Pearls of Fundraising Wisdom
April 26th, 2012

Last month the DAI family met in Turkey to discuss the issue of fundraising in impoverished communities. Can it even be done? How? After three days of discussion and learning facilitated by Rob Martin from Grace of Giving we came away with great pearls of fundraising wisdom. The amount of Amen-ing and head nodding testifies to the powerfulness of the truth shared. They are too good to keep to ourselves!

Are you ready to share in these pearls of wisdom? Start by asking yourself, “What happens in the current fundraising model of international and national aid goes away? What do I do to replace Western funding? Am I dependent on aid money? Would I have to close the ministry’s doors?”

The current model of ministries supported mainly by international aid is a broken model that needs to turn upside-down. It is time for ministries to facilitate local ownership through fundraising among generous local supporters.

Generosity has nothing to do with the size of your wallet, but the size of your heart. Remember the widow who offered her last two pennies to God?

To turn the model upside down first and foremost, we have to get rid of the mentality that there is a limited pool of money in the world that we are trying to compete for. In the Kingdom of God there is abundance. And the Kingdom of God encompasses your own neighborhood. There is abundance there too.

Have you ever counted the stars in the sky, the sands on the shores, the cells in your body? There is so much abundance we cannot fathom it!

Tap into this abundance, by offering people in your neighborhood and social circles the opportunity to participate in God’s work with you. Fundraising is about offering NOT begging. Start with local relationships.

Express the vision God has given you and ask others to invest in the vision – to invest in a transformed future.

Do not lose heart if people deny your offer, not everyone in the world will be attracted to your vision. Not everyone will be called to your calling. That is how God provides for all the needs of the Kingdom. He connects people’s visions for their money with your vision to meet a great need.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Not only can you do it, but as a leader you need to do it. Servant leaders ensure everyone under them has what they need to carry out the work they are called to. This means fundraising.

As you embark on this new fundraising journey, ask yourself “Where does my power come from? Am I a motor boat relying on my own inner strength? Or am I a sail boat skilled at catching the wind and hopeful God will provide it?” Do your part by offering others the opportunity to invest in your calling and trust God to provide the wind in your sails to move the ministry forward. With one hand He leads and the other He provides.

 

We would love to hear your stories of God’s provision! Please share them by commenting on this post.

 

For more fundraising resources visit:

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Your vote for DAI counts!
April 19th, 2012

We’re excited to participate in Givingoflife.com‘s initiative to give away $150,000 to ministries like DAI. It’s a clever model of fundraising where Givingoflife.com asks “you” the donor, what ministries or causes are important to you. The top 5 ministries with the most votes in each category will be considered for a $10,000 gift in June. All that is required of you is to take a few minutes to register on their site. You earn “votes” just by registering and even more votes if you link to them via Facebook or Twitter.

Your vote for DAI indicates that you believe that one leader can make a difference. It communicates that you feel servant leadership matters. It is being on the side of leadership that can’t be bought or sold, that stands for justice and has God’s compassion for the poor. Leadership that empowers, delegates and encourages. When you vote for DAI, you’re voting for a ministry that has already trained over 100 thousand leaders in 45 countries with the skills and integrity to bring hope to communities around the world.

Vote now for DAI!

http://www.givingoflife.com/profile/development-associates-international/

Once you register, please find DAI (Development Associates International) under the “Education & Training” category.

Thanks for your help in helping us compete for $10,000.

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Impact of 2011
March 22nd, 2012

I am excited to share with you the enclosed Annual Report for 2011. Open the cover and read about one leader’s experience with DAI and then look across the page to see how many thousands received the help they needed to bring hope and healing to their local communities. Wow—what an impact!

DAI is about change and transformation. It is more than leaders sitting passively through training courses to learn new information. It is about leaders growing into the likeness of Jesus.

Over and over again we hear leaders awaken to the fact that their faith has radically practical implications for how they lead and how they live their daily lives.

 “I have learnt through this process that as a leader I should not cheat on the time I put in at my workplace since this is a form of theft. I never thought it really mattered before, because everyone here does it.”

“I am not the same person. My life is different. I feel different. I almost lost myself but God is helping me to regain stability. This course is a God send for people like me who do not just need a Master’s Degree, but need to draw closer to God and learn to say no to the devil.”     

