Jimmy Lakey

A Simple Way to Help Orphans

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:21:00 +0000

Hello friends,

It has certainly been a while since I have updated my blog, but this felt like an appropriate post to start again.

A great friend of ours, and supporter of River's Promise, has come to us with a new and exciting idea to help people bring hope to orphans.

Our dear friend, Paul Mason, has traveled with us to Rwanda in the past and knows just how hard it can be to give to an organization you believe in during hard economic times.

It is for this reason that Paul is using what he is ALREADY DOING to make a difference for orphans.

Paul runs an insurance company called Warrior Insurance and Services Group (WIASG) and they are giving $15 to River's Promise for every free, no obligation quote that we refer to WIASG!

This means that you can give an orphan almost two months of schooling just for getting a free, no obligation quote!

CLICK HERE TO GET A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE!

I personally switched to WIASG and was able to increase my coverage and gain an overall better value for my money. Our Field & Operations director saved 40% on his car insurance and doubled his coverage!

Additionally, if you choose WIASG for your insurance needs, they will donate 25% of their commission to River's Promise for the LIFE OF THE POLICY!

I have switched everything from car insurance to homeowners insurance, and I couldn't be happier with the service I received from WIASG!

{FIRST_NAME|Friend}, paying for insurance is something all of us are already doing, and this is a great opportunity to help orphans for something you already do each month.

What a blessing to have partners like Paul Mason and WIASG to stand beside River's Promise. We hope you will take the time right now to help orphans through something you are already doing.

CLICK HERE TO GET A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE NOW!

Thank you for your time, and God bless.

Jimmy Lakey
Founder/President
World Changers International, Inc. | River's Promise

PS - Just click the link and when they ask how you heard about WIASG, choose "referral" and write "River's Promise" in the additional comments section.

Don't Care Who Gets the Credit

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:37:00 +0000

It has been said several different ways by several different folks that "it is amazing what can be accomplished when you don't care who gets the credit." So true. This is why River's Promise has tried to always be open to partnering with other organizations when it made sense.

Of course, the inspiration & name sake for "River's Promise" is River. Knowing that another organization was doing great work around the globe . . . we didn't hesitate to allow River to be in one of their promotional videos. May I introduce to you http://www.Heartwork.tv and a promotional video featuring my amazing son.

God Bless -
Jimmy Lakey

Destiny rescuing Destiny from Heartwork on Vimeo.

Back from Rwanda. New video posted!

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:57:00 +0000

I just returned from Rwanda and was thrilled to see all that we have accomplished through River's Promise. Orphans are going to school, they have beds to sleep in, and now they will have a consistent source of food and we will begin seeing the signs of malnutrition end. With the help of so many . . . we are truly giving hope to orphans.

Here is a quick video of me standing near the 1 hectacre that we are developing for the orphanage as an agricultural project. While standing next to this project, I had the opportunity to introduce you to a few of the orphans that we are helping through River's Promise. These are my son's earliest friends and we are giving them hope . . . .

Day #2 - Rwanda - 05/2010

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:38:00 +0000

Today we drove outside of Kigali with some local Rwandan contacts to visit one of the poorest Districts in Rwanda. Our goal was to meet the Pygmy tribes in this area. (Rwanda historically has 3 tribes . . . Tutsis, Hutus, & Twa (Pygmies).

We arrived to a local community building and instead of entering to meet with perhaps 30 people, word had spread quickly throughout the region that we were coming and we were met with 200-300 people swarming our vehicle while jumping, dancing, & singing LOUD songs of welcome. I hope to get the video posted soon of this welcome event but it might have to wait until I have better internet connection.

After some introductory remarks and a mad rush by the children who heard that we had one crayon per child and some candy, I was whisked away down some amazing backroad trails. After crossing some bridges that were not designed for our car . . . we parked and wound further in the bush on foot. This long and winding journey took us to two Pygmy villages and I was told that white man (Muzungo) had never entered. I was the first to EVER visit! WOW.

Words cannot describe the poverty, the sickness, the hunger, the desperation that we witnessed. 90% of the pygmy die before they reach 5 years old and you are old if you live into your 40s. I have photos of women who look to be 50 or 60 but they are only in the 30s. The 2nd village we entered had 100 people just a few short years ago – today there are only 8 families and many surviving orphan children.

