More than 12 years ago, Kris and I felt led to start New Hope, to minister to under-resourced children and their families. We began our journey with more enthusiasm than wisdom.

Yes, like all American cities, Rochester had an exceptional past, but it also has some truly ugly stories that have remained carefully untold. Stories that those neighbors and my own dad had never heard. The racial conflicts which spawned “white flight” were symptoms of deeper problems.

Like every child, I believed that my hometown was the best city on earth. Many years later, I still believe I was fortunate to have grown up there, but I now have a more nuanced view.

As we journey upstream, we must remember that everyone is captive to their own experiences. We can only truly know our own world: we merely believe that we understand the experiences of others. Our experiences, in turn, influence our perspectives.

The initial reason we journey upstream is to get a better understanding of our world. The main benefit, however, is that we gain a better understanding of ourselves. 

We can learn a lot by reflecting on the [...]

I needed more understanding, more empathy, and more curiosity. I needed to learn to love the way Jesus loved and I needed to see the world the way He sees it. On July 4th, 1997, I stood alone as a man in need of God’s transforming love.

The River Babies Journey isn’t merely about discovering the source of the river rabies. It’s also about finding our true selves. That’s because it is a journey, not a destination. This journey is nothing if it is not a spiritual one.

Our time at the Antioch church was as blessed as [...]

Noble intentions often fall victim to comfort and security . . . If there had been an easier way, I would have likely taken it. Sometimes God uses forcing moves to get us to where we need to be.

In Louisiana, it did not matter whether children went to private schools or public schools. Both middle-class students and under-resourced children received similar scores on standardized tests to their respective peer groups regardless of the school they attended. Their school made very little difference. On the other hand, parental SES made all the difference.