- Christian MA students in Uganda

 Thank you so much for your gifts and prayers that enable leader after another to learn, grow, and stand up against culturally accepted practices of leadership that are wrong. When this happens they become change agents in their societies, fighting corruption, and bringing justice where it is needed most.

Please pray with us that that we will be able to come alongside even more leaders in 2012!

Jane Overstreet
DAI President/CEO

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DAI servant leader brings healing to former child soldiers
February 24th, 2012

Cavine, a DAI Servant Leader, lives and works in her home district of Northern Uganda, which was destroyed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) creating large numbers of traumatized internally displaced people. Many are children orphaned by the war. Some of them were kidnapped by the LRA who forced them to kill, rape and pillage local villages.

As a parent of a former child soldier, when your son finally returns home are you supposed to rejoice that he is not dead? Grieve that he has blood on his hands? Or tremble in fear that your 12-year-old little boy might kill again? As a neighbor of that same little boy who killed your own children? Can you forgive him? Can you love him as your own child like you once did? Cavine addresses these questions daily.

Bringing healing to so many children and families will take time. Yet Cavine joined the forces of Ugandans helping the victims of war become whole again. Cavine rehabilitates children through trauma counseling and peace-building between the community, orphans and former child soldiers. Cavine is transforming her community to reflect the love and joy of Jesus more than its painful past.

DAI comes alongside leaders like Cavine, to develop their effectiveness and integrity as leaders. Sometimes they need encouragement from a mentor. Or they need a whole new model of leadership. And other times they need customized consulting. In each way that DAI ministers to leaders around the world, DAI’s ultimate goal is to see strong servant leaders emerge who deeply impact their community and accurately reflect Kingdom values over cultural values. Cavine is one such servant leader.

We encourage you to join the movement, fellowship and ministry of DAI.

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Transforming Togo
January 27th, 2012

Simon Pierre Gatera pioneered the ministry of Development Associates International (DAI) in Togo. He trains Christians to lead with a servant’s heart, like Jesus. These leaders are desperate for a different way.

Since independence from France in 1960, the Togolese have only known heavy-handed dictatorship masquerading as a Republic. The power-hungry government-military duo, coupled with prevalent dark Voodoo practices and the instability of poverty, have crippled the nation with fear.

This fear affects everything. In fear of losing your job and putting your family’s future well-being in jeopardy, will you bring to light your boss’ corruption and unjust behavior? In fear of death will you go toe to toe with the government’s abuse of power? Once you find some semblance of security in a job, will you pass your position of power along to emerging leaders?

Out of this darkness and fear comes a message of empowerment and hope from Simon Pierre; there is a better way and with Jesus you can achieve it.

After completing a DAI workshop, Jean-Marc, a leader of a Christian ministry said, “I cannot find the words to thank Mr. Gatera from whom I acquired all this knowledge. To thank him really, I shall put all these teachings in practice.” And he did.

Jean-Marc’s CEO asked him to fire their hard-working accountant because he listened to music every day.  In the CEO’s eyes, he was using too much electricity. Jean-Marc protected the accountant saying, “It’s better to manage conflict with patience, to restore relationships, than to throw out the people who cause problems. What if our accountant cannot find another job?” Defending the accountant’s job put his own job on the line.

Thankfully the CEO conceded. After a time of asking questions and listening to the accountant, Jean-Marc discovered that the accountant is a people-oriented person employed to work alone in a task-oriented position. He listens to music to fulfill his need for human interaction.

This epiphany allowed Jean-Marc to place the accountant in a different position that provided a lot of human interaction. The accountant’s habit of listening to music stopped. What looked like a loss became a win-win situation.

Jean-Marc’s story is one of many stories of transformation. As always, DAI is honored to walk alongside these leaders who are brave enough to say “no” to bad leadership even if it is their own.

Support the work of DAI Togo, by leaving an encouraging word for Simon Pierre.

About Togo: A long, skinny country in Western Africa best known for its cocoa, coffee and cotton. This nation of just under 7 million only employs 2.6 million. Their GDP just barely surpasses 3 billion USD. To put that in perspective: if you divide the GDP by the population of the country, the US brings in 104 times the amount of money per person than Togo. A comparison of $47,744 USD to only $457. That’s just barely over $1 per day per person when the US earns $132. Togo has a small economy, but also has great untapped potential.