These folks lived in squalor that I have never seen and they haven’t the slightest clue of nutrition, hygiene, etc. The Rwandans told me that colonization helped the Hutus & Tutsis learn the basics of modern civilization. This knowledge never reached the Twas and they are the most marginalized group in Rwanda. So marginalized in fact, that in earlier days the other tribes actually hunted these people.

No human on the planet should live like these people are living. These orphans will be dead in a few years if something doesn’t happen. No muzungu had been where I went today and it will take a while to process a plan of action to help these orphans . . . but it would be hard to be the first to see this situation and do nothing to take action.

I hope the pictures can show some glimpse of a situation that is truly a matter of life & death.

Thanks for your continued support & prayers for us during this trip. I will keep you posted with more as the internet connection allows. In the meantime, I have access to every donation you are sending at http://www.RiversPromise.com so literally your gift today will be helping an orphan tomorrow.

Day #1 - Rwanda - 05/2010

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:59:00 +0000

It has been an amazing 1st day back on the ground in Rwanda. It is the first time that I have been back in the country since leaving here with my son & I was honored to spend in visiting some of my son's earliest friends.

We started the day with a visit to the genocide memorial in Kigali. This is my 4th visit to this memorial but it is always just as moving. After the memorial, we headed to the PEFA orphanage where we were able to scout the needed land for an agricultural project and tell them that we (River's Promise) would help them move forward.

Up until now, the children have done good to get one (maybe two) meals per day and that was generally only rice, water, & maybe some beans. They were forced to buy food at market prices so this only occurred when they had the extra funds. A phone call was made immediately to an organization is sponsored by the Rwandan government and uses prisoners from the Rwandan genocide to clear land help with development. Literally, tomorrow . . . prisoners who killed during the genocide will come and formally ask the orphanage for forgiveness for their crimes and then ask if they can serve them to cultivate the land as a way to give back to the very community where they once perpetrated great crimes.

I am told that the land will be cleared & seeds planted probably by the time I return to the USA. After that, the orphanage will take over the land for harvest and continued planting. They will no longer have to wait on funds for food and the children will begin to have a regular supply of food & vegetables. The signs of mild malnutrition will soon be gone among my son's earliest friends. I will return to the orphanage every day that I am here to check on progress.

Tomorrow we will head outside of the city to see the extreme poverty among orphans in the Rwandan pygmies, then return to the orphanage to check on progress.

Thank you to everyone who donated to this agricultural project. We have only just begun! There is much more to do.

If you'd like to give, you can do so at http://www.RiversPromise.com/. We will have access to these funds the entire time I am here so what you give today will literally be helping orphans tomorrow.

I will keep you posted.

Thanks & God Bless-
Jimmy Lakey

Repeat: From one year ago . . . "Hard to Sleep"

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:06:00 +0000

This blog post was originally published one year ago, September 3, 2008. It was written in the middle of the night, just a few hours before I went to an orphanage in Rwanda to pick up my son and begin the journey back to the USA . . .

It has been an amazing year with our new son but this blog is a great reminder as to the 2-year journey of adoption. I hope you enjoy . . . .

*************************

It’s two in the morning on Wednesday, September 3, 2008. I slept lightly for an hour but am now sitting up in my bed, typing in the glow of my computer screen. The window next to me is open and only the mosquito net above protects from the evening air in Kigali. I find the coolness refreshing even though the smell of smoke from fire pits is strong.

The singing, chanting, and screams of African men in the valley below has now faded a bit, but even without the noise, I knew it would be hard to sleep tonight.

Normally I’d be fighting to go back to sleep but my heart, my head, and the deepest parts of my being are awake with anticipation. There is anticipation for what is to come in a few hours when I go to the orphanage to pick up my son; and there is anticipation of the coming years as we begin our new life together.

For over a year, I have had to be guarded. There have been no assurances that this day would come, and there have been many times that we were led to believe it would remain only a dream. Now, I can throw caution to the wind and admit that someone new has captured my heart. A baby boy who was left in drainage ditch during a rainstorm has now joined my family and I have the opportunity to love him, lead him, & watch him grow into the man that he was rescued to be. He will grow up, I will grow old, and through it all, he will be my son.

