Doug's Vision

Here's my story of discovering how I can Impact Nations.

What's yours?

I met founder Steve Stewart in 2007. He opened my eyes to God's care for the poor, and the cause of justice. The next year he took me to India, where he had started a sewing micro-enterprise school for widows.

The young woman in this picture looked like death when we met her. A 15 second conversation between her father and our partner (who he'd never met) resulted in us taking her into the program.

It's hard to describe how little hope there was for her if we didn't drop by. And her life has changed from the bottom of society to running a successful business because we did!

As I work with the poor I'm struck by our similar situations. They have almost no money, yet see miracles regularly. We have plenty of money, and rarely see miracles. We both need each other.

I took the middle picture of Osvaldo when I was in Nicaragua. His team was thanking God for the rice farming project that we funded, when God told them to examine the rice from the roots to the tops. They went out to the farm and found a fungus growing. So they sprayed and all is well. We have no idea how involved God wants to be in our normal lives.

The process that we have in place is all about relationships. We go on Journeys to get to know our partners. Then we run the projects they want, to strengthen our friendship through mutual accountability. Then we start businesses with them to set them free from depending on us for finances.

When I was in the Philippines, I saw that Tim's water project is fast-becoming a fully sustainable business. He sells filters to governments, NGO's and even corporations. Then he uses the profits to help the poorest people get clean water.

With a background in managing software development, how could I uniquely help?

How can you?

We live in an age where regular people through Wikipedia are competing with Encyclopedia Britannica. Is it possible that international development can be tackled by the people? We've created "facebook with a purpose" - an open platform for collaborating on village transformation.

One of our first experiments was providing water to Gatungan, Philippines. Comments range from "yaaa!" to "who gets these filters?" to pictures, reports and even a thank you from the local government. All in real-time and there for everyone to see.

Everywhere we go, we work with men and women whose stories could easily be made into movies. Sacrifice, gifting, courage, joy and conviction. But there is hardly any evidence of developing the leaders under them to carry on the transformational work. So we see each project as an opportunity to train a leader.

Carlos is one of Osvaldo's team. He moved his family to Limonal, one of the poorest villages we've seen. I asked him what he personally wanted to see happen.... His list started with $25 to fix the pole that holds up his main structure. From there he talked of a storage room and a latrine for his feeding center, a school, and a clinic (his wife's a doctor). Getting behind this next generation of leaders is something everyone can participate in.

Impact Nations is a network of people who are moved by compassion to tangible action. Our corporate staff consists of just me, Steve and his wife Christina. Yet last year we significantly helped over 100,000 people.

Each project takes off as someone takes the initiative. One of my favourite stories is when I saw a series of donations from one donor over several days. I called and found out the mom was touched by the plight of the orphans in Uganda. Then her husband donated. Then at dinner the children each wanted to help. Finally they prayed together and decided to fund the entire project.

God has put some impossible dreams on my heart, and I want to see them come to be.

How about you?

A "people movement" is when a group of people move forward together because of a shared passion. Over 80 million facebook users share a passion for virtual farming. In Farmville, you plant seed and harvest it to make farm coins, which allow you to buy equipment, fertiziler, etc. If you don't have the patience to earn a tractor, you can buy one (just an icon, of course) with real money. In 2009, the world spent over $6,000,000,000 on things that don't exist!

But we have real farms, with real farmers, and other practical projects that don't cost much more than the fake ones. Would it be possible to interact online in such a way that you could "drag and drop" $20 worth of seed, and the next day see pictures of it being planted?

A People Movement requires leaders working together in their strengths entirely for the benefit of others. The trouble is, no one is that perfect. So what we're doing is working with each other in spite of our faults. The power of true forgiveness and reconciliation trumps expertise and resources.

Our board includes some powerful men who used to being completely in charge. And we're partnered with powerful men around the globe who are on the top of their organizations. In submitting to one another an environment of humility forms where the Holy Spirit can come and do the impossible.

One of Steve's favourite sayings is "Do Something". In light of the injustice in the world, do something. Instead of planning until all risk is eliminated, do something. Instead of promising great things later, do something now.

So I'm inviting you to do something. This isn't about Impact Nations. This is about what God has put on your heart. But if Impact Nations can help, we will. I am committed to making it easier and easier to get involved, but it still requires a choice. And there's never a better time than now to activate your faith. Today, will you do something?