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One of my good friends, Ryan Akers (FWBBC and Truth & Peace Alumni), went on a trip to Haiti some time back and was very moved and heartbroken by what he saw. Because of this, he decided to take action. As an avid runner, Ryan created his own group called “Run 4 Haiti” in attempts to raise money. Here is an excerpt from Ryan, from the Mountain Faith Mission web site:

I love running. It’s been a passion of mine for a few years now. I’m quite the running geek, too, as I enjoy reading magazines and books about the sport. As I’ve read, I’ve seen numerous stories of people who have raised money for some charitable cause. Thus, we find Run 4 Haiti.

Presently, I am training for the 2009 Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee. On April 25, 2009, I’ll toe the line with some 30,000 people to participate in the race. On that day, my goal is to have support flowing in from all over the nation for Mountain Faith Mission of Haiti. So here’s the deal…

I am asking for any individuals, churches, youth groups…anyone who wants to get involved to join the team by supporting Run 4 Haiti. Every single penny that is donated goes straight to Mountain Faith Mission. This money will help improve the lives of thousands of people on the central plateau of Haiti. My goal is to get donations of $1 a mile for a total of $26. In a country where we have so much, this donation would nearly be a month’s wage for many in Haiti.

I know many people will look at this and say, “Oh, that’s nice, but I’m too strapped for money right now.” Or maybe, “That’s cool…but I tithe…so I’m taken care of.”

I’m asking you to think a little deeper about this issue. Yes, the economy is bad right. Yes, money is tight. But even in these times, do our economic hardships even compare with the people in Haiti? Not a chance. 

Our economic problems revolve around cutting back in Christmas gifts and eating out. It may even involve losing a job. However, their economic problems revolve around survival–getting enough food to eat, getting medical help, etc.

To everyone who reads this, I encourage you to take some action, especially this holiday season. Maybe you’ll choose to support Haiti through Ryan. Maybe you’ll choose to get involved with Mocha Club, something I’ve been privileged to get involved with. Maybe you’ll choose to be a part of Malaria No More, which I wrote about in a previous post. Maybe it’s donating to Toys for Tots.

More than anything, help someone who is less fortunate. That $7/month or one time gift of $26 really isn’t going to hurt you that much.

Show the love of Christ. Give!

For more information, check out these sites:

Mountain Faith Mission- Run 4 Haiti 

Run 4 Haiti Blog

Mocha Club

Malaria No More

What happens when you take 84 teenagers who are relative strangers and give them the responsibility of running a conference for 5,000+ people? The answer: the realization that teenagers are capable of much more than we give them credit for. 

Welcome to the Truth & Peace Student Leadership Conference 2008. The conference kicked off Wednesday July 9 at FWBBC in Nashville, Tennessee. Students from all over the country (and even all over the world) came together to be trained in the ways of godly leadership. 

On Friday July 18, the students and staff left Nashville and headed to Charleston, West Virginia to help run the National Association of Free Will Baptists. 

Throughout the 2 weeks, there were plenty of tears from both laughing and crying. New BFFs were created in an instant and in the blink of an eye it seemed like it was already time to say goodbye. 

However, more importantly, God met with the those who were involved at the conference. Lives were changed and forever will be changed because of what happened during those 2 weeks.

I would love to tell you about everything, but I’d rather you hear it from the students involved. I want them to post on here and give their lasting memories, lessons learned, “LOL” moments, and everything in between.

Not sure what Truth & Peace is? Don’t worry. I have a feeling you’ll get a glimpse of the heart of the conference from the perspectives of the students. Btw…it IS more than just opening doors!

So…we are now open for comments. Can’t wait to hear from T&Pers. However, I’d also love to hear from T&P alumni, parents, and maybe people who were in West Virginia and observed the students in action.

(Sidenote: I’m heading out of the country on a cruise from Saturday-Thursday. It may take several days to get your comments approved…but it will happen!)

Truth & Peace videos are also available on YouTube. You can check out one below and find the others by typing in a combination of search words, such as “Truth and Peace, leadership, FWB” and others. Enjoy!

“The Truth and Peace Student Leadership Conference exists to train, motivate, and encourage High School Students to impact their world through Biblical leadership.”

This Wednesday kicks off the 25th year of the Truth and Peace Leadership Conference. The conference was established in 1984 and has been equipping teenagers to boldly serve Christ and His Church since its foundation.

I was privileged to take part in the conference during 3 years of high school. I am also privileged to serve on staff with Truth and Peace this year. Our meetings begin tonight. I ask that you pray for the 84 students who will be involved with this leadership conference as well as the 9 staff members. 

I will be blogging occasionally from the conference (maybe even daily) so be sure to check in and see what’s going. If you’re in T&P, your parents can stay updated on what’s going on thru the blog (since you only get 1 phone call home a week!)

If you’re in high school or about to enter high school and you’re curious about applying for Truth and Peace or wondering what it is, check out the T&P web site by clicking here.

Any shout outs from alumni???