I knew it would be hard to sleep tonight...

Counting Crows & Christian Music

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Last night I attended a Counting Crows concert at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. It rained during the concert and I was soaking wet, but it was a great night.

Now as you probably know, I have been involved in the Christian music industry for several years. We’ve had some fun. We’ve made some friends. And we’ve made some money. I like the industry and am glad to be a part of it. After watching last night’s Counting Crows’ show, I began to think about 2 things that could be learned by the Christian industry & Christian tours.

Number 1 - It’s about the music! Last night’s concert wasn’t about fancy corporate sponsors or product booths. It was about the music. I see more and more Christian concerts spending large amounts of time pitching products, videos, movie releases, & their corporate sponsors.

I recall recently partnering with one of the major “mainstream” promoters on a Christian concert and they were amazed that a tour with such “low-sales” & “low-ticket price” looked like the circus unloading all the product & sponsor booths. We didn’t even have room to keep all their booths indoors. Attention! Stop the distractions! Shouldn’t it be about the music & message? It sure seemed to be that way last night at Red Rocks. There were a couple of product booths with tasteful selections of shirts, CD, etc. That is all. It was about the music - not the sponsors. Refreshing.

Number 2 - Stop the hard sales! More & more Christian shows seem to take large chunks of concert time convincing people to join some social justice cause, sponsor a child, or something of that nature. I like the concept of “doing good” and actually have started a program through “River’s Promise” for Artist Ambassadors; BUT must it take 20 minutes of the night and an army volunteers roaming the isles to get people to “do good”? I promoted a concert in December where “the pitch” took 30 minutes! Seriously! People have come for the music, not to see their favorite artist impersonate a television evangelist to get results.

By comparison, I heard Counting Crows mention their “cause/foundation” twice in the concert and it took a grand total of 5 minutes. There was no hard sale. Here’s why: Counting Crows has a charity that they support . . . most Christian artists have charities supporting them as a corporate sponsor, thus they need results for the bottom line.

Is anyone else seeing the ironies here?

More Than a Sexy Cause

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:47:00 +0000

This article is in the latest edition of Christianity Today and includes some conversation with Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz).

With social justice issues and causes being so "en vogue", is it a passing fad or has their been a cultural shift? It is horrible to consider the consequences should this just be a passing fad.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE.

Simple Things . . . Big Impact.

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:51:00 +0000

There are many friends who have told me they want to help make a difference in the lives of orphans by helping River's Promise. I am often asked "what can I do?". The answer(s) are pretty simple. Of course, donations are great but there are other things that can make a powerful impact. I thought it might it might be helpful to list a few. Donations are great . . . but for the sake of orphans . . . DO SOMETHING!

1) Invite me to share at your community group, church, or synagogue where I can share the heart of River's Promise and give people the opportunity to get involved.

2) A huge way to help is to host a reception or party at your house where I can give a presentation. People will come if you throw the party! Rather than selling tupperware or jewlery, we can talk about impacting orphans in Rwanda.

3) Perhaps the most simple way to help beyond just a flat donation is to buy one of our new CDs that feature Kate Hurley, Aaron Strumpel, A Boy & His Kite, & Jason Roberson. All the songs were written with Rwanda, River's Promise, and/or the plight of the orphan in mind! It is a great CD. Here is the link to buy it now!

There are weeks that overwhelm.

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:26:00 +0000

There are some weeks that overwhelm you and this has been one of those for me. I have been feverishly engaged in trying to raise funds for the projects that we are doing to help orphans in Africa through "River's Promise".

This is not easy time to lead a non-profit organization. The economy has gone way south and donors just don't have the capacity that they had a few months ago. Part of what keeps me fighting is that we have 15 years of history at stake. Our non-profit has reached around the globe and come far from the early days when we just hosted summer youth camps. Now we are committed to give hope to orphans in Africa. It's a noble cause, but one that relies solely on the generosity of others . . . unlike the summer camps where we could supplement with registration fees. Admittedly, our 15 year history is part of what motivates me to fight another day . . . but now there is more that drives me forward.