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Travel Tips from DAI Staff
January 13th, 2012

In our efforts to bring DAI’s servant leadership training to places with least access to such resources we have spent countless hours riding on planes and trains and driving on congested and open roads. Our cumulative travel experience allows us to bring you this international travel advice.

 

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Confirm visa and vaccination requirements months ahead of time for both your destination and pass-through countries. Some countries require transit visas for travelers passing through their airports.

While you are purchasing your flight, add travel insurance and traveler’s health insurance to your bill. Usually nothing goes wrong, but there are certain things you cannot prepare for, like a volcano erupting in Iceland disrupting travel all around the world.

Print off multiple copies of your eTickets and Itineraries. You need them to even enter some airports.

Get to know the culture – especially dress code and social norms – and key phrases of the main language of your destination. The western hemisphere is predominately mono-linguistic which makes knowing the local language all the more important there. Online travel guides and increasing numbers of local online news publications allow you to peer ahead to your awaiting destination.

Check the voltage and plug adapters of the destination country. Keep in mind some countries use multiple types of adapters. Click here for a listing http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm .

Notify your bank and credit card companies of upcoming travel plans, otherwise anti-fraud departments may deny your overseas transactions.

In case of an emergency, inform a friend or family member of your itinerary, contact information and the contact information of the nearest consulate for your home country.

 

PACK LIGHT

Checking weather ahead of time allows you to pack more appropriately. Keep in mind that seasons are opposite between northern and southern hemispheres. If you are making that transition, be sure you have clothes for both seasons readily available on the plane ride.

Save space in your suitcase by rolling your clothes rather than folding them. And leave extra space so you can return home with souvenirs and gifts.

Be sure to bring gifts of appreciation for your hosts.

Pack a washcloth, shammy (quick-drying) towel, package of facial tissue, pillow case and plastic grocery bag. These five things fulfill a myriad of needs – from creating a pillow out of a jacket on a long train ride to keeping dirty shoes separated from clean clothes in your cramped suitcase.

Polo t-shirts are a fashion trend that has spread all around the world. Shorts on the other hand have not. Exchange the shorts and t-shirts for trousers and polos. Unfortunately, women’s clothing is not as uniform which makes looking up the appropriate dress code all the more important.

 

COMBATING JET LAG

We suggest drinking plenty of water and exercising in the sunlight. On the flights try adjusting your body to the destination time zone. Set your watch to that time and eat and sleep accordingly.

 

STAYING HEALTHY

Contrary to popular belief, the air on planes is not circulating germs. The air coming from your personal air valve is partially outside air mixed in with HEPA-filtered cabin air. But that does not mean your seat neighbor is not circulating their germs. A couple days before traveling; boost your body’s immune system with vitamins like Echinacea, vitamin C and zinc.

Traveling with your ‘go to’ medications prevents the hassle of hunting through foreign pharmacies in a time of need.

When you are in developing countries, drink bottled water or a soda instead of tap water. If that is not available, then kindly request boiling water.

 

FOR YOUR COMFORT

Enjoying a cup of afternoon tea is more common than a mug of coffee with breakfast. If coffee is part of your morning routine, we suggest packing either instant coffee or ground coffee and a coffee plunger/press travel mug.

Opt for 100% cotton clothing when traveling to hot dry climates allowing your body to “breath” so to speak. But switch to cotton-synthetic blends when traveling to wet climates allowing you to quickly dry after being caught in the afternoon monsoon rain.

Decreased oxygen in high elevations increases muscle fatigue. Drinking plenty of water and pacing yourself will go a long way in feeling your best.

 

WHILE IN COUNTRY

Money exchange in airports tends to be the most expensive no matter where you are. Exchange what you need for a day, then use the hotel or local bank’s exchange service for the remainder.

In countries with frequent strikes or protests, like India and Nepal, stay alert for public strike announcements. If a strike is scheduled for the day of your departure flight adjust the location of where you are staying so that you are within a walking or rickshaw distance of the airport.

When buying souvenirs, ask your tour guide or host for advice. They know what fair prices are.

