Barnabas Task

Jim Westerfield (right) taught businessmen in Cien Fuegos.

Hope you are doing well?   Traveling to the DR for a year,  every month,  (praying, connecting and plowing) has been quite a journey.  As I reflected on this past year I recently looked north toward a mountain range that separates us from Puerto Plata.  It was pouring rain but I could see the silhouette of the mountain range.  In that moment, I sensed what seemed to be an affirmation of the Lord; “Good job.”  About fifteen seconds passed and I then heard, “Keep plowing.  Walk humbly.”

I have been living in Santiago, Dominican Republic for a month now.  A lot has happened in a month.  Some really cool stuff.  But can I take a moment and share with you what I have been reading and thinking about?

Karl Rove, in his book entitled, “Courage and Consequence,” wrote something that jumped out at me.  He wrote about campaigns.  “Everything in the campaign had to be measured against goals…if you did not measure an activity it tended to remain undone.  We set goals for everything, then set things right where we were falling short.”  (Page 35)

I have asked different people what they would do if they were I.  Where would they start?  How?  When?  One answer has “stuck” with me.  Jim Tolle, pastor of a large southern California church said,  “Everything needs a reason and therefore a follow through for that reason.”  He was talking process.

Peter Greer and Phil Smith, in their book, “The Poor will be Glad,” have written many excellent things in their book.  They have helped me believe in what we are doing.  (Micro-Finance, Clean Water, Health Education)  In their book they too have challenged all of us with measurement.  Peter Drucker said,  “You get what you measure.”

I am on a mission  to establish some kind of measuring stick so that spiritual and social development progress can be looked at through indicators that force me to say, “Good job.  When?  Need to improve.  Why?  Missed the mark.  How?  Increase/Decrease allocation.“  We could make a longer list.  Wise stewardship with adequate standards and goals is an accountability needed.  I might add that it is difficult to quantify in another culture.  However, if what “they” are doing or what “I” am doing has no effect,  how will we know to change without some sort of guide?

In the Health Education world, a term is used frequently.  It is a measuring stick for the medical profession.  It is called “evidence based practice.”  I like it.  Makes sense.  Why follow myth or history past.  Let’s use concrete evidence.

We must walk with wisdom.  We must be risk takers but constantly discern the road ahead.  Besides help from God that I don’t discount at all, there is a real need for constant evaluation.

What about you?  What do you think?  Has what I have written helped  you in what you are doing?  Have you taken the time to evaluate your job, your church, your business, and your person?  How do you measure up?  Have you established any measuring stick?  Is what you are doing “evidence based?”

Write me.  I want to hear your ideas and thoughts.

Coming soon: Updates on the  Dominican and Haiti church