Long Time, No Post

So it's been a bit longer than normal between posts here. This is, in part, because I am getting other work which is keeping me busy. While my work with IRI is important and is not ending, the simple fact is that we are in a financially slow period, which means I have been focusing less on overseas work and more on local matters (improving finances, updating our website, and so on). While I am in one place for a while, I am also getting some side work to supplement my income, preparing for next year when things should pick up a little for me in terms of travel.

The upside of extra work is more income and a busier schedule. The down side is that I have less time for blogging. I don't intend to stop Incoming Insights, but it will slow down a bit. As it is, I have been posting mostly short apologies for not posting most of the month anyway, instead of the more interesting information I wanted to post.

My plan is to cut back on Incoming Insight's posts, at least for a bit. I am going to aim for one post in November, one in December, and then twice a month starting in January. Hopefully, the slower pace will help me focus more on what I want to say, instead of just posting something in order to get it online.

I appreciate everyone who's been reading - your interest is encouraging! Take care, and I will see you around November 20th or so.

Trip Prep

As I mentioned last blog, next week I travel to Wyoming to meet with Al and update our plans for the rest of 2015 into 2016. I am also looking for some part-time teaching work to expand my reserves (I originally planned for working with IRI two years before having to go back to work - I made it five, so I'm overdue). As a result, things have been a bit busy for me. This means a shorter post today, and possibly no post next Monday, as I will be traveling, but I will try to post something later this week, to make up for today's lightness and next week's lack.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

So it appears there will be some rearranging of schedules for IRI over the next few months. As a result, I will still be going to Alaska, but after that I may be heading off to Mozambique for a few months to document the work being done there and encourage our partners in the area. The plans are still in flux, so I don't have specifics yet, but this summer suddenly got much more interesting. Stay tuned, and I will try to keep people posted on everything that's happening.

Getting Behind

Wow - I missed an entire week. I have no idea where that week went, but it is gone.

I had intended to write up some follow-ups to the last post, and I still am, but I have gotten behind in a few personal matters, and need to clean out my personal space before I dive back into the cyberspace. I apologize for the delays, but I do still exist, and things are going pretty well, but I am reorganizing, and probably won't get back on track until next week.

I have, at least, gotten a time frame for the meeting in Alaska - it starts on July 6th, though I may arrive in Nome 3-4 days ahead of time to get set up and coordinate with the rest of our team. I'm really looking forward to going up there. I love Alaska, in general, and the idea of being able to work with tribal people in the area, helping them re-discover the tools to rebuild their lives and society is wonderful to me. I hope we can figure out the best way that IRI can help.

So in short, I am alive, I will be posting interesting things again soon. See you next week!

It Turns Out Trips Take Preparation

Just what the title says. This particular trip will be about two months long, and involve at least five states where I will be presenting/speaking that I know of so far. I think it's getting to me a bit, but I want to keep posting regularly, so here's the update: I am getting ready for lots and lots of driving broken up by periods of speaking and presenting. I expect I will be exhausted by the time I am done, but I plan to keep posting during the trip. Speaking of which, the next post will be a kind of "recap" for those people who have just started visiting recently, and may not be up on all my "Insights Into" posts. My plan is to give an overview of the topics I have currently covered along with links, so newcomers can catch up without having to read the less interesting posts (like this one). I may also try to give a quick overview of where I am headed with the posts, as well, depending on the amount of time my travels afford me.

Next post - probably from Kansas or Colorado.

This Year's Travels Begin!

Today I leave Spokane for Casper, WY. As I have mentioned before, I will be working with one of our local Church partners, as well as putting on a secular version of IRI's human development workshop for Casper College. This week is travel and preparation, and next week the real fun begins! I am looking forward to working in both venues. We know that our work is beneficial for both Christian growth, and general human development, and are excited to demonstrate this at Casper. The college training will be held during the day, while the Church work will take place in the evening.

Once I finish the workshop in Casper, I will be heading back to Spokane. There is still work I need to do here, as well as additional plans to me made for the rest of this year. Things are starting to heat up; let's see where they go!