Over the last week, I have received many emails from our contact in Rwanda informing me of the ongoing needs of orphans. One email told me some details of how the beds that we purchased for orphans (who had been sleeping on bare concrete floors) had brought a sense of pride & happiness. The kids now feel a bit more like the others they meet at school . . . "normal" is the word that was used. For the first time ever, these orphans are not ashamed to show their friends where they live. For the first time ever, they aren't ashamed! WOW!

Another email informed me of an orphanage where they are unsure how much longer they will be able to feed the kids. This hits really close to home since this is the orphanage where my son (River) used to live. The last few nights I have watched him eat dinner and been unable to shake the thought that he could easily have been one of these hungry children. That thought breaks me every time! I must do something to help these friends that he spent 3 years of his life with!

The economy sucks right now. It is not an easy time to raise money and this has made this week a bit overwhelming! BUT I MADE A PROMISE TO MY SON. We promised to do everything possible to help the orphans that remain in Africa. This isn't just my job. It's my duty! It's my promise! I can live with being overwhelmed but I can't live knowing that I broke a promise! I will fight on . . . I must fight on.

Stop The Presses - Everfound

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Stop The Presses . . . I was working on a blog entry about all the many CDs that I receive from folks, then today the guys from Everfound sent me their new CD (Colorful Alibis and Scandalous Smiles) and it is NOT all the things I was about to write about . . . so stop the presses. I'll finish that blog entry later!

For now, I am on my 2nd listen of the afternoon & digging it! I will probably post a more thorough review a bit later but thought you should know that from the packaging to the music on the disc . . . it is good stuff. Congrats to all the Odnoralov boys!

Open Letter to the Newsboys

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:45:00 +0000

This past Tuesday night (03/17/09), I had the privilege of promoting my 10th Newsboys concert. This was a great & historic night as it marked the first night that the band was fronted by Michael Tait (formerly dcTalk), as Peter Furler has decided to come off the road after 22 years of life on a tour bus. Here is the letter that I sent to the Newsboys organization after the concert . . . .

*********************

Steve, Wes, Peter, & my Newsboys friends:

This past Tuesday night (03/17), I had the privilege of promoting my 10th Newsboys concert and I wanted to offer encouragement to each of you during this time of transition for Newsboys.

First, the way that the Newsboys began the concert & and introduced Michael Tait to the audience was great. It was a gentle & honest moment that that was capped off with Michael Tait’s honesty, humility, & wonderful opening prayer. I was honored to host the first full-concert with Michael as the lead singer and I would encourage you that the opening as Newsboys took the stage was not only good, it led to great acceptance from our over 3000 ticket buyers.

Michael did a great job! During the concert, not only was the crowd “with you”, the responses by fans at the after show meet & greet were very encouraging and positive. There was excitement & acceptance throughout the night! The fans stood the entire concert and took in every moment of this historic night.

We did have a few emails & comments about Peter not being there . . . But honestly, the total amount of comments/complaints on this show were no greater than the normal amount that occur after every concert regarding various topics of seating, parking, ticket price, & volume. In short, the fans accepted the change and enjoyed the concert.

Secondly, I want to encourage you and thank you in this decision to keep the ministry of the Newsboys alive & well, even as Peter comes off the road! I fully understand that Peter needed a rest after 22 years on the road and am excited that he will finally have some time to be with his wife & family, not to mention being able to now focus more on writing and production of the Newsboys as they grow into the future. The departure of Peter from the road could have easily led to folding-up of the ministry of the Newsboys! You have made the choice to keep the ministry going and the world will be better because of your commitment to keeping the world-wide impact of the Newsboys alive. I firmly believe that the selection of Michael Tait will be a great asset to expand the ministry & impact of Newsboys in the coming days.

I have now completed about 10 shows with the Newsboys . . . and I look forward to the next 10!

God Bless-

Jimmy Lakey | World Changers Int’l.,Inc.
Founder/CEO

" . . .But I Never Did."

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:08:00 +0000

On Thursday, President George W. Bush gave his farewell address from the Oval Office. Before I go further, let me be upfront that I have been a staunch supporter of my fellow Texan. He has not been a perfect President and there are many things that I think he could have done differently . . . but in regards to war & terror, I do not have a full understanding of all that he knew after 9/11.

A powerful line in last night's farewell address was . . .

"As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11. But I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe."

That he did! He has kept us safe! Thank you Mr. President!

