Between the holidays, and receiving some great books over said holidays, I've been a bit distracted, so I've just got a quick New Year post this week, before getting back to more substantial posts next week. Overall, I think this year has gone very well, both for me, and for IRI. We now have substantial work going on in Mozambique, with several communities and over 50 churches involved in the process of personal, spiritual, and community development. We have also had great success in the Philippines, with several new partners and plans to return next year and the year after to expand the programs. We are continuing to build relationships and a reputation in Hong Kong, both with individuals, several churches, and the educational community. Finally, I was able to spend half of last year working at LCU, and have made plans to travel around the Midwest early next year. I'm glad we have been able to do so much, and look forward to next year.
Happy New Year everyone!
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Showing posts with label New Year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Year. Show all posts
December 31, 2014
January 9, 2013
New Year: New Ideas
It’s a new year, IRI has a new website, and I am moving some of the content of this blog over to the new IRI blog/news feed. This means I will be changing the content of this blog a little in 2013. Up until now, IRI didn’t have a dedicated blog/news outlet that was really functional, so this site was a kind of not-technically-but-the-best-you-will-get news blog for IRI. Now that our website has its own news blog, I can take blog in a few new directions that I have wanted to explore. I will still be covering personal news – where I am going, what I am up to, etc. What I plan to add are more personal reflections on the impact of the work we do and the theories behind it. Thus, you will see a number of new and perhaps even interesting reflections on how cognition (as understood through perception, reason, and emotion) intersect with various areas of life.
Will this be interesting? Will it be educational? Will it be a good cure for insomnia? I have no idea. This is a new experiment for me, and so your feedback and thoughts about what I might talk about are welcome.
So now you have an idea of what’s coming this year. I hope you will enjoy the blog and the new IRI news feed. Stay tuned for more insights!
Will this be interesting? Will it be educational? Will it be a good cure for insomnia? I have no idea. This is a new experiment for me, and so your feedback and thoughts about what I might talk about are welcome.
So now you have an idea of what’s coming this year. I hope you will enjoy the blog and the new IRI news feed. Stay tuned for more insights!
December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
Not much to say here. I only wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! I hope your holidays are going well for you, and that the new year brings you excitement, opportunities, and peace.
Now go on and celebrate!
Now go on and celebrate!
December 18, 2012
State of the Year Summary
I thought it might be good to wrap up the year with some information on my plans for next year. IRI has been very busy this year, between our work in Africa and several new opportunities opening up in North America and Asia, it has been very exciting. Our perpetual car malfunctions in Africa combined with the typical non-profit lack of funds, however, have also made it very frustrating. This feast-and-famine year means I have to compromise between following up on what's opened up and long-term financial planning.Which leads me to my current plans for next year:
In March I head off to Hong Kong and the Philippines. We will be working with a Hong Kong organization for the first few weeks of the trip, then head over to the Philippines to conduct a seminar and follow-up training. Our departure and return dates are not set yet, but I expect to be overseas for about two months.
May sees me back in the U.S. At this point, if my accounting skills are even remotely reliable, I will be just short of broke and back in Spokane. This will begin what I am tentatively calling the "Jason goes back to work" season. In addition to looking for temporary employment, I will also be promoting our developmental training and consulting to area businesses and organizations. I have found that the tours I have conducted the last few years, while great for keeping in touch, don't really give me much time to follow up and promote our training to local organizations. Part of IRI's long-term financial strategy has always included using our training and consulting in a professional capacity to fund nonprofit work, so I want to start developing a reputation in the business community. I expect to be busy for several months during this phase.
Assuming all goes well in the "Jason goes back to work" season, I should be ready to get back to traveling in the fall. August marks the beginning of a new school year in the U.S. as well as the beginning of many academic conferences. My plan is to hit as many conferences as time (and work) allows in order to meet with like-minded people, develop relationships, and promote our training. This will probably consist of weekend travel, so I plan to remain based in Spokane unless I have found better work elsewhere. This period of work and conferencing will continue until late November, with my final conference being ICOM, which takes place just before Thanksgiving. From there, it is time to meet with my associates and friends in the Midwest over the holidays, review the year's successes and failures, and plan for the next year.
Thanks to everyone who has been following my adventures this year. In addition to my other activities, I intend to change the way I handle these blogs soon. I want to increase my updates and provide more information on both the work I am doing and how the theories I have been working with impact how we can understand our world. I hope you'll all join me for what should be a fun and exciting year!