Planning, Planning, Planning

We are working on our scheduling for 2015 right now at IRI, and it looks like I will be traveling quite a bit during the year. If anyone happens to be in the areas I will be visiting, and wants to talk about our work, they are welcome to contact me to see if we can meet.

The current (verified) plan is:
Feb. 2-5 - Casper, WY*
Mar. 13-15 - Grand Junction, CO
April 12-17 - Lewistown, MT

Meetings still in planning include:
Broken Arrow, OK - Early March
Alaska - July
Hong Kong - Fall 2015

We are also hoping to schedule some stops with our friends and supporters to give personal updates. If you have any interest in arranging meetings with me or anyone else at IRI, you can contact us at: info@insiaghtagentsofchange.com.

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*Edit: this is actually 3-6. My mind was off a day, apparently.

Travel Prep and Delayed Posts

I am preparing for a trip to Hong Kong to do some work with local educators and teach some workshops. I will be traveling next weekend, and arrive late Sunday, so next week's post will probably just be a short update, too. I will continue the overview of our ideas/philosophy of cognition as soon as I can - probably Nov. 3rd at the latest. Sorry for the delay.

The next post will be from Hong Kong!

Doing Much but Saying Little

I’ve been a bit quieter than I expected lately, on account of keeping busy. I have been working on several different things at once – teaching at LCU, helping reorganize parts of IRI, reviewing the training materials for use in our South Africa and Hong Kong pilots, meeting with prospective partners, etc. Unfortunately, while this makes my life interesting, it doesn't necessarily make for good blog posts:

“Today I read books. Then I reviewed the training material I am working on. Then I edited the material a bit. Then I had a meeting. Then I graded papers.”

This is not exactly gripping reading.

So in an attempt to add some actual useful content to this blog, I am going to try to write up a short review of some of the reading I am doing. Some of this will be books we are using in some classes (real books that non-student people read, not just academic books), some of it will be reading of my own, whether that be books, blogs, interesting news articles, etc. I posted that I wanted to do things like this before, and now, with my more academic focus this year, I think I can actually pull them off.

Let’s give it a try.

Check in later this month for my first installment – I have a  couple articles and blogs I have been reading that have posed some interesting questions, so that seems like a good place to start.

Have a great October!

Back in the U.S.A.

It's been a long, crazy trip, but after an unexpected two-month extension, I am back from Hong Kong. Much has happened in the last few months, but our recent rapid-fire change of schedule has probably been the most difficult to weather.

Things started getting complicated when I was asked to fill in preaching at Ken's Fairview Park church after his death. I was happy to help out, and the experience was enjoyable (for me, at least - others tell me they enjoyed it, too). The church really has some great people, and everyone was very welcoming and interested in learning, which makes it much easier to teach. Unfortunately, the sermons ended on a bit of a sad note, with news that the preacher Ken had chosen to replace him, Cody, was denied a his visa to come to Hong Kong (Cody is from the Philippines, and is a very intelligent and energetic man - I met him in the Philippines, and have been very impressed with his friendly energy and his dedication). I don't know what the church will be doing now that I am gone, but hope to keep in touch and remain updated on their doings.

The second major work that I was able to be a part of was helping our newest board member, Kitty Ho, put together some training materials for local HK schools based on our Insight principles and theories. The classes were three hours long, and covered the importance of critical thinking and building positive relationships in an educational environment. There were three sessions in three different schools that taught children with intellectual disabilities. Participants were mostly teachers, though we also had some physical therapists. The classes were generally well-received, with several inquires about when we would be able to do follow-up, so I believe our prospects for developing our programs in Hong Kong are definitely positive. Kitty and I are now working on the official pilot program for HK schools that will take place in the Summer of 2014.

Overall, this was a great trip - I was able to meet some fantastic people, and work on some really engaging and edifying projects. I look forward to going back next year. Until then, however, I have some new work to accomplish: I will be working at Lincoln Christian University for the next school year, as well as preparing for a community development pilot seminar in South Africa this December. Busy times!