I find it interesting that after the election, President-Elect Obama has decided to keep some of the same people in place on National Defense issues and has backed-off much of his election rhetoric regarding policy change on terrorism. I am wondering if it didn't scare the hell out of him to get that first Presidential briefing on the threat to America.

I wish Barack Obama my best in keeping our nation safe and I am thankful to George W. Bush for not returning to life as it had been.

Today's posting by Rich Galen says it well. I invite you to read his thoughts at: http://www.mullings.com/

An atheist's thoughts on Africa . . .

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:13:00 +0000

This is an interesting column that I found regarding the needs of Africa, written by an avowed atheist. Great read. Great conclusion. Enjoy

From The Times - December 27, 2008

By Matthew Parris

As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God. Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity of the people's mindset

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.

But this doesn't fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.

First, then, the observation. We had friends who were missionaries, and as a child I stayed often with them; I also stayed, alone with my little brother, in a traditional rural African village. In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.

At 24, travelling by land across the continent reinforced this impression. From Algiers to Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, then right through the Congo to Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, four student friends and I drove our old Land Rover to Nairobi.

We slept under the stars, so it was important as we reached the more populated and lawless parts of the sub-Sahara that every day we find somewhere safe by nightfall. Often near a mission.

Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to: something in their eyes, the way they approached you direct, man-to-man, without looking down or away. They had not become more deferential towards strangers - in some ways less so - but more open.

This time in Malawi it was the same. I met no missionaries. You do not encounter missionaries in the lobbies of expensive hotels discussing development strategy documents, as you do with the big NGOs. But instead I noticed that a handful of the most impressive African members of the Pump Aid team (largely from Zimbabwe) were, privately, strong Christians. “Privately” because the charity is entirely secular and I never heard any of its team so much as mention religion while working in the villages. But I picked up the Christian references in our conversations. One, I saw, was studying a devotional textbook in the car. One, on Sunday, went off to church at dawn for a two-hour service.

It would suit me to believe that their honesty, diligence and optimism in their work was unconnected with personal faith. Their work was secular, but surely affected by what they were. What they were was, in turn, influenced by a conception of man's place in the Universe that Christianity had taught.

There's long been a fashion among Western academic sociologists for placing tribal value systems within a ring fence, beyond critiques founded in our own culture: “theirs” and therefore best for “them”; authentic and of intrinsically equal worth to ours.

I don't follow this. I observe that tribal belief is no more peaceable than ours; and that it suppresses individuality. People think collectively; first in terms of the community, extended family and tribe. This rural-traditional mindset feeds into the “big man” and gangster politics of the African city: the exaggerated respect for a swaggering leader, and the (literal) inability to understand the whole idea of loyal opposition.

Anxiety - fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things - strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won't take the initiative, won't take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders.

How can I, as someone with a foot in both camps, explain? When the philosophical tourist moves from one world view to another he finds - at the very moment of passing into the new - that he loses the language to describe the landscape to the old. But let me try an example: the answer given by Sir Edmund Hillary to the question: Why climb the mountain? “Because it's there,” he said.

To the rural African mind, this is an explanation of why one would not climb the mountain. It's... well, there. Just there. Why interfere? Nothing to be done about it, or with it. Hillary's further explanation - that nobody else had climbed it - would stand as a second reason for passivity.

Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.

Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.

And I'm afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.

Maybe I Shouldn't Travel Alone???

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:36:00 +0000

There is a good reason that I had adopted a policy to try and not travel alone. In everyday life, I am “in charge” & ”in command”. My personality is that of a “Driver” and I know what’s going on. I have often thought that I’d be a good Chief of Staff for the President because I am generally focused and together. But for some reason, when I catch a flight something happens to my brain. A few years ago, when I was traveling allot more, I even hired an assistant who was assigned to travel with me because I would lose keys to rental cars, hotel rooms, and leave behind my laptop & bag. I would even show up to speak at a church or event and have no notes, Bible, or whatever else I was going to need. Last year, I fell off the “don’t travel alone” wagon” and it led to a “sketchy” scenario including me stopping a potential “terrorist” who sat behind me on the plane. My side of that story is that I saved America. My wife’s side of the story is that I “lost my mind”. While that is a story for another day, the bottomline is that I try not to travel alone.