Use a pre-paid taxi service whenever possible, otherwise set the price of the trip before the taxi ride.

An adventurous and laid-back attitude decreases stress when our plans do not work out according to our liking.

Finally, do not be afraid to ask questions.

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New Video for a New Year
January 6th, 2012

We live in uncommon times marred by chaos that was ushered in by bad leadership. Fortunately there is a group of servant leaders working in and through the chaos to pass on the unconventional leadership modeled by Jesus Christ. Through them the world is changing for the better. Learn more about why leadership development matters by watching the video below.

 

 

Join us on Facebook.

 

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Insider’s View into DAI
December 30th, 2011

DAI Senior Consultant Paul Borthwick was interviewed by supporters of Development Associates International (DAI) giving them an insider’s view into the world of Senior Consultants. Each of the 12 DAI Senior Consultants, from 6 different countries, spend much of their time traveling around the world to provide Christ-like leadership training and consulting to Christians in least resourced parts of the world. Try on the shoes of a Senior Consultant.

Personal.

Do you ever feel afraid in some of the difficult areas you travel to?

The short answer: YES. There are definitely times we feel afraid – whether we’re together or apart. In September, on the drive from Lagos to Ibadan (Nigeria) for a DAI MA training week, the car transporting Paul had a flat tire – in the dark – in a very remote section of a notoriously dangerous road (known for robberies). I (Paul) felt afraid so I texted Christie so that she would pray – “Flat tire; please pray” – thus making her afraid.

 How do you see God meet you in those times?

Obviously we prayed, but God met us by reminding us of all the people who told us that they were praying for this trip. Paul prayed through his favorite verse – Isaiah 41:10 – and remembered God’s promised presence. Christie drew on Philippians 4:6-7 – ‘don’t be anxious; pray about everything.’

The driver changed the flat tire without incident and we arrived in Ibadan safely. A week after Paul got home, he got a message from one of our prayer team partners telling us that she had felt special compulsion to pray for our safety. When we compared timing, she sensed the urgency to pray at exactly the same time we had the flat tire!

Ministry Impact.  

What motivates you both to keep training/ministering with DAI? 

By far it’s the amazing privilege of working with leaders who will accomplish things for the Kingdom of Christ that we could never do. We think of our colleagues training Christian leaders in the Middle East. Or we celebrate the Nepali leaders touching dozens of cultures in the Himalayan region.

 How has seeing leader’s lives transformed shaped your ministry at DAI? 

First, we realize that God has called us alongside our colleagues as partners and friends. We’ve grown together with friends like DAI colleagues Reuben & Bosede Ezemadu who we first met in 1987. Or IFES colleagues Femi and Affy Adeleye who we met in 1991. Through our many DAI contacts, we’ve had the privilege of praying with other global colleagues through national conflicts in Cote d’Ivoire and personal conflicts in their families. The people we work with come from highly relational cultures, and we’ve learned that walking together, eating together, and spending time together is the foundation of everything we do in DAI.

A second observation about seeing leader’s lives transformed that has shaped our ministry is the realization that God has given us the ability to be “transformation catalysts.” We don’t always know the direct impact of the seeds that we plant, but we realize that through teaching, spiritual direction, training and facilitating, God has used us to introduce ideas that bear fruit later. When we get James’ newsletter regarding his mission outreach to Tibetans, or we hear about Jack taking one of the most significant leadership positions in Palestine, or we get Joel and Karen’s newsletter from Burkina Faso, we celebrate. James was our student in Manila 10 years ago. Jack took a class with Paul in 1998, became a classmate in 2002, and hosted a DAI training in Palestine/Israel in 2005. And Joel and Karen were in mission classes when they studied at Gordon College. We celebrate not because we are so significant in these leaders’ lives but because perhaps we were used by God as catalysts for His transforming vision in their lives.

 Global Perspective. 

Given all of your diverse travels, if you could change one thing about how the Church views/engages in missions, what would you change? 

We want to encourage the church in North America to discover where God is moving and go there – whether it’s with James the Filipino going to the Tibetan people or Fred the Nigerian serving in Cote d’Ivoire or with traditional Western missionaries teaching in Burkina Faso. And where is God going? The mass migrations of people and the globalization of the mission force means that there are many new streams of witness in the world. Ministry in New Zealand in November or Ghana in December is not just an investment in these young leaders and those countries. It’s for the places these students will go in the world – like Laos or China or North Africa.

