more detail about my work in Kenya. Please just ask!
Posted in Blog.
Frights, Funding, and Future
I’ve decided I’m a busy guy. I’m working part-time at CMF, where I’m currently doing random things such as getting birth certificates authenticated by the Secretary of State so folks can obtain work permits in the countries where they are going to serve. Or, I’m helping people schedule or change flights from all over the world. Sometimes, I’m even shipping printers to the West Coast for folks who are back in the States for furlough. It’s certainly enough to keep me on my toes! Add to that the fact that I’m also trying to complete assignments, schedule trainings, and setup meetings with potential supporters in the afternoons and weekends, and I’m pretty much working full-time.
But, I’m an over-achiever, so working the equivalent of two part-time jobs isn’t enough for me. No, sir. So, for the seventh consecutive year, I’ve committed to helping out at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis on select evenings during Haunted House season! By day, I’m doing the work of Jesus, and by night, I’m scaring the bejeezus out of children… Mainly, teenagers… And, only during “Frightening Hours” of course! (I’m not that mean!) The theme this year is “Creepy Carnival,” so I’m essentially dressed up as a Creepy Carney. My job is to “entertain” folks waiting in line – to set the tone for what’s to come further on. And, I’m also around to assist with crowd control if/when the lines get very long. While I am getting paid to do this, my plan is to put any money I make working at the Haunted House toward my Kenya sending fund. So essentially, with every scream, I’m just one step closer to Kenya!
Me as the “Creepy Carney”
While I will always enjoy the world of attractions and entertainment, the work that I’m preparing to do is so much more important. I’m going to serve in Kenya for three years to do what I can to help our partners at Missions of Hope International be able to reach as many children as possible and show them that they are children of God – loved, valued, and important. I’ve seen first hand the difference between the children attending our schools in the Mathare Valley slum, and those who don’t have that opportunity because we simply don’t have the capacity. If we can build that capacity, and work to develop processes and procedures that are scalable, we could be reaching 10 times as many children as we are right now. As it happens, my operational background combined with the past two years I’ve spent leading the Child Sponsorship Team in the home office, I feel as though I may have some unique qualifications that can serve this purpose. And THAT’S why I’m going.
Oh, and also because I will get to see this kid more often…
“David Selfie”
I would absolutely LOVE to talk in more detail about what, exactly, I’ll be doing during my three years in Kenya. Please feel free to contact me anytime – I’d love to drop by, or grab coffee or dinner sometime. You can always reach me at markfirestone@cmfi.org, or give me a call at 317-409-1749. There are exciting things happening, and I’d love talk about how you can get involved!
Posted in Blog.
Transitions
Two weeks ago, I shared about my calling to go and serve in Kenya for three years. (If you missed that, watch my video here, and then read this blog post first!) Today, I wanted to provide a little update on some transitions taking place, and what’s coming next…
So, for the first time in over 10 years, I’m once again living under the same roof with my parents. This has been an interesting transition, as I’ve become pretty independent and I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. It’s actually been going pretty well. (And I have to be nice, because I know my mom will be reading this!) I’m back in my old bedroom, or at least the last room I had here. But, it’s a bit more crowded in here, now. I basically went from a three bedroom house, to a one bedroom apartment, to what really amounts to a studio apartment. I honestly feel like I’m living in an attic, as my whole life is boxed up and stacked up all around the room. But, there’s just enough space for my bed, my couch and my TV to be setup, so I at least have some space to live. So far, the most entertaining part of living back with my parents is when my dad, out of what I assume is respect for my privacy, will send me text messages about getting dinner from right downstairs!
The move to my parents’ house was necessary from a budget standpoint, but it’s still only temporary. This week, I’ll complete another transition. I’ll be fully transitioned out of my previous role and department at CMF. Instead of working with the Child Sponsorship Team, I’ll be working in the Personnel area, assisting with important things like booking flights/accommodations for missionaries heading to or returning from the field. I’ll be monitoring things like making sure everyone heading to a field has all the proper vaccinations/medical clearances, helping them to get visas, and assisting in sending important documents to the appropriate government agencies for certification and authentication so these folks can get work permits in the countries where they’ll be working. I’ll be helping to schedule home office visits for those who are back in the states for a period of time. But, most of all, I’ll be bringing my operational mind to this job to help streamline some processes and create a bit more structure in these areas.