On a final note, Al was forced to come back to the U.S. early due to some serious dental issues (the doctors found a growth in his mouth which had been causing him extreme pain - he needed to return to the U.S. for his medical insurance to cover the procedure to investigate/remove it). As a result, our purchase of a vehicle for Mozambique has been delayed until he can get back. The money we have raised will remain in a separate fund  until we can purchase the vehicle as planned.

Insights from Hong Kong

It appears I have not made it back to the U.S. after all.

Originally, the plan was for Al and I return to the U.S. after spending a few weeks in Hong Kong to follow up with people and work out some plans for next year. While we did accomplish these things (and more), I was given the opportunity to help our host's church. Ken had been the preacher at a church in Hong Kong and after his death, the church needed someone to take over the preaching. Fortunately, Ken had already made plans for a successor - unfortunately, that successor was from the Philippines, and the immigration procedures were not complete. As a result, there was a gap between Ken's death and when his successor could make it to Hong Kong that required an interim preacher.

Al volunteered me to fill in.

I'm not at all upset with his presumption - in fact, this has provided me with an opportunity to get to know several of the friends we made on our trip better, as well as get to know Hong Kong better in general. I am currently working on plans for next year, meeting new people, working with our new board member (who is a Hong Kong national), and even investigating job opportunities so that I can support myself when I return next year as part of our ongoing plans for developing programs here, in the Philippines, and in Myanmar. This is a tremendous opportunity, and I am grateful for Al's timely suggestion to the church here. I am also grateful for the people I have met so far, and look forward to working with everyone here for the next two months.

The current schedule now has me returning to the U.S. in late July. I will be posting more about my U.S. plans as my return date approaches.

Incoming From the Philippines

Finally, in the last two days of my trip to the Philippines, I am able to get online to make a post. It has been an exciting, traumatic, exhausting, and enlightening time here. I will post more specific details once I get back to the U.S. (and no longer have to borrow other people's computers to make a post), but for now, let me sum up:

Arrival and 1st Stop:

Al, Ken (our host), and I arrived in the Philippines on the 20th of March, just exactly five weeks ago. We were met by Marie Panti, one of Ken's associates here. We traveled to her home, which would serve as the venue of our Insight Seminar. Between preparation and execution, the seminar lasted about two and a half weeks. We had delegates attending from the Philippines, Myanmar, and Hong Kong. When the seminar was over, the group from Hong Kong returned home, and the rest of us traveled north to our next scheduled stop.

2nd Stop - It All Breaks Down:

Our second stop was the home of Glo - one of the delegates who attended our seminar at Marie's home. The trip north took around eight hours by bus, and was fairly comfortable for a bus trip. Upon arrival, Ken and several nationals began preparation for the retreat they were running. Before the retreat began, however, there was the matter of a wedding to attend (and participate in - more about that in a later post). After the wedding, we kicked off the beginning of the retreat with Ken and the others.

Then Ken died.

The Aftermath:

Ken's death was both unexpected and traumatic. Everybody at the retreat loved and respected him, and he was liked by many people in the community as well. Everything came to a halt, until we could get his family there and determine how to handle memorial services and transportation of his remains. I will give additional information in a later post, but suffice to say it changed everything.

After all the arrangements were made and the funeral was conducted, Ken's family left with a few of the nationals for Manila. From there, the family took Ken's remains back to Hong Kong. Al and I remained behind, our previous plans cancelled, and spent our time working with the local people setting up a week-long community program. Al coached the locals to identify and develop solutions for their local issues, and by the time the remaining nationals returned from Manila, the program was being led by local leadership.

Now:

Now the extended community development program is winding up (the locals decided to extend the program an additional week to cover all the issues they were uncovering), and Al and I are getting ready to head back to Hong Kong on Friday. I plan to post another quick update as that leg of the trip winds up, then set up a more detailed account (with pictures, even!) once I get back to the U.S. and have easier access to the Internet.

That's it for now - stay tuned next month for details of the Hong Kong experience!

End of the Run

Well, I'm back from the ICOM, and have officially completed my crazy tour of around 5000 miles. Now I will be visiting family over the holidays and meeting with friends in the Illinois area. On the down side, the Midwest has once again managed to make me sick - literally. I'm not sure if it is the allergens, some weird local bug, or the fact that I always visit here at the end of a exhausting trip, but I seem to keep getting sick when I reach the Midwest.