The Plan
January starts with a seminar in Torrington from the seventh through the eleventh. This seminar is a pilot seminar for our board of directors and various people we've met over the years who have been interested in our seminar work. Once we've wrapped up the seminar, I will head up to Spokane, WA to visit some contacts and to find temporary work until my next major trip. Finances are tight, and temp work will help cover my recurring bills while I'm traveling in March and April.In March I head off to Hong Kong and the Philippines. We will be working with a Hong Kong organization for the first few weeks of the trip, then head over to the Philippines to conduct a seminar and follow-up training. Our departure and return dates are not set yet, but I expect to be overseas for about two months.
May sees me back in the U.S. At this point, if my accounting skills are even remotely reliable, I will be just short of broke and back in Spokane. This will begin what I am tentatively calling the "Jason goes back to work" season. In addition to looking for temporary employment, I will also be promoting our developmental training and consulting to area businesses and organizations. I have found that the tours I have conducted the last few years, while great for keeping in touch, don't really give me much time to follow up and promote our training to local organizations. Part of IRI's long-term financial strategy has always included using our training and consulting in a professional capacity to fund nonprofit work, so I want to start developing a reputation in the business community. I expect to be busy for several months during this phase.
Assuming all goes well in the "Jason goes back to work" season, I should be ready to get back to traveling in the fall. August marks the beginning of a new school year in the U.S. as well as the beginning of many academic conferences. My plan is to hit as many conferences as time (and work) allows in order to meet with like-minded people, develop relationships, and promote our training. This will probably consist of weekend travel, so I plan to remain based in Spokane unless I have found better work elsewhere. This period of work and conferencing will continue until late November, with my final conference being ICOM, which takes place just before Thanksgiving. From there, it is time to meet with my associates and friends in the Midwest over the holidays, review the year's successes and failures, and plan for the next year.
Concluding Thoughts
So that's The Plan in a nutshell. Will the plan work out as stated? I seriously doubt it, but just having a plan helps me manage new opportunities and navigate obstacles. The goal of any year-long plan is not so much to actually do everything you plan, but to give you a foundation that allows you to adapt to changes while still being as productive as possible.Thanks to everyone who has been following my adventures this year. In addition to my other activities, I intend to change the way I handle these blogs soon. I want to increase my updates and provide more information on both the work I am doing and how the theories I have been working with impact how we can understand our world. I hope you'll all join me for what should be a fun and exciting year!
December 31, 2011
U.S. Tour Part 2
After a break to visit my family from Thanksgiving to Christmas, I am back to traveling the U.S. speaking with various groups about Insight Resources International and what we do. My travels have taken me to Alaska, where the average temperature in Elim, where I am visiting, is approximately -25F (-32C) or so. I am told this is not common for this area during this time of year, but nevertheless, it is cold.
Despite this, the trip is turning out to be very enjoyable. The locals have all been friendly and welcoming, and the accommodations are warm (and really, in this weather, that's the primary concern). I am traveling with Al and Velma, who are visiting their daughter and speaking with the local people about the work we are doing in Africa. The people here are interested in our work, and we have learned a lot about life in the village. Perhaps for me, the most radical concept to absorb has been the idea that you can only get in and out of town by plane. I can honestly say I have never been anywhere that has only been accessible by plane before. Beyond that, life here is much like you would expect in an isolated community - resources are limited (and therefore expensive), people tend to have a stronger sense of community than most places in the U.S., and everyone knows everyone else (and, by extension, everyone knows that you're new in town).
Once we finish our stay here, we travel back to Oklahoma and then on to Texas for a few weeks. I'm not sure if I look forward to the warmer weather, or dread the impending radical shift in climate. Either way, my next post will probably be from Texas.
Have a happy New Year!
Despite this, the trip is turning out to be very enjoyable. The locals have all been friendly and welcoming, and the accommodations are warm (and really, in this weather, that's the primary concern). I am traveling with Al and Velma, who are visiting their daughter and speaking with the local people about the work we are doing in Africa. The people here are interested in our work, and we have learned a lot about life in the village. Perhaps for me, the most radical concept to absorb has been the idea that you can only get in and out of town by plane. I can honestly say I have never been anywhere that has only been accessible by plane before. Beyond that, life here is much like you would expect in an isolated community - resources are limited (and therefore expensive), people tend to have a stronger sense of community than most places in the U.S., and everyone knows everyone else (and, by extension, everyone knows that you're new in town).
Once we finish our stay here, we travel back to Oklahoma and then on to Texas for a few weeks. I'm not sure if I look forward to the warmer weather, or dread the impending radical shift in climate. Either way, my next post will probably be from Texas.
Have a happy New Year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)