The biggest change, though, is that I’ll only be working part-time starting October 1st. This is because my real priority now will be working to find people who are interested in partnering with me over the next three years as I serve in Nairobi, Kenya. Raising support and building relationships with partners is pretty much another part-time (or maybe even full-time) job, and one that I’m honestly looking forward to! I hope to fill my afternoons and evenings with visits and meetings with those who are interested in hearing more about where I’m going, why I’m going, and what I’ll be doing there.
I’m looking for people who can partner with me in a variety of ways, and you can learn more about those in the partner section of this website. If you were at all moved by the video I shared two weeks ago, and feel as though you want to be involved in this ministry, would you consider partnering with me? I would absolutely love to sit down and talk with anyone in more detail about what is actually going on in Mathare Valley, why I feel as though I’ve been called there, and how, exactly, my skills will be put to use! If you’d like to talk with me more about how you can be involved, please contact me via Facebook, e-mail, or give me a call. My Facebook and e-mail accounts are linked in the sidebar to the right under the “Stay Connected” banner. If you prefer to call, I can be reached on my cell at 317-409-1749. If I don’t answer, leave a message and I will certainly call back! Additionally, please feel free to pass this website and my contact information on to anyone who may be interested in hearing more about my story.
I have a pretty aggressive goal of getting to Nairobi within a six month timeframe (or sooner!). And, while the financial aspect will play a big part in that, I’ll also have a few trainings I’ll need to attend as well before I can go. I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the support and encouragement of so many since I shared this news just two weeks ago. I hope many of you will stick with me as I continue through these transitions, to the day I depart for Kenya, and all the way through the next three years as I embark on one of the most important things I may ever get to be a part of! Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, encouragement and support!
Posted in Blog.
From Mickey Mouse to Mathare Valley
It was all set. I was moving to Florida and returning to my roots in the tourism/hospitality industry by going back to work at Walt Disney World. I had discussed it ad nauseam with close friends and family members. I gave notice to CMF International, where I’ve been working for the past two years. I made a big announcement via social media. I even bought my SunPass for those pesky Central Florida toll roads. It was a go, and nothing was going to stop me this time.
Seven weeks after I had met with a recruiter at Disney to discuss my future employment at the company, I was still on a waiting list for full-time employment, but had the option to take a part-time position anytime. But things appeared to have stalled, and I was feeling discouraged. I’m not big on self-promotion, but I feel as though I’m an accomplished customer service and operations management professional. Why is it so hard for me to even get a full-time entry level job at Disney? Something just didn’t feel right. In a moment of despair, I prayed for some direction. I prayed to keep an open mind and open heart. I prayed that if there is something better that I should be doing, that it would be revealed to me.
The next week, I heard from my Disney recruiter, and the news was not good. Not only did they still not have full-time positions available, but they also filled all of the part-times jobs that I was interested in. As some sort of consolation, I was offered a spot on another waiting list for part-time jobs. I ultimately declined.
You see, that was the sign I needed. The “kick in the pants,” if you will. I realized that, while it was difficult to accept, that was a door closing. Maybe not for good, but at least for now.
People who’ve known me for a long time know that I’ve always had a passion for the theme park/attractions industry – specifically Disney. It came as no surprise to any of them that I would look into returning to that industry. But, in the last few years, I’ve had another passion bubble up inside of me – helping the hopeless living in extreme poverty, specifically in a slum called Mathare Valley in Nairobi, Kenya. (For those who don’t know, Mathare is pronounced ma-THAR-ee)
My passion for the people of Mathare stems from a visit I made there in 2012. I saw first hand the extreme poverty of the people living there, and I met a little boy named David who I started sponsoring. I didn’t sponsor a child before that trip, nor had I ever really considered doing it before. But, after just two days in Nairobi, my thoughts changed from “should I sponsor” to “how many can I afford.”
I think most people know that it was this trip in 2012 that led me to leave my 12-year career in the tourism/attractions industry to go and work for CMF International to help with this important work. And, it’s been an amazing, yet challenging, two years working there. Ultimately, I learned that I get my motivation from being near the action, and my past jobs had all provided that motivation. But, when the “action” is in another country on the other side of the world, I struggled. I struggled with sitting at a desk all day and being so far away from what was happening. And, this is what led me to start thinking about something else I could do – which was return to Disney.