The convention went well - I managed to not offend or horrify anyone with my workshop (I think), raise awareness of our work developing individuals and communities in Mozambique and elsewhere, and make contacts with a few other organizations that either we can help, or may be able to help us. All in all, a satisfying run.

Now if I can just get the sick out of my system, everything will be great heading into the holidays.

Back From Africa

I'm back in the U.S. after my time in South Africa and Mozambique. I've already posted about
the seminar in Mozambique, but there were a few other things that have happened in the
meantime.

More Breakdowns

Our car broke down again...and yet again! Upon our return to South Africa from Mozambique, our first stop was the repair shop to pick up our newly repaired car. We then went to SARS to extend the permit to keep the car in the country for another two weeks, at which time Al planned to head back to Mozambique with Leonard. Unfortunately, during a trip to Potchefstroom the next week, the car broke down again. Moreover, it turned out to be the same problem as before - no financial worries there, as the transmission (gearbox, in South Africa) was under warranty, but it really put a dent in our plans. As a result of the breakdown, Al had to stay in South Africa longer than planned. Leonard went back by bus, while Al waited for the car to get fixed so he could drive it into Mozambique. Just before our extension deadline was about to expire, the car was repaired - only to have the transmission blow again as it was transported from the shop! It turns out something other than the transmission was broken - and since that isn't under warranty, we will have to pay for those repairs.Al is still in South Africa, and will remain there until his return to the U.S. in mid-August (his return date was moved up once we realized he wouldn't be able to make it back to Mozambique before returning, regardless of his departure date).

Contacts

We have made several contacts in South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe who are interested in our work. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned car troubles and the accompanying time and budget impact, we don't know when we will be able to follow up. We are hoping we will be able to meet with some of the interested organizations when we...

Return to Africa

Al and Vel are currently planning to head back to Africa in December, while I am currently scheduled to head back in January. I will spend about a month in South Africa, then head up to Mozambique to help with presenter training again. I don't have a scheduled return date yet.

Cancellations

Unfortunately, we have had some disappointments beyond the car. Due to low enrollment, the seminar we had planned for OK this month was canceled. In addition, our seminar in Haiti has been postponed a year, as our hosting organization is undergoing a restructure right now. We do plan to be in Haiti next year, but I don't know when our next seminar for the U.S. will be scheduled.

Disappointed?

All this could seem pretty disappointing, but honestly, these are simply setbacks, not defeats. The time that has opened up as a result of the cancellations gives me a chance to meet with supporters and other interested organizations in the U.S. Currently, we are in the process of setting up my fall schedule, so if anyone would like me to come out and speak at your local organization/church/group of friends/multimillion-dollar IRI charity concert, please feel free to contact me (via my e-mail, through our website, or even by leaving a comment below), and I will be happy to try work out a time to visit.

Since I didn't post last month (sorry about that!), I plan for a few additional posts this month - keep an eye out!

Incoming Workshop!

So I've been away a while again. Originally, we were planning on me being in South Africa by now en route to Mozambique. Unfortunately, a shortage of funds (airlines actually want you to PAY them to fly you places...crazy) demanded that I stay in the U.S. for another month. On the plus side, this provided an opportunity to conduce a pilot workshop here in Torrington, WY. One door closes, another door opens...

The workshop is designed to be a short "core principles" version of the full Insight Seminar we use as part of our work in Mozambique and elsewhere. The full seminar tends to run about 40 hours - a huge time investment for most people - and costs, at minimum, around $600 per person,* making it quite pricy. While I believe the seminar is worth both the time and cost, I have wanted to put together a simpler, more basic presentation to help people grasp some of the core ideas and raise awareness of the principles behind what we are doing. Thus we came up with the idea for the Insight Workshop - a 9-hour workshop which costs substantially less than the full workshop, but still helps people develop new ways of thinking about their lives that can help them live better. I will be posting our full "workshop notice" soon, so anyone who is interested can make reservations.