Well, this week I violated the policy again as I flew out of town for a couple of days of business. It started off good, waking up on my own at 4am to shower & head to the airport. I met my driver downstairs “right on time” and was checked in & through security in time to grab breakfast and coffee before sitting to relax at the gate before boarding. This is when it began to fall apart.

As I began walking down the jetway to board the plane, I realized that I didn’t have my wallet in my pocket. I travel with cash but I needed my credit cards & driver’s liscense to get my rental car & to check into my hotel. I know I had my wallet when I checked in, and at security, and also when grabbing breakfast, but now I couldn’t find it. I rushed back up the jetway & began searching my bag, my coat, and every where else that I could think of. Everyone was now on the plane except me. I ran to security to see if I left it there, then on to the airport coffee shop to check there, it was no where to be found. Back at the gate, I was informed that the door would have to close soon so I needed to either board or miss the flight. It was then that I checked the front pocket of my carry-on suitcase and realized that for some very odd reason, I had placed my wallet in there for some unknown reason. I had never used that pocket before but for some reason placed my wallet in it.

I was sweaty from the running and panicked about missing my flight and ultimately the meeting I was due at as soon as the plane landed. The wallet was found and I made it to my seat to spend the next 2 ½ hours of flight trying to relax after my early morning panic.

For the rest of the trip, I held my wallet as if it were solid gold, which led me to misplace my money clip no less than 4 times on the trip. I locked myself out of my hotel room once and forgot to charge my cell phone at night. I finally returned home safely and immediately upon landing felt my dominant/in charge personality return. I am not sure what it is about travel but I probably should return to my policy of not traveling alone.

Good news: My wife is thankful that this time I didn’t threaten and subdue a “terrorist”, bringing us to the brink of a national emergency.

Bad news: Anyone want to be my travel assistant? :)

It's Almost Time

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:59:00 +0000

Hopefully, you are aware by now that we have a new CD coming out that will benefit River's Promise. If you didn't know about the CD, it's proof that you haven't been stopping by my website. I would suggest that you improve immediately. (End of lecture on not going to my website.)

The CD is an EP, which means "extended play" which is ironic since it really means it is short than full length (end of lecture on EP). This CD will contain 5 songs from artists such as Kate Hurley, Jason Roberson, A Boy & His Kite, & Aaron Strumpel. It's gonna rock.

All that said, we are SIMPLY WAITING on the final word from the techincal folks on when it will hit iTunes and be ready for your download. I will post the news on this blog and hope that you will plan to download the project. Not only is it good music, the proceeds are helping us to help orphans in Africa.

River's Promise:Our Love Can Change Things - EP --- COMING SOON!!! IN A MATTER OF DAYS!!!

Regarding Randy Miller of The Myriad

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:57:00 +0000

Hello all. I wanted to use this blog space to invite you to pray for Randy Miller, drummer for The Myriad. If you didn't know, he was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer. He is beginning chemo immediately.

Here is a video telling a bit of the story. Our prayers are important and I know it'd be great if you could donate to the fund that is mentioned. Many musicians don't have insurance and the medical expenses mount up quickly.

If you are reading this on Facebook, the video won't embed here so go to the blog on my website www.jimmylakey.com or just paste this URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZwEpoJix4w

Check Out Our Television Commercial

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:48:00 +0000

I help promote allot of concerts but we don't often buy television time because it's cost prohibitive in the world of marketing shows. I won't bore you with the spreadsheets that prove my point . . . but since it's always fun to put a television commerical on-air, I thought I'd share!

This commerical is for the 12/09/08 Christmas concert with Michael W. Smith in Denver and I thought I'd pass it along for your visual entertainment. It will be airing on the ABC Family Channel in Denver, as well as on Fox News Network in Denver.

Enjoy . . . and maybe buy a ticket!!

DO YOU SLEEP ON CONCRETE?

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:46:00 +0000

What would you do if you learned that your next-door neighbor’s children had no pillows or blankets?

What would you do if you found out they had no bed and they only slept on the bare floor?

I think I know how you answered these questions, because anyone with a heart would do anything possible to help. We’d offer them extra from our house or we’d make a quick run to Wal Mart to make a purchase to assure that they at least could cover up from the cold and lay their little heads on a pillow. We would not stand by while children next door lived without this basic amenity of the civilized world.