But, with Disney now out of the picture, I was forced to look at other options. Well, if I’m not going to be doing a job related to one of my passions (Disney), then it was only natural for me to consider doing something with my other passion (Kenya). Granted, this didn’t happen right away. It took a very long conversation to convince me that I should even LOOK INTO serving in the field in Kenya. But, once I did, things started falling into place.
The more I talked with people, the more encouraged I felt. There is a need for someone with my skills and abilities on the field, and people were excited about the possibility of me going. I’ll be honest – after feeling like a nobody at Disney, it was good to feel needed and wanted! I met with another couple who is preparing to head over to Kenya, alongside whom I will be serving, and we had a wonderful conversation about the various talents that are being assembled on the team in Nairobi. There’s no denying it… Something big is happening there.
So, I started the application process to serve in the field, which normally takes a month or two to complete. I did it in about two weeks. I had to get a complete physical and medical evaluation, had to take a 500-some question psychological test (the MMPI for those who are knowledgeable of these things), I took the Myers-Briggs personality test and a cultural readiness test, I completed a 30-something open-ended question “life history questionnaire,” and provided five references – including the very busy lead pastor of my church – on extremely short notice. But, all of this happened with relatively simple ease.
Then there’s all the other random things like how most people who do this need to sell their house and reduce their debt, etc. I’ve already done that. I’ll eventually need to sell my car. But, I have some friends whose car died recently and are possibly interested in buying mine from me. (Not to mention two other people who have expressed an interest in buying it!) I’m not heading to Kenya tomorrow, so I’ll need to find some other employment on an interim basis. Conveniently, there’s a position that just became available elsewhere within CMF that I’ll be able to move into, and that will allow the flexibility I’ll need as I prepare for this move. These are just a few examples, but it has become obvious to me now that this path is being cleared for me for a reason. Things are happening too easily. And I would be a fool not to pursue this.
So, I’m going to be a missionary to Kenya. That’s the technical term, at least. That doesn’t mean I’ll be knocking on doors and talking about Jesus, or preaching under a tree. I’ll be working with the largest NGO (non-government organization/charitable organization) in Nairobi helping them to build some capacity into their programs so we can reach even more children who are in need. At this time, I’ve made a three year commitment to serve there.
Yes, the thought of living in another country is pretty scary. It will definitely be outside of my comfort zone. But, there is a fantastic team of people there, and the work we will be doing together is good work. It’s important work. It will definitely allow me to be “close to the action,” more so than I expected! You might even have noticed that the tag line for this website is “On the Front Lines.” I thought that seemed appropriate.
So, what happens next? Well, this past week, I completed a training program called LAUNCH. LAUNCH is the initial training where we learn about many of the financial aspects and needs of serving in the field. This isn’t a salaried position, folks. I get to raise my own support! But, the financial aspect isn’t what concerns me the most. Really, I hope to find a solid group of people who will partner with me and share this journey with me. (And, to be quite honest, there is something that scares me even more than the thought of fundraising… Learning to drive in Nairobi!)
The timeline for all of this is fluid at this point. I would like to say that I could be heading over to begin my term in Nairobi sometime between the first of the year and the Spring, but it all will depend on when I get support raised and when I can schedule a few trainings that I’ll need to attend. But, I’m highly motivated and excited to get started!
This has been a long, emotional, and spiritual journey. It really started almost seven years ago when I returned from Florida the first time. I was in a bad spot back then, and through the invitation of a friend, I started attending Traders Point Christian Church. That really started me down this path of self-exploration, spiritual renewal and really trying to figure out what God wants me to do with my life. When I take a step back and just look at everything that has happened up to this point, this all just makes perfect sense.
So, I’m excited to share this news, and I hope it makes sense to you. Of course, I’m happy to talk with anyone in more detail about how this all came about, what I’ll be doing, how you can be a part of it, etc. This website is still somewhat of a work in progress, and I’m sure I’ll add more content and/or features as time moves on. It’s really a way for people to stay connected with how I’m doing, what I’m doing, and when I’ll be doing it.
The last thing I’ll say is this: I’m not mad at Disney. I’m still just as passionate about that company and the kind of entertainment they provide as I ever have been. And, I may go back to work there again someday. I’m pretty sure they aren’t going anywhere. But, this is just something I have to do right now. I went to Kenya that first time two years ago, and had no idea what I was doing there. What I’ve realized now is that God has been preparing me for this work for many years without me knowing it. And I never would have come to this place if things had happened any other way.
Posted in Blog.