2016 Episode 41

Show open and preview

A host opens the show live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper on a Monday evening, then previews the two big pieces of the night: Dan Hudson's 'pope style advice' on simplicity and honesty, and an in-studio interview with Tim Brand of Many Hands for Haiti.

Meet Tim Brand

The hosts introduce Tim Brand, in-studio guest and founder of Many Hands for Haiti. Tim tells how he discovered the organization through the new thrift store on the north side of town and asks Tim to share his background.

Tim Brand's road to Haiti

Tim recounts his first short-term mission trip to Haiti in 1998, his wandering years, praying with his roommate, hearing God say to go back to Haiti, and his covenant to stay involved with the country. He also shares about his wife Katie, his kids, and his daughter's starving-at-the-volleyball-tournament story.

From reverse offering to Many Hands for Haiti

Tim describes what he saw in Haiti (extreme poverty, darkness), Haiti as a 'thin place' of spiritual battle, the silo problem among Iowa churches doing mission work, the 2004 church reverse offering that built the first school, the 2005 Willow Creek Leadership Summit that birthed the vision, and founding the organization in 2009.

Breaking the silos: collaboration in missions

Tim explains how churches and organizations in both the US and Haiti duplicated each other's work and refused to share best practices or resources, the power structures that benefit from poverty, and the grassroots strategy of equipping the people first so leaders follow.

Called for transformation: the unique vision

• What is the unique vision of Many Hands for Haiti?

Asked for the unique vision of Many Hands for Haiti, Tim retells Gary Haugen's Mount Rainier visitor-center story — missing the adventure while staying safe — and explains the calling to 'transform together': building a Christian culture in Haiti and in the US, because everyone's brokenness just looks different.

Pain, joy, and seeing with God's eyes

• How does engaging with Haiti transform American Christians?
• Is engaging in mission work partly to heal our own brokenness a form of 'stealing'?

Tim argues Americans are a distracted culture sold the lie that more stuff brings happiness, that pain carves out the hollow space where God can pour joy, and that short-term missions done right expose people to real pain so they hear God. A host asks whether using others' brokenness to heal our own is 'stealing'; Tim answers it is seeing with God's eyes when it is a two-way walk. They discuss doing short-term missions well: go as a learner first, walk alongside, never replace a paid local worker.

Six stackable solutions

Tim walks through the six core program areas: education (Thrive for Five zero-to-five programs with parent training), leadership development, agronomy (commercial banana farm, gardens, technical school), safe homes, medical assistance (including hand-powered pet carts for the disabled), and economic development through sewing programs. All six are tools to talk about Jesus, followed up by a staff chaplain, plus a Wednesday 'little church' come-as-you-are service that has seen dozens give their lives to Christ.

Funding the mission: the thrift store model

• How is Many Hands for Haiti funded, and how can people get involved?

Tim explains the domestic funding model: the 2012 soccer-shoe drive showed him free donations undercut Haitian livelihoods, so he sells donated goods in local thrift stores (Grimes, Spencer, plus froyo shops) with dignity of commerce, telling Haiti's story through the stores. The hosts discuss the Grimes store visit, the handmade jewelry, and the diaper-cutting parties that pay Haitian women sewing jobs.

Local impact and a God of abundance

Tim describes the local impact program (gift cards to churches, a furniture ministry furnishing 200-250 homes for people leaving homelessness) and pushes back on scarcity thinking: God is a God of abundance — the five loaves and two fish left baskets over. He recounts going full-time in 2011 afraid of losing his giving, then watching God multiply the organization, and closes with Mother Teresa's 'love until it hurts.'

Froyo shops and the Grimes store

A host's froyo distraction becomes the frozen-yogurt story: the org's froyo shops (Grimes, Pella, Oskaloosa) turn an everyday $4 purchase into a conversation about Haiti, with loyalty chips directing money to feeding, education, or leadership programs. They also discuss the Grimes store visit, volunteer hours, and the seasonal Pella pop-up thrift outlet.

Getting involved and Hurricane Matthew's aftermath

• How is Many Hands for Haiti funded, and how can people get involved?
• What did the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew look like for the work in Haiti?

Tim lists the on-ramps to get involved: shop, donate stuff, bundle-bottoms parties, the Give Joy Christmas catalog, volunteering, project sponsorship, mission trips, and prayer. He then answers what Hurricane Matthew did to Haiti's southwest: 95% of homes and most churches, schools, and crops wiped out with no insurance or FEMA, and explains the development-style relief partnerships (coffee replanting, roofs, peanut fields).

Outro of the interview

A host thanks Tim Brand, plugs the website mh4h.org and the Facebook page, encourages listeners to take a first step, and tees up the rest of the show's advice segments.

Pope-style advice: simplicity and honesty

Dan Hudson delivers the promised 'pope style advice' on simplicity and honesty, telling the story of his 19-year-old daughter: she could not attend the missions conference because of a five-hour cafeteria shift at Iowa State nobody would cover, and when he texted 'why don't you quit,' she answered it was a character thing — she had committed to the semester. He had been preparing a lesson on simplicity that day ('let your yes be yes'), and concluded his daughter schooled him: if you agree to do something, do it. Closed with 'get off my lawn.'

Dear LFTP: the exercise letter

• How can a 19-year-old raised with exercise as punishment find motivation to exercise and lose weight?

A host reads a listener letter from a 19-year-old who grew up with mentally and emotionally abusive parents who used exercise as punishment, quit exercising once free, became obese, and now cannot get motivated despite gym sign-ups and a running buddy. The hosts answer with a mix of skepticism and discipline advice: stop playing the victim, own your past, make it simple and free (walk), remove excuses. The 'secular advice' answer follows: being active helps heart, brain, and stress; pick something enjoyable like dancing; lay out clothes the night before.

Dear LFTP: the Ian letter

• Should the listener end her relationship with Ian?

A host reads a listener letter about 'Ian,' a boyfriend of seven months who is consumed by video games, verbally degrading, physically violent (slapped her), and unemployed, while she has anxiety and low self-worth. The hosts are unanimous: end it now — seven months is six too long — then find healthy married couples to reorient expectations before dating again, and bring truth-telling mentors into her life. The 'secular advice' agrees: he is immature and abusive; do not move in together.

Sign-off and what's next

A host wraps up: thanks Tim Brand again, previews next week with musical guest Chris Akers and mentions Jacob Stewart's new donation-based album on Bandcamp, then signs off with 'be faithful in the means, God will handle the ends.'