Through River’s Promise, we are providing the gift of education to entire orphanages. And while I was greatful during my recent trip to Rwanda to see the faces of these children as we gave them the hope of education, I was saddened to learn that one of the orphanages we are helping with education has no beds for the children. The children sleep on bare cement floors with no mattress, no sheets, no blankets, and not even a pillow. Can you imagine?

When I returned home to the USA, I was thrilled to have sent these children to school but broken that they can’t even get a good night of sleep. This has led to our Christmas Project for River’s Promise., the “Buy A Bed Project”. This need is immediate & urgent and this is why we are targeting meeting this need before Christmas. I am committed to do all that I can over the next 8 weeks to see that all 50 of these orphan children get a bed, a mattress, sheets, blankets, pillows, and even a mosquito net to protect them from malaria while they sleep. This commitment to help is not cheap ($200 per child) but the price of inaction is greater.

If you can’t do the full-amount, here are some options.

Bunk Bed/Bed Frame – $95
Mattress – $40
Bed Sheets – $20
Pillow – $10
Blanket – $25
Mosquito Net – $10
Complete Bedding for 1 orphan – $200

Call me crazy if you wish but I am believing that we can fund this entire project in 8 weeks and have beds for all 50 children by Christmas, but I need your help! 50 Children @ $200 per bed . . . what an incredible Christmas gift!

I am asking you to help me help these children now! I am asking you to help us buy beds for 50 children at this orphanage! You can do the entire set up of a bunk bed/bed frame, mattress, sheets, blanket, pillow, & mosquito net for just $200. If that is too much, you can break it down and just buy the pillow or just buy the mattress. Every little bit will help us meet the needs of these children.

Remember the questions that began this letter? Now let me ask, Does our generosity stop next door? Does it stop in the USA?

These children tonight will sleep on bare concrete with not even a pillow or blanket to soften the floor or block the chill. Will you help me over the next 8 weeks bring hope to orphans by simply giving them a bed?

You can mail your donations to:
World Changers International, Inc.
Attn: “Buy A Bed” Christmas Project
PO Box 59266
San Jose, CA 95159

You may also donate online through the links on my website www.jimmylakey.com

Thank you in advance for helping us buy beds for Christmas!

Sincerely,

Jimmy Lakey

The River's Promise CD Series

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:36:00 +0000

In a few weeks, we will be announcing the release of the 1st CD that will support the cause of orphans and "River's Promise" and it will be amazing! This EP will feature songs from Aaron Strumpel, Kate Hurley, Jason Roberson, & Dave Wilton and most are songs that were written specifically for "River's Promise".

Wow! That is all I can say! "WOW!" I just listened to them as they head to be "mastered" (a technical part of the production of any CD) and they are amazing! I will keep you posted with the release date on iTunes as this will be a CD that you want to get. It will be available on iTunes soon. WOW! THis project will amaze you!

Part 2 - Child Labor, Orphans, & River's Promise

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:21:00 +0000

After Part 1 of this video, we thought our camera might be confiscated or destroyed . . . it wasn't but we were instructed to "destroy the video". We got in our car as quickly as possible and headed up the road. This video in Part 2 was filmed a few miles up the road in a more remote area of the Gatsibo District of Rwanda. We filmed discreetly as to not risk loosing what we'd already captured so most of this is video of me telling you what is happening. There were many people (including children) standing and sitting all around us and we were careful to not get them in video; nevertheless, this gives a very very small glimpse of where we were.

The problem is serious! Children are not able to go to school because they lack the ability to pay school fees. This is why we started River's Promise! I hope that this might inspire you to help us help the orphans with your donation! For $25 per quarter or $100 per year, we can send and orphan to primary school. Help us help the orphans through River's Promise.

Lastly, as always, if you are reading this as a FACEBOOK note . . . you will need to view the video in the blog of my website. www.jimmylakey.com

Part 1 - Child Labor, Orphans, & River's Promise

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:33:00 +0000

I wasn't sure we'd get to show you this video as our camera was briefly confiscated due to this footage. Here is the story behind what you are about to watch.