IN OTHER NEWS...

We are in the process of creating a new website! The new site will combine the old Safari Insight Mission website and the Insight International website into the Insight Resources International website! We're really excited about having a new site with updated information (and working links). I will post when it is up, so please get ready to check it out when it comes - look for the new site in about a month or so.

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*That's just to cover the cost of venue and materials. To generate any kind of revenue (or pay any of our staff), the seminar runs closer to $1200 per person.

Still Here

While I have not posted in quite a while, I am still around. I've been traveling quite a lot since Alaska, and should be settling down back in Wyoming next week. I plan to post more once I get a break from running around, but until then:

• Alaska was great - as I mentioned earlier, the people were very friendly and we were well-recieved
• Following Alaska, I traveled to Texas by way of Oklahoma and Illinois - I was able to meet with several friends, and speak about the work we are doing. Overall, a good stop.
• After Texas, I spent about a week and a half in Bakersfield speaking to various groups and contacts. I also got to spend a few hours with friends and family in the area.
• To conclude my runaround trip, I have recently been visiting people in Colorado and Wyoming. We still have a few speaking engagements before heading back to Africa, but most of the long-distance travel is over until then. 

The short summary is that interest in the seminars is increasing, and we may have opportunities to put on seminars in Alaska, California and perhaps Texas and Colorado over the next year or two.

Our Vice-President and co-founder, Doug Berry died earlier this month. We had to split our traveling group so that some of us could attend his funeral, while the rest of us continued our scheduled meetings. I am sorry I could not make it to see his family, but I know he wanted us to continue to raise interest in the work we are doing, and hope that I was able to honor him by doing so. He will be missed.

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!

U.S. Tour Part 1

I skipped a month; I apologize. This delay is due, in part, to a lot of boring business-related things happening, but I will sum up: we have changed our name, and are currently traveling around the U.S. promoting the newly renamed Insight Resources International (IRI for the rest of this post). We are in the process of creating a new website, and are putting all the necessary governmental documents in place to make sure everyone knows everything they need to know to do the things they need to do. Until everything is finished, our old website, e-mail, etc. will remain up and available (and probably for some time after we are finished, just to avoid confusion).

Unlike my last trip, this time I am not going solo. With me are Al and Velma Corson, who are the founders and primary agents for IRI. They do most of the work in Mozambique and South Africa, and are responsible for some of the research and successes we are experiencing in those places. While they are out of Mozambique, the nationals have taken over day-to-day operations of the organization, and, from all accounts, are doing a great job. For those of you who are not familiar with Mozambican culture, you will not understand how dramatic a step this is – Mozambicans, because of their cultural background, have a difficult time supervising a western-style organization. When you consider that most businesses and government systems in Africa are built on a western framework, you start to understand why Africa faces many business and governmental issues. Our friends in Moz are rapidly developing new perspectives and ways of thinking that are helping them overcome these obstacles. Their ultimate goal is to help the entire country develop new ways of thinking and problem solving, and from what we are seeing, they are off to a great start.

We are currently in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma visting friends and supporters in the area. The rest of our U.S. Tour includes traveling:

In November:

• East to Atlanta, GA
• Back to Broken Arrow, OK

End of Nov – December:

• Break for the holidays (“break” is a relative term)
  • I will be traveling up to IL to speak with supporters and visit my parents
  • Al and Vel will be staying in OK to visit their children and speak with other supporters

End of Dec – January:

• Fly from IL and OK to meet in Alaska
• Fly back to Broken Arrow, OK
• Down to Austin, TX
• Down (again) to San Antonio, TX
  • I will stay in San Antonio
  • Al and Vel will travel on to Corpus Christi

End of Jan – February:

• West to Bakersfield, CA
  • I will take a side trip to the Los Angeles area
  • Al and Vel will stay around Bakersfield
• East to Colorado
• North to Wyoming

End of Feb – March:

• Off to South Africa and then to Mozambique

From March until at least June, I will be back in Africa leading seminars and teaching others to do the same. It looks to be a fun trip, and we hope to meet with as many people as possible to help raise support and to find new venues for the seminars.