About to leave!

dear friends,
Its now T-23 hours till I leave from Norfolk airport on my journey. I do feel the need to recommend NOT flying on delta airlines, as the extra $25 I am spending on a single checked bag has reminded me! Other than discovering hidden fees, yesterday proved highly productive and even refreshing. I met with Doug Smith, head of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, who happens also to be chairman of Heifer International, one of the largest agricultural charities in the world. Who knew such large players in the development world live right here in Richmond? I must say that our conversation was enlightening in that he asked piercing, pointed questions meant to challenge me and my approach to the Work of Basic Needs. So often in the past three years, we have taken on projects because they arrived at our doorstep. A child needs a home, we provide one. A village needs a school, we build one. These are great, but as we grow and mature as an organization, we need to start creating a strategic plan, setting goals, and monitoring our progress. In Doug's words, I "need to decide if this is a hobby" or my calling in life. No beating around the bush here! But that is exactly what we need to hear sometimes.

Right after our meeting, I walked the few blocks from Shockoe Bottom to Capital Ale House, a favorite hang-out of medical students. There I met up with Bill Loman, a reporter from the Times Dispatch who had heard about our project through a connection at VCU School of Medicine (Shoutout!). He is doing a feature piece on Basic Needs, as well as the current push to involve medical students in our work. We had a long and surprisingly deep conversation about the origins of Basic Needs. Typically, reporters want nuts and bolts, dates, facts, timetables. Bill wanted to know what drives me, what makes me want to go around the world and do those things, what pushes me forward. I have to take my hat off to him for that!
anyway, the next time I write you dear friends, I will either be in Bangladesh or in transit. see you on the other side!
P.S. please allow me to apologize in advance for my spelling and grammer. In the world of instant messenger, I have learned some very bad habits. If I have the time and energy, I will try to go back and correct my mistakes! thanks again for reading!