During my recent trip to Rwanda, we traveled about 2 hours outside of Kigali to a more remote area in the Gatsibo District. We were welcomed by a District official and told to take photos and that we were welcome. That is where the hospitality ended. At the end of "Part 1" you will see some silence and people looking around a bit. The same official who had welcomed us was now signaling that we should stop the interviews, shut down the camera, and come talk to him. He took our camera and began a firm lecture, insisting that those we were interviewing were actually "in school" but "lying" so that they could be in the video. For a few moments we thought he was going to take our video camera, or at least break it, but he reluctantly gave it back telling me that I must destroy this footage.

Well . . .I didn't delete it. Instead, we went to our car and left as promptly as possible. Since these students were "working" when we arrived and we gave no advance notice that we were coming, it is unlikely that they had changed clothes and rushed to fake some work for our camera. It is likely that we exposed what a politician was ignoring that was happening right under his nose.

I fight for kids, not corrupt politicians . . . so you get to watch the video and see who you believe. When I showed this video to a Rwandan friend with 2 children, he fell silent and then worried aloud that this could be the fate of his children if anything ever happened to him.

We are looking for ways to help the orphans in this area of Rwanda . . . education is the only hope that they have if they are to break the cycle of poverty as they grow older. I pray that this simple video will inspire you to help us with "River's Promise". Your donations can send orphans to school and keep them from such labor.

Lastly, this video will not show up in the Facebook notes. You can only see text in facebook, so if you are reading this on facebook, you will need to go directly to my blog at www.jimmylakey.com

Interview from Rwanda - with Jean Paul

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:32:00 +0000

I am now safely back in the USA and have spent this week simply being a father to my new son, River Matison Moise Lakey!

Now that the internet connection is better, I am able to upload some additional video footage from my recent trip to Rwanda. Here is a brief interview with Jean Paul. He is an orphan who has been in the PEFA orphanage for the last several years. He had commented just before the presentation that even when he was able to attend school, it was extremely difficult since he didn't have any textbooks . . . so he was attending classes and listening but was unable to follow along or study since he had no textbooks! Can you imagine! All this has changed because of what we are doing with RIVER'S PROMISE!

It is so amazing to hear how he hopes to one day be able to help orphans and his education will help him achieve that dream! God Bless Jean Paul! I look forward to following Jean Paul's success when I return to Rwanda!

River Don't You Cry Anymore

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:06:00 +0000

Our good friend Kate Hurley has written the following song for River. Kate wrote & recorded this song for the upcoming benefit “River’s Promise” CD Project Vol. 1.

This song & the entire project will soon be available on iTunes.

"River don’t you cry anymore
River don’t you cry.
The roads been hard so far
River don’t you cry.
You're coming home soon, baby boy.
River don’t you cry.

River don’t you cry anymore
River don’t you cry.
We’ll wipe away your tears
River don’t you cry.
We’re going to find you, baby boy.
River don’t you cry.

You taught me that my words are not enough
My words are empty if I don’t open I don’t open up my arms, to you.
You’ve grown me to a place that I call home.
River don’t you know that our love can change things."

Hard To Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (JIMMY LAKEY) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:34:00 +0000

It’s two in the morning on Wednesday, September 3, 2008. I slept lightly for an hour but am now sitting up in my bed, typing in the glow of my computer screen. The window next to me is open and only the mosquito net above protects from the evening air in Kigali. I find the coolness refreshing even though the smell of smoke from fire pits is strong.

The singing, chanting, and screams of African men in the valley below has now faded a bit, but even without the noise, I knew it would be hard to sleep tonight.

Normally I’d be fighting to go back to sleep but my heart, my head, and the deepest parts of my being are awake with anticipation. There is anticipation for what is to come in a few hours when I go to the orphanage to pick up my son; and there is anticipation of the coming years as we begin our new life together.

For over a year, I have had to be guarded. There have been no assurances that this day would come, and there have been many times that we were led to believe it would remain only a dream. Now, I can throw caution to the wind and admit that someone new has captured my heart. A baby boy who was left in drainage ditch during a rainstorm has now joined my family and I have the opportunity to love him, lead him, & watch him grow into the man that he was rescued to be. He will grow up, I will grow old, and through it all, he will be my son.

I knew it would be hard to sleep tonight...