 

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Merry Christmas from DAI!
December 22nd, 2011

As we enter into a season of joyfully reflecting on the miracle of Jesus Christ’s life among us, we want to share how God has worked in and through the ministry of DAI.

In the hearts of our donors – economic hardships and political strife negatively impacted many of our donors around the world and yet they continue to generously support the ministries of DAI.

In the hearts of the leaders we serve – every servant-leadership training we do, we ask God to show up. And to our amazement, He does! He speaks to the situation of each leader, encourages them, heals them.

In the heart of our curriculum – “transformative,” have frequently been used to describe the curriculum we offer. Jesus’ way of leading is transformative and that’s what we teach. Like an earthquake, His presence rocks what we used to think was a firm foundation. What was once viewed as stable, now crumbles. We start to question the unhealthy norms – big-boss leadership, abuse of power, corruption, fear of delegation, etc..

To all of our advocates, donors, trainers, translators, staff and leaders we serve; Merry Christmas! May the joy of the Lord’s presence in your life permeate this Christmas!

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Nash’s Story
December 9th, 2011

From DAI student to Pastor of a conflict-ridden church in 3 years!

 “I can go on and on about the impact of DAI and its ready application to my life and ministry without stopping because the course content, which is highly flexible in delivery, is amazingly and relevantly appropriate for day to day life and ministry applications in the setting and ministry context in Nigeria.” ~ Nash

When Nash Azaki started the DAI MA Course in Organisational Leadership in Nigeria in March 2008, he had no idea of the journey it would take him on. At that time he was a student worker with the ECWA Student Ministry in Nigeria, and was feeling in need of training to sharpen his leadership skills. Two years into the three-year course, he was asked to take over as pastor of a 500 strong congregation in Abuja. So how has the course helped him as a leader, both with students and more recently with a large congregation?

“As I progressed in the programme, each semester had something new and rich for me to learn and apply in my life and ministry.” Pressed to be more specific, he said that the Teaching and Learning for Impact course had helped him understand his students as learners and that now in his new role as a Church leader he is using what he learned about facilitating when leading Bible study groups and discipleship classes, helping people engage better with what they are learning.

Nash’s view was that the Conflict Resolution and Management course was “God-sent”! The church* he took over had become sharply divided between the supporters of the former pastor, who left because of financial misappropriation, and the supporters of the elders. “Assuming pastoral responsibility in this conflict situation was the biggest challenge I have ever experienced. Using the course skills and further empowered by the Holy Spirit, peace and spirituality has been restored. Then as I identified ethnic issues to be at the root of the problem we had the course on Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity which directly addressed the situation in my church.”

Nash has a passion for mission and evangelism: “I want to encourage our church to be a missionary sending and mission supporting church. As one of the exercises on the Partnership course I had to explore a possible partnership. I had a vision for strengthening the church in Burkina Faso, and using the methods and skills we learned we have now successfully partnered with the Eglise Evangelique in Burkina Faso and with other ministries in Nigeria to support the church in Burkina Faso. Although this began as an academic exercise, we now have a very real partnership and we are doing significant ministry in another country in West Africa.”

The last words belong to Nash: “I am totally overwhelmed by the fact that a simple commitment to an academic exercise can translate into such a huge, monumental, eternal impact as represented by a partnership which has been brokered and that resulted in us sending two missionaries to Burkina Faso. Thanks so much for placing the resources of this course on partnership at my disposal.”

What others have said about Nash:

“Pastor Nash has vision, wisdom, executive ability, humility, develops friendships and has tact and diplomacy. These are the characteristics we look for in leaders and Pastor Nash is an inspirational leader.”
~ Dr. Mrs. Numbwa Medugu

“Pastor Nash is a visionary leader, a leader of high integrity and a good planner.”
~ Solomon Labafilo

John Rogers, DAI Senior Consultant for Non-Formal Training and Adult Education, wrote Nash’s story after teaching Nash and his classmates about forming and maintaining partnerships which led Nash to send out missionaries from his congregation.

*The photo is of a worship service in Nigeria, but not from Nash’s church.

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